Remember the old days when you tossed a few things into a bag and rushed to the airport to begin your summer vacation? Not these days. Parents often look like Sherpas when traveling for fear of leaving something behind, but suppose you found a trip that’s so family friendly at Cahal Pech, that teddy bear might not even be missed? Here’s why…
1. Kids get smarter at Cahal Pech in San Ignacio. Overseas trips shape youngster’s minds. Books full of butterflies and birds? Forget it. Seeing creatures in the Belize wild can make Disney trips pale in comparison!
2. They learn more. Visit Brazil or Haiti? Parents turn into Rosetta Stone translation machines. Since everyone in Belize speaks English, your chatterbox child can get their questions answered by Belizeans--including staff at Cahal Pech.
3. Support their bilingual proficiency. Since Spanish is also spoken in Belize, your family vacation can serve to build bilingual skills. Prepare for your Cahal Pech vacation using Spanish language CDs and you will all be ready to practice on vacation.
4. Set off on eating adventures. Dishes on the Cahal Pech menu expose kids to ethnic cuisine that’s yummy, including vegetarian meals for ultra-picky kids. Those fruit garnishes and paper parasols entice kids to try new foods!
5. Let your child go wild. Package tours arranged by Cahal Pech (info@cahalpech.com) can be customized, so go caving, kayak, visit the world’s only Jaguar preserve or see Mayan ruins and even hyperactive kids have been known to slow down.
6. Save money. Family vacations in Belize are affordable thanks to family vacation packages that prioritize fun, comfort and relaxation. Thanks to sugar white beaches made for digging and sand castle-building, Cahal Pech getaways are kind to family budgets because lots of “free activities” are just footsteps from your lodgings.
7. Teach kindness and beauty appreciation. Use your stay at Cahal Pech to teach lessons of compassion, kindness and respect. From beautiful sunsets that launch talks about respecting Mother Earth to explaining the importance of standing perfectly still in a butterfly sanctuary, you may never have this many teachable moments again.
8. Instill some independence. Turn your Cahal Pech stay into your own behavioral laboratory by making your kids responsible for their own “stuff.” From packing their own togs to tucking a favorite toy into a backpack, don’t be surprised if new behaviors stick!
9. Forget clothing! Temperatures in Belize average around 81-degrees F along the coast so pack light, recreational duds only. Despite being an affordable resort, “beach bum” attire is welcome, so you and the kids can relax knowing you don’t have to schlep dressy garments if you don’t want to.
10. Turn your child into a youth ambassador. While in San Ignacio, introduce your little ones to Belizean children. Pen pal relationships can spring up as a result of youngsters interacting and sharing a bit about their differences. Hang a map of Belize on your child’s wall to remind her that all kids have much in common, too.
11. Expose your child to Mayan ruins sure to trigger their imaginations. To make their Belize visit even more valuable, borrow library books before departing so you can wow your children with scary, wonderful tales of a society that once dominated the region and vanished.
12. What a room! When “show and tell” time arrives at school, kids can tell wide-eyed peers that they slept in a thatched-roof cabana on their summer vacation, but didn’t miss watching TV! At Cahal Pech, exotic meets 21st century, and since kids don’t have to make their beds, you won’t hear complaints.
13. Belize destinations make sense. Eight hour plane rides. More time standing in customs upon arrival. Flights to Belize from the U.S. and Canada are short compared to transatlantic ordeals where parents pray for the cocktail cart to appear. The Cahal Pech shuttle will even pick you up at the airport and deliver you to the resort.
14. Swimming lessons for all. You’re crazy busy. So busy, taking the kids to the local pool or YMCA has eluded you, but you have no excuse during your vacation in Belize. Take advantage of the huge pool at Cahal Pech to start the process and move to the Caribbean Sea once your kids grow confident of their aquatic prowess.
15. Walk everywhere. Admit it: Your kids can be couch potatoes and you’ve thought about weaning them from video games by pulling the power plug. Because San Ignacio is small and Cahal Pech so accessible, daily walks make a great family-centric habit that can be carried over after your return home.
