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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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August 13-18, 2001 Day 1: We flew Continental non-stop to St. Thomas. The flight was uneventful and arrived 10 minutes early. We had plenty of time to catch the 1PM ferry from downtown Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay. I prefer the downtown ferry over the Red Hook ferry because I really don't like that long cab ride across St. Thomas. We were met at the Cruz Bay ferry dock by a woman from our villa rental agency. This was my third time renting from them and I've generally been very satisfied with their service. They somehow have never managed, however, to meet the ferry on time - they always show up 10 or 15 minutes late - I think it's just that whole 'island time' thing, and it doesn't bother me any more. We picked up our Jeep Wrangler rental and followed the guide to the villa. This was my second time staying in this house (http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/sunset/sunset.html). The location has a number of things going for it. It's located right on a small bay with a very private cobblestone beach. There is just enough sand in a small section of the beach to allow you to snorkel out into the bay without stumbling over the rocks. The rocky headlands on either end of the cove are high enough (and jagged enough) to discourage any through traffic from the neighboring bays, so the only people you see are those staying in the two or three other houses along Deavers bay. The driveway is just steep and curvy enough to make the drive in interesting, but it's not a real 'white knuckler' as some St. John driveways/access roads can be. The views of the bay are really quite nice, but despite the name, the sunsets are nothing to write home about. The first time I rented on St. John, we stayed in a villa up on Gift Hill (http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/hibsolmr/delsol.html). The views from up on the hill are nothing short of spectacular, and the sunsets look like something you would expect to see on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. But sunset views aside, being located right on the water has its distinct advantages. The sound of the surf shoving all those rocks around on the beach at night is in itself worth the price of admission. It's also nice for the kids to be able to just walk down to the beach when they get bored with the pool. The rental company was kind enough to stock the fridge with fresh fruit, cheese/crackers and a few sodas, so we didn't have to run right out to the grocery store immediately. I was able to sneak in a quick snorkel around the bay right in front of the house. The water is a bit murky in near the shore due to the surf, but once you get a few yards offshore it clears up nicely, and the little bay has a respectable collection fish and rock outcroppings. I had heard that the Caribbean waters tend to be clearer during the summer, but my previous visit to St. John was in January, and I didn't notice any appreciable difference in the water clarity between Winter and Summer. We decided to drive out to Peace Hill to watch the sunset. This location is one of my personal favorites and I always make a point of stopping here when I visit the island. Around dinner time we drove out to a small grocery store called Tropicale, near the Westin Resort. We just picked up some chicken and a bunch of Red Stripes and had a little barbeque back at the house. After dinner we managed to catch a glimpse of a few Perseid metors from the Jacuzzi/hot tub! Day 2: I got up early and headed out in the Jeep while the wife and kids slept in. This turned out to be my standard method of operation for the trip. I would get up early, do some more challenging hikes on my own to areas I had never visited before, and then try to get back to the house by lunch time. After lunch we would head out with the kids to a beach that I was already familiar with and which did not require any long/strenuous hiking. On the first morning, I returned to Peace Hill because the previous night I had noticed a small sidetrail heading down the ridge from the Peace Hill trail. After a brief stop at the top of the hill, I took the side trail through the cactus down to Denis Bay. The hike was quite easy and lead to a beautiful rocky shoreline with a small 'classic north shore sandy beach' just to the north. The beach was similar in size and character to Solomon or Honeymoon beaches to the south. On returning to the car, I drove the length of North Shore Drive all the way to the Annaberg ruins parking area. I parked here and hiked along the Leinster Bay trail toward Waterlemon Cay. Just before reaching Waterlemon, I picked up the Johnny Horn trail which heads across the island back toward Coral Bay. About half way to Coral Bay, the Brown Bay trail begins. The Brown Bay trail is not officially maintained by the Park Service, and there is no sign to mark the intersection, but with the help of a decent topo map, it's not difficult to find at all. A good sized stone cairn also marks the trailhead. Aside from one or two downed trees, the trail itself was in excellent shape and lead down the south-east side of Leinster Hill to one of the most pristine and remote beaches on St. John, Brown Bay. I knew that