|
|
Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
| CTR Homepage | Island Index | Search |
My husband and I vacationed at the Iberostar Tucan in June 2000. We were generally pleased with this resort and would recommend it to fellow vacationers. Our total stay came to $2300 (including airfare and travel insurance), and it was well-worth the cost. We booked our trip through Apple Vacations, and had a direct flight from Washington-Dulles to Cancun. Apple uses Allegro for their air transportation, which is a bit different from using a major US airline. We were not assigned seats on the departing flight, so there was a mad rush to get seats. Since the seats were three on each side, a lot of couples/families sat apart from each other. It was a mess, and we ended up leaving about a half an hour late because of this. In addition, the seats seemed a bit closer together than usual, which was very uncomfortable. We also didn't have a choice of departure time. Our flight left at four in the afternoon, causing us to lose a whole day of our vacation. However, to their credit, Allegro served us fairly decent meals on both flights (departing and return), and alcohol was included. We arrived at the Cancun airport almost three hours later and proceeded quickly through customs. Here we discovered one benefit of a late afternoon flight – we only had to wait with our fellow passengers to go through customs, which was very fast. (When we returned to the airport the following Saturday morning, we noticed that customs was PACKED with early morning arrivals, and the lines extended quite a ways outside.) Our transportation to the resort went smoothly, thanks to Apple. Outside the airport were several Apple reps who directed us to our shuttle, and we only waited for about fifteen minutes before we were off to the resort. The IB* is about 45-minutes from the airport. We were truly amazed at the architecture of the resort. The lobby was absolutely magnificent, with marble floors and beautiful sculptures. An Aztec stone carving spanned the wall behind the entire length of the reception desk. Even though the lobby was open-air, it did not feel too hot, due to the high ceilings and ubiquitous ceiling fans. On the Tucan side was a gift shop, a women's clothing store, a sports clothing store (swimsuits), and an Iberotours desk. Apple had their own tour desk in the lobby, which was staffed every day. There was also a small bar in the lobby. The buildings were nestled within the surrounding jungle, and we could either take the scenic (jungle) route to the rooms, pools and restaurants, or walk along the back of the buildings on a stone pathway. There was certainly a wide variety of creatures, including lizards, several varieties of birds, a large rat-like rodent, bats and monkeys. Yes, the monkeys are back, but they generally avoided the guests, and we only saw them twice during our stay. We were not afraid of any of the animals, and we used a whole roll of film just on the resort. Believe it or not, the IB* even has a resident hen and rooster. The bats (and birds?) apparently helped quite a bit with the bugs, and we did not see a single mosquito during our stay. Besides losing a day of our vacation, another drawback to arriving so late was that all the good rooms were taken by the time we arrived at the resort at 8:30 p.m. Our room was in building 15, which was near the outdoor theater and very close to the lobby. Note that this was the ONLY non-smoking building on the Tucan side, and not a very choice location at that. Nothing we requested was honored – we were on the first floor instead of an upper floor, we had two doubles instead of a king bed, and we were right next to all of the nightlife (and the noise). Our travel agent said that she faxed our room request, but my advice is to fax or email the resort yourself. We went back to the reception desk and requested another room. Although all the best rooms were occupied that night, the clerk promised us a better room the next day. I was a little worried that the change would not be honored, but sure enough, we returned to the reception desk the next morning and received a much better room in building 12, right next to the pool. Our room was really quite nice and fairly spacious. The walls were stucco and the floors were a cool-to-your-feet marble. The room had an electronic safe which allowed us to set a personalized code -- I loved not having to carry around a safe key. Satellite TV was available, but the selection was limited to about twenty channels. The only US stations were HBO, Cinemax, Disney, CNN, ESPN, and ESPN2. A refrigerator was stocked with sodas, Modelo beer and bottled water. The A/C was central; unfortunately, no amount of A/C could completely eliminate the humidity. We brought books with us, and the book covers curled up completely due to the humidity. Also, our clothes felt a little damp after hanging in the room for one day. Although the IB* asked guests to reuse towels, we could not do that because ours never dried. As expected, the humidity was worse outside, and our wet clothes took several days to dry on the balcony. Therefore, bring extra swimsuits, unless you enjoy reusing a wet suit. Onto the bed – ouch! I am not used to so firm a mattress, but I got used to it by the end of the week. Bring an alarm clock, since IB* does not provide one. The bathroom was marble and very nice, if a bit small. There was a double shower with shampoo and shower gel dispensers, and a hair dryer attached to the wall. The voltage was 110V, so US standard appliances worked without an adapter. I had heard that the hotel provided conditioner as well, but I didn't see any. As is commonly known, Mexican water is generally unsafe for consumption by those with no resistance to its organisms, parasites, etc. We therefore did not drink OR brush our teeth with tap water. We drank only bottled water and water served in the restaurants and bars on the resort, which is safe. Thankfully, we did not get sick. The resort asked guests not to bring food into the rooms for a very good reason – ANTS. I opened a roll of Tums during our stay and the next day, ants were all over the desk. Yuck! After that, we were constantly squashing them, and we felt them occasionally crawl on us in bed. We also rinsed our drink cups in the sink because they, too, attracted ants. Maid service was adequate, but not exceptional. Since our room was near the pool and beach, our floor was sandy, and I don't think the maids ever swept or mopped our floors. We also never saw the maid to request this service. Since we had received advice on this board to do so, we tipped the maid $2 per day. All four pools were close to the beach, with a large pool dominating the pool area. The three other pools – a baby pool, an adults-only pool with a mini-waterfall, and an activities pool – were tiny in comparison. The large pool was amazing, though. There were small islands in the pool with trees and plants, and there was even an elevated whirlpool in the center of the pool. The water was as warm as bath water, and very pleasant. We were there during a particularly crowded time, however, and often had difficulty finding two lounge chairs together, especially since we usually arrived at the pool around 11am. There seemed to be a lot of European visitors and very few Americans there during our stay. There was a small tent set up next to the pool where guests could paint pieces of pottery. I saw a lot of adults and children taking part in this activity. A three-inch covered box was $10, which was not bad considering they provided all the materials. There were also activities available in the large pool, such as aqua aerobics and Olympics. We did not try scuba diving. We only went to the beach once during the trip, but it was very nice. We were able to swim out to a sand shelf several hundred feet offshore and take some nice pictures. Sand volleyball and horseshoes were available, and a fantastic mariachi band played the day we were there. Walking on the