Walk down any street or narrow village lane in tiny Belize (only about the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island) and you’ll hear any one of a half dozen or more languages—pretty remarkable in a country that’s less-populated than many U.S. cities (320,000 inhabitants).

But this little country is far more diverse than most U.S. cities. (Happier, too, I’d say, judging from the infectious smiles.) And most of its population is not just bi-lingual, but tri-lingual.

English is the official language of the country, formerly known as the colony of British Honduras. In 1980 it won its independence from Great Britain and has appeared on maps as Belize (or Belice in the Spanish language) ever since.

Spanish is another language you’ll often hear, thanks to the country’s borders with Mexico and Guatemala. Most Belizeans speak both English and Spanish.

Some Belizeans speak Mayan. The Maya were the original inhabitants of this part of the world, and they’re still here in large numbers. (If you think Belize is just a Caribbean diving and snorkeling destination, think again. The traditional Maya communities and ancient archaeological sites that have been uncovered in its dense, lush jungles should be on the “must-see” lists of any travelers to Belize.

Many shopkeepers, especially in Belize City and Corozal are of Chinese descent (with a sprinkling of Taiwanese and Korean, too). Some are descendants of the 480 Chinese immigrants that were brought to British Honduras in 1865 as indentured laborers on the ship “The Light of the Ages”. They went to work in the timber camps, but a year later, about 100 of them deserted. Another group came just before the outbreak of World War II. Controlling much of the economy, they’ve become dominant players in the grocery, restaurant, fast food, and lottery trades.

More than 10,000 conservative Prussian Mennonites live near an inland town called Spanish Lookout in the Cayo district, where farms and grazing land stretch for miles. Known for their cheese-making and carpentry skills, they speak German. You can outfit your Belizean home with furniture made by these fine craftsmen or even commission them to make a complete exquisite cabin for you out of Belizean hardwoods that virtually last forever. (A decent-sized cabin will cost less than $30,000.)

You’ll Find a Vibrant Culture in Belize

There’s one more language spoken in Belize—it’s the most common of all. While Belizean children are taught English at school, out and about, everyone speaks Kriol. It’s heavily influenced by the Garifuna people, descendants of African slaves, who escaped captivity in the Western Indies and settled in Belizean coastal villages like Dangriga and Seine Bight in the early 1830s. They have a strong, vibrant culture and language all their own.

This melting pot of cultures is what makes Belize unique in Central America…in the world, if truth be told. Nowhere else can you find such diversity, such tolerance, and yes… cheesy as it sounds… such love for people of so many different ethnic and economic backgrounds. Belizeans may be the friendliest people on the planet. And I’m guessing they got that way because they learned early on that we all have to live together and the best way to do that is happily.

What it all boils down to is this: no matter what language you speak, chances are good you’ll find someone to talk to in Belize. Even better odds are that they’ll have a great big happy smile on their face.

Source: http://internationalliving.com

Its crystal-clear aquamarine waters are an incredible destination for swimming, diving or simply contemplating the spectacular beauty of the underwater world. Belize, which in ancient times was an outpost of the mighty Mayan empire, today is a pocket-sized paradise that offers some of the best beaches and diving spots in the world.

A favorite destination among divers, marine biologists and sports-fishermen, Belize is also a paradise for the ever-present tourists and travelers like ourselves, who are enthralled by the country’s landscapes from the moment of arrival: the lush, untamed coastlines and warm waters home to hidden underwater treasures. This tiny nation boasts an enormous natural blessing: the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere. In fact, it’s been declared one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World.

The country’s small population of only 250,000 inhabitants, coupled with the lack of industries, has enabled it to preserve its lands almost untouched throughout the years. Some 55 percent of the country is still covered with forests. With the aid of diverse environmental protection groups, Belize has gained international recognition as a leader in the conservation of ecosystems.

