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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Here's a review of our trip to Couples Negril, 6/5-6/13/99. It was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!! My fiancee and I were at Couples Resort in Negril for 9 days in early June. I've traveled extensively in the Caribbean, but never had gone all-inclusive before nor had I been to Jamaica. I highly recommend it!! The Couples resort in Negril is absolutely beautiful. The grounds are very lush, it's quiet, the beach is long and picturesque, the water changes hue constantly and is crystal clear, the rooms are very large and the beds are the most comfortable we've ever slept in. Every little detail from the bas-relief molding on the walls outside each room to the overhead light illuminating the wall hanging in the bedroom just delighted us. If you get a beachfront suite the rooms are huge, with a bathroom the size of a normal large hotel room with a fabulous Jacuzzi bathtub!!! We stayed in a suite the last 3 nights, it was wonderful. As for the people at the resort, you don't get hassled by anyone, the staff is extremely helpful and courteous, they go out of their way to make you feel special and will attempt (always with a smile) to take care of any requests or needs that you may have. Even the gardeners were friendly!! We had two hummingbirds right outside our balcony every morning and the garderner said it was because of the flower beds below and trailing vine going up the wall. The food was generally very good. They have several different restaurants and the gourmet restaurant, Otaheite, was exceptional, in both food presentation, food quality and "white glove" service, (we're from the NYC area and we know good restaurants). That's the only restaurant that you need a reservation for and you can usually make that the day before. All your beverages are included (if you get friendly with the bartenders, they tend to make your drinks extra strong and use all top shelf liquors, if that's important to you). They serve some very nice French & Italian wines w/dinner. The other thing is they do not allow tipping and we even offered to tip a few of the staff that were especially helpful and they turned us down saying it was not permitted and still went out of their way to make us feel like we were special, and this for first-time visitors. I can't imagine how wonderful they are to repeat visitors. You can do as little as you want, or you can get really involved. We were into the watersports, they have Hobie-catamarans that we took out just about everyday and sailed all over in. We went scuba diving (I'm certified, my boyfriend is not and he took the resort course which was great, they even video taped his first dive and he said he felt like Jacques Cousteau). The diving is included, the video tape was extra. They have water-skiing (a lot of places don't include motorized watersports) which was great and they let you stay out as long as you want if there aren't a lot of people waiting, which there never was. Or you can just lay on the beach or lounge on mats in the water, which we did quite often. They have a strolling cocktail waitress on the beach and they have red flags that you set up in the sand by your lounge chairs and she'll come by and take your order and deliver them back in a fairly short time. Suggestion- order at least two drinks at a time. Topless sun-bathing, (which I did partake in) was allowed at both beaches (C/O and "textile") and at the pool. There were never many people at the C/O beach, which was at the north end of the resort right next to the watersports center, and we didn't use that beach, but it appeared to be nice and had lots of shade and a small swimming area and from what I understand it will have its own beach bar, if it hasn't already been completed. They also have a spa, and salon in a beautiful treehouse environment, extremely tranquil with the birds chirping, etc., and the massages were wonderful, they unfortunately were not included, but they were priced very reasonable. Couples also has several trips which are included in your package.( Most of the all-inclusives - Sandals, Superclubs, etc. - do not have these trips included, they offer them but they charge extra, anywhere from $30 to $50 a person per trip.) A shopping trip to a craft village near Negril, which was all right, that was the only time we ever felt hassled while we were in Jamaica. The vendors are very aggressive, but a simple, "No thanks, we're looking right now" usually suffices and they will leave you alone. Also once you've established a rapport with them they are extremely friendly and open and very willing just to talk about Jamaica, politics, their life and what life was like where we came from. At one point, we needed to go to an ATM (none at the resorts) and the tour-bus driver offered to take us into Negril to the bank, while all the other people on our bus were shopping at the craft market. We offered to tip him for his trouble