tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34739899348463779662024-03-12T22:53:06.743-07:00Travel Pro TalesThese blogs are memories from 40 years in travel from working in the UK and overseas for various airlines to running corporate travel agency businesses(TMCS). The vast majority of this content is absolutely true.
Naturally all the characters in these blogs are entirely fictional and bear no relation to anyone living or dead. Also all content in these blogs belongs to the author and cannot be reproduced in any way without his express permission.I hope you enjoy them:Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-7439861639763621742019-05-07T04:03:00.000-07:002019-05-08T03:45:04.806-07:00Palm Island, Grenadines - The Nitty Gritty<br />
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We have been looking for somewhere new and different for
quite a time now. Somewhere one can be away from it all but able to enjoy good
company and excellent service. Somewhere that is visually stunning yet not to vicious
on flying time or money. I am glad to say we have now got as close to this
perfection as we will ever get so allow me to explain why.<o:p></o:p><br />
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I chose the holiday so I am glad I got it right as, being an
ex-travel professional it is surprising often I fail in this respect! Holiday
choices are very subjective but this one seemed to offer the perfect compromise
between my taste and that of my wife Judith. You see I like plenty to occupy
myself and I am a social animal that enjoys good food, a wide range of drinks –
and plenty of it. Judith on the other hand likes relaxation, British cuisine
and tends to drink wine only. Palm Island had the lot! Some of such up market
resorts like Palm Island tend to bring out folk that seem more inclined to
dress up and pose a lot but thankfully this place, although having a sensible
dress code, was pretty much free of such displays!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Palm Island is located just off the coast of Union Island in
the Grenadines which are about 40 minutes flight from Barbados and a little
less from St Lucia. In the old days it used to be called Prune Island and
consisted of swamps, mosquitos and scrubland. It featured heavily, in its
original name, in the old days of piracy but thankfully that is well in the
past too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Many major long-haul tour operators offer Palm Island in
their brochures but I booked it online and probably saved
a little in doing so by using discounts and air miles (Avios). We flew BA to
Barbados from Gatwick and this got us into Bridgetown Barbados around 1535 in
the afternoon. I then contacted Palm Island through Elite Resorts who market
them in the UK and USA.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we had booked for
more than 10 days the resort included the cost of the connecting service in
their hotel fee and made the booking locally for us. Anyone can do this or get
in touch with the SVG website themselves. They really do try and make it as
easy as possible and they meet you off your arriving aircraft and transfer you
onto theirs pretty seamlessly. As the connection is reasonably short I suggest
you mark your bag clearly (ribbons?) and ensure you have the coupons ready to
hand over as well as possibly a photo of the bags. If the worst happens, your
flight is late, and there is no time for the bag transfer then they will send
them on the next morning. This is rare but I recommend you carry a change of
clothing in your cabin baggage.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The plane you connect onto is small. Most seat around 20
people, have two propeller engines and are not ‘God’s gift’ in comfort however
they are sturdy, reliable an fun…..in a noisy sort of way. Large cabin bags are
put in the front hatch so keep your eyes open to ensure they are offloaded at
Union as the aircraft often flies on to other places. When you approach Union
Island (around 40 minutes later) you will fly directly around Palm Island on
your approach and you can usually see it through the right hand window. You
then descend onto the runway. Do not be concerned by the occasional <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bumpiness on the final descent which can be
caused by nearby mountain peaks as this is usual and the pilots know it
intimately!<o:p></o:p><br />
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You land, watch them remove ALL your bags and go into this
tiny building to clear immigration and customs. The airport is ‘quaint’ but
they take their job very seriously. They are lovely people and will help you if
needed but they are serious so don’t be put off. Also be warned that every time
you land anywhere in this part of the Caribbean you will need a separate
landing and departure form, even for the short hops so make sure you are given
one. Fill them out as soon as you can as there is not much room on the plane!
If the airline does not give you one then be ready to get one as soon as
possible on arrival. For example, in Barbados there are forms and pens at a
desk on the right just inside the arrivals building.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Having cleared customs you will be met by a very genial
gentleman with an enormous golf style buggy. Climb aboard and he will take you
on a 7 minute drive to the local yacht club where the transfer launch is
waiting. The resort has at least two of these launches and they are big and
powerful so do not worry about getting queasy on board as they rush through the
waves. They give you water and cool towels and in 10 minutes you are at the
Palm Island dock where there are more smiling people holding a tray of rum
punches!<o:p></o:p><br />
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So now the ‘Palm Island experience’ begins. The people
meeting you are usually the resort G.M. (Katy), a selection of available
managers, some porters and the barman. You get offered your drink and a mini
briefing on the resort. They take you straight to your room and suggest you
formally check in the next day which I think is awfully civilised. The setting
of resort is brilliant but quite widespread. You do not feel on top of people here.
