Belize Bird Rescue

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Tara

One of the best things about eco-tourism is the chance to show local communities the value of keeping wild birds wild. In a perfect world, no bird would leave his home except as an image in a digital camera, the locals would have secure jobs in lodges, restaurants and as guides. But we all know this world isn’t perfect and many birds do end up being captured by poachers. Some of these poor birds will die in tiny cages, some will be shipped around the world and some will be recovered by the authorities before the poacher gets too far with them. Thanks to places like Belize Bird Rescue, these birds have a 2nd chance to go home, be free and hopefully tell all the other birds what happened so they can avoid capture.

Belize Bird Rescue goals for 2012 education campaigns

• To emphasise the link between Belize’s tourism industry and its wildlife

• To diminish or halt the trade in wild-caught parrots

• To improve living conditions and thereby prolong the lifespan of captive parrots

• To open the hearts and minds of young Belizeans to the plight of their indigenous avian species

Belize Bird Rescue is located on the outskirts of Belmopan, about an hour’s bus ride from Belize City or San Ignacio. They are not currently open to the public but as a fellow conservationist networking on social media, my husband and I were invited for a private visit to the facility. Nikki Buxton showed us around the facility, let me take photos of the birds, then we sat on the verandah chatting and watching some playful Amazon parrots frolic in the bushes. Rehabiliating a rescued bird isn’t as simple as just letting it go. The whole procedure is outlined on their website. Don’t miss this heart-wrenching video! Some birds are injured to the point where they can never be released and Belize Bird Rescue cares for them in lovely spacious aviaries with healthy diets and plenty of enrichment. If I were a few years younger and single, I would seriously think about being a volunteer there! Please help them with a donation if you can!

Here are some of the photos of our visit!

If you are ever in Belmopan, please consider staying at the Hibiscus Hotel and eating at their restaurant, it supports the rescue!

One of the more bizarre sights of Belmopan is this “witch’s house”!

Eco-Lite: The Belize Zoo

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Tara

*Lots of photos are at the end of this post, some of which are actually in focus!

OVERVIEW

From their website: The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center was started in 1983, as a last ditch effort to provide a home for a collection of wild animals which had been used in making documentary films about tropical forests.

Shortly after the backyard “zoo” began, it was quickly realized that its Belizean visitors were unfamiliar with the different species of wildlife which shared their country. This very aspect fomented the commitment to develop the little zoo into a dynamic wildlife education center.

Today, The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is settled upon 29 acres of tropical savanna and exhibits over 150 animals, representing over 45 species, all native to Belize. The zoo keeps animals which were orphaned, rescued, born at the zoo, rehabilitated animals, or sent to The Belize Zoo as donations from other zoological institutions.

I first became aware of the Belize Zoo by reading “The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman’s Fight to Save the World’s Most Beautiful Bird” about zoo owner Sharon Matola. This book is a great read and available now in Kindle form (my affiliate link below)!

HOW DO YOU GET THERE?

Belize Zoo is easily reached by bus from Belize City, Belmopan or San Ignacio. The Zoo is located at Mile 29 along the Western highway. The bus drivers are used to dropping off and picking people up there.

It is approximately an hour’s drive from the main cruise-ship terminal at the tourism village and about an hour driving from the international airport following through Belize City and onto the western highway.

HOW MUCH IS IT?

Normal Daily Fees are $15.00 US for adults and $5.00 US for children (non-Belizean). Fees for Belizean adults and children are $5.00 BZ and $1.00 BZ respectively.

The cafe is very reasonably priced for snacks and drinks.

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND THERE AND WHAT SHOULD YOU SEE?

The Belize Zoo is easily worth a couple of hours just to see all the gorgeous birds in very attractive aviaries and read the info-plaques on the exhibits. I love how the zoo educates both Belizeans and tourists about how the birds and animals are part of their cultural heritage and should be protected and treasured!

VALUE TO CONSERVATION

THE BELIZE HARPY EAGLE RESTORATION PROGRAM (BHERP)
WORKING TO EMPOWER THE MESOAMERICA BIOLOGICAL CORRIDOR, MBC

You can support individual species by “adopting” an animal.

The scarlet macaw exhibit is designed to promote awareness of their need to keep their habitat free from destruction.

Conservation Camp is a great way for teenagers to experience the wild and learn more about how to preserve it.