and he said "No problem, it's too far to the bank and it's too hot for you to walk, and the bus leaves here in 1 hour and you would miss it and it's even a longer walk back to Couples." Needless to say we were extremely grateful! They have a twice weekly sunset catamaran booze cruise to the Pickled Parrot for cliff diving, rope swinging and swimming in caves. It was great fun, we even took the sunset cruise twice. The first time we had a magnificent sunset to the west and a double rainbow appeared over the mountains simultaneously, we didn't know which way to look first!!! They have snorkeling trips daily and they take you out to some very nice snorkeling areas, and a glass bottom boat cruise (which we did not do). They have the usual beach parties with bonfires, fire-eating performers and limbo dancers (even the guests get involved in limbo dancing and one girl limboed lower than some of the dancers themselves). They have very good nightly entertainment, including a staff-guest show which we participated in and had a great time, and a really neat piano-bar, where everyone sits around and sings along. They also have a tour-desk where you can look into other tours not run by the hotel at a cost. We didn't go on any of these, but we might try the river safari next we come to Jamaica. There is a web-site at www.couples.com and another site which is maintained by a very nice couple who gave me invaluable information about traveling to Jamaica and the Couples Resorts in general. Their site is located at www.carmaron.com. They have pictures and narrative and are very helpful in answering questions you might have. Also they have been to a lot of the other all-inclusives in Jamaica and elsewhere and they are NOT travel agents. And another other site at www.dennisphoto.com.. He provides trip reviews and wonderful photos. One other suggestion: we took Air-Jamaica Express from Montego Bay to Negril Airstrip, my travel agent suggested this. It was well worth the extra $100. per/person round-trip. It took about 15-20 minutes as opposed to the "2 hour drive from hell" that most of the other guests were on. The airstrip was literally across the street from the resort and it took less than 5 minutes to get our bags and taxi($5.00, you can get a receipt from the driver and turn it in at the front desk for reimbursement if you choose) to Couples. I researched my trip before I made the decision to go Couples. I looked at Sandals and Grand Lido and the other superclubs and Couples seemed like the best choice for me, but as you know, everyone is different and what pleases one person may not please another. We had a great time, it was well worth the money to go all-inclusive!! We plan on going back to Couples Negril within the next year, to "Tie the Knot", that's how much we enjoyed ourselves (oh, and the weddings are free too)!!!!!
Well I am writing in reference to my Jamaican experience. Our destination was Negril. It was the most fabulous experience. My friends and I had the times of our lives. We had relaxation when we wanted it and excitement when we craved action. From the moment you land, you get this wonderful Caribbean smell that entices you with all the pleasures that await you. The ride from Montego Bay to Negril was an experience all on its own. It was scary yet good because you received a chance to sightsee. But scary as all those who have experience it, the drivers are crazy. I felt like I was in the Indie 500 without a seatbelt. When we finally arrived to our destination, Point Village, I was relieved and elated. The hotel was spectacular. It was beautiful, comfortable and the people were great. You do have to get used to things being a lot slower than we are used to but it was a lesson well worth learned. The beach was breathtaking, fulfilling every fantasy you can imagine. I definitely recommend people going to this hotel because they had everything you could imagine from their own market store to restaurants galore. Everything you think you would need they had it. You really don't need to leave the hotel because you can still have fun there. For those who want more like us, we went to Parrot Cliffs, It was great. It has restaurants, bars, slides and cliffs for those who are into those adventures. My friends and I had the best time there. We also went to Ziggy Marley concert which was awesome. It made our experience so much more fun to hear reggae by the one and only Marley. Everyone was there from locals to tourists all united and having fun through the music. We also went to the Mayfield waterfalls which was so much fun and such a great experience. The waterfalls are beautiful and makes you appreciate nature's beauty. The restaurants and bars around are good and the prices are fair. You can bargain the prices and the people are helpful. My friends and I are definitely going back because we had so much fun and such a relaxing time. If you want to have an experience you always will remember then go to Jamaica. Just remember everything will be all right!