We unpacked, went on a short walk around and then into the bar and restaurant
which are next to each other. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So, after this rather
lengthy, but hopefully useful, preamble let’s get onto the resort itself. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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As you may have gathered it is the only resort on a not very
big island. There are a few private villas around its small coastline and a
couple belonging to the resort itself but, apart from that you are cut off from
the rigours of this world. There are little ‘dirt roads’ going around and
through the island and they provide bikes for those who do not feel like
walking. These are great and you can circuit the island in about 20 minutes.
Some parts are on the Atlantic side, some have rocky parts good for snorkelling
and some are very well groomed around the resort itself. The resort itself
faces Union Island and is kind of triangular in shape. The main beach covers
both sides of the point with all the amenities (pool, library, reception etc)
behind it within a lawned area.<o:p></o:p><br />
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There are quite a few different types of accommodation so
make your choice well. We stayed in a ‘Superior Beachfront’ which was just
that. These rooms are recently built in a modern style and replace some of the
original ‘Beachfront’ rooms. They are bigger and more modern with some added
amenities inside and out like large draped outdoor beds etc. The room contains
what you would expect in the way of fridges, ironing boards, umbrellas. Inside
the fridge you get soft drinks and local beer but no wine or spirits. We bought
our own local rum for pre-dinner aperitifs. The ‘bathroom’ does not have a bath as it is replaced by a large glass screened shower area with
complementary soaps and shampoo. These rooms face the main beach although set
back a little.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The standard ‘Beachfront’ rooms are mainly closer to the
sea, older, smaller and with a traditional decor but very attractive and we
would have been equally happy staying in them. the rooms have 2 pin American plug sockets. These rooms have a small but lovely
outdoor area with two comfortable sunbeds with mattresses and a grass umbrella.
Great for sundowners!<o:p></o:p><br />
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The ‘Garden View’ rooms are just that i.e. they face inland
towards the lawns and pool. They seemed identical to the Beachfront rooms but
without the seafront and sunset to look at. Other than that they looked great.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Then they had the suites. I did not see many as they were
occupied but they too looked very comfortable. The ‘Sea Grape’ suites are on
one side of the resort next to the Sunset restaurant on a small stretch of
beach close to the main jetties. Externally they looked great and did not seem
to be troubled by noise from the surrounding activities. The resorts ‘Loft’
suites were spread around the place and were built on two levels. I liked what
I saw but thought that there were perhaps too many variations of accommodation
and prices. I was however very impressed with the range of rooms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So what about the
public areas?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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These can be split into a number of sections. The main block
contains an open sided traditional Reception area with attached office and
shop. Any briefings are made in the lounge furnished reception area. It is not
always manned but the adjoining office always has someone on duty. I have been
told that this area is one of the few places where you can get a WIFI signal but
my 4G Vodafone worked everywhere including by the pool or in our room. The shop
stocks most things but at Caribbean prices which are a little higher than ours.
