Christmas Greetings

If it weren't for the Spanish Christmas Carols and the colored lights hanging around the resort, it would be hard to remember it is Christmas. Aside from the increasing amounts of people checking in everyday, ready to celebrate with the staff and us, everything here is the same as normal. The sun is shining brightly and the sky and ocean is blue. As those on the East Coast are shoveling the drive-ways, I was shoveling the sand off the pathways by the beach.

We want to wish all of our friends, relatives, vendors, employees, and most importantly our guests. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We will share pictures of the celebrations next week as well as announce the winner to our 2009 photo competition. Keep sending in your pictures, we will have a hard time choosing.

Merry Christmas!!

When it's raining...

“I guess it is called a rainforest for a reason,” responded one of the guests, when I gave an ambiguous answer to whether the rain would indeed let up that day, the fourth day of her so-far rained out honeymoon. Had this honeymoon couple let it get to them? Not at all. And although, we had provided them with as many activities you could do rain or shine, it was mostly their positive attitude that made their vacation.

Managing Popa Paradise Beach Resort, in Bocas del Toro Panama, is a dream job. Except when it is raining, which can be often. Unlike other parts of Central America, Bocas del Toro does not have strict dry and wet seasons. We think of it this way: sometimes it rains a little less than other times. We are lucky to say, most days the sun does have a starring role and many times, when it rains it is at night or in the mornings, but rain is definitely part of the whole truth. So what do you do when your guests are drenched every time they dare to venture outside their casita without an umbrella? Have a positive attitude and hope they follow along. That, and provide as many activities you can to keep your guests satisfied.

“Yoga, massages, matinee movies with popcorn, ping pong tournaments, billiards, board games, spa services. These are the type of things I am offering to guests when it is raining,” says Katie, my wife and co-manager of Popa Paradise Beach Resort.

“If they are particularly active and it is just a rain shower and not a storm, we take them hiking in the rainforest, snorkeling, kayaking, or they swim in the pool,” she says. “It’s a completely unique experience to be snorkeling in the rain. It is so peaceful and serene under the water, compared to the loud slapping of rain against the surface of the ocean.”

Encountering the same problem in my last career as a Tour Director, where an entire week of leaf-peeping in the New England states could be ruined by inclement weather, I have honed my foul-weather smile to perfection. I learned that if you don’t let the rain bother you and do everything as planned, everyone else follows suit. I have carried that same attitude into managing the resort with the same results.

“People just need reassurance that they can enjoy themselves regardless of the weather,” says Ben Jones, executive chef at Popa Paradise Beach Resort, who has been know to conduct cooking classes or have kids in the kitchen to bake chocolate chip cookies to occupy a period of inclement weather.

So if you do find yourself in Paradise and the weather turns sour. Throw on your fair-weather smile and sign up for a massage.

Off-site Excursion: Comarca Ngobe Bugle & Playa de Uva

Peninsula Valiente loomed in the distance, growing higher, as we bounced from wave-top to wave-top, on the one-hour ride from Popa Paradise to the mainland of Panama and the indigenous reserve, Comarca Ngobe Bugle. Gumercindo "Gumey", our Ngobe boat captain, steered the boat and it's seven passengers, two couples from Texas and a young couple from Manhattan and me, effortlessly until we reached the grandeur of the edge of the Peninsula, that juts out into the Carribean, looking like an island from afar.

The first sign of a village, was the blue roof of an elementary school, that juts out of the hillside of Punta Valiente, one of the many villages in the Comarca. The wood and thatch houses clung to the steep hillside, as if planted their by giants. A small clearing around the village was the only thing that separated it from the dense jungle surrounding it.

The Comarca Ngobe Bugle is an indigenous reserve created by the Panamanian government in 1997. It stretches from the middle of this part of Panama right to the coast, bordering the islands of Bocas del Toro. The Ngobe Bugle who live there are some of the earliest inhabitants of this part of the world. Many of our employees, including our boat captain, are Ngobe, and still speak a dialect called Guyami. Their traditions, culture and way of life have been preserved for generations and this is what we had come to experience.