Trip 7/99 Let me just begin this by stating that this was our honeymoon. We were married on Friday and left for Jamaica early Saturday morning. We had a difficult time deciding between Sandals Halcyon St. Lucia and Sandals Negril, but because of the calmer water our TA suggested the latter. Directly from the wedding we hopped in the limo and headed to the airport. We only had two hours to kill. Our flight departed @ 6AM and we were beat. It was the most unpleasant flight, only because they pack you in like sardines and all we wanted was some sleep. Finally we arrived Sangster International Airport. We were sung to by locals all dressed up and it was really nice. The lines were short and we were in and out of the airport in 30 minutes TOPS. That was nice. There was a Sandals bus waiting for us at the airport and we were promptly on our way! I heard many, many, many nightmare stories about the drive on the internet, but we decided to try it. I have no complaints. I didn't think it was bad at all. Drive through the city of Chicago once after a long, cold winter. The road there was fine. We were on an air- conditioned bus and it was roomy. It only took @ 90 minutes and it was quite scenic. Jamaica is not very beautiful, but it does have some nice sights. We saw Doctors Cave Beach in Montego Bay. We saw some tropical flowers and many Billy goats and cows wandering around aimlessly. It was a lot of fun. Our bus pulled up and there was a Sandals employee waiting outside for us. Within 10 minutes, we had a room and were all set. That was great. We booked a Honeymoon Grande Luxe Beachfront, but were upgraded all the way to the top, a honeymoon loft suite. What a pleasant surprise! The room was clean and comfy, but much different than I had imagined from the brochures. Sandals hires an excellent photographer! Now, I am not going to give you details of each day hour by hour, that would be boring, but I will give you details on everything! The Property: As I stated the rooms were a bit smaller and drabber than I had imagined. They were well kept (with the exception of the lizards pooping on our bed a couple nights). They didn't have any roaches or anything and that was a big concern of mine. The property is long and spread out. We were all the way on one end of the resort, but still the other end was close by. The beach was narrow, but beautiful The ocean was clean, clear and warm! Just what I was looking for. The beach was clean and white. We spent 90% of each day on the beach. We would get a floatie and float around the ocean all day. It was quite relaxing. Sports We didn't do too many of the sports, but a few. We did the banana boat - I wouldn't really bother as you could probably ride a bike faster than the boat goes. We wind surfed and tried the sunfish. Those were both a lot of fun. Not a lot of wind out there, but just enough to get going. We also did the water trikes, the exercise bike floaties and the kayak. They all were a lot of fun. Snorkel/Scuba We did not scuba, but did do a snorkel trip one day. It was cool. There wasn't a real lot to see. We saw a few brightly colored fish and a lot of colorless coral. I went snorkeling in the Virgin Islands and they were much more beautiful, but the clarity was wonderful and it was fun to do. Restaurants Most times we ate at the buffet in the main dining room. Everyday for breakfast and lunch they had a buffet and we switched off between there and the Beach Grill. The grill offered Jerk Chicken, Burgers, Hot Dogs, Grilled Cheese. They buffet had different themes for lunch. One day was Mexican, another Italian, etc. It was delicious each and every time. We did the Sundowner one night and it was good, but I preferred the buffets because I like to try a bit of everything. We didn't try the 4Cs. Never made it there. It smelled delicious, however. We did Kimono's one night and that was great! It was excellent food and great atmosphere. We also did Beaches two nights. One night we went to Seville's. It was really good. Another night we did the Tex Mex restaurant there and it was delicious! It was a nice change. Weather Each day would begin sunny and HOT. But, at about 1-2, the clouds would roll in for an hour or two. What a welcome they were. We were so hot, we prayed for clouds and rain. Then it would clear up right before sunset and would be a beautiful night. People The staff was wonderful. They couldn't do enough for you. They greeted you each time you walked by and were always offering something to you. I never met a bigger bunch of people more eager to help. It was wonderful. I felt completely pampered. Excursions The only one we did was a shopping trip to the craft market and I didn't like it one bit. People coming out running at you, chasing you, throwing necklaces around your neck. It was just really, really pushy and I wasn't prepared for it. I understand that they need to make money, but by pushing me like that, they pushed me the other way and I didn't buy a THING! I wouldn't really suggest going, they didn't have much, plus on Fridays they have a bunch of vendors come down to Sandals to sell and there they aren't pushy. Overall I loved the fact that my drinks and food and sports were included. I wouldn't do it any other way. I loved it here and thought it was a great honeymoon destination, but I have to say, the brochures make it out to be more than it is. Would I go back, probably not - only because there are so many other places in the world to visit. But, I did love it and am VERY happy I chose it.
