What Do You Want in a Resort?
Posted by admin on May 2nd, 2009This is your opportunity to tell us what you want. We would like Panigram to be one of the premier resorts in Bangladesh. In order to make that happen, we need your input. Please use the comments field to tell us a bit about yourself and what is important to you in a resort.
- Do you have kids and want a safe place for them to play?
- Would you like to be able to book your flights to Jessore on our website and have the tickets delivered to your door?
- Are you an avid bicycler and would like some well marked bicycle routes in the area?
- Are there some spa services or fitness classes that you would really like to see at our spa and wellness center?
- Are you socially minded and looking for opportunities to volunteer in the host community?
Let us know! We will do our best to accomodate your wishes.
23 Responses to “What Do You Want in a Resort?”
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I want a good massage after a hard day of web programming. And a hammock, followed by a chilled golden beverage….
I would like a reasonable price. I would like to feel like a part of Bangladesh – not merely a visitor. I think what you are making is wonderful. I like the idea of voluntourism … I’d want to give back to the community, not only with employment in the services at the resort, but also by going out to the community to serve. Perhaps helping to build a new house or well, perhaps engaging in local customs, eating local food and being able to talk with the Bangladeshis.
Basic Bangla lessons would be a great idea. Just enough to get around town, to buy things from the market, to talk price with the rickshaw wallah etc.
I would want to feel like I’m living in Bangladesh with the knowledge that I’m using safe and clean water and facilities.
I’d actually really like to learn more about your project. It sounds super awesome and I’m itching to get back to B-desh.
Alicia, thanks for your feedback! I really like your Bangla lessons suggestion; I will try to incorporate that into the activities. And yes! The goal of the resort is to give you a taste of Bangladeshi village life while still saying in beautiful, well-maintained accommodation. – Kristin
Hi Kristin, thanks for letting us know. We look forward to a possible visit.
We’re a couple with a 5 year old. We have explored a bit of Dhaka, and the north-eastern tea estates. On our last trip with our child we found that our child was restless, perhaps with all the noise and crowds.
As well as safety, we’d like our child to feel at home, relaxed, with well planned children’s activities. Our child isn’t overly fussy when it comes to food, but we’d like it to be free of chillies.
If Jessore’s airport is near to your resort, perhaps you could have someone to meet us and pick us up from the airport. We like the idea of bicycle routes. Are the roads in Jessore safer than the ones around Dhaka?
We see someone else has mentioned ‘reasonable price’.
We don’t know much about spa services, so, anything to help us unwind and relax would be good – feet massage?
We’re both socially minded and curious as to what the host community might like any visitors to do. Perhaps lend a hand at a local school?
All the best.
Hi Alison!
Thank you for the feedback! I am very interested to hear from parents what they would like in the resort, since I am not a parent myself…
We will have quite an extensive playground at the resort with a tree house, playground equipment, and splash pad. We will also have a swimming pool, cricket/badminton field, and several gardens/ wooded areas for them to play in.
As for activities specifically geared toward children, I don’t really have anything planned yet aside from possibly some pottery classes and special activities (craft days, kite flying, etc.) that we will have on certain holidays/ resort promotional days. Do you have any specific suggestions of things that your child might enjoy?
I also like your comment about food. Perhaps we can have a children’s menu that has milder food in smaller portions…
We are planning on picking all of our guests up from the airport and driving them to the resort. Not only that, but we are also going to let people book their plane tickets through our website if they live in Dhaka and we will deliver them to your door for you so you don’t have to wait in line at the airline office. The flight from Dhaka is only a half an hour and costs about 5,000 Tk round trip. After arriving in Jessore it is about a 30 minute drive to the resort the “quick” way and about 40 minutes the “pretty” way. (I highly recommend the “pretty way” because the scenery is absolutely gorgeous!)
And yes! The roads around the resort are MUCH safer than the roads around Dhaka! There are several small, paved roads that hardly have any automobile traffic (mostly rickshaws, bicycles, and cow carts…) I have an intern coming down this summer who will map out some good routes for guests. (We will also plan on having children’s bicycles and children’s bicycle seats so the kids can go on the bike ride too!)