beach was a bit difficult, however, because the area was sloped and the sand was very deep. Ah, how could I go so long without mentioning the alcohol? The drinks were pretty good, but I'm not a heavy drinker, so I don't have much to compare them to. I had lots of pina coladas, margueritas, blue hawaiians and tequila sunrises. Actually, the drinks were a bit strong for my taste, and I had to ask the bartenders to go easy on the liquor. My husband would have preferred Dos Equis, but only Corona was available on tap. Other mixed drinks were available, but certain items, like bourbon, were not available at every bar. They also served ice cream behind the pool bars, which was pretty bad -- the chocolate ice cream tasted like a mushy fudgsicle. Onto the food, which was our biggest gripe, albeit a minor one. Eating most of our meals buffet-style got old by the end of the week. We were also disappointed with the lack of Mexican specialties, like enchiladas, flautas, burritos, etc., even at the Saturday night Mexican buffet! The food was geared more to families with children, with pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries being served with every lunch and dinner meal. I'm sure it pleased the kids, but it didn't please us adults. For example, the only place we could get guacamole was during lunch at the pool grills, and they only served "movie theater" nacho chips with them. Fortunately, the guacamole was quite good. The only time they served homemade tortilla chips was, believe it or not, at breakfast in the buffet. Every morning, I helped myself to refried beans and the most unbelievable homemade chips. That was a pleasure. IB* would occasionally serve quesadillas with lunch, but not often enough for me. Breakfast was the BEST meal, and it was served on the Tucan side from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Made-to-order omelets and fried eggs were available every day, and the buffet line included standard fare of pancakes, waffles, toast sandwiches, an assortment of breads, fruit, and delicious fresh fruit juices. The coffee was fresh and strong, and even espresso was available. Lunch was served in the Quetzal buffet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., but we ate most of our lunches in the pool grills, since we were usually at the pool during that time. For dinner, we were allowed to eat at two of the three specialty restaurants during our one-week stay. The Mexican restaurant was quite good, but the Italian restaurant was only fair. However, the service was impeccable in both places, so we tipped our waiters each $10. The main buffet was where we ate the rest of the time, and the service was also exceptional. We did not see any tipping in the main buffet. The Mexican and Italian restaurants were air-conditioned, but there were no designated non-smoking sections in either of them. The steakhouse was located in one of the open-air poolside grills. Thankfully, the main buffets had separate smoking and non-smoking sections, and in this case, the non-smoking sections were in better locations. I never noticed a problem with bugs at any of our meals, and all of the restaurants were exceptionally clean. One other minor complaint about the resort was that they played too much American music. They rotated the same American CDs day after day (90s easy listening, 80s rock, 50s rock, etc.), and we only heard local Mexican music at the beach. We went to the nightclub one night, and we were disappointed. The patrons were mostly teenagers, and the music was primarily American pop (e.g., Britney Spears). Also, the room was completely filled with smoke, which irritated my eyes. We didn't stay long. There was a small spa/fitness center located just outside the lobby area. The fitness center included free weights, two treadmills, two steppers, and two bikes. My husband used the center every day, and usually didn't have to wait for the equipment. I had a wonderful, 50- minute relaxation massage that cost only $50. In contrast to other massages that I have had in the US, this massage included my stomach, my head and my face. What a treat! They do use baby oil, though, instead of massage oil. Bike tours were available for a small fee ($3 or $4 per hour) at the fitness center. Scooters were also available -- $13/first hour, $19/two hours, $23/three hours, or $40/all day. A taxi stand was located at the front of the resort, and we felt very safe taking a cab to Playa del Carmen. The cost was $4 for up to four people, one way, including a tip. We ventured on the ferry over to Cozumel, which cost $28 round trip for two people. We both took a Dramamine before the ride, but the journey was unexpectedly smooth and comfortable. We were extremely disappointed with Cozumel, however. The jewelry and souvenir prices were higher than expected, and the vendors hounded us to no end. After just two hours, we took the ferry back to Playa del Carmen, and spent the rest of the afternoon shopping in town. The deals were great along 5th Avenue, and we even ventured to a local restaurant for some authentic Mexican dining. If you love authentic Mexican food, go to El Tacolote, located right on 5th Avenue. My husband and I each had three cheese enchiladas with rice and beans, and two beers and a soda, all for just $16.95. What a great bargain for a fantastic meal! A note on the currency – we did not exchange any of our US dollars for pesos, and we were glad we didn't. Merchants' exchange rates varied from 9.30 to 9.66, but that was ok since it was so much easier just to use our own currency. Change is given in pesos, though. We also brought along traveler's checks, but they were a pain, since we needed to show our passports to use them. Also, the Tucan gift shop did not accept traveler's checks, so I wouldn't bother with them. Do bring along about $100 in small bills (ones and fives) for tipping and taxi rides. There was a nice little shopping center a few blocks from the resort in the Playacar community, which was only a ten-minute walk from IB*, and had some decent clothing and souvenirs. I bought a sundress for $24, my husband bought a swimsuit for $22, and we also bought four nice Aztec and Mayan pieces for only $40. On the way back from the Playacar shopping center, we visited the Royal Hideaway and Riu Palace resorts. Although we didn't get a full tour, we were impressed with both of these resorts. Both Apple and Iberostar offer a wide variety of tours, but we thought that IB*'s tours were a better price and selection. For example, Iberotours offered a combined Coba/Tulum tour for $53pp, whereas Apple only offered a Tulum/Xel-ha tour for $87pp, and a separate Coba tour for $65pp. Apple's tours did include lunch, however. Horseback riding was available for $58pp, and as much as I wanted to, I didn't try that. Actually, we didn't do any of the tours, since we didn't want to spend a whole day away from the resort. We are definitely planning on doing at least one tour on our next trip to Mexico. Our return trip came too soon, unfortunately. Although our Apple shuttle was thirty minutes late for the pickup, we still arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. The Apple folks were again on hand to assist us with our luggage and check-in. Our return flight on Allegro was two hours late because our plane had to be inspected. Since our tickets had already been taken, we had to wait outside in the heat for the plane to be prepared, which did not make the passengers very happy. Other than that, our return trip was fine. I'm sorry this trip report is so long and detailed. I do want to thank all the others who have posted trip reports on the Iberostar, and answered my questions. Overall, we had a wonderful time, and we would definitely have initially chosen the IB* knowing what we know now. However, since we generally don't visit the same resort twice, we will probably try Royal Hideaway the next time, even though it is more expensive. We really liked the Playacar community, and we definitely want to stay there again.