Trip 6/99 We left Houston gbi at 5:10 p.m. on June 24 and arrived in Montego Bay at 8:30 p.m. We traveled on a charter flight through Sun Country Airline and it being my first travel experience, I would have to say that it was fairly smooth. Going through customs and immigration were a breeze. Nothing gruesome as I thought. I was traveling with seven other people and we all moved through customs and immigration in about ten minutes. It took a lot less time than I thought. Once we were finished with that we went and got a transfer to our resort. The ride to Negril was hell, as my travel agent warned me it would be. It took us two and a half hours to reach our destination which was Banana Shout Resort. My party and I were truly upset when we toured the premises. It was absolutely awful. It was far away from nothing and nothing around it except Rick's Cafe. We were on the cliff's and it was nothing as I hoped it would be. shall i say nothing it was geeked up to be. we were po'd. It was late around 12 a.m. we were hungry, tired and sticky. We left the property and stayed at a better hotel. It was a lot better, but not quite up to our standards. We decided that we would just stay there for the night and go on the search for a better hotel in the morning. It's a good thing that we traveled in the off season because we found a great and absolutely beautiful hotel on the beach: Merrill's IIII Beach Resort. It was absolutely gorgeous. We had oceanfront rooms that allowed one to see exquisite views of the ocean from the verandah. The resort was fairly new about 6 months old. The rooms were beautifully decorated in a floral print. Each room had it's own living room and a sectioned-off bedroom. The staff was very helpful and courteous. The only bad thing about the resort, is the food. It is not worth the $30 a day for all-inclusive. There are some great places to eat a long the beach. I would strongly recommend Kuyaba. The red snapper is great and also try the Jamaican chicken. The night life was great. The people there are so nice and very well spoken. My boyfriend and I fell in love with Negril. We are planning a trip for April of 2000. After the disappointments at the beginning of the trip, everything afterwards was truly "no problem!" Go to Jamaica and relax!
Trip 7/99 This will be a brief report on a visit by my wife and myself to St. Martin June 25-July 3; the latest of many. Our activities were minimal - that was our objective. Flights from Albany NY via JFK on American were essentially uneventful except for a mechanical delay on the Albany flight that gave us about 5 minutes to make the connection at JFK - AA bussed us and several other passengers from one plane to the other to make it. Very quick through the arrival lounge in SXM, but the delays in checking in for the flight back, even going at 10 AM for a 1:30 flight, are worse than ever. AA seemed disorganized both at SXM and at JFK on our return. Rented a car from Alain Arnell at AAA, who was waiting for us with a fairly new car in very good condition. Very quick and excellent service. Alain gets much of his business through recommendations on the web, and is living up to them. We stayed as usual at Grand Case Beach Club, half of which was shut down as they are doing roof work in preparation for the hurricane season. This was no inconvenience and there was minimal construction noise; the rest of the hotel was pretty full with people of all age groups, including honeymooners and couples with young children. Quite a few cats around. They are no real bother but anyone with a cat phobia might want to be aware of this. The main beach at the hotel has become very narrow, about wide enough for a beach chair immediately in front of the hotel, but swimming and beach walking is fine, and Petite Plage remains wide. We noted a high level of security; the usual guards, but now you have to punch in an access code to open the driveway gate, and another to open the gate to the swimming pool - I guess this is to discourage non-resident use. The pastry selection at the complementary continental breakfast at the Sunset Cafe has improved. We didn't eat anything else there. The waitstaff are very pleasant. Our activities were mainly taking in a few beaches. At Coupecoy, not many people when we were there, but a couple of people selling things - not annoying, however. Orient - as usual. Most people were at the Club Orient end, it seemed. Even with few people on the beach, the stretch from Pedro's to Kon Tikki was arm-to-arm beach chairs. Noticed that some beach bars now have permanent steel rods in the sand for the beach umbrellas. Too much development. Dawn - no start yet on reconstruction of the old Dawn Beach hotel, so the section of the beach at Scavenger's Beach Bar is quiet; very nice. The other end at Mr. Busby's was busier. For the first time, we visited Happy Bay; walked the path from Friar's Bay; a little rough climbing the hill. but it soon becomes a fairly easy walk. This is a very attractive, deserted beach. Three people with a beach chair preceded us, but left immediately. The old hotel apparently is being repaired and there