I was nearly there when I saw that the entrance to the beach trail itself was lined on either side with rows of conch shells. For a self-professed misanthrope such as myself, this location is hard to beat. The crowd on the beach that morning consisted of three or four wild goats, about a half dozen pelicans, two sea turtles and a mongoose. There was not another human soul to be seen, as even the harbor itself is a poor anchorage and does not have any yacht moorings. It's one of those places where you just stand there bug-eyed staring out at the world saying over and over to yourself "I don't F'ing believe this..." I felt like Tom Hanks in "Cast Away" :) It was definitely the highlight of the trip for me. On my way out, I placed a small (uninhabited) conch shell, which I had found just offshore, with the others along the trail entrance. I made it back to the house by lunch time and that afternoon we took the kids out to Francis Bay. On the way out to Francis, we stopped at Cinnamon Bay to take the short self-guided loop trail around the ruins. The kids got a thrill out of the old Danish cemetery as well as the wild boar (wild pig?) that we managed to scare up on our way back. Francis Bay turned out to be a great place to bring the kids. The calm waters and soft sandy bottom gave the kids a good place to play, while the north end of the bay out along Mary Point provided some excellent shallow water snorkeling. The rocky shoreline along the point provided us with good views of sea turtles, barracudas and large clusters of sea urchins. Dinner that night was more chicken on the grill, and in fact, we did not go out to eat until our last day on the island. Day 3: Got up and out early again. This time I decided to hike up the Cinnamon Bay trail from the North Shore road all the way up the ridge to Centerline Road. Just before the half way point, I was able to find the spur trail that, according to my guidebook, lead to the America Hill Estate House ruins. The guidebook also mentioned that because the ruins are in such an unstable condition, the trail itself is officially closed. I decided to give it a shot and see how far I could get before the trail became impassable. Right from the start I could see that it would be rough going. The trail is lined on both sides with some rather nasty looking thorny "limeberry" bushes. It's not the kind of trail that one would normally want to hike in shorts and a T-shirt. After the first hundred yards or so I use a stick to push the thorns out of the way and to slash my way through the spider webs strung across the trail. A nice big machete would have been far more effective... on the spider webs. Some of those spiders looked like they were just sitting there waiting for some plump, unsuspecting pigeon to fly into their web!! I nearly turned back a couple of times, but I finally made it to the ruins. The jungle has almost completely reclaimed the site on which the house was built, but even so it's not hard to imagine what the view must have been like when the house was occupied. Through the trees you can make out the coast of Tortola, Jost van Dyke as well as a good chunk of the north shore of St. John. The house appears to have had very high ceilings with huge windows on all sides. By the time I made it back down the America Hill trail to the main Cinnamon Bay trail, I was covered with sweat and mosquito bites. I was sorely tempted to head back down the ridge for a swim at Cinnamon, but I decided to keep sloggin up that hill until I finally emerged from the forest and was able to stand on the center line of Centerline road. After sharing a short break with a small flock of Smooth-billed Ani's, I headed back down the trail for some snorkeling at Little Cinnamon Bay. To get to Little Cinnamon, you just head out onto the main beach at the campground and head as far left as possible. At this far west corner of the main beach, there is a short trail which leads over a few rocks and through the trees to the smaller and much more secluded Little Cinnamon bay. I had chosen to come to this particular beach, not just for the privacy, but because my guidebook said that there is an airplane wreck just offshore that is partially visible at certain times of the year. I followed the clues in the book and headed out from the beach between an old stone wall and the first set of palm trees. I was about to try and set up some sort of search grid when I caught my first glimpse of the propeller jutting out of the sand. According to the book, the wreck is that of a Cessna that crashed 'years ago'. More than half of the prop was clearly visible, as well as all six cylinders and a good sized piece of the wing. The wing seems to be supporting a large colony of tropical fish now, and I spent a few minutes just floating there watching them dart back and forth around the wing spars. The water was shallow enough so that I was able to dive down and touch the prop without any difficulty. I guess that this would qualify as my first 'wreck dive', and it was really quite memorable. Day 4: I decided to take it easy this morning and sleep in a bit. After breakfast we packed the kids into the Jeep and headed out toward Salt Pond Bay and the Ram Head trail. I had hiked out to Ram Head twice before, so I knew what to expect, but this was the first time that I had attempted it with kids in tow. After briefing