WHERE TO STAY NEARBY ON POINTS

Hotel chains where points can be used are thin on the ground and covered in my general Belize post. Getting to Belize with airline miles is much easier!

PHOTOS

I think we went the wrong way on some of the paths so some of the signs may be after the species in that case. There are so many, I just did a bulk upload so enjoy!

Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis)

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Tara

Red-lored Amazon or Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis)

The Red-lored Amazon or Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis) is a species of Amazon parrot, native to tropical regions of the Americas, from eastern Mexico south to Ecuador, with a disjunct population in central Brazil, where it occurs in humid evergreen to semi-deciduous forests up to 1,100 m altitude. It is absent from the Pacific side of Central America north of Costa Rica.

For those wishing to see them in the wild, there are several options. We saw a few at Crooked Tree Sanctuary in Belize, also a few at Tikal National Park, Laguna del Lagarto in Costa Rica and Soberania National Park in Panama. You can use your miles for a Central America award to all of these countries.

Red-lored Amazon or Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis)

There are four subspecies:

Amazona autumnalis autumnalis (Linnaeus, 1758). Caribbean coasts from eastern Mexico south to northern Nicaragua.
Amazona autumnalis salvini (Salvadori, 1891). Northern Nicaragua south to Colombia and Venezuela.
Amazona autumnalis lilacina (Lesson, 1844), the Lilacine Amazon. Western Ecuador.
Amazona autumnalis diadema (Spix, 1824), the Diademed Amazon. Lower Rio Negro area, central Brazil.

In some areas, notably parts of Mexico and Venezuela, the Red-lored Amazon has become rare through trapping for the cagebird trade. On the other hand, it seems to be able to adapt to human-altered habitat to a considerable degree

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PARROT

VIDEOS

They never pose like this for me!

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Tara

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is not only one of the best places to go birding in Belize, it’s also one of the easiest to get to. It’s located about halfway between Belize City and Orange Walk. If you are staying at one of the lodges inside the sanctuary, you can arrange for them to pick you up at the airport for about $70. If you are staying in Belize City, any bus that is headed to Orange Walk or further can drop you at the junction from which it’s about 3 miles to the sanctuary. Theoretically you could make a day trip from town if you get the first bus of the day at 5:30 am, but I strongly advise you spend at least one night at one of the lodges inside the park. If you’re on a cruise ship, I would suggest contacting one of the lodges below to organize transport and a guide.

The Belize Bus website also has a schedule for buses from Belize City direct to Crooked Tree village.

Bus service to Crooked Tree
Jex and Sons Bus Service provides bus service between Belize City and Crooked Tree.
Buses depart from Belize City Monday to Friday at 10:50 am and 4:45 pm; Saturday at 10:50 am; no bus on Sunday.
Buses depart from Crooked Tree at 6:30 a.m.
Trip time: about 1.25 hours
Fare: BZ$3.50

Using airline miles to get to Belize is very easy from the USA, please see my guides to Central America and Belize.

There are 3 eco-lodges inside the sanctuary:

Crooked Tree Lodge – Trip Advisor reviews – My review

Bird’s Eye View Lodge – Trip Advisor reviews

Tillett’s Village Lodge – Trip Advisor reviews

More details about visiting the sanctuary come from the Belize Audubon site.

With 16,400 acres of lagoons, creeks, logwood swamps, broadleaf forest and pine savanna, you will be sure to see a wide array of wildlife. The Sanctuary protects globally endangered species including the Central American River Turtle (locally known as Hickatee), Morelet’s Crocodile, Mexican Black Howler Monkey, and Yellow-headed Parrot.

Avibase has a complete bird list for Belize and many of these can be found at Crooked Tree. The main draws for me were the parrots. My research on Surfbirds had turned up several trip reports saying that Yellow-headed Parrots, Red-lored Parrots, White-fronted Parrots and Olive-throated Parakeets could be found here. This was also the only place I could find that is easily accessible where Yellow-headed Parrots were regularly seen.

