From: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline) 
Newsgroups: rec.travel
Subject: CARIBBEAN TRAVEL ROUNDUP5
Date: 29 Sep 92 14:26:00 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Travel Online / St. Louis Online - St. Louis, MO
Reply-To: paul.graveline@travel.com (Paul Graveline) 

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attracts  a  crowd  of  tourists  and  locals every Sunday. There were  
hundreds  of  American,  German,  and  British  tourists  drinking Red  
Stripe  beer  and enjoying the harbor view, while listening to a local  
steel  band,  and  later,  a painfully loud reggae band. We left after  
dark, and were glad to return to Sandals.  
 
I  highly  recommend  using taxis to get around Antigua. The roads are  
terribly  maintained  and  poorly  marked. The cabbies are used to the  
conditions.  We visited a few other resorts in Antigua, and found them  
with   a   mainly   German  clientele.  The  Jolly  Beach  resort  was  
particularly  attractive, as was the Hawksville resort (which features  
the  island's  only  clothing-optional  beach).  British Airways flies  
regularly  from  London, as does Lufthansa from Frankfurt, Germany. We  
have  one  reminder  from  Antigua  that is a not-so- pleasant memory.  
We're  still  itching  from the bites of mosquitos and little ants. We  
really  didn't  notice  them  there,  until  the  itchy  welts started  
appearing  on  our  arms and legs. If you're planning an Antigua trip,  
you  might  want  to take along some insect repellant and something to  
sooth  the  itching.  Despite  the  bug  bites and a little sunburn, I  
would  recommend  Antigua  and  the  Sandals  Resort  for  a enjoyable  
Caribbean vacation. 
 
Bahamas Nassau (Pirates Cove Inn) by Brad Felmly  
------------------------------------------------ 
I  recently  took  a  two  week  vacation  on Paradise Island, Nassau,  
Bahamas,  with  my  wife  and  three  children.  After doing extensive  
research  on  full service resorts that (1) offer a children's program  
and  (2) have an on-site dive operation, we selected the Holiday Inn's  
Pirates  Cove  Resort.  Do  not  confuse  this resort with the typical  
Holiday  Inn.  This  is  an  upscale  18-floor  high-rise  with  three  
restaurants,  nightclub,  poolside  bar  (in  a  reconstructed  pirate  
ship),  shopping  arcade,  free-form  pool with waterfall, and all the  
amenities.  It  has  a  beautiful  white sand beach on a private cove.  
Paradise  Beach  and  the  Paradise Island Casino are both within easy  
walking  distance.  The  staff  took care of our (three) kids while my  
wife  and  I  dove/snorkeled, but still left us plenty of time to play  
together  as  a  family.  The  children's  program even runs at night,  
allowing  us  to  go to the casino a couple times. The staff was super  
friendly.  One  staffer, a Bahamian in charge of the pool area, struck  
up  a  friendship  with my 7-year old son and the two of them went off  
fishing  together  regularly  after  work. (My son still has a case of  
hero  worship  two  months  later!) The guests were diverse in age and  
origin;  many  honeymooners,  couples,  senior  citizens,  as  well as  
families. About 50% were Europeans.  
 
We  were  disappointed,  however,  with  the  dive  operation,  run by  
Bahamas  Divers. This was basically a cattle operation. Over 30 people  
on  the  dive boat comprised of snorkelers, resort course divers and a  
few  certified  divers.  No  pre-dive  instructions.  Had to carry our  
rented  tanks  on/off the boat. Many sea-sick resort divers on the way  
to  the  dive  sites,  which  were  not great (very common, over-dived  
sites with dying corals and not much marine life. 
 
)  On  the  other  hand,  the snorkeling can't be beat at Pirates Cove  
itself.  We  had  planned  to  do  a dive every other day, but instead  
(because  of  the  poor  quality and expense of Bahamas Divers and the  
great  quality  of the snorkeling at Pirates Cove) did only two dives.  
We  spent our days snorkeling Pirates Cove instead. The cove ranges in  
depth  from  1'  (at  the beach) to 25' at the center. The reefs right  
off  shore  are  in  surprisingly good shape, with many live corals of  
all  types. A sea wall across part of the cove's entrance serves as an  
artificial  reef  that attracts all kinds of tropical fish, eels. etc.  
Every  high  tide  brings an abundance of sea creatures into the cove.  
We  snorkeled  daily among huge schools of amber jacks, schoolmasters,  
groupers  and  reef  squid. The highlight of our snorkeling excursions  
were  the  schools  of manta rays and devil rays that came in with the  
tide.  Some  of  the  mantas  are  15'  tip to tip and quite friendly.  
Schools  of  barracuda  and a reef shark were other frequent visitors.  
Lobsters  were  in  residence  throughout  the  cove.  Visibility  was  
usually  unlimited.  On  the  other  hand, we swam around the point to  
Paradise  Beach  and  Cabbage  Beach on a few occasions, and found the  
reefs  there  to  be  totally dead. Apparently Pirates Cove is a haven  
for  the  marine  life  in  the area and because of the shallow (3-5')  
reef protecting the mouth of the cove, has not been over-dived.  
 
If  you  enjoy  snorkeling as well as diving, Pirates Cove on Paradise  
Island  is  truly  paradise.  Although I recommend that you use a dive  
operation  other  than  Bahamas  Divers  -  all Nassau dive operations  
offer  free  pick  up  from  the  hotel,  and  will  deliver  you back  
afterwards.  
 
My  wife  and  I  have spent many years diving all over the Caribbean,  
and this was the best beach snorkeling we have yet experienced! 
 
Grand Bahamas by William Edgeworth 
----------------------------------  
My  wife and I just returned recently from a one week trip to Freeport  
and  Hope.  We  are  in  our  mid  50's and have been traveling to the  
island since the early 60's.  
 
We  like  the  beach, sight-seeing, shopping, relaxing, evening dining  
in   quiet,  relaxed,  atmosphere-but  not  at  sky-high  prices,  and  
SNORKELING!!!!!  We  have  been to Freeport many times in the past but  
it  had  been  8  years  since  our  last  visit  and  what a pleasant  
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