Hamanasi Guest Book – June 2010

“Thank you” to all of our guests for June, 2010!  We hope your Hamanasi and Belizean adventures were everything you imagined and more!  Below are some of the comments from guests that visited during June.  We hope to see each and everyone one of you yet again.

All the best from the Management and Staff of Hamanasi ~

“Best vacation of our lives!  Couldn’t have picked a better place to honeymoon”

Robert and Caitlin DeStefano, Woburn, MA

“Beautiful surroundings!”

Vicki and Eric Batterton, Delaware, OH

“It’s so beautiful here.  Every night the walk to our room was fragranced with the perfume of tropical flora.  We relaxed in hammocks strung between coconut laden palms.  Perfect honeymoon!”

Lindsay and Scott Gaspari, Woodstock, IL

“We had the best honeymoon ever!  thanks for the GREAT memories!”

Adam and Leanne Fleet, Pittsburgh, PA

“The family had a wonderful vacation.  The trip of a lifetime.  Thank you!’

Sharon and Les Arnold, Memphis, TN

“Thank you to all the Hamanasi staff!  This experience has been amazing and so personal!  Everything has been perfect and you have made our honeymoon so memorable!”

Chris and Andrea Clark,  Worcester, MA

“Every meal left us stuffed!  It was better than anywhere I’ve ever been!  The staff was better than anywhere else in the world!  We got to know each one, which is very unusual!  I will miss them all!”

Lexie and Dick Graf, Selah, WA

“You should be very proud of your eco efforts.  There is such pride in Belize and it shows.”

The Phillips Family, Fairplay, CO

“I was amazed that everyone knew our names, were genuinely sincere and care, and took care of our every need!”

Terry and Susie Campbell, Fort Collins, CO

“Every meal was outstanding!  Being greeted by friendly, smiling faces that truly cared and calling us by name really made us feel special.”

Amy and Rich Welch, Irmo, SC

“Food was excellent, service outstanding!  Everyone made us feel special.”

Ed and Kathy Fowlkes,  McKinney, TX

“Beautifully maintained tropical setting.  very respectful to the environment, very personal service!”

Andy McGahee, U.S.A.

“You have created a very unique resort experience.  Excellent dive staff!”

Rick and Yvonne Brusky, Palm Desert, CA

“It was paradise – thank you!”

Brooke and Ross Davis,  Manchester, MD

“Incredible level of service, warmth and humor in the staff.  We were blown away by the food & service!”

Dick and Kathleen Fine, San Francisco, CA

“Everything was perfect!  We are very sad to leave.”

Mike and Kristen Russo, Cleveland, OH

“Wonderful!  Felt like I was living in the rain forest but in luxury!”

Aimy and Brandon Wiley, Austin, TX

“This is the best resort we have ever been to – we will be back & will tell all of our friends!”

Lindsay Cohen and Pat Fagen,  Richmond, VA

Hamanasi Resort Father’s Day Dinner Menu 2010

Photo by Sylvie Marrese

Happy Father’s Day!

Sunday, June 20th 2010

Appetizers

Pan Cubano (Cuban style bread)

Black Bean Soup

Chilled Lobster Salad with Habanero Aioli

Fish Cakes with Fresh Lime Cocktail Sauce

Entrees

Green Plantain Tapas

Fried mashed green plantain topped with diced vegetables and fetta cheese,

served with a black bean & sweet corn chutney.

Braised Pork Roast

Spicy braised shredded pork roast served with coconut milk rice and beans

and fried ripe plantains

Chicken Fricassee

Tender quartered chicken browned and simmered in a stew of fresh citrus juice and

assorted vegetables,  and served with white rice

Lime Red Snapper

Whole red snapper marinated in lime juice and herbs, pan cooked with a splash of white wine, served with a fruity petite green salad

Land & Sea

Grilled flank steak spiked with garlic-orange reduction sauce and topped with mango chutney,

paired with (one-half) grilled lobster tail

and served with roasted herb potato and sautéed vegetables

Dessert Special

Tropical Fruit Crepe A la Mode with Rum Raisin Sauce

Belize Tourism Industry Awards 2010

Belize Tourism Awards 2010

The Belize Tourism Board held its tourism industry awards ceremony June 10th, 2010, and Hopkins Village received the award for “Destination of the Year”!  Hamanasi Resort, also located in Hopkins Village,  was recognized for its excellent ecologically friendly and sustainability practices and its attaining official Green Globe Certification.  Congratulations to all of the people and businesses that have worked hard to make Hopkins a unique and culturally stimulating destination!

Hopkins Football Team Wins Mayor’s Cup Championship!