seems to be housing in the vicinity; not too sure how long this beach will remain deserted. Restaurants - As everyone probably knows. St. Martin is noted for its restaurants. We are not inclined to the French haute cuisine of many of the best known, but like Creole and other ethnic food. We have a number of favorites, but this trip also found some new ones. Alas, Yvettes is closed - not sure if it is permanent, but it had that air about it. Pity, as it had the best local style food. Our other favorites: Bistro Nu - went twice; our first Friday (very few diners) and our last (packed). The only place where we were glad we had made a reservation. Excellent food, some unusual dishes, prices very reasonable for the quality. Wajang Doll - remains outstanding for Indonesian Riijstaffel; higly recommended as something a little different. Mark's Place - regrettably, he no longer serves christophen farcie or octopus stew, but the stewed conch is nearly as good and the rest of the food is as great as ever. Staff pleasant as always. Shiv Sigar - as usual, great Indian cuisine. Had breakfast at Don Carlos on the day of departure and one other day - kind of traditional with us. Good frittatas. Some new ones (for us) - all moderately priced - Malanga - a fairly new Caribbean Creole restaurant in Grand Case. Not a large menu, but very good if you like Creole. We were very impressed (it is the type of food we like) and highly recommend it. La Mambo - also in Grand Case - specializes in Reunion Island cuisine - spicey enough to be interesting but not so exotic as to be a problem for those whose taste is timid. Run by a French couple; friendly service. Another high recommendation. A La Cabane Bambou - French cuisine with a Caribbean flair; this restaurant has had a lot of comment so we tried it even though we tend more to other cuisine. The food is indeed very good and the operators, Gilles (the chef) and Valerie (the server) very personable. It is a fun place; don't go if you want a formal atmosphere, and I imagine that if it is crowded service might be a bit slap-dash, but you can eat well. The complementary after-dinner spiced rum was delicious, but very sweet. Be aware that the menu posted outside and the menu that is actually being served may not coincide. Except for going to the restaurants in the evening, we did not go near Phillipsburg. Did go to the Marigot market to buy fruit; more fun than the supermarkets. Huge number of T-shirt, clothing, souvenir stands along the water-front separate from the produce market. Made a day trip to Anguilla, $10 pp each way paid on the ferry. The fare taker was also offering to rent cars (D-plus Car Rental); we took him up and got a car and Anguilla license at the ferry dock, which was quick and convenient. $40 for the day. This is the thing to do if you don't want to just spend the day at Shoal Bay. We had been before, but wanted to check out the West end of the island, where we had not had much time before. Shoal Bay West is not as large as the better known East, but is very nice and very quiet - maybe 4 people in total near the villas at the far end. If you go to the end of the paved road and then follow the dirt road a ways, you come to a parking lot for a restaurant/beach bar (sorry, I did not note the name) that looked very nice if one wanted do some quiet beaching with facilities. We did not use it, as we were not there near lunch time. Other beaches such as Mead's Bay where the Malliouhana hotel is also were pretty quiet; everyone goes to Shoal Bay West which is getting relatively touristy. Had a beer at Uncle Ernie's, but a snack at the Cotton Gin Cafe, a pleasant little place on the main road near the Valley. Also drove the unpaved road toward the Eastern tip of the island, which we had never reached. Got further this time, but ended up in a quarry with no obvious road extension to go further. We'll be back to SXM next year.
Trip 8/99 My husband and I just returned from a vacation to St. Martin,our first, and definitely not our last!. We have been to the major islands of the Caribbean and we fell in love with St. Martin. It was so majestically beautiful. We stayed at La Samanna which was a treat in itself. The beach there, Long Bay, is breathtaking. The food on the French side was incredibly good. Many of the meals can rival a fine Manhattan restaurant. We toured alot and saw most of the island, in fact, we put 375 miles on the rental car.We loved the shopping,but we found that there were price variations from store to store in Phillipsburg. You need to know your prices before you go.The people are much friendlier than other islands. Then there is the little town of Grande Case. The food there is unbelievable. We loved Le Tastavin and the Fish Pot. We also ate at La Samanna which was excellent, but pricey. When we return we would either opt for a condo for two weeks or stay at La Samanna for ten days. The only big diappointment was the GOLF COURSE. It was awful and not maintained. Since they have a monopoly on the island, they could charge one hundred dollars for a round, but my husband only golfed once. I can't wait to go back!!
