On behalf of Hamanasi Staff and Management, we want to thank everyone that visited us for the month of April 2013. We hope that you all have a great vacation experience with us and we can’t wait to have you back!

“Everyone was great, excellent customer service!”

Robin and Gus Barker, Centralia, WA

“The service standards you are at are fantastic and a great credit to everybody involved.”

Michael and Cara Veale, Hamilton, Bermuda

“Everyone was awesome! I don’t think out lives could have been made any easier during our stay. Kudos!”

Amy Schwambach and Mike Franqui, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

“Your staff is exceptional. All were helpful, friendly and very personable. They have wonderful customer service skills.”

Glenn and Pam Seiler, Alameda, CA

“This was easily the best vacation I’ve ever been on!”

Kiera Quinlan and Elisa Apostle, Tacoma, WA

“I don’t see how you can improve on perfection.”

Bonnie Reeves, Hermosa Beach, CA

“We had a great experience with everyone. As nice as the place is the best part of our stay was the staff!”

Gary Calkins, Centralia, WA

“Beyond our expectations!”

Robert and Cecile Schloegel, Leawood, KS

Another one of our guest favorite meat dish is our Braised Jerk Lamb Chops. 

Hamanasi’s Jerk Braised Lamb Chops

Lamb Chops 5 lbs. trim fat Salt

2 Tbsp. Cayenne Pepper

¼ tsp. Garlic Powder

2 Tbsp. Jerk Seasoning

3 Tbsp. Tomato Sauce

½ cup Canola Oil to coat pot

Water three times amount to cover lamb

• Season lamb with salt, cayenne pepper, jerk seasoning and garlic powder right before putting them in the very hot deep pot coated with on the inside with canola oil.

• Once lamb caramelizes on both sides cover with water, add in tomato sauce and cover. Cook for at least a minimum of 2 hours or until liquid reduces exposing half of the lamb and make sure lamb is tender. Add more water if needed.

• Check flavor and add in more salt if needed.

• In a small frying pan add in 5 tbsp of butter and equal parts flour to make a roux which you will use to thicken the lamb gravy.

• Remove the lamb from the gravy then add in the roux piece by piece to thicken the gravy to the consistency you prefer.

• Place the lamb back in the gravy once the consistency is to your choice.

• Serve with your choice of sides,   Happy cookings from the Hamanasi kitchen!

Below are some of the comments from guest that visited us during the month February 2013.  Thanks to everyone you choose Hamanasi as your vacation destination. We hope that you all had an amazing Hamanasi experience!  We do hope to see each and every one of you again sometime in the near future. All the best from The Hamanasi Team!

“All of the staff we came in contact with was great.  So I must congratulate Management.  All of your staff has been oriented to all aspects of the organization and are helpful and knowledgeable.”

Bob and Elaine Hiatt, Topeka, KS

“Can’t imagine any better service!  Beautiful touches everywhere.”

Laura, Dennis and Tess Renfro, West Hartford, CT

“You are doing an incredible job!”

Ron and Dana Teitler, Middleton, MA

“Everything was absolutely wonderful.  We really enjoyed the beach setup. Really enjoyed the fresh produce and local focus; local products, local people and environmentally friendly is why we choose you”

Amanda and Cody White Lake, MI

“Keep up the excellent work!  Your eco friendly efforts were one of the best aspects for us, especially the vegetable garden, fruit trees.”

Steven Curtis and Family, Ontario, Canada

“We had a wonderful time, and Hamanasi made our honeymoon absolutely perfect!”

Kate Willcox and Andrew Deeringer, Sacramento, CA

“Done to perfection! Showed great respect for heritage and environment.”

Carol Robinson and Family, Sioux City, IA

“You have a magic atmosphere here already.  Whatever you are doing is working perfectly.”