Just recently returned from our seven day Trip to St. Barts. We flew from San Juan to St. Matin on Gulfstream Airways and on to St. Bart via Air Guadeloupe. Everything went as scheduled and arrived St. Barts about 2pm. Checked in to the Emeraude Plage Hotel on St. Jean Beach. Luck was with us as the Emeraude Plage suited our needs exactly. It is right on the beach, close to the village and town of Gustavia. It had a kitchen area outside attached to a covered patio, only steps from the beach. To me going to St. Barts and staying high up on a dry hill in a villa would drive me nuts after a while. St. Barts is quiet enough without that. We visited both Goveneur and Saline Beach during our stay. We expected to see more clothing optional sunbathers then we did cause we understood that these beaches were the un-official clothing optional beaches. Did not see any on Saline and just one couple on Governeur. Most of the women were topless and that was the norm on all the beaches (except for the American cruise ship people.) Both beaches were nice but the color of the water at Goveneur was breathtaking. But you still had to fight the wind, no shade and blowing sand on both beaches. With a comfortable place right on the beach in St. Jean, that is were we spent most of our time. Driving was an experience. The roads are extremely narrow and the driving habits of the locals were precarious at best. Many blind spots, steep hills and speeding motorcycles. Be extra careful. I was surprised I did not see more accidents. The weather was great the whole time. A couple of brief rain showers but otherwise sunny and about 85 degrees. Always a nice breeze blowing. Only ate out a few times as my wife and I like to shop at the local Match store, walk to the local bakeries in the morning for coffee and a croissant, just like the locals. Did have a hamburger at the Select Bar. Not impressed. Slow service and all the tables were covered with flies. Did have drinks and h'derves at the Eden Rock. Expensive, but you cant beat the view from the crows nest seat. Although my wife speaks French and I a little, it helps but is not necessary as everyone in the hotels, bars, stores etc. seemed to speak, at least some English. We felt extremely safe there, compared to recent visits to St. Martin. The locals are proud of the fact that their island is safe and seem to hold quite a disdain for St. Martin. St. Barts does not seem to have the serious homeless animal problem like St. Martin which was nice for us. We are animal lovers and hate to see animals sick and abandoned. Would we return? Perhaps but not for seven days. It was just a little to small, quiet and peaceful for us. After a while we preferred a little more people watching and activity. Went a little stir crazy after the 4th and 5th day. But those looking for complete peace and quiet, anonymity, French chic, great restaurants St. Bart is the place for you.
This is a report of the week my wife and I spent on St. Barth's in June. This was our 4th trip, the last 3 years ago. We arrived from St. Martin via Winair around noon after flying in that morning on AA from Peurto Rico in what must have been the world's coldest commercial airliner. We did an overnight on Peurto Rico because of an inconvenient one-day schedule and splurged at the Windham El San Juan Resort - overkill, but we had a discount and it is quite convenient to the airport. Because we got in a bit late and it was raining, we couldn't take advantage of it the way we might have, but it is a lovely place with very friendly staff. Even though we had only carry-on we had to go through the immigration/customs line on St. Martin and then check in at the Winair counter which is placed as far as possible from the arrival and departure areas. This is a step backward from previous trips where we were able to go directly to the in-transit area. However, Winair did its usual good job of getting us down on the interesting St. Barth's landing strip. We picked up a car at the airport from Quesnel rentals. This was included in the package deal with our hotel, and although I don't know much about this company, they seemed very anxious to be helpful. The car, a small jeep, was OK but I would have preferred an automatic and recommend that to anyone who hasn't had much practice driving a stick shift on hilly roads. Incidentally, 4-wheel drive is not necessary anywhere you are likely to drive, although a lot of people opt for this. We stayed at Village St. Jean hotel, which we recommend as a reasonably priced place with a lot of value. It is not on a beach, if that is important; they claim to be a 5 minute walk from St. Jean beach, which may be technically correct but there is a hell of a hill coming back. Drive it. Most of the rooms are individual cottage style units. Ours had been redone recently; simple but comfortable. A king size bed, bureau, 2 bedside tables, a chair, 2 closets (but limited drawer space), ceiling fan and air conditioner (which we rarely needed), bathroom with shower (no tub), hair drier. No TV. These rooms have a large, partially covered patio with chairs, table and loungers and with a small but well equipped kitchen on it. Nice for breakfasts and snacks. The hotel also has a pool (doesn't have much shade) and a Jacuzzi; also a good lending library. A supermarket at the airport and another in Gustavia provide a good selection of things if you want to make any of your own meals. We spent a lot of time just driving around taking photos. Roads are narrow, steep and twisting. Driving takes a bit of getting used to; some locals pass in what seem to be suicidal places until you realize that what seems to be high speed is really rather slow. Kamikaze motorcycle riders are more disconcerting, especially when they travel in squadrons on Saturday night. People park anywhere big enough to hold your car and still leave room for another to pass, but don't be surprised if you get blocked in by a double-parker. Some roads have been improved since last year's hurricane, but a section of the old main road into Gustavia had dropped several feet as the earth slid and it is still closed. We visited the usual beaches, which are mostly as we remembered them. Of them, Saline, one of the best, still requires a significant walk from a good (paved!) parking area on a path that is part soft sand and part a rocky hill; not difficult but you do need shoes. There is construction of what looks to be a resort at Gouverneur . It is back from the beach, but it may change the character of what has been a fairly secluded area. For the first time we also got to Toiny beach, where they have created an entry path