Robert

Mick from the Crooked Tree Lodge had organized Robert to be our guide and he proved to be excellent! Like all good guides, he tailored our visit to the target species we were interested in (parrots) and pointed out all other birds along the way. Parrots like to feed in the fruit tree orchards and it didn’t take long for Robert to locate a pair of Yellow-headed Parrots feeding on a mango tree. Since the tree was on private property, he went in to ask the homeowner if we could enter for a closer look. While he was inside, the two parrots flew out of the orchard, over our heads and disappeared into the forest. They were much too fast to get a photo of but at least we saw them! The only other parrot species we saw on our walk were some Red-lored Parrots. I did manage to get a photo of one…..not a very good one though!

Other highlights of our walk were Vermilion Flycatchers, Blue-Grey Tanagers and quite a few other birds. If you don’t like bad/blurry photos, stop here. Otherwise, scroll down for some more bird pics!

Lodge Review: Crooked Tree Lodge, Belize

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Tara

Crooked Tree Lodge is run by a very friendly couple, Mick and Angie and is well-located for the dedicated bird watcher in the heart of the Crooked Tree Sanctuary. Although not far from the airport in miles, there is no public transport that serves the airport or the lodge although there is a bus service along the main highway. We opted to have Mick pick us up at the airport for $70 and it was really nice to have him there waiting for us after our epic journey from Brisbane to Belize!

It was a pleasant 40 minute trip from the airport and it was interesting to see the businesses along the way.

At last we arrived to the Crooked Tree Lodge. It’s a beautiful property, well maintained, spotlessly clean and very birdy.

Mick and Angie escorted us to our bungalow which has a lovely view of the garden from the deck.

The rooms are simply furnished but clean and comfortable.

Laundry facilities are available with some very interesting “clothes pins”!

We could see the Crooked Tree Lagoon from our deck as birds flew around the garden.

After settling in, we went for a walk in the grounds to spot some more birds. I will be putting the bird photos on a separate post.

The deck overlooking the lagoon is a great place to kick back and relax at the end of the day!

The dining room is in the main house and Angie cooked us a delicious chicken dinner.

Before coming to Belize, all I had to go on were recommendations from Trip Advisor. All the Crooked Tree properties have excellent reviews so when it came to choosing one I just had to read them all and then go with my gut feeling. Crooked Tree Lodge seemed to have the most reviews that also praise their birding guides so that was the deciding factor for me. It didn’t hurt that the cabins are so cute, the scenery is amazing and Angie’s cooking was also highly praised! The bird photos on their website were also very enticing! We were the only guests while we were there which was a shame since this charming lodge has something for everyone, especially eco-tourists. Although we only stayed one night, we loved this place and wish we could have stayed longer.

Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Tara

Keel-billed Toucans

The Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) can be found from Southern Mexico to Venezuela and Colombia and is the national bird of Belize. If you want to see them in the wild, a Central American award on your airline of choice will get you to their strongholds in Central America.

It roosts in the canopies of tropical, subtropical, and lowland rainforests, up to altitudes of 1,900 m (6,200 ft). It roosts in holes in trees,often with several other toucans. This can be very cramped, so the birds tuck their tails and beaks under their bodies to conserve space while sleeping. Adding to the lack of space, the bottoms of the holes are often covered with pits from the fruit the toucans have eaten. Like many toucans, Keel-billed is a very social bird, rarely seen alone. It travels in small flocks of approximately six to twelve individuals through lowland rainforests; it is a poor flyer, and moves mostly by hopping through trees. It has a family structure within the group. Birds will often “duel” with each other using their bills, and throw fruit into each other’s mouths. Keel-billed Toucans live together in these groups, often sharing cramped living quarters of holes in trees. Able to utilize human-altered habitat to some extent,this widespread bird is considered to be a Species of Least Concern by the IUCN.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

Rainforest Alliance

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Birdlife

VIDEO

Belize – An Eco-Tourist’s Delight From Sea To Crooked Tree

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Tara

Belize

Sandwiched between Mexico and Guatemala with some spectacular coastline and beaches, Belize offers much to eco-tourists who are interested in both birds and sealife. The red dots on the map show the two places we visited- Crooked Tree Sanctuary and Bullet Tree Falls. The Belize Barrier Reef is a haven for divers and snorkelers and the beaches of the Cayes attract all kinds of tourists. Belize also has several reserves and sanctuaries to attract birders.