Belize began to work its magic on us as soon as we arrived in its tiny capital of Belmopan—the very air seems to de-stress you. In this underwater paradise, bathing suits are de rigeur, and wetsuits became like a second skin to us, since diving, snorkeling and exploring the cayes off this coastline on the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula were what we came here for.

Designed for diving
Belize boasts several characteristics that make it an ideal site for diving, beginning with the magnificent coral reef that we mentioned previously. Stretching for some 185 miles, it’s surpassed only by Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The reef is home to every kind of fish, whose varied colors form a brilliant undersea rainbow. But this barrier reef not only boasts a wealth of marine fauna, but of underwater flora as well. Here you’ll find aquatic vegetation that encompasses the entire color spectrum.

It even seems as if nature itself wanted to make it easier to enjoy all this Belizean beauty: the average water temperature is 81 degrees and visibility is up to 98 feet.

Where to go under
Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Located on Ambergris Caye, this preserve was established in 1987, the first of its kind. Its Mayan name means “Little Canal.” Removing fish or coral from the reserve is prohibited, and thanks to the careful watch over this area, visitors can now see some marine species that were hard to find before. Here we saw a sea turtle that became the symbol of this reserve for us. Shark Ray Alley lies near the center of Hol Chan and is one of the region’s hottest diving spots. Here divers can observe the pirouettes of southern stingrays and nurse sharks as they’re being fed by a dive master. Even though they’re not the most beautiful of sea creatures, they do exhibit a certain grace and daintiness that belies their large gray bodies.

Blue Hole. This site gained world renown because legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau featured it so much on his long-running TV show. Although it’s extremely popular, it hasn’t been spoiled, as sometimes occurs with other popular natural attractions. In fact, it’s not as crowded as you may think and retains the absolutely incomparable beauty that left us almost nearly overwhelmed. The Blue Hole lies in the middle of Lighthouse Reef Atoll, approximately 50 miles east of Belize City. It’s a perfectly shaped, 1,000-foot-diameter hole with a depth of some 413 feet. It’s actually the remnants of an ancient cave, whose roof caved in some 10,000 years ago when the land receded into the sea, leaving this incomparable spot behind.

Laughing Bird Caye National Park. This is another spot you simply won’t want to miss. It’s a continental shelf atoll characterized by deep canals where we had one of the best diving experiences in Belize, and we highly recommend it for observing marine life. As its name suggests, the park is also a bird sanctuary created to conserve the habitat of the region’s laughing gulls, which until recently had almost completely abandoned the caye due to human encroachment.

Half Moon Caye National Monument. Just as Laughing Bird Caye, this spot is perfect for enjoying the sparkling white beaches, diving in the incredibly clear waters teaming with a variety of marine life, and above all, observing the exotic species of seabirds such as the frigate-bird and other animals like iguanas, lizards and turtles.

Your experience with the sea and the wildlife of Belize will be so magical that perhaps the only sad part of the trip will be planning your departure. You can rest assured that the warm waters and friendly residents will always be waiting with open arms for your return to this underwater paradise of Central America.

Article Written by: TACA Airlines
Thinking of investing?  Check out the knowledgeable Belize Shores Realty website and give them a call today!

BELTRAIDE, in partnership with Idealab, is sponsoring the creation of a high level business and investment magazine.

The magazine is featured in strategic locales to aggressive investors who are seeking to invest in new dynamic markets, such as Belize. This publication features the various major investment opportunities, while providing up to date information on policy, trade agreements, statistics, and projections to the investment community in Belize and abroad.

The Magazine offers exceptional opportunities for the Government of Belize and the private sector to deliver their message in the form of feature articles on current affairs and business and investment opportunities in Belize, as well as in the form of advertisements.

According to the newspaper, “The Hol Chan Marine Reserve is perfect for a day trip for snorkeling at the reef while observing a wide variety of fish including jacks, snappers and barracudas. You can spot turtles gliding, dolphins playing nearby and manatees swimming and congregating in the grassy sea beds.”