Trip 8/99 Trip to SXM for honeymoon with wedding on Anguilla. Arrived SXM via American & LIAT with American losing one piece of our luggage in SJU and taking 2 days to get it to us. We stayed first at Ocean Club at Cupecoy next to Sapphire. We were pleased with the villa, nice pool and beach access, and good location for trips to either Marigot or Phillipsburg. Rented car from Unity, Toyota Corolla with just over 10,000 on odometer. We were very pleased with service and vehicle condition given to us. Sunday I got up and drove to Rams Food World in Phillipsburg for supplies. We spent day at Cupecoy Beach and that night we went to Surf Club South. Good service, decent crowd, live band, but they were having dollar night, where you purchase tickets at door for a dollar each and you use these to buy drinks and food which consisted of hot dogs, pizza, French fries, hamburger, corn on cob, not great food, but fun. Monday we had breakfast at Zee Best in Marigot, which was wonderful. We caught ferry to Anguilla to secure marriage license, came back to spend time at pool and had dinner at Mario Bistro in Sandy Ground which we found to have good service and good food but not as great as anticipated. On the way back to room we had a flat tire, which I had repaired on Tuesday at Cole Bay Tire Center. Rest of Tuesday we went to Cupecoy and had dinner at Sambucca. Good food and service, not expensive. Wednesday was the big day, we lounged by pool before taking ferry to Anguilla for our wedding which was performed on beach at Shoal Bay. We had beautiful scenery for this event and we will cherish these memories always. We had not eaten all day and when we returned on the ferry to Marigot we walked straight over to La Vie en Rose where we had a wonderful meal with good service, expensive, but this is our wedding day and it was the perfect setting. Thursday we had breakfast at Richards Crepes at Simpson Bay, very good sugar crepes, and spent the day at Orient Beach, lunch at Papagayos, and dinner that night at Cheries in Maho. Friday we went to Cupecoy beach then had late lunch at a Creole stand n Marigot near ferry as we caught late ferry to Anguilla to pick up our wedding photos and video. Dinner was at a sidewalk cafe in Marigot next to Arawak Restaurant, but we forgot the name. Saturday we left Ocean Club for 2 days at L' Hoste. We checked into #304 and yes it was a beautiful view, but a pain to take luggage up those stairs. Spent day at Orient, lunch at Papagayos, and dinner that night at a small cafe in Maigot Marina Royale. Sunday had breakfast at L'Hoste, last day on Orient, lunch again at Papagayos, and our last supper in Grand Case at L'Alabama. What a fabulous place, excellent service and the food was wonderful. Monday morning we at breakfast at L'Hoste and went to check out to catch plane. L'Hoste tried to charge us for both breakfast days which were supposed to be free, and there was a charge for Coco Beach for $100 and we never went there. They were not cooperative about removing these charges, and we had to be forceful about these charges. Also the night before we asked for bath towel change and they refused. We were not pleased with l"Hoste except for its location. We went to look at Green Cay Villas and we are already making plans to spend our first anniversary there. We also loved Orient Beach and preferred it over Cupecoy, just more to do and more to our style. I also felt the French side roads were in much better condition, and preferred Marigot over Phillipsburg. This was our first trip to SXM and we will definitely be back, neither of us were ready to leave, and we appreciate all previous reports that benefited our planning greatly.
