Cotton Tree Lodge

Overview

Description

We are located in the Toledo District of southern Belize, which is the most undeveloped region of the country. There are miles and miles of unspoiled rainforest to be explored, sheltering diverse wildlife, hidden caves, and stunning waterfalls. Our lodge is based between two indigenous Mayan villages, and not far away is Barranco Garifuna Village. We offer cultural and volunteer tours for our guests to visit these communities. We also take our guests to ruins such as Nim Li Punit and Lubaantun, and to national parks like Rio Blanco Waterfall and Aguacaliente Wildlife Sanctuary. Birdwatching, kayaking in the Moho River, and chocolate making (we visit organic cacao farms) are all popular with our guests. The Caribbean Ocean is not far away, so diving and snorkeling near the Belize Barrier Reef are also options.

Rooms

11 Cabanas + 2 Tour Leader Rooms.

Making a Difference

Percentage of local employees: 90%

By bringing guests to the region, we are creating an economic incentive to preserve Mayan and Garifuna culture, as well as (we hope) a sense of regional pride as the visitors are eager to learn about the traditions, crafts, music, language, etc. of this area. By bringing guests to seldom-visited national parks (Rio Blanco only received 100 official visitors in 2008!) we are showing the government that it is important to preserve these places. And by taking careful steps at the lodge to minimize our environmental impact, we hope we are showing our staff alternative ways to develop a business. For example, our gardener, who has been trained by Sustainable Harvest International in our organic demonstration garden, recently brought us over to his home to see the new organic vegetable garden that he is planting, based on the knowledge he's acquired working with us.

We have been able to employ a fair number of people from the two closest Mayan villages to our lodge: Santa Anna and San Felipe. Many of the families in these villages are subsistence farmers, so the money earned from employment at the lodge helps families pay expenses like school tuition and uniforms. Local crafts women know they can come to the lodge during busy periods and hopefully sell cuxtals, baskets, or jewelry to some of our guests.

Cotton Tree Lodge participates in the Pack for a Purpose program, where guests can bring school supplies, medical supplies, and other small items from home to donate to the local community. Guests simply drop off their donation at the hotel's front desk, and Cotton Tree Lodge will deliver it for them.

Rates

$101 – $150

We offer our guests the option of Room Only (starting at $109/night) or All-Inclusive (starting at $170 per person per night) rates. Room-only guests can take advantage of our on-site activities, and must pay for tours and meals a la carte. All-inclusive guests are covered for accommodation, meals, soft drinks, daily tours, on-site activities, and PND airport transfers.

For more information about rates, please visit:

• www.cottontreelodge.com/belizevacation/belize-vacation-rates.htm (available in English).

Getting There

Nearest international airport: Belmopan (BZE)

Nearest local/national airport: Punta Gorda (PND)

Distance, by land, to the nearest airport: 15 miles
For most of the year, our lodge is accessible by road. Some guests choose to rent their own car, but for the most part we provide transfers between PND airstrip and the lodge. Sometimes we are able to transfer guests in by a combination of road and boat via the Moho River. We do occasionally experience flooding which cuts off part of our access road, but this is infrequent and clears quickly.

Additional Information

Additional Web sites

• events.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/travel/15journeys.html (available in English).
• www.oprah.com/slideshow/omagazine/200906-omag-volunteer-vacations/2%20 (available in English).
• volunteerecotravel.suite101.com/article.cfm/a_resort_for_eco_travel_in_belize (available in English).
• blog.voluntourism.org/?p=118 (available in English).

Date This Information Was Provided

December 2009.

Photos courtesy of Cotton Tree Lodge, Belize, for SustainableTrip.org.