This rating is now being added to a list of accolades Belize has received for snorkeling and diving. “This has been a really great year for us, because this top 10 nomination for snorkeling comes on the heels of our beaches being ranked 7th, 8th, and 9th in Central America by Trip Advisor, the world’s largest internet travel website,” said Yanick Dalhouse, Director of Marketing and Industry Relations for the Belize Tourism Board. “These awards are absolutely fantastic and only validate what Belizeans have been raving about for years.”

To learn more about snorkeling and diving in Belize please visit:
http://www.travelbelize.org/things-to-do/reef-beach-2/snorkeling

To read more about the top snorkeling spots in the world according to ‘The National’ visit:
http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/travel/take-pleasure-in-the-shallow-end-with-our-top-10-snorkelling-spots

Original Article Posted Here

sandy beaches and crystal water

Belize has been receiving accolades from the media for the past couple of years for amenities such as best beaches, best places to get married, best weather, now it’s acclaimed as one of the best places to retire. This is a reprint from USNEWS, Money section:

“When choosing a place to spend your retirement years, the cost of living is important. But it is only one consideration. The ideal retirement spot is a place where you can live a rich life filled with friends, travel, discovery, physical and intellectual distractions, and opportunities for growth. A super-low cost of living is great, but more important is the quality of life your retirement budget is buying you.

Many of the best options for enjoying an enormously enriched retirement lifestyle on even a very modest budget can be found overseas. Here are the world’s 18 top retirement havens, where an interesting, adventure-filled lifestyle is available for a better-than-reasonable cost…….”

“2. Belize. Belize is a great place for reinventing your life in retirement. This tiny, under-developed, sparsely populated country offers two distinct lifestyle options: Ambergris Caye is the best of the Caribbean at a discount, while the Cayo is a frontier where independent-minded pioneers can make their own way and do their own thing, peacefully and privately. The climate is tropical, warmer on the coast, and cooler in the mountainous interior. The official language is English, so there’s no foreign language barrier for Americans. You’ll find a well-established and welcoming community of expats in San Pedro and on Ambergris Caye, and an emerging community of expats in the Cayo around San Ignacio.”

You can read the entire article here

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Belize City, Belize – March 13, 2012 – In January of this year, the BTB was proud to share with you that Trip Advisor, the world’s largest internet travel website, had ranked various hotels in Belize as some of the top 25 hotels in the world. Traveller’s Choice Awards for Beaches.

Once again, the BTB is thrilled to share, that Belize has once again been ranked amongst the best. Three of our breath-taking beach locations in San Pedro, Placencia and Caye Caulker were just rated the top 7th, 8th and 9th best beach locations in Central America. Visitors loving their experiences in Belize wrote resounding reviews online and shared them with the world.  One of the numerous reviews on San Pedro’s beaches read: “I loved everything about San Pedro especially its beaches.  The clarity of the water and the water’s temperature made my vacation extra special.  A plus is that the barrier reef keeps the ocean waters calm. It was perfect!”

Based on excellent reviews and high consumer ratings, countries get awarded by Trip Advisor accordingly.  “This is indeed quite an honor and will definitely help to create more awareness of Belize as a ‘choice’ tourist destination,” said Yanick Dalhouse, Director of Marketing and Industry Relations for the Belize Tourism Board. “Today, most travelers plan their vacations while searching different locations online and reviews like this help to make their decision easier.”

Original Article by Ambergris Today

The votes have been tallied, and the finalists for About.com readers’ favorite hotels in the Caribbean for 2012 are in! Read on to learn about each of the five top hotels, then vote for your favorite as the 2012 About.com Readers’ Choice Award winner as best hotel in the Caribbean!

Matachica Resort, Belize.© Matachica Resort

This small (24-room) ecoresort on a Belize beach offers uber-private luxury, including fine dining at the Mambo Restaurant, massages and locally sourced body treatments at the Jade Spa, and explorations of the nearby barrier reef.