the kids on the perils of cactus, sheer cliffs and high winds, we set off on the Ram Head Trail. Despite my initial concerns, the kids made it out and back without any problems at all. If you've ever hiked the Ram Head trail, you know that any attempt on my part to describe it would not do it justice. The closest I could come would be to say that it's kind of like Peace Hill, but with a much more in-your- face attitude! I just like to stand out there on that rock and face east, knowing that I am the first person to touch that wind since the day it left the coast of Africa. As we walked along Blue Cobblestone Beach, the kids got a big kick out of the many 'boulder snowmen' that line the beach there. After hiking back to Salt Pond Bay, we had a picnic lunch at one of the tables and spent the afternoon swimming and snorkeling around this beautiful soft sand beach. Day 5: I had only rented the villa for four nights and had booked our final night's stay at the Westin. We packed our bags and checked out of the villa at 10am. We left our bags at the rental office and spent a couple of hours walking around Cruz bay doing some shopping. I had never actually been inside the new Park Headquarters, so I went over for a look. There didn't seem to be all that much to it, other than a little book/gift shop and a large relief map of the island. Behind the headquarters building I found the entrance to the Lind Point Overlook trail. I managed to sneak away from the family long enough to take the short (1/2 mile) hike out past the abandoned seaplane ramp to the overlook. The site was once a fortified position from which cannons defended the entrance to the harbor. The cannons are long gone, but the view of Cruz Bay and the surrounding area is worth the trip. I had just made it back down the trail into town when one of those classic tropical downpours opened up. We bolted across the street into Mongoose Junction and decided that this would probably be a good time to have lunch. We ate at the Mongoose Junction Restaurant, and by the time I had finished my fish and chips (and Painkiller), the sky was sunny once again. We picked up our bags at the rental agency and got a cab to the Westin. I had never stayed at the Westin before, and was curious to see what it would be like. The rooms were very nice and the kids had a good time splashing around in that huge swimming pool. I had spent about 15 minutes in a chaise lounge when I realized that hanging around poolside at a resort is not my idea of the perfect vacation. I went back to the room and checked the hotel guest activity schedule for that day and found the one item that interested me... the Friday 4:00pm Iguana Feeding at the beach cabana! We grabbed the kids and headed over there. We eventually found a hotel employee with a fistful of Hibiscus pedals standing on a sidewalk near some dense undergrowth. She started throwing those flowers around, and within a few minutes had three or four of these big nasty two foot long lizards slamming down pink pedals as fast as she could shovel them out. The woman was quick to point out that no children should be allowed to feed the beasts, as "they have very sharp teeth and will not hesitate to take a big bite out of your skinny white ass given half a chance" (or words to that effect). She also mentioned that they used to do the Friday Iguana Feeding on the weekends, but it tended to coincide with weddings that are often held at the resort. The problem was that the iguanas tended to confuse the floral arrangements at the wedding with some sort of elaborate attempt at iguana feeding, and they would "disrupt the ceremony" (her words). I'll bet it made for some interesting wedding videos. That night we had dinner at the open-air beach club restaurant at the Westin. The food was excellent and the views of the bay were beautiful. We knocked back a couple of Pina Coladas while we watched the pelicans fishing, the fish jumping and the sun setting. All in all, a great way to spend our final evening on the island. Day 6: We called room service for breakfast (my kids think that room service is about the greatest idea ever conceived by mankind). I had signed up for an airport transfer from the hotel, so at 9:00 the bellhop came by to pick up the luggage. All we had to do was mosey on down to the marina (next to the restaurant) by 10am. I guess that this would be very convenient if you had a large amount of luggage, but with the small packs we were carrying, we could have saved a couple of bucks and taken the regular ferry from downtown. The ferry ride back to Charlotte Amalie was pleasant enough since we were able to get top-side seats. The flight back to Newark was fine and arrived about 10 minutes ahead of schedule. Conclusion: The rainy season does bring with it a greater number of mosquitoes and other insects, but it also means fewer tourists and more available parking spots in Cruz Bay. Given the choice between a swarm of mosquitoes and a swarm of tourists, I'll take the skeeters any day! Traveling during the summer also means that you don't have to worry about your cistern going dry during your stay. Another plus is that you rarely have to go head to head with the lumbering "Mr. Pimpy's" water trucks that seem to lurk around every hairpin turn during the dry months. Actually I didn't see a single water delivery truck on the road