The Lodge at Chaa Creek, an award-winning luxury resort in the Belizean rainforest, has been family friendly since its inception in 1981. This summer, the resort will launch the Mac Morpho Kids Rainforest Adventure -- a new fun-packed educational program for school children and their families. This new program highlights the Blue Morpho butterfly farm which is located at Chaa Creek.
The Mac Morpho Kids program is a learning course with built-in active fun and designed to match the educational level, physical ability, and curiosity of individual participants between the ages of 6-10 and 11-15. This culture-based environmental program introduces children to the tropical forest in western Belize where Mac, an irresistible, bright blue iridescent butterfly, is a prominent resident.
Mac Morpho will be the children's fluttering emissary, as young visitors to Chaa Creek join naturalist guides on a stimulating journey of discovery. As part of their program, kids will have the opportunity to interact with the residents of the Blue Morpho butterfly farm and learn more about these stunningly beautiful and delicate creatures. In fact, each family will have its own butterfly hatchery and hatch and release a butterfly into the jungle. During the course, children will have the opportunity to undertake a wide-range of activities including a “Nature Rules” treasure hunt along jungle trails. This is a fun-filled activity where kids will learn about tropical animals and plants, about insects and life cycles, and about the importance of conserving and protecting the fragile environments that we all share.
As part of the archaeological component of the program, the children will travel back in time via horse to on-site ancient Maya temples and become junior archaeologists learning about the mystery of a lost civilization. This will also include a guided tour of the ceremonial Mayan temple of Xunantunich – one of the most well known Maya sites in the world.
The children will also experience the cultures and people of Belize after canoeing downstream on the Macal River to meet a family in Cristo Rey village. After a walk-about, they will share a meal and perhaps even help prepare corn tortillas for a traditional meal. Arts and crafts, including weaving palm fans as the children learn about the many uses of the native Cohune Palm, will account for one of the many rainforest activities on offer to the aspiring young adventurers.
Mom and Dad can always share in their kids’ fun and also have some special rainforest time of their own with adventurous options big and small. In addition, they will be able to treat themselves to a wide range of specialized treatments for relaxation and revitalization offered by Chaa Creek’s full-service hilltop Spa.
Belize is a tiny nation with a wealth of natural resources, including one of the last remaining intact tropical forests north of the Amazon. The country has turned to ecotourism as its main means of income generation and set a sizable percentage of its land aside as reserves. Chaa Creek’s 365-acre Nature Reserve is one such reserve.
The Mac Morpho Kids Programs begin every Saturday from June 15th to August 25th 2008. Extensions to Belize's Caribbean Cayes and Coast are always available with this package.
The 4-night/5-day packages include transfers to and from Belize City, accommodations, all meals, activities, and tours. Chaa Creek partners with sister properties on the Belizean Cayes and Coast to allow families to experience all that Belize has to offer. For more information about the Mac Morpho Kids Program, e-mail reservations@chaacreek.com or visit the resort's website at www.chaacreek.com.