In praise of hurricanes and Mayan relics

Conch shells decorate the bow of a kayak during sunset at Ambergris Caye, Belize. (Photo by Bob Berwyn) More images

COCKROACH CAYE, BELIZE —We’re standing near a makeshift Robinson Crusoe shack on Turneffe Atoll, one of the tiny specks of dry land off the shore of Belize, and since it’s rare to hear a tropical island-dweller praise hurricanes, Leigh and I listen up when Carlos Miller starts to explain how the periodic storms help sustain the mangrove-coral ecosystem of Cockroach Caye.

While chunks of foil-wrapped chicken sizzle on a wood fire, Miller shows us the sweaty, salty leaves of a red mangrove. He explains how the hurricanes flush sand off the reef and into the trees, where the root pillars trap it to build new land, helping both parts of the related ecosystem. Bigger hurricanes can destroy mangrove stands. But over time, the cycle of storms leads to renewal and growth, not just destruction. A succession of mangrove species, fueled in part by the storms, help sustain the delicate balance between the reef and the oceanic mangrove forests, Miller explains.

It’s great to get that global perspective from time to time. That’s what passports are for. With that bigger picture in mind, I wonder if some events we see as natural disasters back home — pine beetles, forest fires drought, floods — are also part of natural cycles that drives ecosystems; but it’s challenging to remove the disaster tag when your life or livelihood is at stake.

Turneffe Atoll remains one of the most pristine and diverse marine preserves in the Caribbean. For now, the mangrove shoals around Cockroach Caye still function as the marine nursery for the Western Hemisphere’s largest coral reef, where Miller guides snorkelers and divers — and he wants to keep it that way.

Today, he’s cooking for six. Leigh and I share the boat with an enthusiastic Austrian family of travelers who are wrapping up a multi-week backpack style loop through Central America. At one point, Miller’s friendly face breaks into an affirmative grin as we scoop up the last of the salsa and offer a cleanup day in exchange for a free overnight on the island. At both morning dive stops we see thriving and diverse coral colonies, with no sign of disease or decline.

Family flag
Miller’s family flag is firmly planted on the tiny strip of coral. He inherited the island from his grandfather, along with an aura of paternal wisdom he demonstrates by mentoring local kids as apprentice skippers. He’s a little grumpy first thing in the morning as he eyes his latest batch of tourists, assessing who might get seasick in his boat. But as the passengers start to show some Esprit De Corps, he warms up and shares his stories. He’ll soon have more to tell. His wife is just about to return home from England with their first child.

After lunch we explore one more undersea garden, six of us spread out across acres and acres of Caribbean Sea with nobody else in sight. Late-afternoon sunlight shimmers through a school of translucent squid hovering in a fantasy-land of purple, green and gold coral patches. Leigh and I float hand-in-hand. The gentle currents rock and drift us gently through the slots and outcrops, in synch with endless schools of fish. Together, we feel part of our beautiful world.

As we head northwest back toward Caye Caulker, a school of bottle-nose dolphins plunges through our wake. Even though we’re running late, Miller cuts the engine and urges us to jump in for an impromptu swim. As soon as our ears are underwater, we hear the squealing sea mammals, gently inviting us to dive and spin with them. This is the deep blue sea. Beams of sunlight filter through plankton-rich water, and the dolphins swirl closer around us in a trippy Jacques Cousteau moment before they disappear below. After dark, we trail our fingers through phosphorescent scent streaks of plankton motoring back to Caye Caulker in Miller’s skiff.

San Pedro vibe
We’re well into into a whirlwind spring getaway, base-camped in San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye. It’s the hub of Belizean shore tourism, with a classic palm fringed beachfront strip running a few miles up and down and the shore, where bikes and golf carts rule.

