Warm and lazy vacation

[msmemory_archive]

I'm thinking that after the stress and chaos of this past year, a vacation somewhere warm and indolent would be just the ticket. This isn't the year for a bustling European capital city, but more for a tropical beach with fruity drinks, warm water, and no commitments.

The ideal destination would have web access and excellent dining, some sports like biking and scuba, but no perky social directors instigating beach volleyball.

Recommendations, anybody?

Comments

[herooftheage.livejournal.com]

Three, with varying degrees of confidence. 1) Meredith and I had a wonderful time in the Grand Caymans. I think we stayed at the Westin, and the things I remember about the place was an open walled breakfast buffet where parakeets would fly in begging for food, and lying on the beach all day with cabana boys and girls bringing umbrella drinks out every time you put the flag up on your chair. You can rent bikes to get around the island, and there's a glass submarine tour that goes down 1000 ft., and you can even rent two-person submarines. 2) Atlantis, Bahamas. I only stayed here a day, and spent most of it gambling, so I didn't get the whole experience. Good food, wonderful island, and you can swim with the dolphins. Might be a little cool in the dead of winter - you should check. 3) Any of the Hedonism chain. I haven't been, but I have friends who have, and they all rave about the places. You can either join in the fun or loll about. I sort of remember the one in Jamaica coming highly recommended.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

I have swum in the Bahamas, on the Atlantic side, in January. Snorkeling, actually.

I guess there were 40 people on the trip, and by the end of 45 minutes only two of us were still in the water. It was cold. evilnicola was with me - she can provide her memory of it.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Several of those sound really good. And we have current passports so aren't limited to U.S. territories.

Oooh, dolphins! That's something I'd love to experience.

Do you know anything about the Sandals group and how it compares to the Hedonism resorts?

[herooftheage.livejournal.com]

I don't. If you want a first-hand summary of Hedonism, a person you might chat up is Scott Lawrence. (Don't know if you know him, but Justin will, at least as a passing acquaintance.)

Fernando and Ianthe liked their Club Med golf vacation. In the back of my mind, I want to go on the circus one someday soon.

And I was thinking Caribbean. There is of course, Hawaii, if you can stand the plane flight. Talk to Joe - he might know something. :)

You can do the dolphins thing in Orlando too, it turns out, and combine that with due supplication at the Shrine Of The Great Rat God. But winter is not beach time in Orlando, as you know. Anytime you'd like to make a foursome out of that, do keep Meredith and me in mind.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Joe?

Becky and Arnis enjoyed their Hawaii trip a few months back, but the plane trip does sound longer than I had in mind. I too was thinking Caribbean, or Florida (with or without the Rat God).

[herooftheage.livejournal.com]

Josef? Patri's squire, fighter/fencer, hung out with the weresheep a lot, married a nice lady from Hawaii and moved there, but they've moved back to the area recently. You'd know him if you saw him.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure! Seosamh. (They're in Framingham nowadays.)

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

metasomething?

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Yep.

[jdulac.livejournal.com]

he's Thorgeir's squire :)

[herooftheage.livejournal.com]

Hrmm? You sure? The good thing about being absent-minded is that when I do go senile, how will anyone be able to tell? But I do have him pegged as Patri's squire for some reason. Maybe they are just close.

Hedonism

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Their website's gushy comments and photos about their toga parties suggest that the Hedonism resorts may be a mismatch with jducoeur and me. That wasn't my scene even when I was 20 years old.

Re: Hedonism

[johno.livejournal.com]

Never been, but I know several folks who have. They do live up (or is it down) to their rep and if you're looking for quiet time, you won't get it at a ClubHed.

However, the SuperClubs chain is supposed to let you just hang out. They may have wild times and visiting groups, but your travel agent should be able to check to make sure you're booking a non-party week.

Sandals, Breezes and Negral groups have a wide range of "star" and activity level resorts as well.

There are many independent all inclusive resorts, that a good travel agent will know about as well.

Check with J about the place her family goes to nearly every year.

Which reminds me if you would like to try a cruise and you are willing to go with the preferences that J and chriso & I have, there is a cruise in Feb out of Ft. Lauderdale where 1/2 the time is at sea.

