Maya, Whale sharks and Easter in Belize
OutdoorHub 04.02.12
Maya culture, whale sharks and exotic Easter vacations are prompting more people to consider Belize as a spring holiday destination, Belize’s leading eco resort’s marketing administrator reports.
The Lodge at Chaa Creek’s Larry Waight said an increasing number of travellers are looking for a combination of experiences to get the most out of their holiday dollar, and this trend is creating greater interest in Belize.
“When I ask our guests what brings them to Belize and Chaa Creek, more and more of them answer that it’s the variety of different experiences they can have on one vacation. For example, we’ve lately had several people asking how to combine an Easter break with a chance to see the annual Belize whale shark migration and visit Maya temples as well.
“Fortunately, given Belize’s small size and our network of colleagues we’re able to that quite easily,” he said.
The annual whale shark season in Belize, beginning in March, runs through April, May, June and sometimes further into the summer. Once known to relatively few people, exposure in nature publications and media such as National Geographic has made whale shark watching more popular in recent years.
With a recorded length of 12.65 metres (41.50 ft) in length and weighing in at more than 36 tonnes (79,000 lb), whale sharks are the world’s largest fish and the third largest living animal. Although a true shark and largely unchanged over 60 million years, whale sharks are peaceful, allowing divers to touch them as they lazily strain plankton and other food during their annual stopover in Belize.
Only a handful of places in the world, including Belize, Madagascar, South Africa, Australia, Mozambique, Indonesia and the Yucatan host annual whale shark feeding and mating seasons.
Mr Waight said that the chance to see the giant fish in the water, combined with exploring ancient Maya temples and archaeological sites while celebrating Easter is irresistible to some travellers.
“Easter is widely and exuberantly celebrated in Belize, so it’s a great time to be here, and while that may not be reason enough to travel to Belize, people see it as icing on the cake when considering all the other things you can do during a spring vacation in Belize.
“People are looking for more ‘bang for the buck’ when booking holidays, and we’ve responded to that trend with more variety in our all-inclusive Belize vacation packages. With specific focuses such as Maya, families, romantic getaways, inland adventure and the popular rainforest to reef packages that combine a rainforest experience with aCaribbean island holiday, we’re giving travellers the opportunity to do as much – or as little as they want when they come to Belize for vacation.
“And judging from the enquiries we’re getting, this is exactly what people are looking for in 2012,” he said.