As for the room rates, a couple of people have asked about this now, so perhaps I will add it to the “Rooms and Bungalows” page. Rates will vary by room size (obviously) and time of year, but the costs for a room in the guest house will range from $69/ night to $154/ night and the bungalows will range from $162/ night to $615/ night for the President’s suite. I hope you consider those rates “reasonable”!
I know they are higher than some of the other places in Bangladesh, but they are fairly low by international standards, especially considering that we will have five star level service.
Thanks again for your comments!
-Kristin
Dear Kristin,
Me, my wife and my son are impatiently waiting for the inauguration ceremony of your resort. We would like to be the pioneers in your guest list. However, I have few points for you:
a. The initial price / rent should me little less than that of you planned.
b. There can be two types of rate – for local tourists and the tourists from abroad (naturally, the first one should be less than the later).
c. You may arrange big & luxury boats for tourists to stay over night inside sundarbans.
d. In your package tour, you may please include the visit at the memorial of great and very famous poet Maikel Modhusudhan Datta (I am sure, the memorial will not be far away from your resort).
e. You may include ‘Kopotakkoh” river in your river tour program. All Bangladeshi people have got emotional touch with this river. Guest from abroad will be impressed to know the historic and patriotic relation of M. Datta with the river.
f. A souvenir shop may be established at the resort where Bangladeshi handcrafts (specially stitch work of “jagoroni’, ‘aisha abed foundation’, bachte sheka’ etc) will be available.
Thanks & Regards
Shahin
hi kristin cant wait for it.price maybe little toomuch. also musium tour add willbe more interesting.
I want to see this resort as a Bangladeshi Brand (not any indian resort!). Plz consider the price. It can be two. One for Locan and another for Foreigners.
I am waiting for the opening.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH for taking such an initiative.
Excellent and wonderful initiative.Congratulation to the whole team of Panigram Project.
I have a little suggestion,that is, if you can arrange some regular cultural evenings with the performances of local songs, local JATRA,musical fusions or acoustic evening,than-I guess it would add some cultural value to the project and local community could be inspired. Travelers from abroad can also get to know the local Bangladeshi culture as Jessore is rich for its cultural heritage.
You can also think of some festivals based on the seasonal changes in Bangladesh ( Borsha Festival in Rainy season, Boishakhi Festival in summer etc)
All the best
i would be excited to visit Panigram during yearly boat races. think about a ‘Panigram Cup’. boat is Bangladesh’s heritage!this initiative would help to keep the boat makers, the fishermen community and boatmen alive, active and kicking!!
i would also be hapy to participate in Photography competition/exbititions in the resort as an amateur/enthusiast. let me coin a name for it again, could be ‘PhotoGram ‘
and i would also want to find the food to be the best, the very best – and fish based!
though nothing would beat a windy day by the lake on a hammock with a book in my hand and a chilled beer to sip onto.
Mishael
Mishael,
I love the idea of boat races! Maybe we could even have the foreigners compete against the locals in a side tournament!
A photography competition is also a great idea, and I love the name “PhotoGram”! We will be featuring artwork from local artists at our resorts. I would also love to start an “expert in residence” program where experts in various fields would trade a week-long stay at the resort for providing lectures or classes on their topic of expertise. A photographer in residence who would give a photography workshop for our guests could be a great addition.
And don’t worry about the food! It will be FABULOUS! Freshly prepared by an international-caliber chef from ingredients organically grown on our project site. And definitely fish will be on the menu! It is such an important part of Bangladeshi cuisine, particularly in this area. We will even cook up the fish that our guests catch on their fishing expeditions for their dinners!
-Kristin
Dear Kristin,
Thanks for your good planning for this Eco Ressort in Bangladesh. We are local materials supplier in Bangladesh. You need a lot of local materials for your Resort project. Can you pls tell me the supplier procedure for your project requirement.
I am a senior Eye Specialist, at present living in Dhaka. I am a Rotarian and a native of Jessore. I can voluntiar in some health project for the community if you have any in furute.