GETTING THERE

Getting to Belize is very easy using frequent flier miles. You will need a Central American award on your alliance of choice. American Airlines (One World) flies from Miami and Dallas. If you have Star Alliance miles, United Airlines flies from Houston IAH daily and seasonally from Newark. US Airways flies seasonally from Charlotte. Avianca flies from San Salvador with connections elsewhere in Central and South America. Skyteam is served by Delta’s flights from Atlanta and LAX starting in Dec 2013.

Belize is also a popular port for cruise ships and even if you only have a day in port, you can still make a worthwhile day trip to a nearby sanctuary such as Crooked Tree or Belize Bird Rescue. I will be doing detailed posts on both of these places. Going further afield to the Cayo District where there are more reserves, caves and Mayan ruins is doable if you have a long day in port, otherwise best to leave this area for a land trip.

You can also get to Belize by bus from Mexico and Guatemala. You can find all the details of transport to and from Belize and how to get around Belize on this very detailed blog. You can also look up timetables of buses. Although some people do hire cars, we found buses very cheap and easy to use in Belize.

You should be aware that buses do not serve the airport, you would have to walk about a mile to the main road where they pass. Since we had just come off a long journey with 5 flights from Brisbane, I opted to have our accommodation pick us up and I must say it was really nice to have someone there waiting for us. I’ll post more when I review the lodge. A taxi to Belize city or bus station is a fixed $25 USD.

HOTEL POINT OPTIONS IN BELIZE

Since Belize is so small, you really don’t need to schedule an overnight near the airport. There is one hotel near the airport if you have an early flight, the Global Village Hotel. Only 2 hotels can be booked with points.

Club Carlson – Radisson Fort George – 38,000 points

Best Western – Biltmore Plaza – 16,000 points

Unless you have a very early flight from BZE, I would advise you to just stay at Crooked Tree and commute back to the airport.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

As I said before, you need to do some research and find out what kind of birds you want to see, the best place to see them and where you can stay nearby. The Belize Audobon Society has a complete list. Since I was targeting parrots, I knew there was one species I would only find in Belize during this trip -the Yellow-headed Parrot. Belize does have other parrot species and you can find a whole list of birds in Belize here. Most of my target species would be seen in multiple locations so I gave the Yellow-headed Parrots priority and chose to visit Crooked Tree Sanctuary. Our next major stop would be Tikal in Guatemala but there were other places I wanted to visit, the Belize Zoo and Belize Bird Rescue enroute. With research, I chose Parrot’s Nest in Bullet Tree Falls mostly because I wanted the experience of sleeping in a tree house!

Everyone will have their own priorities whether it’s adding to a life list or observing certain species so do your homework!

Getting To Central America Using Frequent Flyer Miles

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Tara

Central America

You will have to check each individual program to see which countries they consider as “Central America”. All of them will include Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Some will also include Mexico, Caribbean Islands and the northern part of South America. All of these countries have impressive bird lists and are a great destination for eco-travelers. I already have a blog with my recommendations for which programs to join if you are new to the world of miles and points.

The main gateway cities for Central America include Belize City (BZE), Flores (FRS – for Tikal), Guatemala City (GUA), Tegucigalpa (TGU), Managua (MGA), San Salvador (SAL), San Jose (SJO) and Panama City (PTY). Once you have been in the miles and points game for awhile, you will get a feel for which airline to use where but if you are just starting out, Wikipedia will show you a list of all airlines that fly into a given airport.

Let’s take San Jose, Costa Rica for our first example. So we can see that San Jose is served by a few international airlines. AA flies from Miami, Dallas & New York, Copa and Avianca-Taca flies from several Central American cities which also have good connections to the USA. In most cases you will have to transit through the USA even if you are coming from Australia, Europe or Asia direct to San Jose but there is a direct flight on Iberia from Madrid which could save Europeans the trouble of transiting the USA. Your best choices are One World or Star Alliance because they have several airlines flying into the area. Sky Team has a few flights on Delta.

ONE WORLD OPTIONS

From North America you can use American Airlines.

From South America you will need to use Star Alliance.

From Australia and New Zealand you can use Qantas & AA via the USA.

From UK and Europe you can travel via the USA using BA or IB to get to the USA, then AA, or the direct IB flights from Madrid to Central America.

From Asia or Africa there are no direct flights so you will need to travel via the USA or Europe.

STAR ALLIANCE OPTIONS

From North America you can use United, US (until they merge with AA), Avianca-Taca or Copa

From South America you can use Avianca-Taca and Copa.

