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Steppingstones is about travel, not tourism. We want our guest to feel they have been on a visit to a real place, not a Caribbean theme park. Here are the steps we have taken, and continue to take, to ensure that you have a rewarding holiday. The beach in front of Steppingstones Our house and cabanas were built from local materials wherever possible, using local labour from the surrounding villages. We operate one of the largest private solar power installations in southern Belize, thus creating a peaceful environment and of course, no carbon emissions. The system works exceptionally well, but we do have a generator as back up (never used as yet) in case of exceptionally bad weather for an extended period of time coupled with heavy usage. We collect rainwater from our roofs and have 20,000 litres of storage capacity, which is enough to get us and our guests comfortably through the dry season. We do ask that guests husband water resources during the dry season, for example, by taking a couple of short showers a day rather than one big one. We try to recycle wherever possible and ask guest to contribute, for example, by adding the vegetable waste from their kitchen to our compost heap. We also ask guests to take home with them empty or used aerosols and batteries where they can be disposed of correctly - we do not even have a basic rubbish collection service and so have to reuse, burn or bury our waste. Fortunately between dogs, cats, chickens and compost we have no problem disposing of waste food! We ask our fishing guests to catch and release at all times, except where fish is needed for food either by guests, by Steppingstones, or by the guide. All guides are government qualified and are highly sensitive to environmental issues. We grow some of our own fruit and vegetables, mainly things which are not easily available locally. We also raise chickens for eggs, these are free range.  Sleeping jaguar - courtesy Belize Audubon Society We have one full time member of staff and we contract local government qualified guides for fishing, sightseeing, adventure, wildlife and eco-tourism trips. We pay our employee above the minimum wage, and ensure that he is enrolled in the national social security scheme, is aware of his benefits and rights, and receives annual paid holidays according to Belizean law. Any tips kindly left by guests go directly to the employee or guide concerned. We are Corporate members of the Belize Humane Society and Animal Shelter, and Patrons of the Belize Audubon Society. We are members of the Belize Tourism Industry Association. We also support local charitable causes on an ad hoc basis. The Local Community All the people who worked on building Steppingstones came from local villages. Our employee and guides come from Monkey River Village and the local town, Independence. We have a policy of buying Belizean wherever possible. Our next preference is for Caribbean and Central American products, only if we cannot find what we need from these sources will we buy American, Canadian or British products. We do our regular shopping in Independence, and a little further away, in Dangriga, a Garifuna community.  Orchids growing in the grounds We bank with a Belizean bank and insure our property and vehicles with a Belizean insurance company. We believe in retaining the money which we earn in the country in which we live.  Jungle view from Treetops cabana apartment. We would encourage you to purchase locally produced goods and crafts - which are of a very high standard. The money which you spend will go directly into the local community, improving people's living standards, especially if you are able to buy at a local co-op. Southern Belize is especially poor, and tourist income is critical. Don't be afraid to go into tumble down looking shops and restaurants, they are often run by very nice local people who need your money! Bargaining is generally OK in markets for obviously tourist items - knock off 10 or 20% and honour will be satisfied. In shops it is not usual to bargain. Please remember that you are in a sensitive environment - leave only footprints, take only photographs. Remember that we generate our own power and collect our own water. Please use power and water wisely, for example, no need to flush the toilet every time “Brown goes down, yellow is mellow” and please, don't leave lights and fans on if you are not in the room. It is wise to ask before taking a picture of a person, even a child. |