Palms, Hotels or other Places

[amazondk]

It would be interesting to see the landscape designs and ideas for swimming pools in hotels or other places around the world.  This what I think is the best one in our area.  It is the Tropical Business Hotel at the Ponta Negra in Manaus.  Of any urban place that I know this is one of the most beautiful.  A lot of Bactris gasipaes are used.  This is a great local palm for our climate.

Tropical Business Hotel Manaus

View from back of hotel toward the Ponta Negra Blvd.

Tropical Business Hotel lookng up from the back

Bactris gasipaes.

[amazondk]

The swimming pool at the Tropical Business.  The water in the small pool in the front is pumped up from the Negro River and has tambaqui fish in the water.  It then falls back on man made water falls to the river.

[amazondk]

The pool looks over the river which is about 30 meters above the beach.

[amazondk]

View off to the right side of the hotel.

[deezpalms]

Nice pictures Don!

I always enjoy your threads of Manaus!!

[bgl]

Don,

Some pretty dramatic views there! It's amazing looking out over the river, realizing that you're so far inland. I have always lived close to the water, all my life. That doesn't mean I'm interested in going out ON the water, to fish or whatever, but I do like having a major body of water nearby. Living in a place like Kansas would feel very strange to me! And I'm not referring to the weather, but simply the fact that you're so far way from a major body of water. But it seems to me that with the river as wide as it is where you live, it's almost like living by the ocean!

Bo-Göran

[amazondk]

Thanks Dave.

Bo,

The views over the Negro River do sort of give one a feeling of being by the ocean side.  What is amazing is to think that it is moving water not a lake.  The current is not strong but it does move.  I was raised by a river, the Missouri, and I like having water around.  And, I don't think I could do too well in Kansas either.  Not necessarily due to one factor, but it is a long way from where I like to be.

dk

[Gileno Machado]

Nice pictures Don. The last time I went to Manaus that hotel was not operating yet. It sounds like the best choice to stay in town, other than the thematic rainforest ecoresorts....

Here are a few pictures of a nice beach resort located in Muro Alto beach, near Sirinhaem, called Nannai...- Mostly coconuts in the landscape there...how about an IPS biennial there...

[Gileno Machado]

Nannai

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[Gileno Machado]

This is a new 6 star all included type of beach resort...always crowded with people from Europe and Sao Paulo...Each bungalow has its own private pool outside and some of them also an indoor jacuzzi...

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what's for dinner...

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[Gileno Machado]

Last one, Muro Alto beach, 45 Km south of Recife, Brazil

[bgl]

Gileno,

Wow, what a place!! Would love to go there, but I think we may need a little bit more variety than just coconut palms for a Biennial!!

Bo-Göran

[Zac in NC]

(bgl @ Mar. 17 2007,13:01)

QUOTE

Gileno,

Wow, what a place!! Would love to go there, but I think we may need a little bit more variety than just coconut palms for a Biennial!!

Bo-Göran

LOL, yeah, but it looks like paradise to me though, Bo.

Zac

[Gileno Machado]

Bo and friends:

There are plenty of palm varieties around, but it seems that unfortunetly some landscapers don't like to diversify much... That beach resort should have definitely had improved in part of the landscape and introduced many other palm species in the ground. Considering it was built in a former remote old coconut farm plantation (where I used to go camping in the 70’s and 80’s), but also as a coastal restinga environment, birthplace of Syagrus schizophylla, Allagoptera arenaria, Acrocomias, and (former) Polyandrococos, not to mention the Atlantic forest nearby with its Euterpe, several Bactris, Geonomas and Attaleas. Maybe the developers, architects and landscapers should have at least reserved a space in honor to part of the local flora and also some exotic beautiful species. Sometimes the professional team involved in such a landscape project becomes too much careful and decide to adopt a “clean look” not to challenge the overwhelming dominance of the (great looking) old coqueiros existing in situ.

