It used to be that the big thing for travelers was to hop on a plane to someplace remote, and then spend a week under an umbrella drinking cocktails without ever leaving the resort compound. Today's travelers, however, seek more transformative experiences while abroad.
We're not making this up: travel news authority Skift conducted a deep dive into experience-based tourism, and found that over half of travelers are placing increased emphasis on transformative travel. Significantly, Skift also found that individuals have myriad definitions of what "transformative" can mean.
Here at Ka'ana, we've long recognized that travel is about more than ticking off attractions from a bucket list. For over a decade, we've helped visitors to Belize truly embrace the local, and to discover their own transformative experiences.
For some, that's meant adventure. Adventure into deep caves with underground rivers teeming with fish and eery chambers home to ancient Maya skeletal remains. Adventure hiking or riding horses through the jungle to ruins of a mighty precolonial Maya city. Or adventure in the air as a helicopter whisks you over pristine waterfalls.
For others, transformative experiences have come in the form of interactions with Belizeans. Whether learning a skill in our intimate Maya cooking, chocolate-making, pottery, and glyph-writing classes, all instructed by local experts, or simply from walking through San Ignacio and talking to shopkeepers, countless Ka'ana visitors have left Belize with a deep appreciation for the warmth and sincere positivity of the Belizean people. Some travelers have even gone a step further, making the time during their visit to give back to the Belize community. Through programs like Pack for a Purpose, and through Ka'ana's initiatives with others in the area, guests can provide a lasting impact to Belizeans. School visits, for example, are a great way for visitors to interact with local children and get a sense of life as a local.
A transformative experience can come from the simplest of moments as well. Like sitting with a book in a tree shaded garden, listening to the bird calls of the forests, feeling completely disconnected from the material world. Or maybe it's eating homegrown produce al fresco, enjoying the authentic flavors of Belize.
Want a transformative, experiential journey? Let Ka'ana be your home base. Discover more here!