After seven months of being closed to the public as a result of COVID-19, resorts have been given the go-ahead to reopen once they follow prescribed protocols, including ensuring that they have ventilated areas for socialising, as well as sanitisers and sinks always available. Visitors are required to wear their face masks when socialising.
Adel’s Resort, a nature lovers’ paradise at the head of the Akiwini Creek, Pomeroon, is one of the places now once again accessible. Surrounded by a flower garden as well as a kitchen garden that provides strictly organic fruits and vegetables, Adel’s offers a fresh experience.
A bowl of fruits always decorates the dining table. Bird feeders sit in various locations and are frequently visited by a variety of species of birds. Fruits are laid out for them yet as fast as they come they go, never long enough to be captured in a photo. Monkeys are often seen jumping from limb to limb, or tree to tree, chattering as they go. The noisiest are the parrots. Often the parrots are seen more than heard as they blend right in with the trees around. They love to dwell between a cluster of palm trees which bear a fruit they love to eat. A wooden swing hangs from a giant mangrove tree that displays roots above the ground.
A home away from home is certainly the description for the resort. The hammocks are comfortable, and one can relax and get lost in one of the popular novels waiting in bookcases nearby. There are also boardgames like chess and checkers, among others.
Meanwhile, Adel’s offers spacious rooms for couples or groups. There is a lot to enjoy.
Owner Zena Bone named the resort after her beloved grandmother, Adel. It was opened in 2000. Auntie Zena, as she is fondly called by her employees, inherited the 58 acres of land from her grandmother in 1995. Prior to her arrival, the land had not been touched in 43 years which meant it was mostly reclaimed by the forest. She shared that when she cleared the land, she came across remnants of the house Adel once lived in.
With a vision for the place in mind, Bone had the first hut constructed. Once she expanded, she began to entertain organizations such as the Red Cross and UNICEF, and even the US Embassy.
Bone, who resides in the US, had employed managers at the resort while she was away but the place became rundown. As a result, she had to do some renovation.
Before the existence of Adel’s, Bone had married an overseer at the Bookers’ Estate and returned to live with him in the UK with their three children. Their marriage eventually dissolved, and she moved first to the US, then to Barbados where she met her second husband. Bone, who already had a degree in catering and hotel management subsequently purchased a hotel in Barbados, which she later resold.
She told Stabroek Weekend that she had hoped to be in Guyana already but had gone on a visit to India just before the arrival of the pandemic. By the time she returned to the US, COVID was rampant. With the recent resumption of commercial flights to Guyana, she is considering returning to Guyana. However, she added that she has been seeing on the news that cases in Guyana have spiked over the last couple of months. Since she is a senior, her children who live abroad are reluctant to have her return.
During the lockdown, with resorts closed, she was mostly worried for persons living in Akiwini and along the Pomeroon. As a result, she has, for several weeks, provided grocery hampers to 25 households. According to the woman, she has stopped for now since the cost was US$500 per week for the groceries and transportation to have them distributed. She is, however, planning to have a Christmas drive to continue her charitable outreach.
With Bone away, her niece, Gabrielle Gonsalves, known as ‘Gabby,’ manages the resort. On arrival at Adel’s, Gabby and the efficient staff wearing their face masks welcome you. After sanitizing, visitors are provided with cool face rags, followed by chilled glasses of coconut water. Visitors are then reminded of what amenities provided for a comfortable stay. During a tour on the farm, Gabby is on hand with sunscreen and bottles of water. Photos are taken to be sent for Auntie Zena and Gabby also sends them to visitors who request same.
Last week, Bone spoke to the GTA on the phone. The discussion included resorts making their packages more affordable for locals. The regular cost to stay at Adel’s Resort is US$100 a night per person, which includes three meals as well as a trip to the Atlantic Ocean six miles away. However, this is now being offered at half the price for locals. For reservations, Gonsalves can be reached at 679-8214.
