New Years' resolutions (ideas) for adventure travelers!

 

New Year's resolutions are a great way to set goals and make positive changes in our lives. And while many people focus on resolutions related to personal growth and self-improvement, travel can also be a powerful tool for achieving these goals.

As the new year approaches, it's the perfect time to set some travel resolutions for the year ahead. Here are 10 New Year resolutions to inspire your travels in the coming year:

1. Step outside your comfort zone and explore new destinations and try new adventures. Consider traveling to a new location, try out a type of trip that you haven't done before or challenge yourself with outdoor activities during your trip. Here are some ideas to try:

• Visit the Great Blue Hole and stay on a private island with our Lighthouse Reef Adventure  
• Try paddle boarding.  Available in all our Reef Trips and Coral Islands SUP, which focuses on this type of adventure!
• Try Scuba Diving - Discover scuba is available on trips visiting Tobacco Caye and Glover's Reef 
• Climb Antelope Waterfalls and Rappel down 1000 ft falls at Bocawina Rainforest Resort
• Discover the South of Belize and travel by inflatable kayak on a Belizean river in our Ultimate Adventure 
• Spearfishing at Tobacco Caye - a new available experience hunting lionfish!

2. Take a solo trip. If you usually travel with friends or family, consider going it alone in the new year. Solo travel can be liberating and a great way to push your limits and discover more about yourself. Single and ready to mingle? Try our Single Willing to Share Option
Good trips to meet other like-minded adults: Paradise Islands & Coral Islands SUP

 

 

3. Travel in a more environmentally friendly way by packing light, using public transportation, using reusable bottles and utensils, considering eco-friendly travel options, and staying in eco-friendly accommodations. Also when traveling make sure you conserve water and electricity in your room.

All our trips focus on sustainable travel with a small footprint. Stay in eco-friendly accommodations at Glover’s Reef Adventure Basecamp, Lighthouse Reef Adventure Basecamp, Bocawina Rainforest Resort, and Tobacco Caye Paradise

 

 

4. Learn a new language to better immerse yourself in the culture of your destination.
Even when you're not on the road, you can get excited for your next trip by learning the local language. There are plenty of free apps like Duolingo that can help you get started. Knowing some basic phrases can make your travels easier and will be appreciated by native speakers. While English is the official language of Belize, other languages spoken include Spanish and Kriol, all three spoken by more than 40% of the population. Mayan languages are also spoken in certain areas, as well as German.
Here are a few phrases in Belizean Kriol, Spanish, and English

• Weh yuh naym?  | Cómo te llamas? — What’s your name?
• Mi naym da… | Me llamo … — My name is…
• You da Belize? | Eres de Belize? — Are you from Belize?
• Da weh time? | Que horas son? — What time is it?
• Lata! |  Hasta luego!   —See you later.
• Mi love Bileez! | Yo amo Belice — I love Belize!

 

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5. Save money for travel by cutting down on expenses to save up as much as you can. Consider cutting back on unnecessary expenses, like streaming subscriptions or music apps, and start a piggy bank to save loose change. Set aside a portion of your income for future trips.
At Island Expeditions, you can reserve your trip with only a $300 Lifetime Deposit and pay the rest in several installments. Your trip final payment is due 60 days before your trip. You can start planning your trip 6 or more months ahead.
 

6. Learn about the customs and cultures of the places you visit to better understand and appreciate them. Take a guided tour, be part of a local cultural experience, learn to cook with the locals, or visit a local museum.

Some recommendations:

• The Mayan Living Cultural Experience - available at Bocawina Rainforest Resort  and in our Ultimate Adventure 
• The Garifuna Cultural  & Cooking Experience - available in Hopkins at Palmento Grove in Hopkins 
• Visit the the Gulisi Garifuna Museum in Dangriga
• Experience Carnival in Belize in September every year
• Take part of the Jankunu Traditional Dance Festival  in Dangriga every December
• Celebrate Garifuna Settlement Day on November 19, Hopkins and Dangriga have big celebrations!
• Enjoy all things made with chocolate at the Cacao Fest in South District of Toledo - The event takes place the third weekend of May to coincide with Sovereign's Day
• You can't miss Lobster Fest which celebrates the start of lobster season in the country in June every year!