Gumey expertly navigated the boat around the point and we passed hillsides dripping with foliage. It seems every inch of land was densely covered with forest, the trees in particular, looking Seussian in nature, as they vied for the attention of the sun.

Soon we were at the mouth of Bahia Azul, with small, houses lining both sides of the bay and Gumey pointed the boat towards a small viallge called Punta Alegre. Greeting the boat at the dock were about twenty school-children, who had run out of the classroom at the foot of the dock. They eagerly grabbed the boats lines to secure us to the dock, while Gumey's small son and two daughters jumped into the boat to greet him. Gumey's wife is from Punta Alegre, and it is here that Gumey calls home on his vacations and days off.

After apologizing to the school teacher for disrupting class, we followed Gumey and his young daughters to their home. Constructed out of the native hardwood in the area, Gumey proudly gave us a tour of his environs, complete with kitchen, dining area and shaded patio. Built on stilts to keep it dry from the surrounding marshy land, it picked up the breeze coming off the ocean. Although simple, considering the surroundings, this truly was a dream home.

Gumey walked us further to show off a cooperative project in the village, run by an aunt of his wife. With funding from philantropic donors, she was trained by experts on how to increase the agriculture of their village, increasing their self-sufficiency.

She led us to the chicken coop, showing off the healthy chicks, while Gumey's daughter exhibited the proper way to hold a chick in her little hands. We also witnessed a growing garden, full of taro, plantains, bananas and other vegetables. They were most proud of the aquaculture project that had been started and we were impressed to see tilapia swimming through the man-made ponds.

As Gumey caught up with his wife and checked on some work being done to his house, we ambled slowly through the village, with Gumey's daughter and niece pointing out animals along the way.

Gumey caught up with us at the end of the road, bringing the boat up alongside a dock, so we wouldn't have to double back on ourselves.

We pulled off, with two extra ship-mates, our tour guides, Gumey's daughter and niece, who babbled on and on, their enthusiasm needing no translation.

Pulling into Ensenada, another village, about five minutes further south, we again readied ourselves to apologize to the teacher as another classroom emptied itself onto the dock, the classmates eager to greet the newcomers.

We were met by a local village leader and the American Peace Corps Volunteer who lives there, who collected and explained the reason for collecting admission to their village ($3 per person). The small fee goes to bettering the infrastructure of the village and they led us to the path that goes through their village and across the penisula to the open beach.

With cooler, surfboard and towels in hand, we crossed the trail that goes through the peninsula at its narrowest point to the beach on the other side. Traipsing through incredible jungle vistas with not a worry of a turned ankle or muddy shoes, it felt like we had walked straight into a Disney World theme-park.

The illusion was shattered the moment we crossed the apex of the trail and saw an amazing sight: Crystal clear waters breaking on golden sand at our destination for the afternoon, Playa de Uva. This was no theme park, this was nature at its best.

Playa de Uva is about a half-mile long, with wide sections of soft sand, with blue, clear waters washing up on the beach. We spent the rest of the afternoon shelling, surfing, picnicing and enjoying this unspoilt wilderness.

We had to tear ourselves away from the beach when the sun started sinking into the horizon. We made our way back to Ensenada and were greeted this time by the sounds of musica tipica. The traditional Panamanian music was being pumped out of speakers inside one of the classrooms, which was attracting many of the elders of the village to poke their heads in the windows and watch the spectacle inside. When we made our way to the front of the crowd, we could see the little boys and girls being encouraged to dance together ballroom style. The children needed no coercing and after each song ended they would race to pair up with a new partner.

At the suggestion of the Peace Corps Volunteer we made our way to the little artesania, where they were selling bags and purses made out of natural materials and decorated traditionally. We were treated to a fresh cup of..... made with boiled bananas and coconut milk, a refreshing treat after a long day in the sun, while the PCV regaled us with tales of being so far removed from her past life.