The town is one of the main starting points for exploring the great Mesoamerican Reef, which is second only in size to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Partly for this reason, Leigh had long ago circled Belize on the travel map in her Summit County pad, so it was the perfect destination for her surprise birthday trip.
One evening, we rent a heavy sit-on-top kayak, carrying it three blocks across the narrow spit of land to the lagoon side. You’d think that, in a town that’s only a couple of hundred feet across, people would be accustomed to seeing boats everywhere. But our portage draws curious looks.

We glide out to meet the fiery orange sunset as a few egrets flutter out of the mangrove thickets. Near a headland, we find a conch shell dumping ground where local fishermen abandoned dozens of the empty vessels. I dip shoulder-deep into the still bay and retrieve a few of them. On the bow of the boat, rays from the sinking sun burst across the pink interior of the shells with a tender and inviting light.

The laid-back pace of San Pedro suits our languid mood. We stroll late, eating ice cream and frozen custard first, then scouting seafood joints. The search culminates with a birthday dinner of fresh crab and conch in a sand-floored bungalow, where a trio of local kids does magic tricks and signs us up for a probably nonexistent school raffle.

Reefing
Our first reef excursion is close to San Pedro. Both casual snorkelers and serious divers find it all here. Dozens of outfitters line San Pedro’s piers, all offering treks to popular spots like the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. Longer dive trips venture out to the famed Blue Hole.

We sign up for one of the standard tours. The first stop is Hol Chan, a break in the reef where we spot a flotilla of patrolling barracudas and a sea turtle majestically riding the tidal current, along with armadas of neon-colored reef-nibblers, straight out of Finding Nemo.

At Shark Ray Alley, the guides chum the water to draw a school nurse sharks and rays to the boat. It seems a strange practice for a marine reserve, but the guides say fishermen have been cleaning their holds in that spot for generations, long before they started hauling tourist divers to the area.

Traffic at both sites is high during peak season. At times we feel like we’re playing footsies with scuba divers below and rubbing shoulders with passengers from several other boats anchored nearby. But the density and variety of marine life makes it worthwhile. As the swimmers disperse, Leigh and I are wide-eyed at the sight of a neon moray eel. We marvel at how close we can get to a golden curtain of fish, all swaying as one with the tidal current.

The half-day visits to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley are action-packed and great for kids. But for Leigh and I, the Eco-oriented Turneffe Atoll trip with Miller had a more rewarding flavor, well worth the exhilarating two-hour ride across choppy seas.

On our last island day, we ride the water taxi back to Caye Caulker, Miller’s stomping ground. We enjoy the mellow barefoot mood on the sandy main street. A squall moves in, and the beachfront vendors hustle to pack away rainbow-hued sarongs and strings of beads. For our last dinner of the trip we meet Miller at the Happy Lobster, curious to hear more of his take on the tourist trade.

Cave relics
Eco-tourism stems from the mindset of tourists as much as the number of recycling bins, Miller reminds us. That means when we travel, we must show gratitude and respect for the privilege of sharing other environments, cultures, landscapes and food. This attitude can pay off with access to amazing sights like the Aktun Tunichil cave system, where we visited on the first day of our trip.

Ten centuries before Miller started thinking about the sustainability of his guiding company, Mayan priests used the cave to appeal to a god for a balance between rain and sun. Danny, our guide, explains that, deep in the labyrinth, the Mayans prayed to Chaac, the sustainer.

The keyhole-shaped entrance to the cavern is draped with thick vines. Moss-covered boulders line the banks of the pool where we must swim to get inside the cave. We find our footing on a narrow ledge, one hundred feet past the entrance, and maneuver through a maze of stalactite-draped passages and sparkling caverns.

In the openings, 1,000-year old pots and bones are arranged around small sacrificial areas, including whole vessels, each one with a small piercing in the rim where a Mayan priest some thousand years before made an opening for the spirits believed to reside within.

At first look, the remains appear jumbled. But the ritual use of pottery may have included aligning the pots to mirror heavenly constellations, Danny explains. The caves themselves were part of the ceremonies as a place of emergence, he said.