Trip 7/99 Cost:$3700/2 couples Currency : $EC I just returned last evening from sailing St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We chartered a Beneteau 445 from TMM. The boat was in great shape and the staff was fantastic. Sailing through the Grenadines is the only way to see the islands. Each island is very different and you would not get that exposure staying at a resort. Not to mention there isn't a lot to do on each island. Flew into ST. Vincent from San Juan, there are limited flights so I had to spend a night in San Juan. Sailed from Blue Lagoon, St. Vincent which is on the Southern end of St. Vincent. It is also the base for Sunsail and Barefoot. Spent some time in Kingstown for the pre-Carnival parties - interesting. Went to a Calypso contest. I had heard a great deal about crime in St. Vincent, but everyone seemed extremely polite. There was a strong police presence. Provisioning was also done in Kingstown. Fair prices and decent supply of goods. The cab fare was $12 US Sailed for Admiralty Bay, Bequia. Easy sail with a double reef and 125. Winds were about 25-30 kts. Bequia could have been a provisioning stop, if you hit all the stores. They had Chips-a-hoy, cheese crackers, can Pepsi and M&M. All the staples of life. Took a cab tour of the island, cost was $5US/person/hour. Bequia is the big spot to stay to rent villas, there are a lot of nice homes available. Went out to the turtle sanctuary, it was interesting, having sailed a lot, I have seen quite a few turtles, but seeing them as baby turtles was good. At Bequia you can have water and fuel brought out to the boat which makes it quite easy to stay here for extended periods of time. From Bequia we headed to Canouan, we decided to bypass Mustique, since unless you wanted to spend a lot of money there isn't much there. We dropped the anchor in Charleston Bay. Great beach there. There was a 42 Catamaran abandoned on the beach, never did get the story on that one, it had been nicely stripped. Had a late dinner at Pirate Cove Bar at the Tramarid Bay Resort, we certainly couldn't have afforded to eat at the resort $75EC dinner. We had an interesting walk around town the next morning, the people there were all extremely nice. There is a large resort being built on the Windward side of the island and what looks like a Super Walmart on a hill (isn't really a Walmart). Not a lot of life on this island so although the resort was nice, I'm not sure if there would be enough to occupy someone for more than a few days. The next AM we headed around to Friendship Bay for some snorkeling, but the waves were too large so we sailed down to Mayreau. We stayed at Saline Bay. They have a great beach there with a small village on the hill. The beach used to be a cruise ship stopping spot. The beach was great for 4 of us, I cannot image the "private beach" with 1500 people. There was a nice wreck to dive here as well as some snorkeling. There are 4-5 small restaurants on the hill. If you walk up the hill there is a great view of the islands. There is also another great cove at the North end of the island, Salt Whistle Bay, but it was more crowded than I like (7 boats). In the AM we met Walter who was a local businessman bringing bread, ice, t-shirt to the boats. All the local boat businessmen were very nice if you didn't want anything they didn't bother you. But generally we wanted fresh bread every morning for $5 EC. If you had something specific you needed the would bring it out to you the next morning. >From Mayreau we motored over to Tobago Keys. I didn't think the snorkeling there was a great as advertised. But the islands were fun to explore and it is a great anchorage. We purchased some fresh fish from some locals $25EC for 4 fillets. It was great. We did dive the Mayreau Gardens which is between Mayreau and Tobago Cay. We dove with Grenadines Dive which was a great dive company, $50 US for a one tank dive including equipment. Next stop was Union Island for water. Walter had recommended Bourgainville as the water stop, they were very helpful. FYI all water stops are stern to the Quay. There are several restaurants on Union Island, we ate at Lambi's. They had a family style dinner, fish, chicken, shark all for $30 EC. They also had a steel band playing and Mr Invincible doing interesting bar tricks. Union island is the big stopping spot for people on other islands. Fly here and take a big catamaran to Mayreau and Tobago Cays. >From Union we sailed to Carriacou the northern most island of Grenada. This is where I dropped off my clients. They grabbed a cheap flight to Grenada and were on the way home. From there sailed back to Saline Bay on Mayreau. Took our time departing in the morning, then sailed for Friendship Bay Bequia. Not a lot at Friendship Bay, but is it a nice anchorage. In the AM we went to Admiralty Bay to get some books at the book exchange and some lunch. In the afternoon we sailed back to Blue Lagoon St. Vincent. On the return sail we encountered a pod of about 50 dolphin. They played in our bow wave for quite sometime. I wish my clients could have been here for this. We spend the last night at Blue Lagoon. In the AM we checked back in and headed out to the airport. I would definitely recommend TMM as the charter company. The Grenadines is definitely a great spot to visit, but you have to be ready for a slower pace than some of the other islands.
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