Feeling the breeze pick up, Gumey lead us back to the boat and after a short stop to drop off our little tour guides, we motored home, quietly reflecting on the day we had all just experienced (and for me at least, planning my next day back in the Comarca.)

(For more pictures of the trip, click here.)

Photo Contest: A Day in Paradise

We are pleased to announce our first exclusive Popa Paradise Blog Contest!

The theme of the contest is "A Day in Paradise." We will be accepting photos of what your version of a Day in Paradise is. It can be a cup of coffee and the newspaper on an unusually warm winter morning. It can be a day at the park with your grandchildren. It can be a walk on the beach at sunrise, an experience many of our guests start their day off with at Popa Paradise.

Obviously the theme is quite subjective, so we will be judging the photos on their creativity as well as their quality. The winner will be announced on January 1st, 2010 here at Popa Paradise and soon after on the blog.

What's in it for you! For the winner of our first photo contest, we will be offering a free room night in one of our Executive Suites!* For the two runner's up, we will be offering a free Day Trip to the Zapatillas, during your stay.

All submissions** can be emailed to popaparadisebeachresort@yahoo.com, with Photo Contest in the subject line. Please send photos in the .jpeg format and note that the winner and runner-up will have their photos (with credit) published on our blog. All submissions must be sent by December 20th, 2009.

Good luck to all!

*Some (very few) black-out dates apply
**One submission per person.

Sunset Ride to Popa Paradise Beach Resort

There are few things in life that put you in such a tranquil mood as a boat ride at sunset. Fortunately, this is the view that many of our guests enjoy on their way to Popa Paradise Beach Resort. Enjoy the video!

Employee(s) of the Month - October

Katie and I, the General Managers of Popa Paradise Beach Resort took a long awaited two-week vacation to New York, where my family and friends live, for a wedding and to meet the newest member of my family, a niece born to my brother and his wife. It was the first time since Popa Paradise has been in operation that we have left the staff without a manager for more than three days!

Upon our return, we were more than proud and so happy to see that the staff had performed excellently without our daily supervision. It has been one of our goals to be able to train our staff to a point where they take initiative, have large amounts of responsibility and can make decisions prioritizing guest needs first. This "enlightened hospitality" training has been a year in the making and by the feedback from the guests who stayed here while we were away, it is working. In the two weeks we were gone, Popa Paradise received two TripAdvisor comments. Both were 5-star excellent reviews with a stamp of 100% recommendation.

Usually we have one employee of the month. Someone who goes above and beyond their duties in order to make a guest feel at home and to make lasting memories for our guests. This month we are pleased to honor two of our employees as they both did an outstanding job.

Cheryln Ancyl, our administrator, has been with us since this past April. She is bilingual and takes a great share of the load off of Katie's back, helping with payroll, check-in/check-out and much of the day-to-day office business that usually is overflowing our inbox. She is also a great bartender, loves to chat with guests and has a warm personality that creates an atmosphere of welcome and hospitality for our guests.

Cherry's duties were to take over our supervisory positions while we were away and be responsible for making sure all the "little things" that make Popa exceptional, were taken care of. It is and was a formidable task, but she performed it excellently, earning the respect of the team, in our absence.

Eduardo "Cholo"Rayo, our maintenance supervisor, was also an immense help to Cherry and us while were away. Cherry was able to count on Eduardo for helping her with the supervision of the staff and creating a seamless experience for our guests.

Cholo came to Popa Paradise initially to help fix a faulty toilet and some other small repairs. When the nearly two-page long to-do list for Cholo was finished in half-a-day, he was quickly hired on full-time. His pace has not slowed nearly two-years into his time here at Popa. He maintains the generators, electrical fixtures, plumbing etc. On top of that, he is responsible for organizing all "the guys," our shorthand term for the team of staff that works from 7-4 everyday making sure the resort is in tip-top condition.