since our last visit - not that this is a great beach, but it seems to be used by surfers. None of these beaches have any facilities; bring your own refreshments. As we are not aficionados of French restaurants, we mostly tried other types, which also turn out to be moderate in cost. One of our favorites is Chez Domi, a Creole restaurant in Gustavia. The complementary flavored rums are good, as is their home-made hot sauce and complementary accras. Le Route des Boucaniers is another Creole place in Gustavia that is a bit more up-scale and more expensive. Le Patio at Village St. Jean is an excellent Italian restaurant. Vietnam has good (surprise) Vietnamese food. We were not impressed by Paradisio; the food didn't seem as warm as it should have been. Perhaps an off night; complementary flavored rum and confections were good. Although we usually do our own thing for lunches, we had a couple at La Creole in the St. Jean shopping area; a pleasant place. We had the obligatory beer (no cheeseburger) at Le Select; the Bar D'Oublie across the street is a little nicer and also a good place for a drink or an espresso. Incidentally, we noticed that many restaurants are still giving an exchange rate of 6 francs/dollar (French St. Martin is closer to 7); mostly we paid in francs. The island was dry and as brown as I remember it. Reduces the visual attractiveness, but cuts down on the mosquitoes. We did a fair amount of photography even so. If you want photographs to compete with those of the 747's at Maho, climb Le Tourment hill; the planes are much smaller, of course, but somehow its a more impressive sight when you are looking down on them as they come in. The island was not very crowded, which is another advantage of a June vacation. Even so, parking in Gustavia is a problem. There is a large parking area on the waterfront that is the best bet. We ended with 9 days on St. Martin. We enjoy St. Barth's enough to go every 2 or 3 years; we find it a bit small for more than a week, or more frequently.
MISCELLANEOUS/OVERVIEW: We were in St. Croix from June 5-11. Other than a few rapidly moving (and refreshing) showers early on the 11th, weather was perfect and we had a wonderful time. This is a beautiful island, with warm, if reserved locals and friendly transplants, lush green hills dotted with cows and remains of sugar mills, arid landscapes with cacti and shrubs, great snorkeling and diving, nice beaches, good restaurants, a casual lifestyle… a little slice of heaven. We loved the Carambola resort as well. Though we explored most of the island, there is still a lot we didn’t see, and we’d return in a heartbeat. Two thumbs up. If you’re in direct sun, it can be brutally hot, and it is humid, but the trade winds keep it comfortable near the ocean. In town it was stifling hot mid-day; recommend staying near water or in A/C mid-day. There were no cruise ships in during this week, therefore no crowds anywhere. Nor, much to our disappointment, was Harbor Nights held in Frederiksted that week, even though it was listed in the indispensable pink “St. Croix This Week” publication (pick one up, they’re everywhere). Apparently the Carnival ship scheduled was in dry dock for repairs… Despite dire warnings about crime from people stateside and at the resort, we drove all around the island and felt safe almost everywhere (see below re: Frederiksted). Just be alert, and use common sense. If a place doesn’t feel safe, leave. To repeat what you’ve heard before: do not leave ANYTHING in your rental car, even (especially) in the trunk. We even put the back seats down so anyone looking could see we didn’t have anything in the car or trunk. Roads are narrow and twisty, but good for an island. Daytime driving was easy. Sunset is at 9:00 in the Midwest US, so we were quite surprised to find that dusk hits the island by 6:45, and darkness is rapid and quite complete by 7:15. Not a problem in town, but it sure made for some exciting driving when we got caught in the mountains at 7:30. Despite island-wide 35 mph maximum, we found that with driving on the left, headlights approaching around a curve on the right were a bit disconcerting. So, if you are nervous about driving there, try not to get caught driving at sunset. You haven’t seen dark roads until you’ve seen these. TRAVEL PACKAGE INFO: We purchased an air/land package through US Airways Vacations. We booked in March just after the strike threat, so it was discounted. We paid about $870 each, including taxes, for RT air, 6 nights at the Carambola, RT airport transfers on STX, and a sunset cruise. Unknown until we arrived, we also got breakfast vouchers at the hotel (see below), which was a good value. We thought this was a decent price considering the lowest published airfare was $638 flying mid-week. We saw cost for air alone on our specific weekend flights as high as $1500/pp/RT! Since we prepaid the package, we purchased trip insurance for about $45/pp from CSA. They are highly recommended on several boards. I’ve used them twice and they were very easy to do business with. (CSA phone: 800-348-9505 fax: 619-552-9151.) TO AND FRO: We flew Columbus to Philadelphia, then to STX with a stop in STT. The hour sitting on the plane in STT was a bear, especially knowing we were only 15 minutes from STX! Overall, the trip was uneventful, and the only delay was getting out of Philadelphia. We took off about 45 minutes late, but arrived on time… interesting how that works, eh? Return trip equally uneventful, aside from the apparently customary 45-minute delay in Philadelphia. Northbound, it is a direct non-stop flight from STX to Philadelphia; they stop in STT only on southbound leg. What I learned: Get return seats assigned when getting outbound seats assigned. The plane was almost full with folks picked up in STT when it picked us up in STX, and everyone in the STX group ended up in the very back rows. The airport in STX is undergoing major construction/renovation, but it is very small, so not difficult to navigate. The only restrooms at that time were on the second floor. Package hotel transfers were through Safari Tours. We asked at the airport “transportation booth” and he directed us to someone from Safari. Transfer to Carambola was fine. We arranged pick-up for return to airport on Sunday for 2:30, and I was told I did not need to confirm (silly me, I believed him). They did NOT show up on Sunday, and we had to take a shuttle that showed up around 3:00 for another group, then had to pay $10/pp for it. Be sure if your vouchers say “round trip” that you get a receipt from the driver and CONFIRM the return transfer a day before leaving. SUNTERRA