Jessore has been famous for Date Juice and date molasses. Date juice is a unique drink. With time it is getting lost because of urbanisation and shotage of land to the farmers. Plantation of date trees all around your campus may be an attractive idea. I suggest you to talk more about the prospect of this project with the local people. I can guarrantee, it will be a very attractive proposal. Date juice you get only in our winter which is the busy holiday season.It is a very popular local drink. Ask for it and try once.
Let me know what do you think of it.
Please send me your address.
Hi Owner
We are just newly married and my wife is my valentine. We were in love and suddenly decided to marry without informing our parents due to some family problems. Anyway in last winter we wanted to go for a honeymoon. Unfortunately we faced a lot of problem like transportation, payment policy, security and most importantly no discounts or extra hospitality for new couples.I will demand standard service at a honest price.
I am requesting you to arrange some guest interactive activities like playing traditional game, live music program, and so on. I like the idea of Mishael and your voluntourism. Best of luck
Dear Kristin,
I live in Dhaka from last 17 Years and still I am not comfortable with this life. So, when I think about a holiday.. the environment should be calm and peaceful.. nothing to be hurry.. no time binding for go to be or leave it or taking food. there should be a place for children play. they can make horrible noise but that is the sweetest thing ever. I saw few are suggested for the zatra, local songs and other activities.. these are good until they create extra noise than nature with the environment. I love to go to your place with my family to spend sometime. Maybe the cost is little bit higher for us but if we need something good we also have to pay good. Its understandable.
Thanking you. Hope for the best
Dear Kristin,
I miss some spelling with my previous me. hope you delete my previous post and keep this one..
I live in Dhaka from last 17 Years and still I am not comfortable with this life. So, when I think about a holiday.. the environment should be calm and peaceful.. there nothing to hurry.. no time binding for go to bed or leave it. Or taking food. there should be a place for children play. they can make horrible noise but that is the sweetest thing ever. I saw few are suggested for the zatra, local songs and other activities.. these are good until they create extra noise than nature with the environment. I love to go to your place with my family to spend sometime. Maybe the cost is little bit higher for us but if we need something good we also have to pay good. Its understandable.
Thanking you. Hope for the best
First of all Thanks to Google, today morning while searching at Google about company formation in Bangladesh then found an interesting blog site from Kristin Boekhoff, Thank you very much Krisin for your million dollar information about BOI’s procedures.
I came to know about your PaniGram Resort Project from your blogsite,and when found your panigram website, just amazed for your idea and action.
Congratulations,Congratulations & Congratulations for your awesome project.
I’d like to suggest to consider to add “A Karaoke Place with Bangla, Hindi & English Music”
Oh ya don’t forget to recruit a well trained First Aid Officer.
Wishing you all the best and Double Thumbs up for your innovative idea and project.
Cheers:)
1. I guess hammock will be liked by all ages.
2. Angling (in traditional Bangladeshi way by a 3/4 feet thin bamboo stick etc )may be a good fun.
3. You keeps some kites and belongings to play with,,,,,, these you can collect from old dhaka.
4. You can keep some indoor games like KARAM BOARD as out door games under some shed.
5. You can keep some sand area where childrens can play with sand,,, like making statues etc with sand…
6. You may keep some date tree. Juice of date tree is a fantastic beverage !!
7. Our rainy season is full of insect, mud and snakes to some extent. So, please keep the floores little higher than the ground and bla-bla-bla….
8.You may keep arrangement of Candy Floss etc for childs and their father like me,,, 9. For winter you may keep badminton playing facilities.
10. 100% and 100% also STRICT i repeat STRICT monitoring/ surveilence system to be introduced to detect any untoward happeningsss.
11. All surrounding area i mean the boundery or perimiter to be heavily fenced by barbed wire and should remain under physical observation 7/24.
12. I love to see birds singing all around. You may please make some small pot/box by unwanted wood/timber and hang those on the trees. Some day, you will find birds looking for you in the morning.
HAVE A GOOD DAY.