Strangely the shop seems the only place where you can buy crisps or nuts to eat
in your room. You can reserve your bikes from Reception<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just down a path from the shop is the Sunset restaurant. I
am not sure where the name came from as when we were there it was only open
lunchtimes apart from the very occasional evening. The seating is both indoor
and outdoor under grass umbrellas and the food and ambiance a delight. There
are plenty of fish specials, tacos, fajitas, lobster (in season) and meat
alternatives. The staff are laid back and very helpful.<o:p></o:p><br />
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My second section is on the main beach and mainly comprises
of bar and main restaurant. Again the restaurant is very well organised with
excellent service and good food. Breakfast can be as extensive as you want it
to be. There is a buffet section for all sorts of self-service items including
cereals and toast, and a waiter who gets your hot items. There is very little
missing for both European and North American tastes. Dinner is special in both range and quality. We did not have one bad meal (except perhaps for the
baked shark!) and the staff were super-attentive without being pushy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next to the restaurant is the bar which is almost as large
in size. It has a main square stone island where the barman has his drinks
which is surrounded by stools. Most premium drinks were offered here. There are
loads of easy chairs dotted around the rest which is great but DON’T try to
move them as they weigh a ton! One tends to find different types of folk
gravitate towards each other and we ended up with some great people from
Canada, Mexico and Germany to while away the evenings with. Like most places
smoking can be an issue but the resort is pragmatic about it i.e. they don’t try
and stop you if you sit around the edges of the lounge area. They even provide
ashtrays! Musical entertainment was provided nightly which I thought was of a
high standard…..especially as the evening wore on!<o:p></o:p><br />
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My third section is the grounds and what is in them. The
pool is freeform and long. There are further grass umbrellas and plenty of sun
loungers around. My only gripe was the sun loungers as they are canvas covered
and have no mattresses so you can end up with a numb behind! There is no
lifeguard but also no children, so it seemed reasonably safe especially as it
is not very deep (4ft)! There is a little covered area at one end and there you
can find towels and a fridge with cold drinks. If you want anything different
to drink you need to accost the occasional passing barman or wander down to the
main facility. The pool was rarely used (apart from us) as it gets quite windy
there in certain seasons.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Like most parts of the hotel the pool area is very open and
surrounded by well-kept lawns. It is on these lawns and surrounding sand and
paths you see most of the wildlife including birds, iguanas and tortoises.
Looking across and beyond the lawn is a line of low rise buildings which house
the gym, games area (including tennis and ping pong) as well as the library and
TV room (there is no in-room TV). The library has an enormous selection of
books that are stacked three deep. There are little screened off shower areas if you need them for washing or costume changes!<o:p></o:p><br />
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The final section is the beaches. There are quite a few of
them and I did not see them all as I was too lazy to cycle much. Each beach is
a little different and four have hammock areas built by the resort. If you book
and pay a little extra you can enjoy these hammocks for a day with a champagne
lunch provided. The main beach is very white, very sandy and with plenty of sun
umbrellas with those ‘comfortable’ sunbeds. There is a water sport section
quite close to the main bar area. The guys there are very helpful and are happy
to get you drinks either from their store or the bar. Towels are available here
too.<o:p></o:p><br />
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A visitor!</div>
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We enjoyed the beach greatly although it does shelve quite
steeply in parts and some might need to take care about this. Again, the water
level also shelves in places so be aware. Sometimes you get day trippers on the
beach but thankfully not as much as other islands. Some guests complain but
there is very little that the resort can do as all beaches in the Caribbean are
‘open to all’. The resort does take lunch booking from day visitors but I think
this is fair as why have a half empty restaurant if people want to eat there!<o:p></o:p><br />
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For a quiet laid back place there is surprisingly a lot to do if you have time or enthusiasm for it. They run regular boat trips to great snorkelling places like Tobago Cays where you are almost guaranteed to swim with turtles and rays. Union Island next door can be toured by taxi but I have to admit most people were glad to lounge around the island or sail.<br />
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Looking back at what I have written I am thinking a) it’s a
bit huge and b) have I forgotten anything important. As far as size is
concerned, I’m sorry! And secondly? Yes. I have not mentioned the management
and staff which can make or break resorts so I will put the latter right, now.
