In this episode we welcome the Belize Ambassador to the United States of America, Daniel Gutierrez, for a conversation about his role as ambassador and how his office in Washington D.C. serves to promote Belize as a place to vacation but also as a place to retire and invest. We talked about his journey in Belize first as a teacher and school administrator at the local Sacred Heart Junior College and then his work at Belize’s only oil company, Belize Natural Energy (BNE) where he sought to ensure that the company left a legacy that served to benefit the local communities for years to come. He discussed how he then worked in the office of the prime minister of Belize before being appointed as the ambassador to the US. He now resides in Washington D.C. with his family and carries the important mission of Belize to promote investment, represent our interests at the United Nations and Organization of American States, and ensure that Belize remains safe and open for business, vacation, and retirement.

Ali Wunderman is the author of Frommer's Guide to Belize. She is a freelance wildlife journalist, naturalist, and Belize travel expert. She first learned about Belize while on a kayaking tour in San Francisco and ended up visiting for her honeymoon. That first trip turned into a disaster of sorts, but also inspired her to become a travel and wildlife journalist. She then came back and spent some time in the jungle fighting poachers, and has been back many times since then. She has also published several articles about Belize and other destinations in publications such as Conde Nast, Forbes, TIME Magazine, and others. Tune in to this episode of The Belize Travelacast to hear Ali's story of self-discovery in Belize and why she has fallen in love with Belize. Learn why Belize is her favorite destination and why she keeps coming back.

An extended interview with Zhawn Poot who has strong roots at the Belize Zoo and gives us some insights about the conservation projects at the Belize Zoo and other places in Belize. Specifically, he discusses the Harpy Eagle Restoration Program and the Belize Tapir Project spearheaded by the Belize Zoo. The Harpy Eagle is one of the biggest eagles in the world and the zoo has made significant efforts into ensuring their survival in the wild in Belize. Zhawn also discusses the Conservation Camp offered by the Belize Zoo which is a week getaway for local kids that teaches them about the importance of conservation and preservation of local wildlife. Zhawn also gives us some insight into the Tapir Conservation project which is the subject of his father's PhD dissertation at the University of Florida. This is an ongoing project that seeks to gather data and educate the public about the Tapir, which is Belize's national animal. 

Meet the Executive Chef, Enrique Awe, from the World Renowned Running W Restaurant at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel in San Ignacio Belize. He was recently featured in a Forbes.com article about introducing brunch in Belize, uniquely infused with Belizean ingredients and flavors. Enrique is a native of San Ignacio Belize, but he is fairly new to the Belize food scene, having spent 18 years in the United States building a highly successful culinary career. At the Age of 21, Enrique admittedly did not know how to cook so much as an egg. As he tells it, he didn’t know how to cook but he knew he liked food. That is when he emigrated from Belize to the United States and where he started his journey to becoming an executive chef. Through hard work and dedication, he rose through the ranks in the kitchen, eventually serving as an executive chef for one of the world's largest food service companies. He has come full circle, bringing his extensive experience and expertise to help new up and coming Belizean culinary students. 

Lorenzo Gonzalez is one of the original Belize travel bloggers. He runs the popular BelizeAdventure.ca blog that provides useful and relevant content for all travelers to Belize. If you've done any online research about Belize, you've probably come across his blog. Lorenzo is a native of San Ignacio Belize, and now resides in Toronto Canada after emigrating to further his education. He visits Belize often, and continues to write about Belize and promote Belize throughout the world in his spare time. Most of his blogs are personal experiences with honest advice for travelers to Belize. In this episode he visits the Belize Travelcast studio during his visit to Belize in December and talks about some of his favorite things to do in Belize.

Zhawn Poot is one of Belize's top young tour guides. Zhawn is a native of San Ignacio, Belize and has been a licensed tour guide since the age of 17. 

In 2003, the world famous Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" visited Belize and made a special appearance at the Belize Zoo for their 20th anniversary celebration. In attendance was a young Zhawn Poot, whose father has worked at the zoo for many years. Zhawn was inspired to pursue a career in conservation and became a tour guide at the age of 17. He holds a degree in Tourism Management and has worked on various conservation projects throughout the country. In this episode of The Belize Travelcast, Zhawn and Javier discuss his love of nature and conservation including some of the work he has done in Belize and some of his favorite activities in Belize, including his love for birding in Belize.

In this episode, we welcome Mayke Moraes as he travels through San Ignacio Belize. Mayke is a backpacker and leads what he calls a detached and minimalist lifestyle. With his backpack on his back, he visits places and revisits dreams that were born when he decided to leave his comfort zone in Brazil to build memories instead of material riches. Mayke is an accomplished author and social media influencer. Belize is the 70th country he has visited toward his goal of 100 countries. Listen to his story and hear why he plans to come back to Belize again.

Jim Scott, the proprietor of Hospitality Training Services Belize discusses how hospitality service in Belize continues to improve. Jim talks about the array of upcoming brand-name resorts and hotel developments in Belize including Hilton, Marriott, Four Seasons, and others, and how it brings the need for improved service for visitors. Jim is a stalwart of the Belize Tourism Industry and is deeply passionate about uplifting the Belizean people by providing top-notch hospitality training in the industry.

In part two of our interview with the team from the Belize Raptor Center, we welcome lead bird trainer Marcia Mas, a native Belizean hailing from the Toledo district of Belize. Marcia talks about how her love for nature and the environment was nurtured from a young age by her parents growing up in southern Belize. She tells us that the Lesson’s motmot was the bird that made her fall in love with birding. Marcia is now the first certified female bird trainer in Belize and continues to inspire younger generations of birders through her educational outreach activities. Marcia was recently recognized as Belize’s Wonder Woman by the US Embassy of Belize, a well-deserved recognition for her hard work and dedication of preserving Belize’s birds and environment.

In this episode, we welcome Sarah Mann from the Belize Raptor Center. Sarah talks about her love for birds of prey and her journey to Belize first as a student volunteer and now as the director of the Belize Raptor Center. Sarah points out the Orange Breasted Falcon as the bird that convinced her that Belize was where she wanted to live. Hear the story of how she got her first lifer in Belize as soon as she landed at the airport. In this episode, Sarah also talks about the importance of having a care and rehabilitation center for birds in Belize and some of the educational outreach that she and her team does. This is part 1 of a 2-part series with the Belize Raptor Center.