SAN IGNACIO,
Belize -- As soft adventure travel continues to pick up steam and
lure participants, several hotels in Belize are ahead of the game
in terms of one-stop shopping for adventure programs.
In the late
1990s, a group of eco-minded local hoteliers formed Rainforest and
Reef Resorts of Belize to tap into this niche market to promote,
protect and access the destinations natural attractions.
Each of the 11
member properties -- nine are in Belize, two are actually in
Guatemala -- is independently owned and operated, but all are
marketed and take reservations through a central office. For
information on the properties, visit www.rainforestreefbelize.com.
Tours,
eco-adventures, 
accommodations, transfers and
domestic air arrangements are handled through the central
office.
By working
together, we maintain high standards and offer a network of small
properties that offer outstanding adventures, said Mick Fleming,
owner of the Lodge at Chaa Creek near San Ignacio.
We constantly
monitor ourselves, he said. We know that it is a detriment to the
whole group if one property is not up to par at all
times.
While travel
agents book and pay through the central office, commissions are
paid by each resort individually.
The following are
the groups members in Belize:
" The
Lodge at Chaa Creek is a mix of 18 cottages and suites.
Some thatched-roof cottages sit on stilts among the trees. A
treehouse villa has its own Jacuzzi.
Lodge rates start
at $105 per room, per night, double, through May, or $177 per night
for a three-night inclusive stay with meals and
activities.
Accommodations in
tent cottages at the Macal River Camp start at $55 per person, per
night, year-round. Dining is family-style at picnic tables. A
bonfire at night draws guests for storytelling. Campers can go
horseback riding or access mountain bikes and facilities at the
lodge.
Expeditions can
be arranged to the Belize Zoo, Xunantunich ruins, overnight tours
to Tikal in Guatemala and excursions to Vaca Falls and Chumpiae
Maya Cave, Belize.
" Turtle
Inn, near Placencia, has 23 cottages, villas and suites,
with rates through May from $335 per room, per night, double, with
continental breakfast.
"
Blancaneaux Lodge, near San Ignacio, has 17
thatched-roof villas, cottages and suites, from $225 per night,
double, through May. Breakfast is included.
Blancaneaux and
Turtle Inn are owned by filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.
" Inn at
Roberts Grove, in Placencia, has 40 rooms, priced from
$189 per night, double, through May. The inn has three pools,
tennis courts, Jacuzzis, a gym, kayaks, canoes and trails. The
Monkey River is nearby.
"
Radisson Fort George Hotel and Marina, a Belize
City hotel, has 102 rooms. Rates are $118 per night through
May.
"
Victoria House, in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye,
has 35 casitas, rooms, suites and villas from $170 per night,
double, through May.
"
Turneffe Flats, 30 miles offshore on Turneffe
Atoll, offers fishing, diving and snorkeling.
" El
Pescador Punta Gorda, in Belizes southern Toledo district,
has rates from $200 per night through Aug. 14. Fishing, diving and
nature plans are available.
" El
Pescador Ambergris Caye has 14 beachfront rooms, with
rates from $200.
The hotel offers
packages for flats fishing and eco-adventures for three-plus
nights. Combination programs are available at both El Pescador
resorts.
To contact
the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to [email protected].