CARAMBOLA RESORT (soon to be RCI Carambola, I hear): (888-503-8760) Check-in was easy, and the desk staff was very pleasant. We were told it was full, but it never felt crowded. It is a somewhat hilly complex of “villas,” each with 4 rooms, two downstairs, two up. Views vary, but grounds are pretty, generally clean and well kept, with sidewalks curving between the buildings, and beautiful flowers and vegetation throughout. Mongoose can been seen around the area, and geckos were everywhere, hanging on (sticking to?) the sides of buildings, and we had 5 or 6 named by the end of the week; fascinating creatures (we’re easily entertained). The resort is at the end of the road, at the base of a mountain, right on the beach. A lovely setting with lush green mountains behind the resort and wrapping around the beach. It feels very secluded, and is. Note that some of the villas have a fair walk to the beach. A few things were worn around the edges (some chairs on the beach need replacing, banquette sofas on screened porches need “freshening up,” etc.), but in our opinion, nothing beyond usual beachfront wear & tear seen elsewhere. At 30-40 minutes from Christiansted, and 20 or so from Frederiksted, it is isolated, but that didn't bother us. We spent a few days exploring, and a few hanging out there, and it was fine. The resort is very peaceful and laid-back, and a great place to relax. BUGS: We had NO problem with bugs that bite anywhere on the island. The hotel provides a can of bug spray in the closet, but we didn’t need it. Do recommend taking your own just in case; apparently DEET not available there. We did, however, have some tiny ants at one end of our bathroom vanity, made worse by the coffee maker and fixings; if that area is kept clean, you shouldn't have a problem. The few ants were no worse than I contend with in my own home. Can’t control everything… MISCELLANEOUS RESORT STUFF: There is a very nice gift shop on-site, with clothes, souvenirs, toiletries, swimwear, just about anything you need badly enough to pay the ransom for… they also rent videos here (rooms have a VCR). Mile Mark, a dive shop and day trip/sunset sail provider has a shop on the beach. You can also rent snorkel gear here. They offer some daily activities such as intro to scuba classes in the pool with an afternoon dive through Mile Mark (this isn’t free). Free stuff includes pool aerobics, morning walks to Cane Bay, botanical tours of the grounds, a few activities for kids, etc. However, aside from music a few nights and the Friday Caribbean show (more below), there isn’t much nightlife. Folks gather in the evenings to watch sunset on the beach, or meet for a beer at the bar or on the beach, but it’s a quiet place. Also, you’re not well located to party in C’sted or F’sted if that’s your goal. We were approached outside breakfast one morning by a woman trying to set appointments for a time share pitch. They give you a voucher for a free meal at the Mahogany Room (see below for restaurants), and we thought the free meal was worth the time for the pitch, but then changed our minds. We were primarily put off by her saying, “it’ll take about 15 minutes if you don’t have a lot of questions” which, after we made the appointment, turned into, “don’t tell I said 15 minutes, we’re supposed to say 1-1/2 hours.” And we couldn’t live with the lie, because we had no intention of buying a time share anyway. Self-respect is a bitch. THE ONLY REALLY BAD STUFF: We loved Carambola, it was just what we wanted, but if there was any area in which we felt the resort failed, it was in day-to-day grounds clean-up. For example, a room service tray from another room with dirty dishes sat on our bungalow landing for more than a day, trash cans near pool needed emptying more frequently (though they were more diligent after we mentioned it); cigarette butts on the beach, empty plates and coffee cups sitting on the covered beach deck, etc. All small stuff to us, and nothing that would keep us from returning. They did the bigger tasks very well, but this is the fine detail that separates the good from the great, and it does impact one’s overall impression. I would expect a resort of this caliber to pick up common areas daily, if not twice a day. RESORT CLIENTELE: A few kids, but they were well behaved—we barely noticed them. Appeared to be mostly couples, a few families and some airline personnel on layover. Everyone was friendly, but no one was intrusive. DRESS: Dress is very casual on the resort and around the island. A cover-up is expected if going to the lobby or restaurants from the pool or beach. Uh, swimwear IS required on STX… no C/O beach here. A summer dress for women and summer slacks or dress shorts for men is about as fancy as you need. I took sleeved shirts for evenings, but it never was cool enough to need them. Recommend taking one long sleeve shirt or light sweater for early a.m., evenings, or A/C, but otherwise, shorts, swimwear and tee shirts or tanks are all you need (exception: see golf below). FOOD ON-SITE: Casual "Flamboyant" restaurant and “Cruzan Grill” have nice sized and tasty sandwiches suitable for two if you're eating light (ex: turkey or ham $7.50, huge 1/2 lb. burger $8.50, fries $3.50, INCREDIBLE key lime pie $4.50), and other casual fare like conch fritters and jerk chicken. We did not eat much as the heat killed our appetites, but we split several sandwiches there and all were good. The setting is nice, with wood tables/chairs with umbrellas on a deck area overlooking the beach or pool. Inside seating is available in both places. The Grill also has ice cream, deli carry out, etc. Service at the Grill was consistently good; Flamboyant less so, but acceptable overall. The Flamboyant also has an adjacent bar that serves only appetizers. Bud Light $3.25, Amstel $3.95. Not bad prices, but sure would add up if you’re a drinker. I suggest buying liquor at K-mart. A free continental b'fast is set up in the bar, supposed to open at 7:00 a.m., but a few days was not open til 7:30 or so… island time and all that, I guess. We were unexpectedly given vouchers for the hot buffet breakfast at the Flamboyant; this normally costs $12.50/pp and no breakfast is worth that, but for the cost of a tip plus voucher, a welcome and great start to each day. Buffet included scrambled eggs, delicious honey ham, lukewarm and somewhat soggy French toast & pancakes, sausage, bacon, and cereal, yogurt, fresh whole and sliced fruit, rolls, bread, juice, etc. We did not eat at the Mahogany Room, their more expensive restaurant. A beautiful room, heard it was very good. Cost $17-$25/entrée, menu