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.