Ka'ana Boutique Resort Blog
 
   

Top things to do here in the off chance it rains on vacation.

June 19th, 2013

Although Belize is known for its beautiful sunshine, from time to time, we do get rain. If by chance you are here and this happens, here are some suggestions for rainy day activities:

1.  PRIVATE COCKTAIL CLASS

Hone your cocktail skills with a lesson from one of our own master mixologists. Join for a tasty lesson in creating a unique blend of local cocktails and refreshing versions of classics.

2. TREAT YOURSELF TO OUR SPA -  Get your relaxation on with one of our organic spa treatments. See our spa menu here!

3.  CHECK OUT OUR FRIEZE LOUNGE

Take a cozy seat in our beautiful mahogany bar and try one (or two) of our handcrafted cocktails while playing chess or other classic games available.

4. MOVIE NIGHT

Have a movie night with us. We provide the popcorn, chips and salsa, gelato or coke float. DVD player and choice of DVD will be sent to your room.

5. GAMES & DVDS

When you don’t want to get out of those jersey sweats: we have a dvd player, dvds, and board games that can be enjoyed in the comforts of your room.

 

 

 

 


Mango Season is in full bloom right now in Belize, here we are featuring our Mango-Jalapeño Margarita. What is your favorite way to have mango?

June 7th, 2013

Mango-Jalapeño Margarita

1.5 oz Jalapeño infused tequila

.75 oz triple sec

.75 oz lime juice

3 oz mango juice

Rim with tico

Garnish

Tico on the rim/ wheel of lime

Directions

Add all ingredients in a shaker or blender

Add ice and shake

Served on the rocks or blended.

Enjoy!


Congrats to the winner, Fah from @theartdirectorsclub – we can’t wait to host you for your dream vacation!

June 4th, 2013

Congratulations to ADC member Fah Sakharet – she’s the winner of an all-inclusive getaway to Ka’ana Belize | boutique resort! All she did was attend three ADC Adventure Club trips, and boom! Instant vacation.

http://www.adcglobal.org/adventureclub/

PRIZE PACKAGE INCLUDES:

  • Roundtrip Airfare for 2*
  • Private Transfers to and from International Airport
  • 5 Nights Accommodations in a 1-Bedroom Private Pool Villa with Personal Houseman, Private Plunge Pool and Outdoor Showers
  • Daily Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner with 1 Destination Dining Experience
  • Daily Unlimited Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages**
  • 1 60-minute Swedish Massage Per Person
  • 2 Full Days of Private, Guided Touring:
    • Actun Tunichil Muknal Caves
    • Tour with Sundowners at Yaxha Maya City
      or
    • Jungle Repel, Zip Line, and Cave Tubing Adventure

People who love to eat are always the best people. – Julia Child

June 4th, 2013


You like us, you really like us. Travelers from @SLH voted us their fave! We aim to please, thanks all.

May 31st, 2013


Photographer’s Girlfriend Leads Him Around the World

May 29th, 2013

With her back turned, never revealing her face to the camera, Osmann’s girlfriend guides us all on a journey across the globe to some of the most beautiful, exotic, and radiant environments.  Here are some teasers.

See their whole adventure here.

 

 

 


Ready for happy hour? Here’s a recipe to one of our favorites – The Refresher!

May 23rd, 2013

The Refresher

1.5 oz vodka

1oz culantro bitters

3 oz grape fruit juice

1 wild culantro leaf

Tico salt for garnish

Scoop of ice

Add all ingredients in a shaker and shake thoroughly. Rim glass with tico, pour cocktail, garnish with cilantro leaf and enjoy!


Bizarre Belize Foods

May 14th, 2013

Every culture has their own unusual ‘delicacies’ and Belizeans are no exception. Maybe due to the mix of cultures that settled here; the escaped Africans slaves as well as the German Mennonites, Maya (and more) over the years who brought their own customs and traditions. Mash that into one melting pot and you have a plethora of bizarre!

1. Meet the Gibnut or Paca, also affectionately known as the Royal Rat (since served to Queen Elizabeth II on her Belize visit some years ago). Many Belizeans will tell you its a must-try delicacy. Check out Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern gibnut feast here.