seafood, steak, etc. There was decent music on the patio a few nights that could pleasantly be heard around the complex, but it was not loud nor did they play late. One night a woman was singing light jazzy and scat-type music, two other nights, steel band reggae/island music. Monday nights they offer a bar-b-que dinner, but we passed on it. Cost about $15/pp I think. Friday nights they offer a Pirates Dinner, which was festive and well attended by locals and visitors. It is a huge buffet at $29.95/pp. We skipped dinner, but listened to the music and caught the Caribbean show at 9:30. There was a Mocko Jumbie (right?) dancer on stilts, and a guy who walked, lay down, and jumped on broken glass (more interesting than it sounds here, promise), and limbo contests for kids and adults. All entertaining and highly recommended. And free! PEOPLE: Hotel staff were very pleasant, always had a “good morning” greeting, but there is reserve behind the pleasantries. A smile and polite “good day” opens doors, and patience and flexibility are required. You may get a strange look if you ask for anything out of the ordinary, or you may be told to “ask Michael, he comes on at 10:00”—then Michael doesn’t show up till 11:30… or later. Like anywhere, you’ll meet some with a lacksidasical attitude. Relax and enjoy the slower pace—everything still gets done, it just takes a little longer. RECREATIONAL FACILITIES: BEACH is about ¼ mile long and gorgeous. Though walkable, it is rocky even on shore, and shoes are a good idea. There are chairs, a couple of hammocks and a covered deck-type area, maybe 10’ x 20’, great for sitting out of the sun. In our opinion, this is a “sit, listen to the surf and stare at the waves” kind of beach. We did not try to swim off their identified swimming area at the far West end of the beach. We're brave, but it looked too rough for us. However, others who did said it wasn’t bad, with decent snorkeling about 40 feet off shore, just watch for rocks on entry. NOTE: There are GREAT sunsets from this beach. GOLF: Carambola has a Robert Trent Jones course. It is located in a beautiful valley about 5 minutes drive from the resort, via “The Beast” a huge hill suitable for torturing tri-athletes. A free shuttle is provided from the resort. Imagine it would be stifling hot there mid-day, but early morning, it was gorgeous. Worth a look, even if you don’t golf. NOTE: The golf course requires collared shirt, dress shorts, and probably "real" golf shoes. Of course, we brought none of those things. Front desk did not say anything about the dress code, and when we asked why they hadn’t told us, they seemed surprised we would even need this information (a great example of the apathetic attitude we encountered). We found out when we showed up for our tee time and were not allowed to golf. Ah, the dastardly crime of improper wardrobe! Also, no taking in beverages; you buy from them and they provide a cooler. Cost, however, very reasonable for those staying at the resort--only $48 for 18 holes, $33 for 9, including clubs and cart. Just take the right clothes. We know now. POOL is huge, very clean and lovely with cushy seats. Water temperature PERFECT. Shade is available. You get beach/pool towels from a booth here. Towels unusually large and fluffy; being a creature of comfort, I find myself judging a hotel by its towels, and these surpassed even my expectations. There is also a part-time bar at the pool with spotty service, but you’re only 50 steps from the regular bar, so who cares. One operative hot tub on the deck (and one not operative, but curiously, people still sat in it). There is also a ping-pong table by the pool with paddles and balls in a nearby container, and a pool table upstairs from the bar--in very poor condition with torn felt, crummy cues, and no chalk, but okay if you must play and it ain’t for money. Tennis: There are tennis courts. We did not use them. Fitness: There is a fitness room. We didn’t use that either. Yep, we’re sloths. ( ROOMS: Best advice I got: get an upstairs room. Obviously, 1st floor rooms have flat ceilings, but 2nd floor rooms have gorgeous high vaulted mahogany lined ceilings. It felt cozy like a cabin. We had #135, which had a nice ocean view, though we'd only booked garden. Beach 75 feet away, if that. Room is very large with two areas: a living room area with sofa, rocker, desk and ceiling fan, and bedroom area with king bed, dresser and TV, VCR and ceiling fan. Each room has a porch with sofas, table and candle. Porch has screens two sides and beautiful jalousie mahogany French doors on the other two sides that open into the room. Baths have long double sink vanities with huge (HUGE) walk-in shower with light but adequate water pressure--no tub, walk-in closet with lots of hangers and a safe, ironing board and iron, nice toiletries restocked daily, good-sized fluffy towels and hair dryer. Room also has small fridge (some rooms apparently have very small dorm fridge, but this one was larger, adequate for a week's soda and some munchies); blender (a nice touch); microwave; coffee maker & mugs (take your own coffee/creamer, etc.--theirs is terrible). During the day, we'd close up the room and run A/C to keep heat and humidity down. At night, we slept with the doors open; we could hear the waves and see the ocean from our bed. Wonderful! Ice is delivered to the room daily. The room was very clean, with unobtrusive and excellent maid service overall. TRANSPORTATION AND CAR RENTAL: The resort has a shuttle, but it goes only to Christiansted. It costs $12/pp/RT, much less than cabs, but they run just 3 or 4 times each day, and only two evenings (Monday and Wednesday think), latest shuttle back is 9:00 p.m. You can purchase a weeklong shuttle pass for $100, certainly worth it if you intend to use it much. Note they do not offer 1-way fares—you must purchase $12 RT ticket. Cabs are expensive, but prices are set and published (ex: $25 ONE WAY from Caram to C’sted for two people, to the casino about $40 each way for two!). So… unless you’re really rich, a car is necessary if you want to explore the island. Though the Carambola recommends Centerline, it was more expensive ($40-$55/day), so we rented from Goldmine in Christiansted (888-346-5082 or 340-773-0299). If you use them, please tell Lucinda that I said HI! They were wonderful to work with, delivering the car to us at the Caram, and giving us a lift back from C'sted when we returned it (saving us the $25 cab fare). Cost only $80 for 3 days for a clean, new Cavalier, safety club included. Insurance additional $12 or so/day, but we didn't get it. We rented for only three days, but that was