Most archaeological evidence suggests that, along with symbolic offerings, dire times called for human sacrifice. Priests opened the chests of their victims to tear out a beating heart. The bones we see reflect the intent of the priests. Entire skeletons are covered with a thin layer of sparkly limestone, beautiful but grim. Other sacrificial victims were somehow tied to the cave walls and left to die in a certain body position meant to show intent to the gods, Danny says, as we view the skeletal remains of the Crystal Maiden.

Temples
Mainland Belize also has a rich collection of Mayan ruins. Early morning on our departure day, we hookup with Johnny, a hustling friend of Miller’s who runs a one-man taxi guide service out of the capital. As we speed north on the main highway, Johnny shows us pictures of his daughter on his cell phone while trying to keep the driver-side door closed with his left hand. By the time we’ve heard all the Ford (Fix-Or-Repair-Daily) jokes, we’re parked at Altun Ha, one of Belize’s important Mayan sites along with Caracol and Lamanai.

The ancient jungle cities stand tribute to the Mayan era. Along with human sacrifice, this era produced extensive trade signifying a well-developed economy. Arts, math and astronomy matching the levels of the Arab and Hindu worlds were prominent. Some of the older sites date back to 600 BC, and some were inhabited through 900 AD, spanning the entire range of the Mayans.

Johnny power-walks us through the old fortress and temples, making sure we stay just ahead of the throngs of bus passengers streaming in from the cruise ships anchored in the Belize harbor. It feels a little like a race, but we find a few spots where it’s quiet and we feel how the Mayans used the man-made mountains as look-outs to scour the jungle canopy for campfires or other signs of intrusion.

From the summit of the highest temple, it all seems so clear and orderly; the neat plazas and paths, giant steps leading up to perfectly proportioned plateaus. But it’s also a reminder that every edifice, every civilization is subject to decay and decline. Maybe Mayan civilization collapsed under the weight of civil and political strife as neighboring settlements battled each other for a scarce resource.

On the bumpy road back to the airport, we scarf down the last of the spicy chicken taquitos from the sidewalk vendor in Caye Caulker, our last taste of Belize on this trip. We wash them down with $10 see-you-later drinks at Jet’s Airport Bar in the departure hall before winging back to our snowy mountain home. All is well in the age of jet travel, as long as you have an open mind, a pair of flip-flops, a Bloody Mary in your hand and a smiling travel partner at your side.

Things to know about Belize before you go
Belikin Beers served in tiny 10 ounce bottles, with very thick glass that help the brew stay cold. But be prepared to tilt the bottle up all the way and suck nothing but air — they go down quick and smooth.You can use U.S. Dollars to buy those Belikin’s; greenbacks are commonly accepted at a fixed two to one exchange rate. The language is English. As a Commonwealth country Belize currency features historic portraits of the British Queen.

Belize City isn’t touted by the guidebooks, but we stayed for two nights in the downtown Hotel Mopan, using the city as a jumping-off point for the cave tour at Aktun Tunichil Muknal. We enjoyed the scruffy but safe vibe of the port town, right down to quaffing beers alongside local fishermen and hookers at a canal-side red-light bar. Plus, it’s the only place we’ve been solicited for real estate by a sincere-sounding sidewalk salesman: “Pssst, you wanna buy 20 acres near the airport?”

The town is full of tumble-down clapboards, and since we’ve heard that Leo or some other celebrity has recently bought property in Belize, we fantasize about the interior mansions hidden behind the weathered facades. Since most coastal travel in Belize is by boat, the ferry terminal in the city is a central station of sorts, advertising connections via boats, planes and buses to many regional destinations. The well-stocked convenience store in the terminal will have anything you might have forgotten, from bottle-openers and batteries to ice-cold Belikins.

Stay away from Jet’s Bar in the Belize City airport. It’s cozy enough, but beware. The charming owner will convince you he has the best Bloody Marys for miles around, but he won’t hit you up with the $10 bill until you’re running to your gate.

