CHAN CHICH LODGE, BELIZE
February 22 TO 28, 2012
The Magic of the Jungle and the Mystery of the Maya
Special Eco-Tour with NJ Audubon's Tom Gilmore and Pete Dunne
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Please note: A valid Passport is required for this tour.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Chan Chich (translated as “little bird” in Maya) Lodge is located on Gallon Jug Estate, a 130,000 acre private nature reserve in northwestern Belize. This lies within the largest contiguous forest north of the Amazon basin. Conservation efforts to sustain and preserve the tri-national Maya Forest ("La Selva Maya") continue, with collaborative efforts undertaken in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico. Gallon Jug Estate enjoys a fortunate location at the heart of La Selva Maya, buffered on all sides by forest and/or protected areas.
Situated in the plaza of an ancient Maya city and surrounded by pristine forest, the lodge consists of 12 individual thatched-roof cabanas and one beautifully appointed 2-bedroom Villa. The 12 cabanas surround two central buildings that house the reception area, restaurant and public reading room. Each cabana, beautifully finished with local exotic hardwoods, is fully screened with ceiling fans, private bath, hot & cold water, 24 hour electricity and a wrap-around verandah with hammocks.
Gallon Jug was originally a logging camp. The current village’s name came about after a Belize Estates Company foreman, Austin Felix, discovered many discarded items from the previous Spanish camp, including a number of ceramic gallon jugs.
ACTIVITY LEVEL:
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Easy |
PACE, WEATHER, AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS:
This is a wonderfully relaxing trip to the Central American rain forest and land of the Ancient Mayans. English is spoken everywhere. There will be ample opportunity for exploring trails on your own, or with expert local guides. We will be organizing one night drive, as well as options for horseback riding and/or canoeing. The Lodge also has a pool, bar and public reading room for relaxation. All meals while at Chan Chich Lodge are included. The Chan Chich restaurant offers a balance of both traditional and Belizean meals, with exceptional international cuisine.
Chan Chich Lodge has an extensive system of over nine miles of well-maintained trails for hiking and exploring. The Lodge boasts an enviable avifauna with specialties such as the Lovely Cotinga, Ornate Hawk Eagle and Rose Throated Tanager, as well as a host of colorful toucans, parrots and hummingbirds. Over 350 species of birds have been recorded at Chan Chich, making it one of the world's premier birding destinations - large birds, such as the Ocellated Turkey, Crested Guan and Great Curassow, as well as a myriad of other species. All five cat species - jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay and jaguarundi - are also seen, with jaguars seen on a fairly regular basiis.
Daytime vehicle tours will be available to various locations throughout the Chan Chich/Gallon Jug area. These include the wetland habitat at Laguna Seca, Laguna Verde, the upper Escarpment, Sylvester Village, and tours of the Gallon Jug farm, in particular the coffee plantation and production processes.
Additional information about the tour, with specific meeting times, a list of participants, address of lodge, lists of things to bring, a list of probable/possible birds, further information about weather, dress, etc., will be mailed to all participants well in advance of the tour. Belize City is a 2 hour direct flight from Miami. There are also direct flights from Newark.
DATES: Wednesday February 22, 2012 (meet at Chan Chich Lodge) to Tuesday February 28, 2012 (flights home anytime)
PRICE: Cost for this tour is $3,795.00 per person, based on double occupancy; single supplement $500.00. A deposit of $500.00 will hold your place until December 10, 2011 when full payment becomes due.
PRICE INCLUDES:
Six (6) nights lodging in cabanas at Chan Chich Lodge (including hotel tax); round trip transfer from Belize City International Airport to Gallon Jug via charter plane; all meals and sales tax; Belikin Beer, bottled soft drinks and Crystal water/juice products; unlimited guided walks with local expert guide; unlimited daytime vehicle tours; one night drive; 3 hours of horseback riding or canoeing.
PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE: Round trip airfare from USA to Belize City; alcoholic beverages; items of a personal nature; gratuities.
SEND DEPOSITS & OTHER PAYMENTS TO:
NJ Audubon Eco-Travel
9 Hardscrabble Rd
tel. 908-204-8998 x10
Or, by e-mail to travel@njaudubon.org
Please make checks payable to the New Jersey Audubon Society.
TOUR LEADERS:
Tom Gilmore: Tom has served as President & CEO of New Jersey Audubon Society for more than 28 years. In that time, he has led the conservation community through numerous extraordinary environmental achievements. Tom recently became a trustee of The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. He was named The Star Ledger's "Winner of the Year" in 2005 for his work in support of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, and in 2009 was recognized by New Jersey Monthly magazine as one of the "101 Most Influential People in New Jersey." Besides his enjoyment of birds, Tom is also a noted fly fisherman and author. His latest book, Fly Fisher's Guide to the Big Apple, draws on his 40 years of fly fishing experience in the tri-state region "from the well-known rivers to the out-of-the-way babbling streams that only the locals know about." His previous books on fly fishing include False Albacore (2002) and Tuna onthe Fly (2006). Tom has hosted trips to Kenya, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands.
Pete Dunne: Director of the Cape May Bird Observatory and CCO of New Jersey Audubon Society. Called by the Wall Street Journal "The Bard of Birding" he is author of twelve books including Pete Dunne's Field Guide Compaion and Pete Dunne on Birding and has written columns and articles for every major birding and natural history publication. Since 1976 when he served as the first hawk counter in Cape May, Pete has brought thousands of people to greater awareness and understanding of the natural world. He has led tours to Antarctica, Australia, the Bearing Sea, Kenya, Ecuador, and Panama. He has specialized in teaching birding workshops since 1979. He and his wife Linda live in Mauricetown, New Jersey.
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Red-capped Manakin |
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Agami Heron |
~~~~ All photos courtesy Chan Chich Lodge