Hamanasi's Selvin Arevalo wins MVP

Friday night was the Stann Creek District Mayor’s Cup football championship.  Hopkins Village took the win 3-2 and brought home the trophy!  There was a great turnout from the area, and many of the players on the Hopkins team are Hamanasi staff members!  Hamanasi’s Selvin Arevalo was named mid-fielder MVP!  Well-done Hopkins.  We’re very proud of  you!

Congratulations!

Hamanasi Guest Book – May 2010

Below is a selection of comments from guests at Hamanasi this May. 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!

“This was a trip of a lifetime!!”

Steve Eckhart, Camas, WA

“Keep doing what you are doing – taking great care of your guests and making them feel welcome. Much appreciated! “

Mike & Shannon Novakovich, Pasco, WA

“Hamanasi is just fantastic. We had a great time and hope to be back soon!”

Tim & Karen Fox, Lanexa, VA

“Everything was PERFECT… “detailed to perfection”

Darwin & Shonda Darr, Tyler, TX

“Thanks for a wonderful honeymoon and the experiences of a lifetime!”

“Waimar & Miguel, Washington, DC


Friday Happy Hour Drink Special: Cornucopia

"Cornucopia"

An unusual ingredient gives this smooth, tropical drink a delicious twist.   Give this one a try at home, and even add your own special twist…

Cornucopia:

One Barrel rum, fresh orange juice, condensed milk, coconut cream, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and…..sweet corn (yes, corn!).  Blend with and garnish!

TGIF everyone!

Aveda and Adele Wechsler Present Eco Couture Bridal Events

Adele Wechsler Eco Couture Collection

Aveda and Adele Wechsler are partnering to co-host regional bridal events during the months of April, May and June at participating Aveda salons across the country.

Brides may enter to WIN the national grand prizes: an Adele Wechsler Eco Couture wedding gown, a honeymoon vacation at the eco-friendly Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort, or a gift basket courtesy of Aveda!

Watch for places, dates and times on www.Facebook.com/HamanasiResort

Hamanasi now has a Carbon Offset Calculator

Hamanasi now has a Carbon Offset Calculator available for anyone interested in traveling “green”.

Sustainable Tourism International

Having always been interested in protecting and sustaining the environment and our local community, we can now offer guests the option and opportunity to contribute to an international organization dedicated to carbon offset.  Sustainable Travel International (STI) is a global leader in sustainable tourism development. The non-profit organization’s mission is to promote sustainable development through responsible travel by providing programs that help travelers, businesses and destinations protect the environment, preserve cultural heritage and promote economic development.  For more information, you can go to www.sustainabletravelinternational.org, and you can calculate your Hamanasi vacation carbon offset by going to www.hamanasi.com/eco_tourism.html.

Hamanasi’s “Green Team”

Travel Adventurers + Friday Happy Hour Drink Special = “Belizean Passion”

In April of 2006 travelers Karen Catchpole (writer) and Eric Mohl (photographer) left their jobs and apartment in New York City and embarked on the Trans-Americas Journey, a five year, 200,000 mile cross-country and cross-continental drive.

Eric & Karen's Trans-Americas Journey

The overland journey is an exploration of the byways and back roads of North America, Central America and South America and a search for the people, places and things that make every place special. A true Pan-American road trip. In December of 2008 the Trans-Americas Journey wrapped up its time in the US and Canada and crossed the border into Mexico where Karen and Eric will spend the coming months exploring, shooting and writing before venturing further south through Latin America until they run out of road.

They have now found their way to Hamanasi!  Welcome Karen and Eric… and enjoy the “Belizean Passion”!

1 oz. Watermelon Pucker Liquor

1/2 oz. Peach Schnapps

1 oz Light Rim

1/2 oz Ameretto

1 oz Fresh Lime Juice

1 1/2 oz Fresh Orange Juice

Blend with ice, garnish with orange slice and enjoy!

Hamanasi wishes Eric and Karen safe travels and outstanding adventures on their journey!

Miss Bertie’s Library gets Donations from Canada!

After two visits to Hamanasi and Hopkins Village, guests Doug and Anne of Canada decided to adopt Miss Bertie’s Library in Hopkins as their “project”. Due to their efforts, a wonderful shipment of books and supplies arrived in Hopkins this week and the first part of that shipment was delivered to the library yesterday! The kids were thrilled and began to unpack the books and puzzles immediately!

“Thank you” to everyone that contributed!!! By the way, this will be an ongoing project for the library, so if you’re coming to Hamanasi any time soon, please bring any new/used books that you would like to donate. Books for readers of all ages are greatly needed and appreciated.