We’ve been working with New York-based designer, Cara Araneta, to upgrade the interiors of our Balam Suites, King and Queen Casita Suites. Her vision was to combine Belize’s colonial heritage and indigenous crafts with expedition influences, scattering antiques like vintage binoculars, cameras, telescopes, and old, military medals. Also, placing English colonial portraits adjacent to local artists’ artworks and using warm, local textiles and patterned accents. Each suite is personally styled. “I wanted every room to tell a story – and feel personal.” Here are some work-in-progress snapshots.
When we were in Guatemala, we had the pleasure of meeting talented artist, Guillermo Maldonado. He carves his designs into wood and makes limited edition prints that combine bold and graphic colors with an indigenous feeling, but still manage to be contemporary; so fitting for us at Ka’ana: combining modern with an ode to local history. You’ll be able to see his work throughout the resort and his exclusive pieces in the Villas.
The Travel Channel spotlights Belize’s Great Blue Hole, a sinkhole off the coast of Belize a few hours away from us here at Ka’ana. A great diving spot to explore!
We couldn’t think of a better way to combine our love for cocktails and helping our local school, so we came up with The Succotz Cocktail: Sweet Corn and Banana Colada with a Choco Banana treat. All proceeds go to Succotz Primary School. Now who says a drinking habit is a bad thing?
Mix dry ingredients: coconut flakes and sifted flour. Add condensed milk and egg whites gradually until the dough is the right consistency – soft, not sticky. Knead dough and separate into pieces, shaping them into irregularly-shaped balls; bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Pour chocolate over the top of each macaroon and let it set until firm before serving, which is usually about 1 hour at room temperature.
Ka’ana Boutique Resort & Spa proudly presents its newly redesigned website, a unique web portal devoted to luxury experiential travel in Belize. The design incorporates a modern look optimized with bold colours, as well as graphics, and offers a fresh display that technically provides our online visitors with significant improvements in navigation. It is our goal to offer a captivating design and seamless interface, blended with rich content and streaming media. In addition to an impressive photo gallery, our home page features stunning rotating images centered on Belize as a Destination and Ka’ana as its Premier Luxury Resort. The new site, created and maintained by Amy Weibel, embodies our ethos and commitment to pay respectful homage to this truly spectacular destination. Ka’ana Boutique Resort & Spa is pleased to redefine its World Wide Web presence.
Ka’ana has been featured in the October/November issue of the San Diego Style Weddings Magazine which serves as a resource guide for Southern California brides. The Magazine, published by San Diego Style Weddings, includes accessories, bridal services and vendors listings, cake design, fashion, photography, and – of course – wedding planning.
The article, entitled “Fabulous Five: Five Amazing Honeymoons Under $5000”, highlights Ka’ana as the “ideal hideaway” for honeymooners who’d like to “experience the culture, history, and geography of an unknown region without having to sacrifice comforts and amenities” they’ve grown accustomed to. The piece ends by stating that “a honeymoon at Ka’ana” – “a gem hidden in the jungles of Western Belize” – “is truly an experience you can call your own.”
Formerly British Honduras, Belize lies on the Caribbean Coast of Central America and is bounded by Mexico to the North, and Guatemala to the West and South. It is the second smallest country in Central America, roughly the size of Massachusetts, and the only English-speaking of the seven. With its population a little over 350,000, Belize is a true melting pot of cultures, rivaling that of its neighbors with an influence of Creole, Garinagu, Maya and Mestizo to name a few.
Its westernmost region, the Cayo District, is the largest and most populated of the six, and the epicenter of inland touring. Swathed in almost untouched jungles, it is dotted with ancient cities, riddled with underground passages and supports diverse ecosystems ideal for adventure as well as nature lovers. Its most popular archaeological sites include Actun Tunichil Muknal, Barton Creek, Cahal Pech, Caracol, Che Chem Ha and Xunantunich.
Cave Tube & Zip Line
Feel the adrenaline pumping through your body as you zip-line above the jungle canopy from treetop to treetop and relax while floating along cool waters on inner tubes, gently pushed by a current through a series of caves.
Visit The Region’s Popular Maya Cities
Cahal Pech, small as it may seem, is a 3,200 year-old Maya City where the architecture of these ancients is visible to the fullest.
Caracol, located in the heart of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, is Belize’s largest Maya Ruin and home to Caana – the tallest structure in the country!
Only a 10-minute drive from Ka’ana, Xunantunich – one of the most popular sites in the region – is accessed by a hand-cranked chain ferry, providing panoramic views of Guatemala and the surrounding valleys from atop El Castillo.
Explore Portals To The Maya Underworld
You’ll be amazed by the many artifacts, including human remains, strewn about and experience the chills of sloshing in ice-cold river water – all inside Actun Tunichil Muknal, sure to be the highlight of your vacation!
Hidden within a Mennonite community, canoe into the Maya Underworld while listening to the history of Barton Creek Cave unfold.
Unlike ATM and Barton Creek, Che Chem Ha is a dry cave that offers a nine-layered journey into the Maya Underworld using ladders and ropes, as well as a refreshing dip in a 214-feet waterfall located only a few minutes away.
With numerous spectacular attractions, there are plenty of adventures to discover and explore the ultimate destination that is Belize!