7. Try a new type of accommodation,  Instead of sticking to traditional hotels, why not try something different like glamping, eco-lodges, or staying in a local family-run type of accommodation? It will add a new element of adventure to your travels.

• Glamping on a private island? check out  Glover’s Reef Adventure Basecamp, Lighthouse Reef Adventure Basecamp. 
• Eco-lodge in a rainforest-protected national reserve?  Bocawina Rainforest Resort 
• Eco-lodge in a Marine Reserve without many tourists?  Tobacco Caye Paradise 
• Camping on a river bed in the middle of the jungle?  Ultimate Adventure 
• Staying in a Belizean family lodge in a protected bird-watching paradise? Try Maya Reef Explorer

8. Eat like a local: Don't just stick to the tourist traps when it comes to food. Take some time to explore local markets and try the dishes that are popular with locals. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the culture of your destination.
Here are a few things you MUST try in Belize:

• Fry Jacks (sweet or savory) - the national staple of Belize- 
• Rice and Beans.   This is the traditional side dish, it goes with EVERYTHING!
• Hicatee
• Ceviche
• Chilmole Soup
• Cochinita Pibil (Pibil Pork) 
• Cow Foot Soup
• Escabeche
• Salbute, tamales, tacos and panades (great as snacks or full meals!)
• Fish Serre 

9. Get off the beaten path: Instead of following the crowds to the most popular tourist attractions, try going somewhere a little more off the beaten path. You might discover some hidden gems that are worth the extra effort. We all see the big tourist attractions of Belize on the news, in magazines or tourist guides. Let Island Expeditions show you the Belize that is not in the guidebooks, travel off-the-beaten-path with us!
 

• Explore Half Moon Caye a natural monument of Belize located at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef Atoll, this island is managed by the Audubon Society and we have exclusive access for our guests  staying at the Lighthouse Reef Adventure Basecamp
• Have you ever imagined waking up, and staying inside a rainforest National Park? 7000 acres of untouched rainforest, miles of hiking trails, 7 waterfalls, multiple swimming holes, 300+ species of birds, and hundreds of wildlife species including jaguar, tapir, howler monkey, jaguar, ocelot, deer, coati, white-lipped peccary, paca, agouti, kinkajou, gray fox and many more? This is possible at Bocawina Rainforest Resort
  
  Trips visiting this National park include: Rainforest Canopy Extension, Rainforest Wildlife Extension, Glover’s Reef & Maya Mountains, Ultimate Adventure, and Rainforest & Reef Explorer
• Visit the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary and the New River and Mayan ruins of Lamanai with our Maya Reef Explorer
• Ascend the mighty Mayan ruins of Caracol, swim in the Rio On Pools, and then descend into the incredible caves of Rio Frio, and Actun Tunichil Muknal with our Caracol Ruins & Sacred Caves Extension

10. Travel with a purpose: Consider adding some meaning to your travels by volunteering or traveling with a charitable purpose in mind. Travel has the power to broaden our horizons and expose us to new perspectives, it can be an especially powerful way to connect with others and cultivate new friendships.  Here are some ideas to make your travel more meaningful: 

• Picking up garbage that washes ashore, or collecting garbage you find on the road. A collective never-ending effort
• Bring school supplies for local schools (Island Expeditions and many lodges in Belize have school supplies donation programs) 
• Volunteer to hunt lionfish and help reduce this invasive species
• Helping some of the locals with some of your time and expertise in social media, marketing, or other skills you can share
• Are you a yogi?  You can volunteer some of your time at our Adventure Basecamps. Contact us for details! 
• If you have a gap year or a sabbatical, connect with local NGOs  and see how you can use your expertise
• Donate some items to the Belize Zoo, you can find their Amazon Wish List Here