From Australia and New Zealand, Europe, Asia and Africa there are no direct flights, you will need to travel via the USA. Depending on which program’s miles you have, this may require one or two awards.

SKYTEAM OPTIONS

From North America you can use AeroMexico or Delta.

From Europe you can use Air Europa, Air France or KLM, to you can connect in the USA to Delta.

From Australia you will need to connect in the USA, this may require 2 awards.

From Asia and Africa there are no direct flights, you will need to travel via the USA or Europe.

HOW MANY MILES WILL IT COST?

Every airline member of the 3 main alliances has it’s own frequent flier program. They often have alliances with other airlines outside the program. I have made some reference charts for the airline alliances and I strongly recommend that you check out the program of the airline in your country and the USA based partners of each program as the USA airlines tend to have the most lucrative bonuses. Americans can get very generous credit card bonuses. Details of credit card partners (and other partners) will be on each airline’s website, however often there are more lucrative sign up bonuses. Details are usually posted in the Flyer Talk credit card forum so I strongly suggest you read this thread and the Miles Buzz forum before you apply for any cards just in case a better bonus has been offered. I don’t have any affiliate links and I recommend you do extensive research on your own when applying for airline credit cards. I have some general posts about credit cards which basically let you know which bank serves which airlines and hotels so always check with Flyertalk for the latest news.

USING ONE WORLD

AMERICAN AIRLINES

No matter where you live, frequent flyer programs based in the USA usually offer the best deals but it’s still a good idea to look at other members of the alliance. Try to avoid carriers that charge a fuel surcharge. Looking at AA’s award chart, we can see that Central America shares a category with Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.

So let’s look at the chart. You will notice there are taxes and fees with certain routes and that the awards are prices as one way trips.

We can see that a South Pacific to Central/South America award will cost 40,000 miles each way (80,000 round trip) in economy, 65,000 (130,000 round trip) in business class and 75,000 each way (150,000 round trip in first class. AA doesn’t allow you to transit the USA on this award so you must fly on the only carriers that operate between Australia and South America-Qantas and LAN to Bogota or Caracas. To be honest, I wouldn’t use AA miles for this type of award or use 2 awards to connect in the USA.

If you are based in North America, economy will cost 17,500 each way (35,000 round trip), business class is 30,000 each way (60,000 round trip) and first is 40,000 each way or 80,000 round trip. You would be flying on AA.

AVIOS (BA OR IB)

Avios can be a great bargain for shorter flights. The awards are priced by distance flown per segment rather than zone to zone.

Using the Great Circle Mapper, we can see that a direct flight from Miami to Belize or San Jose would cost 7,500 Avios each way, a direct flight from Miami to Panama City is very annoyingly 1 mile into the next band for 10,000 Avios. If you are using credit card miles, transferring them to Avios rather than UA or AA could save you some points. If you need a connection from elsewhere in the USA to the gateway city, you need to pay for that segment separately with the Avios cost for the distance flown. Example OKC-MIA is 1222 miles so you need to add 10,000 Avios to the total price of the ticket.

QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER

For Qantas, it is easiest to use their points calculator to see how many points you need, then look for availability. Here is an example of SYD-DFW-GUA in economy class. For the record, business class (if you can get it) would cost 128,000 each way.

Awards are distance based, but look what happens when we quote on Perth-Guatemala City! Price for economy stayed the same!

If you are based somewhere else, leave a comment if you don’t understand this part and I will help you out. Meanwhile, here is a reference list for other One World carriers.

USING STAR ALLIANCE

US AIRWAYS

Star Alliance is King in Central America! With the two main Central American airlines-Taca and Copa based there, they have an unbeatable network of routes. Let’s use US Airways as an example. US does not offer one way awards so these are round trips. US Airways groups Central America with Mexico. You can use any Star Alliance carrier so if you are in North America, you could use a combination of United, US Airways, Avianca/Taca and Air Canada to get there. For Aussies and Kiwis it gets a bit more complicated. Theoretically you should be able to use Air New Zealand to LAX and then pick up Avianca/Taca which is probably fine in economy but availability is scarce in business. US Airways has recently been enforcing MPM (maximum permitted mileage) so while in the past we could route through Asian airports such as Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo and Seoul; this may no longer be possible. The new partner EVA AIrlines has added more possibilities of connections in Taipei. US is in the process of merging with AA so these attractive awards may not be around much longer, book ’em while they last!