 

2.  Split pea soup with Pig tails or Pig Snouts – served with handmade flour dumplings over white rice, this Belizean comfort food is dear to our hearts.

3. It’s no secret that Belizeans love game meat and the Peccary is no exception. Stewed, roasted, smoked or any other variation – it’s an exotic dish that begs to be tried.

 

4. Armadillo – also known to the Maya as “Wech” is often roasted and served in tacos (with a twist of lime, yum!), as sal-picon (a roasted meat ceviche) and a variety of  other ways .

 

5. Cow-foot or Cow-tongue soup – a famous Belizean response to a hangover is exactly what it says it is.

6. Hickatee or River Turtle is prized meat – already an endangered specie and with a limited hunting season in Belize, consider yourself lucky if you get to try it.

7. Bamboo Chicken or Iguanas – Definitely an acquired taste and mostly consumed in rural areas, but if your taste buds crave the rare and exotic – this is a must try! (Don’t worry, our resident iguanas are perfectly safe from our kitchen!)

8. Bukut or Stinking-Toe (Cassia Grandis) – Not all the bizarre food in Belize are animals; this lovely tree that showers Ka’ana’s  guests with its tender pink petals as they’re shown to their rooms, produces pods with sticky, jam-like sections surrounding the seeds. The odor leaves much to be desired (hence its Belizean name) but it’s well known for its medicinal and nutritional values.

 


Hardly secret, but hardly seen treasures of Belize -the Kinich Ahau Jade head!

May 6th, 2013

The jade head was discovered at in the Belize District’s Mayan site of Altun Ha in 1968 by Dr. David Pendergast of the Royal Ontario Museum of Canada. The head, along with forty other objects, had been placed within a large tomb that was located below the stairblock on the Temple of the Masonry Altars. At the center of the tomb were the remains of an elderly adult male. This elite person was likely an important ruler of the site during his lifetime and may have commissioned an artist to produce the large carved object. We do not know the exact date that the head was carved, but analysis of cultural remains within the tomb suggests that the burial, and accompanying grave goods, were deposited in the structure sometime between 600 and 650 A.D.

 

Weighing 9.75 pounds and standing almost 6 inches high, the jade head remains the single largest carved jade object yet discovered in the Maya area. Its crossed eyes, fang-like elements on either side of the mouth, and the ahau glyph on the forehead all identify the head as a representation of the Maya sun god Kinich Ahau. Along with Chac (rain god) and Yum Kax (corn god), Kinich Ahau was among the most important deities in the Maya pantheon.

 

The Kinich Ahau head is truly a remarkable object and exquisite work of art. It is the only one of its kind in all of Mesoamerica. Because it was carved with nothing more than stone tools, we know that it may have taken many months, if not years, to produce. It was also carved from one large solid piece of jade that was imported from the Motagua River Valley region of Guatemala. Jade was also the most precious of stones to the Maya. Beside its exotic origins, its green colour reflected that of water and the corn plant, the two most precious, life sustaining substances to the ancient Maya of northern Belize.

As it undoubtedly was to the prehistoric inhabitants of Altun Ha, the jade head continues to be a most important icon to the people of Belize today. It is prominently displayed on all Belize currency and has become an important symbol of our nation.


“Fantastic Luxury Stay…”

April 15th, 2013

I stayed at Ka’ana in early March 2013, between work commitments in San Ignacio area. What a fantastic stay! From the room to the spa to the restaurant food, everything was delightful. I have been in this area before and had exhausted most of the common tours, so the manager Jennifer was happy to find some different things for me to do. She arranged a horseback ride to unexcavated ruins (amazing!) and also a Maya cooking class with the mother and aunt of the chef at the hotel (fantastic and so fun!). The restaurant here is exceptional, really by far the best food I have eaten in Belize. Chef really knows what he is doing! The spa was lovely, I had a scrub and massage which were perfect after riding a horse and being a bit sore. Gorgeous pool, and very relaxed atmosphere. Also, great WiFi and TV connection / reception.

 

See the review here: http://tinyurl.com/ctvxgad