Zachary and Shelly Cihak, Denver, CO

Hamanasi Peanut Butter Cookies 

2 tsp.                              Vanilla Extract

1 c                                    Peanut Butter; creamy

3                                      Eggs

1 c                                   Butter; softened

1 1/4 c                           Granulated Sugar

1 1/4 c                          Dark brown sugar

1/4 tsp.                        Salt

1/2 tsp.                        Baking Soda

2 c                                Purity Flour

Method:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt.  Mix well with a wire whisk
• In a large bowl, blend sugars using a mixer at medium speed
• Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste
• Add eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla, mix at medium speed until light and fluffy
• Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed until just mixed. (Do not over-mix)
• Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an un-greased cookie sheet, 1 ½ inches apart
• With a wet fork, gently press a crisscross pattern on top of the cookies
• Bake for 8-22 minutes until cookies are slightly brown along the edges
• Transfer cookies immediately to cool surface with a spatula

Happy Cooking & Eating from Hamanasi’s Kitchen Staff!

“Everything was fantastic! The best thing was how everyone remembered our names.”

Kathy and Greg Mordue, Hawkins, TX

“Every member of the staff was very friendly, knew who we were and took very good care of us.”

Andrew Moriarty and Family, Manhattan Beach, CA

“You guys are top notch – no other suggestions. Always thinking one step ahead of guests needs is your specialty. Thanks for everything! We couldn’t ask for more.”

Marilyn Leung and Barry Low, Vancouver, Canada

“We can’t express how special this vacation was for us. Thank you for making our honeymoon the trip of a lifetime. We will truly miss Hamanasi!”

Allison David and Matt Friend, Sterling, VA

“This is a wonderful paradise – on par with resorts in Fiji we have visited but so much closer to home. You are all so professional and helpful.”

Cliff and Marie Bennet, Harpswell, ME

“Staff was genuinely friendly and helpful. Real positive, I appreciate the transparency. Excellent experience overall.”

Linda and Howard Kline, Pittsburgh, PA

“Wonderful service! We felt very taken care of. Thank you, we had a great time.”

Lisa Vogel and Lia Willebrand, Berkely, CA

“We love the intimacy of the resort ~ don’t ever expand too much! The resort blends perfectly with Hopkins and seems to respect and uphold the local culture! We have traveled 5* worldwide and your service is unparalleled.”

Hannah and Ben Witten, Fortworth, TX

“Hard to improve perfection! Just keep doing what you’re doing! Very impressed with efforts toward waste reduction, conservation, sustainability, organic food production and composting. Keep up the great work. “

Tahne and Adam Corcutt, Denver, CO

“Everyone always had a smile on their faces.”

Melinda Britt and Family, Escondido, CA

“The entire staff was amazing. We could not have asked for a more amazing experience.”

Brian and Toni Hovey, Hampden, ME

Deirdre Kelly Lavrakas, one of our repeat guests visited us for the second time in October 2012.  Deirdre volunteered time from her Hamanasi vacation to mentor the Grade V school children of The Holy Family Hopkins School with Drama classes. Deirdre is presently Production Operations Manager and a Teaching Artist with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. Deirdre has directed over 75 plays, musicals and operas for both adults and young people.

The children were exited throughout the sessions along with their Language Arts teacher Mr. Troy Coleman.   The participation of the class was incredible, filled with lots questions and laughter.   At the end of the 3 days session, the children were given a certificate of participation and some yummy snacks for the Hamanasi kitchen.

Thanks to our entire guest that visit us on October 2012. We hope that you all had an amazing Hamanasi experience! Below are some of the comments from guest that visited us during the month of October. We do hope to see each and every one of you again sometime in the near future. All the best from Hamanasi staff and Management.

“We had our perfect “UNBELIZEABLE and beyond our expectations” 10th year anniversary. Thank you! Hamanasi, you were al amazing.”

Chris and Elissa Langeuegger, Austin, TX

“We’re happy that the eco friendly efforts is such a strong part of Hamanasi’s culture and that the guides stress it.”

Scott and Keri Agin, Chicago, IL

“The personal attention and hospitality of the entire staff was excellent. The food was first class. I am happy to see the commitment of the resort.”

