The Wonders of Belize By Jennifer Michels

As I traveled to Belize International Airport last Friday from the island of San Pedro on a Tropic Air flight, I was trying to decide what I wanted to about Belize on my flight home to Washington, D.C.. There is so much to say about this other-worldly country with its howler monkeys roaring like lions, fruit bats flying and scorpions crossing the road (OK, I only saw one scorpion after six days, which was enough for me). It truly was the closest to nature I've felt since a South African safari three years ago.

We started out in Punta Gorda, a still undiscovered area in the south with rainforests, dirt roads and those howler monkeys. It is a place where conservation has become paramount, something much evident at the remote but comfortable Machaca Hill Lodge (formerly known as El Pescador, a retreat mostly for fly fishermen). Former poachers of manatees and turtles are now guides who take you on a ride in a 200-year-old dugout canoe at dusk on the Rio Grande River, pointing out flora and fauna along the way.

The lodge is currently closed until mid-December while renovations take place and new activities such as mountain biking, sea kayaking and horseback riding are added on its nearly seven miles of trails. Its new owners, Outpost International, also are conducting a complete retraining of the staff and bringing in a new chef, although I could find nothing to complain about the meals cooked by the old chef. For more information, visit www.machacahilllodge.com.

Not far down the road is another unique property, the Lodge at Big Falls, also on the Rio Grande in Toledo. The Lodge at Big Falls has only six cabanas while Machaca has 12 with plans to add two villas. The owners of Big Falls say they plan to add just a couple more to keep it intimate. For honeymooners, I recommend asking for one of the cabanas on the river's edge. The property sits on a well-manicured lawn with a new pool and outdoor bar. The rooms have an unusual shower with a wall of windows that gives it the feel of an outdoor shower. For more information, visit www.thelodgeatbigfalls.com.

Those are just two of the many rustic lodges we saw with thatched roofs, some with hammocks on their porches and other touches that give this region of Belize a "lost outpost" sort of a feeling. We also stayed farther north on the island of San Pedro, which is much more developed with resort hotels and villas. But there is something special about Punta Gorda that makes it the perfect spot for eco-tourists and adventure travelers. They can travel here in just three to four hours from many major U.S. gateways, but still feel like they are deep in the Amazon.

The new trend in ecotourism is getting to know the locals and finding ways to feel as though you are part of the eco-experience. Your customers can get that in Punta Gorda, which has many ways to package excursions, such as a walk to a Mayan temple with a cultural explanation by a local guide, or a hike through the jungle to a cave swim that is just difficult enough to feel like you have accomplished your eco-activity for the day.

As with any Eden, however, there are some snares to be aware of. If you're sending your clients to Punta Gorda for a "Mayan experience," you need to know that having lunch with a host family won't necessarily be up to the level of comfort many travelers expect. Some may be squeamish about the water quality because this is not a controlled environment to any great degree -- you are eating in someone's home out in the country, which is likely to mean dirt floors and outhouses. On the other hand, there are many wonderful components that can be packaged together to get a true experience with local Mayan people.

The Toledo Ecotourism Association (TEA) is still somewhat new at this, but it is making improvements to its cultural program, which brings needed dollars to these remote communities and helps pay for schools and other necessary programs. The association has set up five guesthouses good for backpackers who want to stay in an area extremely cheaply -- less than $20 per night. The full-day packages pay 10-20 percent commission and include cultural enrichment, such as craft classes and demonstrations by music teachers. For more information, visit www.ecoclub.com.

One last but very important piece of advice you should relay to your clients is to make them aware of Belize's $36.25 departure tax. This cannot be paid in Belizean dollars if you are an American citizen, so advise them to tuck that money away lest they risk missing their flight if they have to exchange currency at the airport.

Of course, no column on Belize would be complete without mentioning the fabulous snorkeling and diving that can be found in so many areas of the country. Swimming with nurse sharks and sting rays and giant grouper is quite an experience in itself. For clients who have already "been there, done that" on Grand Cayman or Bonaire or Curacao, I highly recommend stays along the Rio Grande in the rain forest where the last thought on your mind as you drift off to sleep listening to a thunderous downpour and those howler monkeys is, "I wonder what I'm going to see tomorrow."
Jennifer Michels is a News Editor Modern Agent