Both Cholo and Cheryl greatly deserved the title Employee of the Month for October. They have demonstrated a learned knowledge of enlightened hospitality and rose to the occasion to provide that hospitality in our absence.

Top-Ranked Bocas del Toro Hotel on Trip Advisor!

Popa Paradise has reached the top spot on www.tripadvisor.com Trip Advisor now ranks Popa Paradise Beach Resort as the #1 of the Panama hotels and #1 Bocas del Toro Hotel.

With the motto: Get the Truth. Then Go., Trip Adviser uses a system of guest reviews to rank hotels. Currently Popa Paradise has had 32 reviews written about them with, 31 of them being rated Excellent and 1 receiving a Very Good rating. We have a perfect score of 100% recommended.

Thanks to our loyal guests who have posted positive reviews. We have no control over what people post, but work hard to make sure everyone here has a positive experience. We have been lucky that people have taken the time to write about us.

We also would not have one single positive review if it weren't for our excellent staff who take pride in the work they do. Everyone from the housemaid who takes the extra time to put her special touch into a room to the landscaper who keeps the grounds looking fresh and beautiful. They all are read Spanish translations of the reviews and it excites them when we receive a new one. Thanks again to all of our past guests and we look forward to hosting you out there who have found us on Trip Advisor.

Meet the Team: Employee of the Month - September

At Popa Paradise Beach Resort, we encourage our employees to go above and beyond their duties and responsibilities, especially in their interactions with guests. We also like to reward those who do just that and management and fellow employees encourage and make it know when they see someone going above and beyond. In the month of September, Marciono (Rocky) Thomas earned the status of Employee of the Month.

Rocky came to us from Bocas Town, where he lives with his wife and young son (who Rocky helps with his English homework, with words and phrases he learns here). Rocky earned his nicknmae while employed as a construction laborer helping build Bocas Paradise Hotel, our sister property in Bocas Town, and one of the best of the Bocas del Toro hotels.

Rocky now contributes to the overall landscaping and maintenance of our property. With 25 acres to tend to, Rocky always seems to have something to do. Rocky was a true team player this month and was recognized by all as being an integral part of the team. Congratulations Rocky, September's Employee of the Month!

Behind-the-Scenes: Our Garden

After a large effort, we have greatly expanded the size of our garden and planted 70 fruit trees around the property. A majority of the trees were planted on a hill next to the vegetable garden and around the vegetable garden in the hopes that in the future they can provide shade for the young vegetables.

We planted tomatoes, melons, watermelons, radishes, peppers, squash, star fruit, mamon chinos (rambutans), guayaba, oranges and lemons. This will add to our already fruiting guyabana, nance, lemon, and banana trees. Around the resort we have planted and sometimes already harvested squash, taro, papaya, and mango.

Executive Chef Ben Jones uses all of these items in his cooking and has focused his menu on that which is local to our property and the farms around us. Along with the ocean's bounty provided by indigenous fisherman, most of our food comes from within just a few miles of our resort, with an almost exclusive amount of our food coming from within sixty miles of our resort.

We posted some pictures of the organic garden, which is located at the back of the property between the clubhouse and the rainforest. I also took some pictures of some of the ornamentals that we have planted that have been growing well here. Lastly, I have some photos of some of the trees and plants that are giving fruit.

On-Site Activities: Snorkeling/Kayaking

Snorkeling in Bocas del Toro, can be done at a variety of different spots. We have off-site excursions where we take guest by boat to different beautiful spots all around the archipelago, including some of the most popular: Coral Cay, Hospital Point, the Zapatillas and some secret spots that we have found.