Caves and snakes: The deadly fer-de-lance lives in the tea-colored tropical Belizean rivers. Crossing the Roaring-river crossing on our trek to the cave, the guide makes us all stand still while one of the zig-zag backed serpents slithers out of the water and into a tree.

Aktun Tunichil Muknal is a two-hour drive, then a 45 minute hike from Belize City, in the Maya Mountain back country. Several tour companies run trips from the nearby town of San Ignacio, but PacZ tours picked us up at our Hotel in Belize City and offered first-class service and a friendly guide.
For cave tour info and reservations contact pacztours@btl.net and check out this blog post on the cave.

The reef is a highlight of any Belize visit. We were thrilled by the low-key, personal and environmentally oriented snorkeling tour to Turneffe Atoll with Carlos Miller, based on Caye Caulker. And Amigos Del Mar Divers in San Pedro offer a full range of trips, including the standard half-day excursions to nearby Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley. Amigos Del Mar. Carlos Miller’s Red Mangrove Eco Adventures.

According to the CIA’s world fact book, Belize is slightly smaller than Massachusetts, at about 22,966 square kilometers. Most of the mainland consists of a limestone bench covered with jungle scrub, rising to mountainous terrain on the western border with Guatemala. Mexico’s Yucatan region is to the north, with Honduras to the southeast.

Belize became part of the colony of British Honduras in 1854 and didn’t gain independence until 1981, a move delayed by territorial disputes with Guatemala. According to the CIA, four out of every 10 people has a cell phone.

The Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) had provided some assistance, which enabled us to attend the Summer 2011 Fancy Food Show in Washington, DC. We are quite elated by the sauces success and would like to thank Gourmet Product Awards for giving us the opportunity to submit our entry to the competition. This is a very exciting award for us because it confirms what we have always said “Hot Mama’s Sweet Pepper Sauce is incredibly good!”

“The Gourmet Product Awards recognize companies, products and services that stand out in tier quality, innovation and special merit. In total, they have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of gourmet and gourmet product standards and market environment, and may have achieved ‘great’ quality at the highest and broadest level.”

Hot Mama’s Sweet Pepper Sauce is unique and can be put on most any kind of food. No special recipe necessary — ‘from breakfast to dessert.’ Hot Mama’s Sweet Pepper Sauce is based on an old family recipe, handed down through the family and we use no preservatives or additional additives.

Contact Shurdia@HotMamasBelize.com to arrange a guided tour through the facilities. Like Hot Mama’s Belize at http://www.facebook.com/hotmamasbelize Or purchase our sauce online at http://hotmamasbelize.com/eshop.html And when you are in Belize, visit with us at The Hot Shoppe, located at the factory.

About The Gourmet Product Awards:

The competition honors the best new gourmet products in 43 finely divided categories including condiments, confections, dairy, oils, baby products, beverages, snacks and more. In order to be granted this outstanding award, the products may exhibit processes and/or innovations that have added to the profession and image of the gourmet industry that may also improve taste, health, enhance personal well-being, wellness, enjoyment and the overall satisfaction of their consumers. http://www.gourmetproductawards.com

About Hot Mama’s Belize:

Hot Mama’s Belize, located at mile 60 Western Highway, Unitedville, Cayo District; is a manufacturer of fine sauces and has been in operation for over 8 years. Hot Mama’s unique, quality, taste, style, appeal and innovative combination of peppers, has made Hot Mama’s an exceptional competitor in this competition, as well as a major provider in the Belize market. Hot Mama’s Belize will continue to strive for premium quality and flavor in its products and look forward to future food competitions.

For further information contact:

Media Contact:

Wilana Oldham
Tel: +501-824-0444
Fax: +501-824-3649
Hot Mama’s Belize
PO BOX 453, Belmopan City
Cayo District, Belize
Website http://www.HotMamasBelize.com
Email – sales@hotmamasbelize.com

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