From: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline) 
Newsgroups: soc.culture.caribbean
Subject: CARIBBEAN TRAVEL ROUNDU10
Date: 31 Dec 92 01:03:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Travel Online / St. Louis Online - St. Louis, MO
Reply-To: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline) 

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Maid  service  was great. Beds were turned down at night, pitchers of  
ice  water  always  kept  full, laundry folded in neat piles, etc. No  
tipping  is  allowed  anywhere in the resort. With this all-inclusive  
everything  is  included,  and  I  mean  everything. We had breakfast  
delivered  to  our  patio  most days. Booze was plentiful and all top  
shelf  call brands. We usually had our first Pina Colata on the beach  
at 10AM. They had all the watersports with instructors.  

There  were  four  restaurants;  the patio for breakfast and lunch in  
bathing  suits  or shorts; a sit-down informal Pasta Restaurant where  
shorts  were  okay  but  no  one  wore bathing suits; a classy French  
restaurant  where  "casual  elegance"  (long pants and polo shirt for  
the  guys)  was  stressed, and a Continental Restaurant for your more  
traditional  USA  food.  Table  service  at  the meals was polite and  
efficient.  The  help  was generally kept on their toes. Food quality  
was really good.  

The  beach  seemed  to  be about a half mile long and everyone pretty  
much  stayed  dressed.  For  the  more  adventurous, there was a nude  
island  a  couple  of hundred yards off-shore, serviced by a shuttle.  
They  had  a  nice pool, golf, jacuzzis, ping pong, squash, horseback  
riding, tennis, game room with video games and pool tables.  

As  the  name  suggests  the  place  is  only  for  couples  and  the  
atmosphere  is  very  romantic. If you go, be sure to spend some time  
in  the  piano bar which opens before dinner at 6:30. Eddie plays the  
piano  as passes out sheet music for everyone to sing along. Spend an  
hour  or  so  singing  and working down a few drinks and your evening  
will be off to unforgettable start.  

Everyone  there  raved  about  the  place  and  the  service. There's  
nothing  like laying on the beach soaking up the rays and having some  
come  buy and asking you if you would like a popsicle or a drink. Oh,  
I  forgot  to  mention,  they have and active scuba program too. I've  
been  to  Club  Med  Cancun  and, in comparison, I would say that the  
buffet  was  not  quite as good, the sitdowns much better, the sports  
abundant  but  not  as generally competitive, the rooms 1000% better,  
the  service  1000% better, and the atmosphere more romantic. My wife  
and  I  are  not  big  drinkers  but having the booze included in the  
upfront expense is a pleasant touch.  

From  the  time  we  got off the plane at the airport until we got to  
the  ticket  counter going home we spent $2 and that was for a tip to  
a  local  guide  at  Dunn's  River Falls, one of Couples three "free"  
excursions. It was great not  
having to reach into my pocket every five minutes. 

Jamaica, Negril by Mike Mellum 
------------------------------ 
I just got back from Negril where I stayed at a relatively new condo- 
complex  called  the  Beachcomber Club. Lots of Italians were staying  
there.  The  rooms  were  really  spacious  and  had  all the kitchen  
appliances  including  microwave. It also had a washer and dryer. The  
staff was very pleasant and I would recommend it.  

The  bar  next  door was called the Runnaway. It had good music which  
carried  out to the beach. We brought air mattresses and laid on them  
out  by the ropes with buoys. Some of the people in our group after a  
few  rum  punches  went  nude on the air mattresses. No one seemed to  
mind,  however,  a  better place would be just past Swept Away on the  
way  to  Sandals.  We  also took a cab to Bloody Bay and were dropped  
off  across the street from Negril Gardens. People were nude all over  
that  beach  also.  We  also were treated to some fishermen in dugout  
canoes  who  brought  in  with  nets a big catch of fish. It was very  
interesting to see.  

After  leaving  there and going back to our condo, we were stopped at  
a  road  block  but soon let us pass. For eating we found Xtabi to be  
the best by far. The water, the caves and the ambience were great.  

We  ate  Thanksgiving  Dinner at Rick's on the cliffs edge closest to  
the  water.  About  half  way  through  it started to rain so we went  
inside.  It  was  a typical Thanksgiving Dinner with lobster dressing  
and  green colored potatoes. Cosmos was disappointing but it had been  
reported  good  on  one  BBS.  Kaiser's  was  so-so  for food but had  
oppressive  ganga  salesmen once the band started to play. De-Bus was  
fun  for reggae (Gregory Isaacs) but we didn't eat there. People said  
the   chicken   was   excellent.  We  found  the  chicken  was  great  
everywhere.  Bar-B-Barn  had  good  food  and was right on the beach.  
Miss  Brown's is not something I would recommend for anyone. It was a  
bad trip.  

We  seemed  to spend money real fast. Money can be gotten at the bank  
with  a  credit  card.  Go  to the foreign exchange area it will save  
time.  The  Hi Lo Supermarket seemed to have everything we needed and  
was near the bank.  

The  reggae  groups  in  town  were  superb. They had Gregory Isaacs,  
Denis   Brown,   Cocoa   Tea,  Jody  Mowatt,  Carlene  Davis,  Marcia  
Griffiths,  Bunny  Wailer  and  more  while  we were there. If I went  
there  again,  I  would probably try an All Inclusive only because of  
the  cost would be less. I enjoyed going to different restaurants and  
seeing  the reggae bands which I wouldn't if I stayed at Hedo, et al.  
However,  I  didn't do the water sports that I would have liked to do  
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