during our stay. The lower rates and the convenience of not having to schedule around the kids' school schedule make summer travel that much more appealing. The one thing that might make me reconsider an August trip to the Caribbean would be the threat of weather. We got lucky this time, as tropical storm Chantelle tracked well south of our location, but the headache associated with having to bug-out early is something to be considered, whether you have trip insurance or not. References: "St. John - Off the Beaten Track" by Gerald Singer (ISBN 0- 9641220-1-4). This book is indispensable in my opinion. The second edition was revised in 2000, so it's quite up to date. It covers the hiking trails, snorkeling areas, history, florae and fauna of St. John. Take your time reading this one, it's the next best thing to being there. "National Geographic Maps - Virgin Islands National Park" This excellent topographic map was published by Trails Illustrated. The one I have was revised in 1997, but I'm not sure if they still publish it. If you can get a hold of one, it's nice to have. It also describes the trails and snorkeling beaches. Their phone number is 800-962-1643.
My wife and I and two other couples, recently returned from St. Lucia (June 24th to July 1, 2001) where we spent a wonderful week at Sandal's Halcyon Resort. When we booked the trip, the Champagne flight out of Newark was scheduled to leave at 7:00am on Sunday morning, and since we live outside Philadelphia we reserved a room at the Holiday Inn next to the airport for Saturday night so we would not have to drive up to Newark early on a Sunday morning. We also left our car at the hotel for the week. It was the best thing we did, even though the flight time was eventually changed to 11:00am. We checked in at Miami Air (who is the charter airline for Sandal's) at the airport, selected our seats and were set to go. The flight was great, Champagne and breakfast were served. A concierge was onboard to assist with paperwork prior to landing in order to expedite check in at the hotel. The flight was 4 hours from Newark to St. Lucia, which off-loaded the St. Lucia guests and then proceeded to Antigua, for the Sandal's Antigua guests. After we landed, it took only a few minutes to go through customs, (have your birth certificate and picture ID). You retrieve your bags and a skycap will take them to the curb for you (tip $1.00 per bag). At the curb a Sandal's representative will greet you and get you into the taxi's (they are all vans). The Taxi ride was an adventure of a lifetime. The ride to Sandal's Halcyon is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes with a total distance of 38 miles. It is like a roller coaster ride...up the hill, down the hill, sharp turns, etc., but adventurous. When we arrived at the resort, we were greeted by the staff and were given upgraded rooms, which were arranged by our travel agent. The rooms at the resort are all the same, the only difference is the view, basically how much ocean you see. The rooms are very nice and clean. The only annoyance I had with the room was, and I pointed it out to the resort General Manager, is that Sandal's Website stated that St. Lucia only had 220 volt current, so I purchased a Step-down Electric Converter so I could charge my camera batteries. It turns out the resort has both 110 and 220 volt electric outlets. You do not need hair dryers or Irons, both are available in the rooms. The resort has approximately 170 rooms, versus the St. Lucia Golf and Spa resort, which has approximately 345 rooms. You can use the facilities at both resorts while you're a guest at either one. We visited the Golf and Spa resort twice, it is a magnificent place, however, we preferred the Halcyon resort for its coziness and relaxed feel. All the restaurants were great. At Halcyon there is the Bayside, which is casual and International Fare, this is where we had breakfast and lunch daily. There is also Mario's Italian Restaurant (reservations needed and Long pants for the men), the food was good. The other Italian restaurant is at the Golf Resort, unfortunately we did not have a chance to go there. The other Halcyon restaurant is The Pier, which was a Caribbean style menu, it too was excellent. We ate at La Toc (French food) and Kimono's (Japanese) both at the Golf and Spa Resort, both required reservation and had a dress code. They were both great and I recommend both. Overall the food was excellent at both resorts, make your reservations the day you arrive through the concierge. All the entertainment is local, all were very good and entertaining. The Playmakers will keep you participating in the activities, (to get points for your miniature leather sandals). Participation is not required however it is a lot of fun. These resorts are really great for the person who likes water sports, they have everything for you, except Jet Ski's. (I was told that with the amount of alcohol consumed, they didn't want someone getting killed on a Jet Ski). If you want to scuba, they teach you and take you out daily, they provide snorkeling and water-skiing. Sailing on Hoby Cats, etc. If you like the water, it is great. As for excursions, we decided to take the Soufriere Day Sail. At first we were somewhat apprehensive, but it was well worth the cost ($80/person). You sail out of Castries (5 minutes from the resort) down