UNITED AIRLINES

United Airlines is a USA based carrier that offers one way awards on its own flights and other Star Alliance carriers. Due to the size of their award chart, I can’t paste it here so will link to it and give examples. Seattle to San Jose has availability on several dates which I picked at random. They are colour coded for economy, business/first or all three classes.

Here is the best routing that came up. Beware of the “mixed cabin” in business class, that means you will have to be in economy for one or more segments.

Another random search on PTY-LAS (a much easier airport to use to enter the USA) has good availablilty for saver awards in economy and business on Copa which is a Mileage Plus member airline.

AVIANCA TACA LIFEMILES

Lifemiles has some very attractive promos to buy and share miles. While this doesn’t give you a free trip, it can greatly reduce the cost of a trip especially if you are after business or first class awards. You need to be an existing member of Lifemiles when they announce a promo so join now if you haven’t already. Use their calculator to get an idea of award costs. This will be a range which depends on class and any promos.

Click on View Availability to see the exact breakdown.

They have a Star Alliance Award chart and you can see that they divide the region of Central America into northern and southern regions. Snippet is incomplete due to size, so click over to the whole chart.

Australia and New Zealand are in the “Others” category. The chart shows round trip awards but you can redeem one ways for half the price shown. For Aussies, it’s much cheaper to use US miles while they last or United for Star Alliance awards. I prefer to keep my Lifemiles for intra-South/Central America awards which can get pricy but are bargains using awards. This is where you find the real hidden gems! Here’s an example of a trip we just did from Flores (Tikal) via Guatemala City to San Jose.

The 11,000 mile award can be brought down to 5000 miles if you are willing to pay an extra $90. Last year when we booked our trip, it was even cheaper. They raised the price last year but it’s still a good deal. Even though they have a special for business class, with flights this short I’d rather save my money and use the miles!

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

While there are no bargains here, if you are flush with Amex Membership Rewards you want to transfer to SQ, you can also book flights to Central America which shares a zone with Hawaii using Krisflyer.

For those who want to use other programs, I have made up a reference list of all the airlines with links to their websites so check them out to see if any of them are better suited to your needs. Bear in mind that the tickets are not completely free, there is usually a booking fee of $25-50 and various taxes, but you would have to pay the taxes whether you pay cash or miles for the ticket in any case.

Yellow-headed Parrot (Amazona oratrix)

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Tara

The Yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix), also known as the Yellow-headed Parrot and Double Yellow-headed Amazon, is an endangered amazon parrot of Mexico and northern Central America. Measuring 38–43 centimetres (15–17 in) in length, it is a stocky short-tailed green parrot with a yellow head. It prefers to live in mangrove forests or forests near rivers or other bodies of water. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Yellow-crowned Amazon.

The best place to see Yellow-headed Parrots is in the Crooked Tree Sanctuary, Belize because it is easily accessible and pretty reliable. This map from www.birdlife.org has their full range. If you are using airline miles, the requirements would be for a Central American award.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PARROT

VIDEO

Central American Adventure – Choosing Accommodation

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Tara

With an eco-tourism trip, the highlight is going to be the eco-lodges so you need to choose wisely. You will need to research the species you are hoping to see and find national parks with lodges in those areas. Although airline miles are of use to everyone, hotel points will only be useful for stays near airports to accommodate early morning flights. There is one exception as you will see below. Also, this itinerary is unusual in that I organized a stopover in Hawaii on the way back to Australia so I could burn some hotel points and celebrate my birthday! If you are USA or Europe based, this won’t be an option. Here are my choices, how I booked them and my reasons for choosing them. Detailed reviews on each will be forthcoming in future blogs.

BELIZE

Crooked Tree Lodge: booked direct by email (don’t use aggregators), paid cash. Chosen because the area is known for Yellow-headed Parrots, Red-lored Parrots and White-fronted Parrots and they have a good local guide.

Parrot’s Nest, San Ignacio: booked direct by email, don’t use aggregators, paid by Visa on checkout. Chosen because there are parrots in the area sporadically but primarily for the experience of sleeping in a treehouse.