enough exploring for us, since we only were there for six. We ventured a bit on some unpaved roads, very slowly, but never got far. Great vistas from those roads, but a jeep-type vehicle is necessary. We had a good map from a friend with real estate connections, and it was indispensable as roads are poorly marked, if at all. We did a little meandering trying to find things, but would have been hopelessly lost without the map. Remember driving is on left, but with few exceptions, we found drivers extremely polite, letting folks in when needed, etc. Certainly nicer than stateside (well, in our area anyway). It’s mentioned above, but bears repeating: driving at night can be harrowing due to dark, narrow, twisty roads. AROUND THE ISLAND: BEACHES: Definitely go to Cane Bay, about 2 miles from Caram (10 minute $8.00 cab each way for 2, or a 45-minute hilly hike in 80% humidity… whatever you enjoy). Despite being located directly on the North Shore Road, the beach is lovely and long, if a little windy the days we were there, it was not crowded mornings. This area is well known for the dive wall just a couple hundred yards offshore, and you’ll see lots of divers, but snorkeling offshore is also wonderful. We thought it ranked with Buck Island. Enter through a sandy bottom access anywhere near dock, then float about 30-40 feet over very (VERY) shallow area, it eventually gets 4- 6 feet deep and you’ll find great snorkeling all over the area, running parallel to shore. Note that the shallow area does have a lot of small sea urchins quite nestled in the coral floor—they don’t stick up so are not threatening, but be aware. A diver also told us to avoid undertow beginning at far East end, near the Off the Wall bar. Cane Bay Dive Shop is behind Boz’s bar, across the street from the beach. And this brings me to my moment on a soapbox: we did not wear fins (though water shoes are helpful). We were concerned we’d hit coral or urchins with fins when over the shallow area and around the reefs. There is some branch coral that would be easy to hit. Waters were not deep or rough and swimming is pretty easy. Please be aware and respectful of the environment, fins or not. Thanks, I’m off my podium now. Also highly recommend Shoys beach--not for snorkeling, but very quiet, nice sandy beach and bottom, and a perfect swimming spot. It is also longer than most beaches if you like walking. Take the road for the Buccaneer, and just before that gatehouse, there’s a road to the right with another gatehouse. Tell that gate-person you’re going to Shoys. Drive to the end of the road (maybe a mile) and park by the fence, then follow the path to the left of the gate maybe 30 feet to the beach. Beaches we saw, but didn’t swim: Buccaneer’s beach is relatively clean, long for STX, and looked good for swimming. There were no waves or surf to speak of when we were there. Divi Carina hotel beach looked similar to the Buccaneer’s, but shorter with seaweed on shore that day. Cramer Park was deserted, but looked okay for swimming. Hear that Cramer is popular with locals on weekends. We also drove the road north of Frederiksted to see the beaches in that area. They were beautiful, several appeared suitable for swimming, and we heard there’s good snorkeling there too, especially near the Rainbow Bar. We’d already had a lot of sun that day, so we did not stop at these beaches. Note that we’d been warned at the hotel specifically about kids and theft from vehicles parked in this area. Certainly the area is worth a visit, but exercise caution. At the far north end of this road, almost to the hill leading to the lighthouse, are a few shore areas that are interesting. These are not swimming beaches, but are worth a stop—they look like moonscapes, with waves crashing over jagged coral. Very rugged, and quite beautiful in their own way. We tried to go to the lighthouse, but encountered a chuckhole, wide and of unknown depth, and turned back. BUCK ISLAND: Regardless of which boat you go on, this excursion is a MUST. There were several day sail providers recommended to us (wish we’d had time for all of them!), but we took the morning sail on the Diva (9 am-2 p.m., $60/pp). They also offer a 2pm–6pm trip for $50 (phone: 340-778-4675). Captain Francis is in Maine for the summer, but the couple he's hired for the season, Robin and Jay, are very nice, and we had a fantastic day. Boat holds max 6 passengers, which we prefer to the 20-40 people on Big Beard. A perfect 1-1/2 hour sail to reef, hour or so snorkeling, an hour on the beach to eat your sack lunch, then another hour or so sail back. The waters are brilliant turquoise and breathtaking. Water gin clear, snorkeling very good both inside and outside the reef. Beach on BI is incredible! Words are inadequate to describe how wonderful this day was and how lovely BI is. Thought we’d died and gone to heaven. Bonus: The Diva sails from Green Cay, which has safe, clean restroom and shower facilities you can use. Jay had a key, and he let us in. Very nice, as we were able to clean up before taking off for more sightseeing. Green Cay is 45 minutes drive from Carambola, a few miles east of C’sted. The other one we wanted to go with, but didn’t, was Captain Clyde on the Snowflake. He was highly recommended. 340-773-8520. Next time. Others also recommended Capt. Heinz on Terrero, and Big Beard; both larger boats with higher pax capacity. FOOD SHOPPING: As others have noted, K-Mart/Big K is THE place for soda and munchies. There is one just west of C’sted, and one nearer to F’sted. At the resort, a can of soda is $2.00, water $2.50! At K- Mart, 12 pack soda is $4.00. This is also the best spot to buy liquor and smokes. There are also several full-service groceries on the island. Schooner Bay store east of C’sted has a good bakery and deli if you’re packing a picnic lunch or taking a daysail from Green Cay or C’sted harbor. Prices likely a little higher than regular grocers, but are not unreasonable. We took peanut butter, granola bars and cheese/crackers (my favorite for flying—but you don’t want to get me started about US Air meals…), coffee, creamer, and popcorn from home, and bought soda, bread and munchies at the store. Take ziplock bags to store food in, and refrigerate everything you can to keep those pesky ants away. One valuable lesson we should have been smart enough to know: Get several jugs of water. Good to use for better coffee, and most important, it is extremely easy to get dehydrated (believe me—my partner got very ill the last day from dehydration—not fun). You’ll need more water than usual and the tap water, though safe, tasted funny to us. RESTAURANTS: We are not gourmets, and in fact, had little appetite the entire week. Sorry if you wanted restaurant reviews… But… Do check out Off the Wall Bar at Cane Bay, and Waves at Cane Bay restaurant. Waves setting incredible--literally ON the water--we stopped there to eat one night, but despite a sign saying, “Open every night, year round!” it was closed that night, and we did not make it back. There is a small privately owned hotel here that looked nice, and it is walking distance from Cane Bay beach, so might be an option if you’re a diver or serious beach bum. We got pizza one night at Off the Wall (they have a great t-shirt), which was okay and not expensive. Burgers, etc., typical fare. It is active evenings, and appeared popular with locals. Very casual place set right on the water. We felt very comfortable there. Others along the north shore near Cane Bay are Bogey’s, and Boz’s, which both seemed popular. There are several eateries on the way to C’sted. Had lunch at Shenanigans in Pan Am Plaza. Lots of locals, small, very inexpensive, friendly owner, comfy and casual place. SUNSET SAIL: Our package included a very nice sunset sail through Mile Mark on the Dreamer (or was it Daydream?), a catamaran with about 40 person capacity, which was not full on this trip. Leaves about 5 p.m. from C’sted harbor, picks up people at Buccaneer dock, then it’s a 2 hour sail to nowhere. Friendly service accompanying the strangest offering of treats I’ve seen, including rum punch, Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies, pringles, doritos, packets of peanut butter crackers. Wouldn’t plan on making this dinner, I imagine it’s just to soak up the punch… SIGHTSEEING: Highly recommend the drive from Carambola to Point Udall and around the island. Endless vistas, ocean views, a lovely drive, very little traffic. Christiansted: We were in town only to shop and did not do much sightseeing, even though there are things of historical interest to see there. However, it has charm and great architecture, and it’s easy to spend a few hours exploring. There are lots of small shops, many restaurants, and the town is busy, at least during the day. We felt very safe here. Had heard parking was difficult, but we were able to find a space fairly easily both times we were there. Definitely worth a visit, whether you want to sightsee, shop or eat. Wouldn’t wander too far from the busier harbor area day or night. We got lost driving out of town one evening, and we ended up in a very dark, depressed area we didn’t need to see… a reality check, I suppose. Speaking of which: on the way into town from the Carambola, we passed the area along Sugar Beach, which has many condo rentals (Sugar Beach, Colony Cove, etc. there’s a bunch of ‘em). To be fair, we did not enter any of these properties, and I imagine they are fine, but the surrounding area is not attractive, and it is not an area we would want to walk through. Housing projects are just inland from the complexes, and the water/sewage treatment plant was way too close for our comfort. Again, I have heard good things about these properties, and do not mean to badmouth anyone, but know what is nearby. Suggest those considering staying there think about whether the setting would affect their comfort level. Frederiksted: With apologies to anyone who loves F’sted, we drove into town planning to park and walk around, but at 4:00 p.m., the town appeared deserted, we did not feel safe, and we did not stop. If there’d been ships in port and more activity, it probably would have been fine, but honestly, it is run down and looks like a ghost town. I imagine given a proper tour, or sharing in the fun and crowds associated with Harbor Nights, our discomfort would abate. Maybe next time with a ship in port, we can find merit in this town. We’re sure it’s there somewhere! The Buccaneer: has a beautiful lobby up on a hill, with incredible panoramic views from the dining area. Definitely 1st class, very old world, and appeared to have all the wonderful things we’ve heard. Unfortunately, I don’t have a trust fund… ( A beautiful place with an old sugar mill on site and tremendous views of hills, golf course, and ocean. Rooms are in separate buildings and bungalows both up near the reception area and along the beach, which is quite a ways away from the lobby. Heard great things from folks we met who were staying there. Point Udall: there’s an interesting (odd) monument and incredible views, and you feel you’re on the end of the earth. Not sure I’d make the trip out there just for that, but if you’re touring anyway, it’s definitely worth a stop; we were glad we did. BTW--It is now paved road all the way. Divi Carina hotel: a motel-like property with two 2-story wings coming off a central lobby area, which was beautifully decorated. Pool and beach areas looked nice, but a fair amount of seaweed on the beach. As it’s new, there’s no mature vegetation, etc., and it looked kind of barren to us. We liked Carambola better. Divi Casino: across the street and about 2 blocks east of the hotel; an odd building for a casino. We thought it was a church when we passed it the first time (we thought at the time that there was a little symmetry in that). I hit $125 on the slots, cashed in and left. I'm getting smarter. ;-) Table games do not open until 6:00 p.m. Mahogany Road: This is the “rainforest” road you hear about. A lovely ½ hour or so drive, but darned if we saw anything specifically labeled “rainforest.” Surmised the drive IS the rainforest… Worth it if you like lush and interesting vegetation, it’s quite dense and ruggedly beautiful. We’re glad we took the drive. St. Croix LEAP: This mahogany and other wood workshop located at the top of a steep, gravel road off Mahogany Road was interesting. It is not a store, but a working workshop, and you have to look closely for the items that are for sale. Attractive, expensive stuff, but my guess is most is custom work. We wandered all around and no one cared. Trivial stuff: the organizer/owner is a Harley rider/owner, if you’re into that. THINGS WE DID NOT DO: Whim Plantation, Botanical Gardens, Cruzan Rum factory, Museums, Forts, a decent restaurant, etc. Gotta save something for the next trip! Also, we did not stop at Domino’s on Mahogany Road for the famous beer-drinking pigs. I’m sure it’s a wonderful thing, but we thought we could live without it. Folks tell me it’s hilarious… I’ll take their word for it. Well, I’ll surely think of more as soon as I post this, but that’s the lion’s share of info and impressions.
| CTR Home | << Back | ToC | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Next >> | Search |