the coast on a 50-60 foot Catamaran, of course they have booze included. You sail all the way down to the southern end of the island to get a close up view of the Piton Mountains, then you turn around and go up to Soufriere where they dock and take you by bus to the Sulfur Spring. From there you go to a Botanical Garden where you have a buffet lunch (included in the price). After lunch it is back to the boat where you set sail northward to go to visit Marigot Bay (very exclusive area and beautiful). From there we went snorkeling for an hour, which was a lot of fun. After that it was back to the Castries. The entire trip was 8 hours and was very relaxing and enjoyable (bring a cheap underwater camera, they work great). There were only a few negatives about the trip: First was the bus ride, we had no idea that it would take an hour and a half to get to the resort. There is a Helicopter service that will fly you from the airport to Castries for about $100/person, or if you are not flying on the Champagne express and book it yourself, I saw at the Castries Airport (small aircraft only) an American Eagle commuter planes coming and going, so that is an option. My second complaint was our departure from the airport. When we checked in at Newark to go to St. Lucia, we were assigned seats, however coming home it was every man for himself to get a good seat on the plane. You waited in line at the terminal. The only positive of the return trip is that the plane left St. Lucia and went to Antigua to refuel and be cleaned. You had to leave the plane for an hour, and when they started to reboard the St. Lucia guests boarded before the Antigua guests, which allowed you to pick any seat you wanted (we move up from the rear of the plane). The flight home was great and again Sandal's had a Concierge on board to assist with the Immigrations/Customs papers that are required when you reenter the US. We went through Customs and Immigrations without a hitch and were on our way home. Sandal's Halcyon was a great place to go and hope to got there again in the near future.
28 July to 3 August 2001 We recently returned from this trip. In trying to plan a trip with teenagers we found relatively few trip reports about either trips with teens, or trips to the Beaches resorts that allow families. We hope this is helpful to others. As background, we are a family of four. Monica and I are in our late 40's. Celia, our daughter, was 16 two days after we returned and will be a high school junior. Carl, our son, was 13 in July and will enter eighth grade. They have very different personalities and interests, and, by definition, theirs are very different from ours. This trip was an attempt on our part to have a great family vacation before trips to investigate colleges, graduations, and so on get in the way. Travel Briefly, we flew from Newark via American through Miami to Provo. The flights were all close to or on time (!). All were packed, and the food was, as expected, barely edible. However, as far as today's domestic and near domestic air travel goes, this was a good experience. One caveat _ the Miami Airport has virtually no food service in the international area used by American. We travel enough that we pack our own. We'd encourage you to do the same. The Resort Overall The island on which Beaches Turks and Caicos is located, Providenciales (Provo), is not what you might expect from a "Caribbean" island. Rather than being lush and tropical; it is flat, sandy, generally covered in a scrub type of vegetation, and quite warm although there is a continual breeze. This is not unpleasant, but visitors should not expect the Jamaican Blue Mountains, for example. Beaches has made a huge effort to create a more tropical atmosphere, importing palm trees, planting grass, and generally landscaping in a more Jamaican style. All of this is well maintained. Beaches Turks and Caicos is quite large, with something over 460 rooms and suites arranged in two large areas: the original area along the beach, and the newer French Village which is a series of three story buildings surrounding a very large pool known as the Riviera Pool. The staff is, for the most part, very pleasant and attentive. There is the occasional surly waiter (or are they supposed to be that way in the French restaurant?) or other person, but they are very few. The grounds are attractive and the beach is beautiful. There are six pools, although three to four are in general use (one pool is for dive instruction and a second is for very small children). The pools are large, although not quite as large as they seem in the brochure (I wish I had the camera that resorts use to make their facilities look even larger than in real life!). When the resort is full the pools can be crowded, and one or another is occasionally closed because some child "did something in the pool"! During our visit the resort was full, or nearly so, according to several staff. As a result, there were times when some areas were at least as crowded as our community pool at home. If possible, you should avoid going to Beaches when kids are on vacation (of course, if you have kids, when else would you go?). Speaking of kids, it's hard to understand why anyone who doesn't have some with them would go to this Beaches. While the facility is truly very attractive and generally well run, there are kids everywhere. Their