Kids all over the world right now are counting the days until school is out, summer arrives, and their biggest worry for the day is what fun activity they will be doing with their family and friends. We get a lot of families that have entrusted in us to create an amazing holiday away from the busy school year, a hectic year of work, or even graduation celebrations as parents recognize this may be their last chance to spend quality time together before their kids move on to their next great life adventure on their own.
We knew hosting families was going to be a big focus of our Eco Resort when we were creating the plan for this place. It's a big responsibility to figure out how to keep everyone entertained, well fed, educated, and safe in an environment that is not only located in a very remote jungle area of Panama, but also totally different from their daily lives.
Over the years, we have come up with a pretty sweet kids program; one of the highlights being our Adventure Book. In this book, we have our badge program which helps guide kids and their families on specific topics in the nature around us to make their experience fun, inspirational, and educational
So, even though kids just finished up their school year, their innate curiosity drives them to explore their world around them especially through a totally different hands on experience like this. Within this program, kids have the opportunity to earn up to 5 badges:
Tree Badge: They plant a tree and learn all about it like what it's name is, what kind of fruits/flower/nuts/seeds it produces, what animals use it for, how long it lives, and why it's important to nurture it as well as all trees of planet.
Sea Turtle Badge: Depending on the time of year, kids can earn their badge by releasing baby Sea Turtles (August through February), build a turtle out of sand, learn about their lifecycle, the different species, what they eat, and how they play a critical role in the health of our ocean.
Sea Badge: Mangrove are critical to the health of our oceans and it's pretty rare for a family to be able to personally experience them like this. To earn their sea badge, kids learn about the magical eco system of the mangrove, what their functions are, how long they live, about the tides, and plant a seed too!
Cultural Badge: A fun, hands on experience with a local indigenous Ngäbe Bügle woman to learn their authentic art form of weaving a Chácarra - their traditional woven bag as well as the history of their tribe and traditional ways of life.
Monkey Badge: Living among a troop of critically endangered Howler Monkeys is not something you can ever get used to nor, fully appreciate the magic of. Every day is fleeting for them when you consider how long monkeys have been on this planet and how few are left. For children to earn this badge is not only an extremely rare opportunity but of critical importance to the fate of their species. All this in a setting that is respectful for the animals and not exploitative in any way.
So, if nature, adventure, culture, education, great food, and authenticity are just some of what you enjoy when traveling with your family, we look forward to seeing you soon!
Your Friends in Morrill
Cari and Ryan Mackey
Owners and Hosts
Morrillo Beach Eco Resort
P.S. Just in case you had any doubts, I want to share with you a couple of recent achievements we have to celebrate.
We are so proud to have won for the fourth year in a row: Best Of The Best of Hotels Worldwide by Trip Advisor. This means our hotel is in the top 1% of Hotels in all the world!
We were highlighted in a recent Forbes Travel story!
"Massive, pristine, and brimming with native Panamanian flora and fauna, the Azuero Peninsula is an essential stop for any nature lovers paying a visit to Veraguas Province—and for those seeking cozy accommodations on the peninsula’s shore, there’s no beating Morrillo Beach Eco Resort. Perched high above the pristine Playa Morrillo, this idyllic lodge serves as the perfect base for exploring the surrounding region, with six spacious rooms complete with private balconies and locally-made health and beauty products. During a stay, guests can snag a paddleboard or kayak and explore the surrounding mangroves, while the on-property dining program showcases fresh produce and protein sourced from local farms and producers—and to sweeten the deal, Morrillo Beach Eco Resort has mastered the art of Azuero ecotourism as well." Jared Ranahan
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