However, at times, the best snorkeling can be found just off our beach! If the conditions are right - calm ocean, no wind, and bright sun, the reef out in front of Popa Paradise really shines. About 300 yards off the beach, sits a shallow fringe reef, that breaks up any wave action before it hits our beach (making our beach a child-friendly, safe swimmable beach). This is a hard coral reef, with a scattering of sea fans, brain coral heads, and staghorn corals. Many species of fish including parrot fish, damselfish, butterfly fish, lobsters, and even the docile (read: harmless) nurse shark, call this part of the reef home. The reef is about six feet deep, making it perfect for snorkeling.

In order to help our guests reach the reef by kayak, we have installed a buoy marker that you can paddle right to and tie off your kayak while you are snorkeling. In this way, you can reach the reef and within ten minutes of leaving your room can be enjoying an underwater paradise. More pictures are posted in our Picasa Album, as well as a video, accessed on the right side of the page.

Email us for reservations and start the countdown to enjoying paradise today!

Adam

info@popaparadisebeachresort.com
www.popaparadisebeachresort.com

Get to Know the Team: Jermain's Day at the Resort

The Popa Paradise staff works very hard to ensure that our guests have a comfortable, pleasurable and relaxing stay while at the Resort. Our staff come from a variety of places including Bocas Town, the mainland of Panama, and indigenous villages on Isla Popa. Most of the families of our staff have no concept of where their loved one works.

It was that and the gratitude of the management and owner for the hard work of our staff that led us to initiate a system of employee incentive days. Throughout the past few weeks, we invited different employees and their families for a day of luxury at the resort. They can bring their immediate family to stay at the resort for one night in a casita, enjoying the pool, beach and most of all, to show off to their families the proud work they have do everyday.

Jermain Guerra recently had his family here with us. Jermain is our guest relations assistant, restaurant host and tour guide. Jermain selected his two younger sisters, and two younger brothers to enjoy the day at the resort.

"It was one of the best days of my life," Jermain says, adding, "To spend the day with my family and not to have to worry about a thing... It really was so much fun."

In the News: Ocean Home Magazine

Popa Paradise is featured in the latest issue (Sept./Oct. '09) of OceanHome: The Luxury Coastal Lifestyle Magazine.

In an article titled, Panama Premier: Tourism is booming in this once-quiet Central American paradise, Popa Paradise Beach Resort is featured as a place to stay on your next visit to Panama. The article is on page 49.

The web version of the article is posted at http://oceanhomemag.com/panama-premiere/

New Video!: A Commute Like No Other

Welcome to the Popa Paradise Beach Resort Blog

Thanks for visiting the Popa Paradise Blog. My name is Adam Della Rocca and along with my wife, Katie Brame, we are the General Managers of Popa Paradise, in Bocas del Toro, Panama. The purpose of this blog is to keep past guests up to date on the happenings at Popa Paradise, provide potential guests an insider's view of Popa Paradise and showcase the great things and beautiful offerings that we have here at Popa Paradise.

Please feel free to comment, ask questions, offer opinions and most of all stay tuned for more...

Still to come: Behind the Scenes of Popa Paradise with Staff Interviews, a Day in the Life of..., and more. Photo Essays, Videos and lots and lots of photos of the daily happenings at the Resort.

Thanks again for visiting and email today for reservations and discover a new level of Barefoot Luxury at Popa Paradise Beach Resort

Popa Paradise Photo Gallery

Click here to access our Photo Gallery!

In the News

Popa Paradise In the News

Bocas del Toro, an archipelago of untouched beaches and uncrowded seas, is a place for sand between the toes...

Islands Magazine wrote an article about Bocas del Toro and some of the more luxury eco-resorts, Popa Paradise being one of them.

See what else is being said about Popa Paradise...

• Find out why Popa Paradise Beach Resort is amongst the most luxiourious hotels in Latin America according to Luxury Latin America.com
  
• NBC producer wanted to start a Green Travel TV show and spotlight Popa Paradise, here's the interview.
  
• The Bocas Breeze, April 2009 edition released this article written by Adam Della Rocca, Popa Paradise – a beach resort that designed itself