Belize adventure & Island hopping vacation

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

Reduced flying: This trip involves no domestic flights. Travel is overland by car, and the last half of the trip is sailing on a catamaran, which harnesses wind power where it can.

Man-powered activities: Kayaking, hiking and snorkelling are included in the itinerary.

Renewable energy: Chaa Creek, the lodge in this itinerary, is powered in the daytime by the 156 solar panels which it has installed. The lodge is on the path to making itself 100% self sustainable in terms of energy generation.

Vegetarian Food: There are vegetarian options available for each meal provided within this itinerary.

Locally-sourced and seasonal food: Chaa Lodge favours locally sourced food and run their own organic farm, Maya Farm.



ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
How our Accommodation, Chaa Creek...

- reduces its environmental impact:

a. Upon arrival guests receive an orientation explaining Chaa Creek environmental policies as well as suggestions to encourage each guest to participate in our conservation efforts.

b. Chaa Creek Lodge's Purchasing Policy requires its suppliers to provide environmentally safe products in reduced or bulk packaging.

c. Chaa Creek produces their own water using state-of-the-art high filtration systems and provide guests with hygienic water refilling stations and souvenir aluminum water bottles in an effort to reduce the use of plastic bottles

d. Chaa Creek uses only energy-efficient compact florescent lamps combined with automatic timers, motion detectors and photovoltaic switches and maximize the use of natural lighting to reduce energy consumption.

e. Chaa Creek kitchen waste and other organic materials such as grass trimmings are composted and then used as fertilizers in our ornamental and vegetable gardens at the Maya Organic Farm. Restaurant leftovers are given to a local farmer to use as pig feed

f. Non-recyclable packaging, such as some cans and glass, are crushed and used in building materials

g. Water consumption is minimized by low-flush toilets and low-flow shower heads. Rainwater is also collected to supplement water consumption.


- restores nature:
Chaa Creek has partnered with the following agencies and continues to support environmental projects:

-Howler Monkey Reintroduction – in partnership with the Yerkes Primate Institute and the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation

-Birds Without Borders – conducts neotropical migratory bird research in partnership with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee County

-Vascular Plant Cataloguing – in partnership with the New York Botanical Gardens

-Agroforestry Research – in partnership with the New York Botanical Gardens

-Bay Palm Reforestation – an on-going Chaa Creek Natural History Centre project

-Archaeology Research – continuing research into the over 70 Maya sites within the Chaa Creek Nature Reserve assisted by Dr Samuel Connell of the University of California.

- contributes to nature recovery/rewilding projects:
10% of all accommodation revenue at Chaa Creek goes directly into environmental and community projects under our Chaa Creek Cares™ initiative.



How our travelers can make a difference:

- As part of this trip, we can arrange, for travelers who are PADI certified divers, lion fish spearing. This invasive fish is detrimental to the indigenous species in the Caribbean and depletes the reefs of their natural inhabitants.

- For meals not included in the itinerary, such as lunches out, we encourage travelers to patronise family-run restaurants which use local ingredients and showcase cuisine of the country. We have recommendations we share with our travelers.

- We include visits to off the beaten track places to help reduce the pressure on heavily touristed areas, and which in turn helps to distribute tourism revenue more evenly.

- Chaa Creek Lodge provided training to guests on how to interact with / respect wildlife and archeological sites in a 'leave no trace' initiative.


Expert Nature Guides:
Guides are local naturalists.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Local staff:
Chaa Creek is 99% staffed by local staff.
The partner operational company we work with for Belize is staffed by local Belizeans.

Maximising local economic opportunities:
Our activities, such as the kayaking, cave exploration and pontoon, are operated by local adventure companies. The crew on the catamaran are local.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY

Minimum wage: We believe strongly in paying a fair wage and ensure that our partners in turn pay their staff fairly, at least at the minimum wage and normally above.

Our workplace diversity strategy:
Staff are employed based on aptitude, irrespective of any characteristics of identity or appearance. Our small body of employed staff and valued contractors is a mix of male and female across ages, life stages and ethnicities.

Charitable initiatives we operate:
For every trip we operate, we contribute an amount to an annual fund. We then donate this to a chartable cause. We select a cause both in an emerging market with which we work, and a cause closer to home. Examples of beneficiaries include renovating a playground at a school in Sri Lanka, where we partnered with Rosyth Estate House, and purchasing kit for a children’s community football team local to our UK offices.