behavior is, of course, a function of their parents' influence, and most were quite good. However, if you are adults, there are many all-inclusive resorts that don't include people under 18 years of age. These are a better choice (For instance, Grand Lido Negril. See our trip report from late 1999.). Finally, Beaches, like Sandals, is a very active resort, with much going on; loud, recorded music at the pools, etc. This is great for a family vacation. However, if you want a quieter island vacation, consider somewhere else. The Room Beaches, like its parent Sandals, has a bewildering array of room type choices. We worked with GoClassy Tours (who did a fine job) and selected the "Honeymoon Grand Luxe Junior Suite". When we arrived we seemed to have received an upgrade to something like the "Honeymoon Beachfront One Bedroom Suite". That is, we had a fully separate living room with double fold-out couch and a DOOR THAT CLOSED between the bedroom (where we slept) and living room (where our kids slept). We also had a whirlpool (unnecessary) and double balconies. We still needed an additional rollaway bed, as a 16 year old girl and 13 year old boy refuse to sleep with each other (surprise!). In fact, no one will share a bed with the son, because you wake up on the floor black-and-blue in the morning! The condition of the room was very good, as was the service. We were quite satisfied. The Food This Beaches also has a bewildering array of restaurants, some of which are open for breakfast, some for lunch, all for dinner, some are adults only, some have dress codes, etc., etc. In general the food was very good. It was excellent at Le Petite Chateau (adults only, classy casual, no shorts). The reservation system was fine for those that required reservations (book early in your trip to be sure you get in). The arrangements for the other restaurants were sometimes confusing. Be sure to check what the system is at each restaurant. Misunderstandings can lead to long waits, especially when the resort is full. We were actually happiest as a family at the Reflections buffet in the main building. There was usually something for each of us at breakfast and lunch (and we all have different tastes). Celia and Carl ate there the two nights that we ate "adults only" and were quite pleased. One of the best ideas at the resort is the Café de Paris in the French Village. It is open from morning until late at night and serves desserts (very good to excellent), coffee (and cappuccino, etc.), and ice cream (although not 38 varieties or sundaes or anything like that). It is also air-conditioned, which was a nice break as it was in the 90's for our entire trip. Also, the swim up bars are great. The kids loved them. They have as great a variety of tropical non-alcoholic drinks as they do alcoholic ones, so that the kids can feel they're ordering something special, just like the drinking age adults. In our personal opinion, the drinks were made best at the Iguana bar. Entertainment Of the two weak spots to this resort, entertainment is one. To be fair, the main stage was being expanded (apparently because N'Sync was to be there a few weeks later for a show), so the entertainment was located in a small area near one of the pools. However, the quality was not good. The evening of reggae dance lessons and contest was OK. The band was enthusiastic, as was the crowd. There was true "entertainment" only two other of our five nights. We missed one evening (although we were told it was good). The other evening the featured singer was not good. While enthusiastic, she had problems actually singing the songs (pitch and tonality), so the effect was not professional. There was no other entertainment, although there was supposed to be an adult disco somewhere, and teen disco somewhere else (more about teen activities later). We didn't look for the adult disco, and my daughter looked for but never found the teen one. Finally, the house bands were so-so. Activities - Snorkeling We had been told to expect great snorkeling, and were not disappointed. At this Beaches, which is on Grace Bay on the north side of the island and which is a Marine Park, it is possible to walk down the beach about five minutes to a protected area that you can walk out to and see many types of fish and coral. This worked well for Monica, who does not do boats, and her new prescription goggles. The rest of us also enjoyed this site. Beaches also provides snorkel boat trips six times a day to another protected reef area. The wildlife is superb. You must sign up for the trips a day in advance. The list can fill up quickly, and waiting list become long. However, people often don't show up, so you may be able to walk right on. It's best to sign up in advance, however. Activities - Scuba Beaches offers a "resort" scuba course for those who are not certified. Celia and I did this. The resort also offers boat trips to certified divers after a check-out. There were some surprises to the resort course. The procedure is to sign up EARLY (be there before the window opens at 8 a.m. and stand in line) for the course the NEXT DAY. BE SURE you know your place on the list, and whether you are on the list to go, or the waiting list. We had a significant misunderstanding here, which took a lot of arguing to fix. While we were eventually satisfied, it is best to know exactly where you