Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
real instant gratification! People know that this was one of the highlights of their trip and
they'll always remember it.”
Miguel is equally enthusiastic about sharing the experience with their clients. “My fa-
vorite part iswhenthe client comes andsays, 'That was the best thing Iever did!'Itdoesn't
matter if they are six years old or eighty four; when they tell me that, it's the best reward
ever.”
In addition to single parachute tours, Aguas Azules offers double and triple tours for
couples and families who want to enjoy their thrilling experience together.
Tropical Occasions wedding planner, Karen Ogden says, “It's a great family activity.
Nothing like flying in the air with your kids and spotting sea turtles and manta rays.”
Melanie gives a friendly laugh when she's asked to compare life on the beach at
Manuel Antonio with the high-powered world of corporate law in New York. She's under
no illusions about the work that their business requires but it's a different kind of pressure,
and with greater personal rewards.
“I have to say, no matter what kind of amazing results we got when practicing law, cli-
ents never came back as happy as they do after parasailing!” she says. “I doubt that there
are many former legal clients who are still thinking of me, saying, 'I'm so glad she wrote
such a great brief for us!' We know people are going to go home and are going to remem-
ber their experience with us for years to come. I think that's great. “And my office is a lot
nicer,” she adds with a smile.
Although parasailing is the biggest focus of their business, Miguel and Melanie offer
a lot more. From their idyllic beachfront base they also offer a number of other vacation
opportunities, from surf lessons and snorkeling tours to fishing, water skiing and the 'ba-
nana boat.' “That's a lot of fun,” Melanie says. “A lot of times people come up without a
reservation and we'll go out on the banana boat for a fun ten minute ride. We offer a bit
more of a tour too, where sometimes a family wants to go out for a half hour and they'll go
out and do more of a tour around behind the islands.”
One of the other newer attractions they have is jet skis. Although these are available
for hire, their primary use is to assist with the parasailing. Some people are nervous about
the end of their parasailing experience — the part where you drift gently down into the
clear warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.
“So to relieve that anxiety, we have our guys waiting right next to them, generally with
a jet ski,” Melanie says. “They are literally next to the people as they land down into the
water. The jet ski is there, one of the guys jumps off, helps them disconnect from the para-
chute and helps them onto the jet ski.” Racing back to the beach on the back of a jet ski
often rates as an unexpected highlight for many of their customers.
While Aguas Azules has grown steadily over the years, at heart it's still a business
about relationships. Miguel and Melanie take a genuine interest in their clients, sometimes
corresponding via email for months prior to the actual booking.