It is all about management style or lack of it and this team have a lot of
style. This style is slightly different to some as they are very friendly, very
relaxed and are seen as very…..familiar to some. They really do believe in being efficient
but at the same time like to put guests at their ease by using first names and
wanting to talk. To a number of people I saw it was not expected but, by the
end of their stay, they all seemed happy enough. Katy, the GM runs a tight ship
and others of her senior team follow her lead well. Cyril, the restaurant
manager, is hugely friendly but cannot be faulted for it in any way. I even enjoyed being called Mikey by the end of our stay!<br />
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The
rest?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>WE WILL MISS THEM!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-83655432072172094602018-11-05T09:31:00.001-08:002018-11-06T03:07:23.740-08:00A dining guide to Paxos<br />
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Paxos has loads of restaurants and like most places in Greece the food is tasty although rather samey. </div>
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You can always get the usual fare of squid, Octopus, Souvlaki, Mousakka, chips, chips, more chips and rice. Although the food can seem similar meal by meal there is always the option to cook your own (if you have a villa, apartment, barbecue etc) and we did this a lot. There are quite a few supermarkets and mini-marts about with a broad range of choices.</div>
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Although dining in a lot we did go out and here is a brief critique on what we found. We went to the three main locations of Lakka, Loggos and Gaios although we start with Mongonissi as it was close to where we were staying.</div>
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I hope you find the blog possibly helpful/interesting although please remember the views contained are mine alone and relate to mainly just one visit.</div>
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Mongonissi<o:p></o:p></div>
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PAN AND THEO<o:p></o:p></div>
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We did not use the beach but we enjoyed looking at it and
beyond to the boats. What I really want to see recognised is the main
restaurant overlooking the beach which does not seem to get much billing in its
own right. We went there twice and the food was great and better than most
other more recognised restaurants on the island. Judith had 'best ever'
sardines and I enjoyed a lovely juicy souvlaki. All this with the beautiful
setting and view makes a great place to visit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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CARNAYO GOLD LOUNGE CAFE<o:p></o:p></div>
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Nice bar with great evening view<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have to say this was a very nice relaxing place and great
for sun-downer drinks. It is both laid back and slightly quirky and occupied by a
mixture of tourists and yachtsmen. Some of the visitors tend to pose a bit but
this adds to the entertainment! I understand you can get light snacks there but
we didn’t try them. Yes, we liked it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Gaios<o:p></o:p></div>
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ANESIS CAFE<o:p></o:p></div>
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We like to go to a bar which we can adopt as a pre-dinner
watering hole and we found what we think is the perfect place. It is called
Anesis Café and located near the corner of the waterfront square (close to where
the church is) and it looks and feels very local if you sit in the bar itself.
They also have seats under an awning in the square. The people who run it are
relaxed, friendly and talkative if you need to ask them anything. It is one of
those places where you can immediately relax, drink a large and tasty carafe of
local wine and watch the world go by until you build up an appetite. Highly
recommended.<o:p></o:p></div>
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MAMBO<o:p></o:p></div>
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As harbour front bars go this was a good one and it serves
light meals. We did not eat a lot but what we had was very enjoyable. The
drinks were cold and flavourful and we enjoyed ourselves. Being right on the
front you can see the yachts and harbour activity which can be both interesting
and sometimes amusing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would go
again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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VASILIS TAVERN<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ther is nothing too special to say about this place really.
It is off the waterfront and occupies a narrow throughway between some buildings.
It was very busy and operated rather like a food production line i.e. high
turnover and bland. There was very little individualism and not much flair and the
food that was distinctly average. Despite all that they did nothing too awful
but also delivered nothing particularly well. It was a very average meal and we
did not return.<o:p></o:p></div>
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PAN AND THEO<o:p></o:p></div>
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We ate at Pan and Theo twice and I have to say the food
there was better than all the other restaurants we visited. It is on the
waterfront in Gaios and had good views to go with good food and friendly service.
All the usual Greek staple meals were on offer but all cooked rather well. It
was one of the few places that seemed particularly packed out. Unless there are
two Pan and Theo’s I assume they run the place in Mongonissi too. We recommend
it, we really do<o:p></o:p></div>
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Lakka<o:p></o:p></div>
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HARBOUR LIGHTS<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a nice place for a drink and possibly more. We only
popped in for a couple of drinks but it was really very pleasant. The beer was
cold, the people seemed nice and the view was interesting and enjoyable. Yes,
worth visiting in our opinion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Loggos<o:p></o:p></div>
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VASILIS<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before going to Paxos I looked up the restaurant critiques
on TripAdvisor and this one came out tops at the time. Although the Gaios
restaurant of the same name disappointed us we thought this one would make up for
it. So we went with high expectation but sadly had a bad time. It certainly
looked good perched on the quayside and it was quite quaint in that you might
have to move your chairs every time a local bus tried to squeeze past!<o:p></o:p></div>
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To get a decent table you should book which shows its
popularity but sadly what we got to eat was dry and cold. I mean even the
blooming chips were cold! So we suffered in silence and drank our bottle of
wine. When they came to take our barely touched plates they finally realised
there was something wrong and the maître d came over. He whisked the plates
away to the kitchen where raised voices were heard and then came back,
apologised, and refused to take any payment for anything including drinks and
wine. Whilst he rescued the situation, which I applaud, the actual food was not up to par. I just hope we just had bad luck at a busy time as it remains a very popular place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ROXI BAR CAFÉ<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was probably more of of a disappointment because I had
previously read the hype about this place. In fact some people say it is the
best bar on the island. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In actuality for
us it was nothing particularly special except for the view from the tables. It
also didn't help that some regular guests arrived and were practically bowled
over with welcomes while we sat, being ignored and hoping to get a drink.