Thanks for the great suggestions Harun!
those are some really nice ideas came out from others…but remember that, of-course you can’t arrange competitions/musical programs or any other shows “everyday” for the guests…so to make the place “precious” or “demanding” you can arrange those ideas “seasonal” …it’s obvious that the winter will be the most busy time, but, if you can arrange “special summer programs” (such as boishakhie mela, boat races etc.) in summer on specific date or week (so that you don’t lose visitors in summer) …people might not want to miss it…same goes for Autumn and spring too.
for kids, there should have a kid’s shop and a “pediatrician”…a pharmacy would help the adults…
that’s it..
best of luck…
I have just joined your mailing list and waiting eagerly for the opening of the resort.
Well, we are an expat BD family of four (two kids, eight and four years old) living outside of BD for years. Our prime motivation to go the resort will be to bring our kids close to natural Bangladesh (which is unfortunately not available in Dhaka). Few things we look forward:
1) River boat tour
2) Perhaps some fishing activities at the river
3) A view of the village agricultural sites from room/cottage
4) Some seasonal food festivals (for example, pitha festival during winter, where village ladies make pita using their traditional cooking way in front of the visitors).
In other words, want to get a feeling of ‘rural and green Bangladesh’, while staying in the resort. Any finally tranquility! No noise and less crowd
Many many thanks for your initiative.
Best,
Fida
We have a baby with us who is going to be 1 yr old. So we need a play ground for my kinds where she also can enjoy and spend time. We are tired of the busyness of life so we need something to relax may be sitting together in a quite place and boating. As we have kid with us so we are also concern about the mosquito which can effect our overall moods.
1. we love the boating(self driven paddel boat)
2. A moonlight enjoyable place where we can sit or lay down on a hammock to see the beauty of nature.
3. child playground (She can also learn new things in nature)
4. Fresh fish and different fish menus (like fish kebab)
5. Fresh and without medicine fruits (may be people can take fresh fruits on demand and provide it instantly) it will be awesome experience for everyone and the taste too.
All mentioned above should not be so much expensive so that everyone can enjoy it within budget. Hope that helps
Dear Ms. Kristin,
Your Panigram project is such an innovative idea to be established in Bangladesh. I thank you from the core of my heart that took this courageous initiative to establish such a luxurious Spa and Wellness that I might thought of in my dreamy world. However, as I am only 23, doing undergraduate program on Economics, and have not married yet, I will obviously tell you something that we the students want in a Spa and Wellness Center.
However, after finishing the stressful semesters and exams, we the students are fully exhausted. We, then, often feel like to get lost somewhere far from our living place, in an island, which is simply connected with nature.
I feel, you have just drawn that picture of an island that many of us were admiring for long.
* I feel when I enter the Panigram world, I may feel the green natural soft carpet under my feet, I may listen the rhythm of flute, and I may breathe the fresh air, full fragrance of natural flowers and fruits.
* In Panigram Island, I may get the chance to enter the fruit yard and catch monsoon fruits. At noon, I may have the fresh vegetables, green salad, and fish that has just caught.
* I may get a boat ride in the afternoon and feel the cool gentle breeze over the Kopotakkho river.
* I may hear then the local village housewives to choir their songs, which are their pride and heritage.
* In the evening, I may got the chance to watch Jaatra, Baul songs, puppet show, or roam around the village, that I have never been to.
* Each day I stay there, should be covered with different programs and activities that when I leave the Panigram Island I must feel it as a worthy trip and must visit again.
I have always been a social human being, so I not only want to enjoy there, but also want to serve there in Panigram.
* I can help the village housewives in learning English and as well as I can help the foreigners in learning Bangla for communication.
* As Panigram’s has a great vision of training up the village women in learning how to run a small business and be a self-reliant member in her family. I will help them in learning the tactics of business.
* As they are poor, so they must need loans to start a business, so I will give them idea about microfinance.
* Moreover, there I see a pottery village in the website. I did a project earlier on handicrafts, which includes nakshikatha, and pottery also. Therefore, I will help the potters and the artisans in choosing their best crafts.
I will also help them to know how they can enrich and uphold their culture and heritage through this.
However, I think I have talked a lot about my dreams, but it is your innovative step that has made me thought of so many things and be a part of this wonderful project.