Re: Hedonism

[ramblingmom.livejournal.com]

OH -- great minds DO think alike. I was thinking of suggesting the same place that J goes. I'd love to (someday) blow this town in February and I'd love to go someplace WARM!!!

[I wanna go where there ain't any snow where there ain't any blow cause my fins sink so low I wanna go where it's WARM -- J. Buffett]

[antoniseb.livejournal.com]

Somewhere in the Florida Keys perhaps. Or, St. Thomas seemed like a nice mix of tropical and yet safely urban.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Kids or no kids at the resort? Or - don't care?

Frankly, I am a man with a hammer, but you seem to be describing a rather indolent cruise. One with fewer shore days, and more cruise days.

I've never been disappointed with some of the Southern Caribbean cruises that leave from Puerto Rico.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Kids not underfoot. Maybe a 21+ resort, maybe just a relatively quiet one for mixed ages (or not a school-vacation week). I don't want to swim with the Marco Polo crowd or wake to games of tag under my balcony.

Cruises do seem to expect sociability with one's fellow passengers, that's the thing. I don't necessarily want to be polite to Ethel from Akron over dinner. But the option of exploring a few shore ports has some appeal.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

You don't have to be polite - just snag tables for two. :-) Many cruise lines have eschewed assigned dinner seating, for example. And those that have not, well, have tables for two.

I cannot advise well on resorts without kids, I am afraid. If money is an object, I can say that I got more value for money in the Dominican Republic than anywhere else.

I love Barbados, and the land in Saint Lucia is unbelievably attractive - and there are many inclusives on both. My cousin used to spend winter vacations on Aruba, every year - and the one time I was there for a day (on a cruise) I decided to return someday.

[tpau]

i had a good tiem a tthe Breezes Runnaway Golf and Beach resort. all-inclusive, 18+ in Jamaica. inexpensive as well

[mermaidlady]

I haven't been there myself... My parents enjoyed their vacation in Belize so much that my sister went there for her honeymoon.

[ian-gunn.livejournal.com]

We had a fabulous time at a Beaches resort in Jamaica two years ago. Beaches in the family friendly arm of Sandals. We stayed at the Negril Beaches and there is a Sandal's right next to it. (http://www.sandals.com/main/negril/ne-home.cfm) Top notch beach and service. You will enjoy it.

On the other hand it is expensive. I talked gardenfey into a caribbean cruise for February school vacation. It is going to cost half what going to Jamaica again would cost. There are a lot of good cruise choices, and deals, out there.

[staceyspins.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed the Bahamas. A friend and I went years ago...rented scooters, did some horesback riding, spent a lovely day strolling in a botanical garden with the humming birds, snorkled and did lots of drinking on the beach and lounging :o) A very relaxing time!

[umbran.livejournal.com]

Hawaii!

[goldenstag.livejournal.com]

From personal experience: Hawaii -- the big island -- in March, is fantastic. The whales (Humbacks) are still there with calves, so whale watching is fun, visiting the volcano is fun (a real live honest to gosh still creating real-estate volcano that you can walk on ...), and so on. My spouse and a couple good friends went there in March a few years ago, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[elizabear.livejournal.com]

oooo, you just reminded me of the good times in Hawaii. :) But it is rather far away, so the eastern suggestions sound great. You definitely deserve the trip!

[elizabear.livejournal.com]

FYI - JetBlue had an ad in the paper today - $99 to Bahamas, $104 to Puerto Rico.

My 2 cents

[wench33.livejournal.com]

Clock and I had a great time in Aruba :) there's TONS of stuff to do day and night.

[jimpage363.livejournal.com]

I can seriously recommend a Caribbean cruise, which offers all of those things and you can ignore the perky cruise director-types. Just got back from one and it was GLORIOUS.

[yew-hall.livejournal.com]

Charela Inn on Negril in Jamaica!
http://www.charela.com/
It's something like 18 rooms, right ON the beach. Superb restaurant for dinner. Walk as much or as little of the 7 miles of beach as you want, or just lay on a beach chair & sip funny drinks & people-watch. Photos & details on request; so many great memories. Our week there was *heaven* & I'd like to go back...
'course, I'd like to do *everything* folks have suggested here but there's not enough time or money!