GUATEMALA

Tikal Inn: booked direct by email, don’t use aggregators, paid by Amex on checkout. Chosen because it’s in the Tikal National Park, there are parrots and other birds in the grounds and they have a pool. Also they offer a free sunset/sunrise tour and some of the guides are familiar with the local birds.

Radisson, Guatemala City: booked online with Club Carlson points. Chosen because of proximity to airport, free shuttle and cheap points redemption.

COSTA RICA

Selva Verde Lodge, Sarapiqui: booked online at Hotels.com. Used 10% promo code and Ultimate Rewards Mall. Chosen because of excellent guides and known for being home to Great Green Macaws and many other birds.

Laguna del Lagarto Lodge, Boca Tapada: Booked on Pointshound for UA miles. Chosen because of recommendation by friend who was just there and area is extremely rich in birdlife.

Volcano Lodge, Arenal: Booked on Pointshound for UA miles. Chosen because of volcano views, garden, pool and it being a nice place to relax after full-on birding.

Cala Lodge, Monteverde: Booked on Pointshound for UA miles. Chosen because near town for easy meals/shopping and easy to get taxi to Monteverde Cloud Forest for Respendant Quetzals.

Villa Lapas, Tarcoles: Booked on their website, don’t use aggregators. Chosen because it is adjacent to Carara National Park for Scarlet Macaws and other birds.

Savegre Mountain Lodge: Booked on their webiste, don’t use aggregators. Chosen based on recommendation by friend who had been there recently, excellent guides and ease of finding Resplendant Quetzals.

Park Inn, San Jose: Booked using Club Carlson points on their website. Chosen because of cheap mistake rate of 5000 points, otherwise would have stayed closer to the airport. Easy enough to get Alajuela bus to airport in the morning.

PANAMA

Radisson Summit: Booked using Club Carlson points on their website. Chosen because easy 15 minute drive to Soberania National Park and also because some rooms have spectacular view of the rainforest.

Courtyard by Marriott, Panama City: Booked using Marriott points on their website. Chosen because I wanted to burn my last 10k points and it was near the airport.

USA

Holiday Inn (Desert Inn), Las Vegas: Used Chase free night certificate. Chosen because I had to use the cert or lose it and they wouldn’t give me Venetian or Palazzo on Labor Day weekend.

Four Points Sheraton, LAX: Got BRG with 2000 SPG point bonus. Chosen because of this deal and free airport shuttle.

Maui Seaside Inn: Booked on Hotels.com using free night after 10 stays and this one was the closest to the value I had on my free night. Chosen because we wanted to stay in Kahului for easy access to Road to Hana and Haleakala. Also rumours of Mitred Parakeets in nearby area.

Hyatt Regency Maui: Used Chase Ultimate Rewards sent to Hyatt to book free nights. Chosen because of resort facilities and a great place to spend my birthday!

Sheraton Waikiki: Used SPG cash & points. Chosen in hopes of an ocean view upgrade (got one!) and infinity pool.

Royal Hawaiian: Used SPG cash & points. Chosen because I have wanted to stay in the “pink palace” since I was a kid and never thought I could afford it!

Miles To The Wild

Create unforgettable eco-tourism and birding adventures using miles & points!

Tag Archives: Belize

Belize Bird Rescue

Eco-Lite: The Belize Zoo

*Lots of photos are at the end of this post, some of which are actually in focus!

OVERVIEW

HOW DO YOU GET THERE?

HOW MUCH IS IT?

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU SPEND THERE AND WHAT SHOULD YOU SEE?

VALUE TO CONSERVATION

WHERE TO STAY NEARBY ON POINTS

PHOTOS

Red-lored Parrot (Amazona autumnalis)

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PARROT

VIDEOS

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

Lodge Review: Crooked Tree Lodge, Belize

Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

VIDEO

Belize – An Eco-Tourist’s Delight From Sea To Crooked Tree

GETTING THERE

HOTEL POINT OPTIONS IN BELIZE

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

Getting To Central America Using Frequent Flyer Miles

USING ONE WORLD

AMERICAN AIRLINES

AVIOS (BA OR IB)

QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER

USING STAR ALLIANCE

US AIRWAYS

Yellow-headed Parrot (Amazona oratrix)

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PARROT

VIDEO

Central American Adventure – Choosing Accommodation