stand. NOTE: If you are wait listed, and do not make the class, YOU ARE NOT automatically enrolled for the following day. You must re-sign up. Since you don't know this until after the sign-ups for the next day are closed, it is best to keep showing up at 8 a.m. Hard work for a vacation? Yes, but the facilities can only handle 16 novices per day and the resort has 460 plus rooms. You do the math. Once you have signed up you will be required to complete a medical history form. If you have or have had any of the conditions listed, you will be required to have a note from your doctor, or a doctor on the island, stating specifically that you are "fit to dive". Because I am over 45 and have a family history of heart disease, but not a personal history, I had to call my doctor in the States and have him fax down a note (Note: I compete in triathlons, competitively swim at the Master's level, and train six days a week. It didn't matter. They still needed the note.) If you have any condition or family history that might affect your fitness to dive, you should get the note from your doctor first, to avoid the hassle (note that each call to the States cost about $10). Finally, when you complete the resort course you are allowed ONE dive, the same afternoon as the course. If you do not make that dive for any reason (your own or the weather or whatever), you have to wait the rest of your trip and hope that someone else doesn't make the resort-course dive boat some afternoon so you can take their place. This actually happened to people while we were there. Again, this may seem like a lot of work for a vacation. However, Celia and I thoroughly enjoyed the course and dive, and would do it again. Activities - Other Watersports Beaches also offers water trikes, kayaks, Hobie cats, windsurfing, pool activities, and so on. In general these went well. There are just enough kayaks, cats, etc. so that the wait to use them wasn't too long. We had great fun with all of them, especially Carl. Learning to windsurf was a mixed experience. The instruction was good (Carl even had a lesson to himself because no one else showed up when it was windy), but the conditions were difficult for novices anyway. This was one of Carl's great interests for the trip, and he had to work hard to make progress (He's a little short for a 13 year-old, but an athlete and solidly built. However, he was still a little small for the adult-sized equipment.). Various activities took place in the various pools throughout the day. The only one any of us participated in was water polo, which Carl played and enjoyed very much. The people doing the water exercises, volleyball, etc. all seemed to be enjoying themselves. However, some of these activities, especially the water exercise, required highly amplified instructions (LOUD) which made it less pleasant for non-participants to be around that pool at that time. Activities - Teens This is the other weak spot for this resort. We researched resorts heavily on the Web and elsewhere to try to identify those at which teens would feel comfortable and where there would be activities designed specifically for them (not easy to do, I admit). Beaches was one of the few resorts that claimed to have such in its promotional material. This was an overpromise. Yes, there were quite a few teens at Beaches, so ours didn't feel like it was a place only for little kids. However, there was nothing we could find that was specifically designed for them. Activities were listed that never happened (like the teen disco), and were supposed to take place in the Pirates Island area, which was overrun with younger children. It seemed that the many teens that were at Beaches had come as part of groups of families that vacationed together, and they weren't interested in meeting others they weren't already attached to (Celia tried). Our kids DID enjoy the trip. But they did so because they could participate in "family" activities (like the water polo) or adult activities (scuba, snorkeling, etc.), NOT because of any teen activities provided by Beaches. Recognition There are a few people at Beaches that helped make our trip enjoyable. Albert and Courtenay in the Concierge Office were extremely helpful at turning what difficulties we had into positive experiences. Also, Don the Dive Manager, and Julia and Neal, instructors and dive leaders were also great. Julia was a particularly thorough and patient instructor, and Neal did very well with those of us who had trouble equalizing their ears in their first dive to 25 or so feet. Final Note Much of the guest turnover occurs on the weekends. People arrive full of energy and plans and immediately sign up for all sorts of activities. By mid-week people seemed to run out of energy, and attendance at sign-up types of activities seemed to drop off. Message: If you have trouble getting into activities early in the week, get on the wait lists, show up, and keep trying. You'll get in eventually. Summary In summary, we had a great family vacation at Beaches Turks & Caicos. Everyone got to do what he or she wanted at a beautiful and largely well-run resort. However, because of its size and fullness, doing what we wanted occasionally required more effort than a vacation should require. All in all, if given the opportunity we would definitely go back.
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