Bobby and Paul Vargo, Lancaster, CA

“We can’t say enough about the wonderful atmosphere at Hamanasi. Please stay small! It makes it so much more welcoming. Your staff is what absolutely makes this place attractive. Very family feel here, totally pampered us. Thank you so much!”

Dorothy and Mike Ewenel, Ontario, Canada

“Everything was so wonderful! We loved every minute of our stay and are so sorry to leave. We had a wonderful and beautiful honeymoon. The staff is unbelievable! We will miss them.”

Shannon Atkins and Robert Schulenberg, Herndon, VA

“What a magical way to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. We’ll be back again for sure! Thank you Hamanasi and Hopkins for being such lovely hosts during our stay. “

Allison and Wade Sisson, Knightdale, NC

“Keep doing what you are doing. First class place!”

Collin and Jenny Steward, Harlingen, TX

“We can’t imagine better service. The staff obviously happy and proud to be here, we want to take them home with us!”

Caryn Wolf and Ford Frazier, Oakland, CA

A BIG thank you to all our Hamanasi guests that somehow contributed towards the Back to School Project 2012, we could not have done this without you all.

From a pack of pencils, story books, crayons up to school bags, all these donations were given to the needed school children from Hopkins, Maya Center and Silk Grass which brought big smiles to their faces. 

Below is a selection of comments from guests at Hamanasi this September. From the Hamanasi staff to all of our guests this past month, Thank you for coming. We hope you had a great time, and we can’t wait to have you back!

“I have travelled many places in my life and this is by far one of the most fabulous boutique resorts I have stayed at.”

Maureen Evaskevich, Alberta, Canada

“Our stay has been absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much for all your eco friendly efforts.”

Marsha McArthur, Parker, CO

“Don’t grow too much and too fast to lose that venture one on one service attitude, that personal by name friendship your staff builds is perfect. We’ve spend many vacations in the tropics over the years and I wish we’d have found Hamanasi sooner.”

David & Pam Metzger, Amherst, OH

“What a welcome change to stay with a family who cares so much about leaving as little negative impact as possible.”

Jana & William Sprayberry, Boerne, TX

“Continue doing what you do. You’ve got it down right!”

William Roell and Family, Waynesville, MO

“Hamanasi has 3 things that set it apart. Best staff/great atmosphere/best variety of trips.”

Jon and Renee Gregory, Oxon Hill, MD

“Love the natural atmosphere and that you keep as much nature as possible.”

Tricia Wynne, Bronx, NY

“I have fallen in love with Hamanasi with all the wonderful staff. I want to be more eco-friendly because of Hamanasi!”

Samuel and Praisy Matthew, New York, NY

“You and your staff are superb ambassadors for Hamanasi and Belize. The staff is so proud of Hamanasi, of Hopkins and of Belize. We will miss you all.”

Scott Valentine and Family, Des Moris, Iowa

“The eco-friendly efforts were very noticeable and added a nice touch to the experience.”

Jessica Patton and Andrew Overton, Long Island City, NY

“Thanks for making our honeymoon an unforgettable experience!

Jessica and Kai Nielson, Vancouver, Canada

“Stay simple and relaxing! You have a very good operation going.”

Jamie Trout, Herndon, VA

“Everyone was amazing – nice – again above and beyond. Keep it the same, very personal. Keep the resort small and intimate. It’s excellent and we can fell everyone is passionate about great service. “

Charles Ablores and Family, Spring, TX

“Keep doing what you do – getting to know your guests even though your stay is short is a wonderful personal touch.”

Mike and Colleen Way, Calgary, Canada

“How to improve perfection? No suggestions, it was perfect!”

James and Becky Carter, Odessa, TX

“Keep doing what you are doing. Your people are your greatest assets.”

Caitlin Burns and Family, Angola, IN

“This place is A+++. I loved feeling part of the Hamanasi family. Every detail was thought of. Thank you for an amazing vacation.”

Stacey and Rob Bladen, Herriman , UT

“Hamanasi has 3 things that set it apart. Best staff/great atmosphere/best variety of trips.”

Jon and Renee Gregory, Oxon Hill, MD