Another aspect to consider is the coconut easy maintenance and extreme unprotected adaptation capability, including windy weather proof since seedling, in our ground zero coastal tropical climate and sandy soil. I’ll tell you, sometimes they’ll hire European architects, who project these gardens and pools (dreaming of Bora Bora) in their desktops in São Paulo and Milan without having ever experienced the local breeze or seen the existing possibilities in terms of local and exotic plants and palms…

But don’t worry, Bo…the next door neighbor Hotel has a huge clump of Dypsis lutescens at the main gate    and if you look carefully you can spot several Pritchardia pacifica and a few Roystoneas around the water mirror too  :laugh: . When you come here for the 2018 Biennial I’ll let you help me planting my 500th species in Sirinhaém, and then you’ll go back to Muro Alto for a morning jogging (with a following swim) among the Cocos in the next day  :cool: .

Seriously, about a Biennial: I believe that among the largest tropical countries in the planet, Brazil’s importance in the Palm cultivation world deserves at least 4 or 5 Biennials in the next 30 years, considering the diversity of species in several distant and peculiar habitats.  

Instead of Manaus or Recife, the first Biennial in Brazil should definitely take place in Rio de Janeiro and start in the Jardim Botânico, a legendary palm (and tropicals) garden established in 1808.  Then the old monuments and forests, some extraordinary places like the old home of Burle Marx, (and some of his and others’ public and private landscaping works) are certainly interesting and should be carefully visited. It’s a pity we don’t have someone from Southeast Brazil participating in this Forum and then joining the IPS…I’d love to go someday to Rio for a palm related event…

[amazondk]

Gileno,

That is a nice hotel.  What kind of price do they charge for the daily rate?  As to a place for a possible Biennel I would also say the Rio de Janeiro would probably be the best choice.  

dk

[Jeff Searle]

Don,Gileno,

  Your pictures of these hotels/resorts are very beautiful. Thanks for sharing with us.

 As far as the biennial in Brazil, I am all for it, and will be pushing to have it there in 2010. Jill will be flying up along with Randal Quirk to the board meetings in May, to promote Brazil. She would be a great host!  I have heard and seen many things about her large, beautiful garden! BRAZIL 2010 would be a great biennial and it has my vote!

Jeff

[Kris]

Dear Friends  

those stills are simply fentastic ! and gileano that

honey moon suit looks very tempting.may be i will spend

some time there if i get married !  ???

Thanks & Love,

kris.

[Gileno Machado]

Don:

The daily rate for a double special suite at that new resort costs enough to buy a mature Bismarckia...They make sure to charge enough to keep us mortal Brazilians away from their beds...  

Jeff:

That's great ! Excuse me to ask who are Jill and Randal and where are they located... Hey, you don't really have to wait till the biennial...how about a previous visit to check the palms down here? Globepalmtrotter you are...Madagascar, Peru...I'd be very glad to show you things and palms around here too...

Kris:

Come here...maybe you find a nice looking "other half" in Brazil, to help you taking care of the palms back home ::

Muro Alto beach again:

[paulgila]

the photo in post #18 rocks!

how much to stay there per night,any idea?

[Gileno Machado]

Paul:

I guess it depends on the season and the type of accomodation.

Here's a link to that resort webpage: Nannai

There are several other options of nice places by the sea around there too...Google for "Porto de Galinhas" (next beach to the south of Muro Alto) which is the busiest and most famous touristic destination around here now, the resorts there are much more reasonably priced for a similar service...maybe Enjula (Angela?) would like to check the coconuts here too?  

[paulgila]

i was going to say something about enjula "checking

the coconuts" but i don't think i wanna get "smutty"

i actually made her look at these pics last nite & she was suitably impressed. :cool:

[Gileno Machado]

(pohonkelapa @ Mar. 19 2007,12:12)

QUOTE

i was going to say something about enjula "checking

the coconuts" but i don't think i wanna get "smutty"

i actually made her look at these pics last nite & she was suitably impressed. :cool:

???  ??? ...  

[SubTropicRay]

Beautiful photos Gileno.  Thanks for posting these.

[Bilbo]

GRRREAT Pics guys and many thanks.

I too am a sucker for palms/water combination whether it is formal or informal and there was a good example at last Bi.

I am trying this in my small back yard and have a CIDP spreading out to a shubunkin pond and I may try another palm perhaps a Royal or a King.

Purely personal; but I find pinnate looks better than palmate when associated with water.

Thans again for those inspirational pics.

Regardez

Juan