Taiwanese Delegation Visits Belize

A Taiwanese delegation travelled from the other side of the world to visit Belize on a ten-day familiarization trip from July 11th-20th, 2009. They toured the many natural attractions and actively participated in cultural activities that make our country distinctive with the objective of creating a travel guide for the Asian market. This project is partnership between Belize Tourism Guide Publication and Taiwan's Central American Trade office (CATO).

Their itinerary began in southern Belize at the Maya village of Santa Cruz which included a tour of Uxbenka and Rio Blanco as well as exercises in making corn tortillas and basket weaving. This was followed by the exploration of Lubaantun, the largest Maya site in southern Belize. Next was a visit to the Stann Creek district for a boat ride across to the island of South Water Caye for an afternoon, quick snorkel and relaxing on this private island. This was followed by a tour of Dangriga and visits to local artists and the Garifuna Gulisi Museum. That night, Garifuna drummers and dancers performed on the beach around a bon-fire and invited the group to join in the dancing and drumming. Their rainforest experience in the Stann Creek district also included the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Belize's reknowned "jaguar reserve" to learn about the elusive jaguar and many species of birds, wildlife and flora that inhabit the area.

Their earlier experience of the ancient Maya in Toledo was further enhanced with a visit to the Maya site of Xunantunich in the Cayo district followed by a guided Cave tubing tour at Jaguar Paw.

The final leg of their journey took them to the island of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, where the manager of the BTB Office in San Pedro took them on a golf cart tour of the island. This was followed by snorkeling at Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan Marine Reserve. An aerial island view via a parasailing tour gave them a different perspective of the beautiful white sandy beaches and the island's atmosphere of tranquility and relaxation.

On the last night of their trip, they were escorted by Mr. Douglas Chan, Secretary of the Embassy of Taiwan for a social event with the Taiwanese community in Belize.

Participating private sector partners included Tropic Air, Coral House Inn, Bruno Kuppinger, Pelican Beach Resort's Dangriga and South Water Caye properties, C&G Tours, Gulisi Museum, Midas Tropical Resort, Cayo Adventure Tours, The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Pacz Tours, Jaguar Paw Jungle Resort, Blue Tang Inn, Caliente Restaurant, Blue Water Grill, Searious Adventures, Elvi's Kitchen, Extreme Adventures, Radisson Hotel & Marina, The Great House, and S&L Travel & Tours.