The River Park Hotel in Omoa

Last week I was in Omoa attending a tourism related meeting with the board of directors of Canaturh. Canaturh is the National Chamber of Tourism of Honduras. I was there representing the Chamber to Tourism of La Ceiba. The meeting took place at the River Park Hotel and Park next to the Tulian river in Omoa. Although I did not stay there, because I had received an invitation to stay at the Paraiso Rainforest and Beach Hotel nearby, I was pleasantly surprised with the facilities.

Upon arrival, I found an extensive parking area with plenty of shade from some huge trees. The property has a nice natural forest, and construction of the facilities has been respectful of nature. The meeting room was spacious, sparkling clean and had good air conditioning. This is a must in the hot, humid climate of Honduras’ Caribbean Coast.  In addition to the large pool, there are trails to get down the adjacent Tulian River. This is a very clean river. The City of Puerto Cortes has its water source farther up in the mountain. Thus the community of Omoa works hard to protect the watershed and keeps it in its natural setting.

Perhaps the most outstanding circumstance around my time stay at the River Park Hotel in Omoa was a conversation at the bar. After the meeting, all my colleagues checked into their rooms and we agreed to meet at the bar. I was the first one there, since I was staying at another hotel. I asked the bar tender what whisky he had in stock. What a surprise I was in for when he pronounced the whisky brands in perfect English. So I asked where he learned his English. He smiled at me and said, “at home”. Before I asked the next question, he told me that he was born in the United States, specifically in the State of New York![themify_hr color=”light-gray” width=”1″ border_width=”1″]

An American Living the Honduran Dream in Honduras!

My next question was now how he spoke such good Spanish. I would have never guessed his first language was English! He said his mother was adamant about her kids never forgetting their roots, and so they spoke Spanish at home and English in school.  With the thousands of Honduran migrants leaving their country in caravans and trying to get to the USA to live the American dream, I was chatting with a young man who did just the opposite. It turns out he was a college graduate and a schoolteacher living in Pennsylvania. The long cold winters up north caused his stress and anxiety. So he decided to move to Honduras, which he new well. This, because he had spent most of his summer vacations growing up visiting his extended family in Omoa.

After this interesting exchange, I could understand that he was in Honduras because the quality of life for him is better here. Yes, he can make more money up north, but the warmth of the Honduran people, the pleasant climate, and cost of living in Honduras is way better that it is up north. Of course, he does have an ace up his sleeve he is a US Citizen. As such, he can always jump on a jet plane and head back to the promised land. But for now, he is living happily in Honduras working as a bar tender at the River Park Hotel in Omoa. I guess that the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence!

The River Park in Omoa is a great spot to set base in when you visit Omoa. You are short drive away from the charming Bay of Omoa. The impressive Fortress of San Fernando de Omoa is also close by. The hotel offers kayak trips in the lower part of the river as well as in the Caribbean Sea. And then of course, the large pool will help you stay cool in the hot summer climate of Honduras´Caribbean coast.