Belize Travel Tips: Article on Away.com

November 4th, 2009 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

My blog tour continues with this article on Away.com:

“Belize: Top 5 Insider Travel Tips”

Tip # 1. If you find yourself on a tight budget after your plane fare to Belize blew most of your wad, choose a budget accommodation from the Toucan Trail, an association of small, often family-run hotels in Belize that charge less than $60 per night. Believe it or not, there are over 100 of these inexpensive options, located throughout the country.
Read article->

BELIZE TIMES: Belize Prime Minister supports mass tourism, new cruise ship port

November 1st, 2009 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

Belize Times is reporting the PM Dean Barrow’s comments on tourism in his Independence Day speech would drag the country’s fledgling industry in the wrong direction—i.e., the cruise ship and massive development direction. This, after Barrow apparently was a no-show for his scheduled talk at last week’s International Conference on Responsible Tourism, a huge deal for Belize to be hosting. I hope the PM strongly considers this editorial:

PM Barrow supports mass tourism for Belize

“If Belize’s tourism growth is to be done responsibly, why is the Prime Minister boasting cruise plans for the southern part of Belize? Shouldn’t we focus on controlling this type of tourism? Instead of expanding it, shouldn’t we be discussing how we can manage the existing traffic we are getting so that our protected areas, cultural sites and other natural features of this country (both marine and terrestrial) are no longer being desecrated and damage by the volumes of people who come to our shores just for a few hours?  (more…)

Nat-Geo Traveler rates the worlds’ best places

November 1st, 2009 | By Joshua | No Comments »

I participated in the 2009 National Geographic Traveler Destination Scorecard Places Rated survey, in which 437 travel experts were asked to rate 133 of the world’s most celebrated and iconic travel destinations, specifically, how well they have each “weathered the pressures of mass tourism and other threats.” This is the 6th year that National Geographic Traveler, in conjunction with National Geographic Society’s Center for Sustainable Destinations, has done the survey, which provides an interesting snapshot of these destinations as they change. The survey is the cover story of the November-December 2009 issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine, on newsstands Nov. 3.

I contributed to the section on Belize’s reefs and islands, which scored a 59 out of 100. The area is cited as being “right in the crosshairs of overdevelopment,” with challenges that include cruise tourism growth, inadequate tourist education, and lax enforcement of environmental regulations. Pictured above: Goff’s Caye, which is completely overrun with tourists on cruise ship days. (more…)

Monday Evening: Moon Belize Talk and Slide Show at the BOULDER BOOKSTORE!

October 26th, 2009 | By Joshua | No Comments »

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9 , 2009, 7:30–8:15 p.m.: I haven’t performed on Pearl Street since Sean G and I used to play music on the sidewalk for beer money (circa 1997). Times have changed—come check out my Belize slide show, songs, and MOON BELIZE book-signing at the venerable BOULDER BOOKSTORE, Pearl Street, downtown Boulder, CO.

MORE–> Joshua Berman EVENTS

Spotlight on MOON BELIZE contributors and very tranquilo travelers: Rosey Goodman and Joni Miller

October 23rd, 2009 | By Joshua | No Comments »

The worst error I made in the new edition of MOON BELIZE (at least, the worst one I’ve found so far) was omitting my two research assistants from the acknowledgments. This was purely an accident and my sincere apologies go to Rosey Goodman and Joni Miller. These two women helped with the enormous amount of legwork and pavement-pounding that went into updating this guidebook and they deserve recognition.

You’ll find Joni Miller at the Caye Caulker Ocean Academy, the tiny island’s first high school, which she helped found last year. Before that, Caye Caulker’s teens had to commute by boat to the mainland. Joni has a Masters in International Education from the University of Alberta and 10 years high-school teaching experience in British Columbia. Read about how you can help the school with donations, school supplies, or by volunteering in the new Moon book, and check the school’s wish list before your trip to Belize to see what you can bring.

From Antigua to Zagreb, Rosey Goodman, a.k.a. DriveGoddess, has been adventuring and exploring since her teens. Writer, photographer, broadcaster, and chef, Rosey is known for her irreverent style and lust for life. She loves nothing better than taking to the open road or being out at sea. From pristine, deserted beaches to the war zones of the Balkans, Rosey has learned that moments are meant to be savored, experiences to be shared. She is currently working on her road trip tales and is plotting the next great adventure, which she will be posting on her Facebook page: R.m. Goodman. Her other sites are:

http://www.ourbelize.net

and

http://www.flickr.com/drivegoddess

MOON BELIZE author interview — or — “Rocking a stache on BudgetTravel.com”

October 20th, 2009 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

My blog tour has begun!

Kicking things off is a recent appearance on THIS JUST IN, the venerable Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel blog:

“Belize travel tips from a pro”

Enjoy the article and let me know in the comments if you have additional questions.

Spotlight on a MOON BELIZE contributor: Tony Rath, Photographer

October 18th, 2009 | By Joshua | No Comments »

This is the first in a series of blog posts about the people who contributed to the 8th edition of MOON BELIZE. Writing this book is by no means a one-man show and, over the next few weeks, I’d like to acknowledge a few of the talented people whose work appears in my book.

First up, Dangriga-based photographer Tony Rath, who took the cave-tubing and giant turtle shots in the front color section of MOON BELIZE. His website TonyRath.com just got a remarkable facelift — sit back and enjoy a fascinating assortment of Belizean people, animals, and scenes. Tony also keeps the IMAGES OF BELIZE PHOTO BLOG and a VIDEO archive — worth bookmarking for you Belize-watchers out there. Bueno. That should be enough to keep you busy for a while, enjoy. And thank you, Tony.

Upcoming Tranquilo Events: Moon Belize at the BOULDER BOOKSTORE!

October 17th, 2009 | By Joshua | No Comments »

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9 , 2009, 7:30–8:15 p.m.: I haven’t performed on Pearl Street since Sean G and I used to play music on the sidewalk for beer money (circa 1997). Times have changed—come check out my Belize slide show, songs, and MOON BELIZE book-signing at the venerable BOULDER BOOKSTORE, Pearl Street, downtown Boulder, CO.

MORE–> Joshua Berman EVENTS

Planeta’s Ron Mader heads to Belize for the World Responsible Tourism Conference

October 13th, 2009 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

I wish I could have accepted the invitation to be in Belmopan this week for the International Responsible Tourism Conference October 19-23, 2009. (This is a huge deal for lil’ ole Belize and I congratulate my friends there!) Instead, I’ll be following Ron Mader, starting with this video. Why Ron? “Planeta.com’s Ron Mader has been invited and is preparing an overview of how Web 2.0 can be used to improve storytelling that links locals and travelers.” MORE: http://planeta.wikispaces.com/belizertc

Day-glow ’shrooms growing/glowing in Belize

October 5th, 2009 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

Belize made the fungal news at WIRED magazine:

“7 Glow-in-the-Dark Mushroom Species Discovered”