Anyway, the actual place was nice. We sat harbour-side and, whilst the chairs
were on a downward slope, it was entirely acceptable......but not 'great'. One
can go through the bar to tables on the other side which overlooks the harbour
entrance. Sadly no food seemed available but there are plenty of places nearby.<o:p></o:p></div>
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NASSOS TAVERN<o:p></o:p></div>
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We count ourselves really fortunate to have found this
tavern. It was towards the end of our fortnight holiday and we felt rather
jaded as far as Greek food was concerned. Again we were in Loggos and decided
to try this place mainly because we were hungry and it was convenient. We were
pleasantly surprised and enjoyed a very good moussaka and excellent souvlaki.
We enjoyed it here and made new friends.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So that was our little tour of cafes, bars and restaurants
completed. There are plenty of others which I am sure many of you know about.
We went to more but, after a while they all seemed to blend together. An important
thing you might want to remember is that my views are mine and you might have
totally different experience to mine. In some cases I sincerely hope so. I
enjoyed my food on Paxos although I won’t be eating any more souvlaki or moussaka
for a while!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-52374579369515314412018-10-24T11:46:00.004-07:002018-10-29T05:34:28.861-07:00Paxos. Worth going?<br />
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Is the island of Paxos worth visiting? Like most places the
answer is very much where you stay and what you like. It is certainly a very
beautiful place although it is starting to get very busy, particularly during
school holidays, not only with Europeans but Greeks themselves.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We booked via Simpson Travel and I was very impressed with
them. I had heard they can be on the more expensive side but I have to say
their service and support more than justified any perceived extra cost. For example
they operate their own British Airways charter to Corfu and escorted connection
via hydrofoil to Paxos.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My problem was that
the flight leaves Heathrow (another bonus) very early which leaves you a while
to wait at the Corfu port terminal. I thought I knew better so I changed my
flight to the scheduled BA service departing an hour later which although more
convenient turned out to be no better (possibly worse) than the charter. BA
scheduled economy service is just the same as their charters now with small
seats, little legroom and expensive sandwiches which they seem to run out of
often before getting to you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After arriving in Corfu it was literally ‘plain sailing’.
Despite arriving one hour after everyone else we were met, put into a taxi and
personally escorted to the ferry terminal. Even the sight of the filthy garbage
strewn streets of Corfu (I heard it was because of a strike by bin men) did not dampen our mood. I have been told that the
resorts have their garbage under control but the main town was an eyesore. The
port is huge but the local ferry area was compact and tucked away to the side.
They only have one restaurant/café at the terminal and the prices are
prohibitive but at least the food was adequate and the Mythos beer excellent!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The ferry is an experience. I was expecting a modern ‘greyhound
of the sea’ and got quite a shock when something looking like an old cigar
container came alongside the quay. Everyone started shuffling for position and
then charged with their luggage to get on board first. I have no idea why as,
if you do, your bags are last off on arrival. I expect you get a decent seat,
if there is such a seat on it. We clambered on and wondered if it would ever
get us there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I do not know about you but my wife gets sea sick and we
were worried. It turned out there was no need as this particular cigar
container set off at such a speed that there was little movement once it was up
on its aquaplanes. In 55 or so minutes we arrived at Gaios which is the main
town and port of Paxos. It is a very pretty looking place but one of contrasts
as we were to discover.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We were met and shown to our cars by at least 4 very helpful
reps. I walked around the vehicle taking notes of a fair few scratches and
scrapes but was told not to worry as they take the car back and ask no
questions unless you bash it badly. This car hire company (Alpha) were
excellent although, once I tried driving and parking, I could see where the
dents had come from.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe this would be the best time to discuss the roads as
clearly the towns, villages and countryside were not created with the car in
mind. Roads are narrow, some are single track and many of the bends are blind.
Parking is a lottery as I soon found out to my cost. You need to have the hide
of a rhino or be totally laid back to navigate the main town of Gaios during
any time of the day or night. Would I hire a car again? Definitely, although
many other ‘brave’ souls didn’t and seemed to walk everywhere in sometimes
gruelling heat. I think there are only 3 taxis on the whole island so make sure
to make a note of their numbers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After trying to navigate our way through the busy but small
streets of Gaios we eventually got to the other side and off towards our villa
located along the south coast road overlooking The Paxos Beach Hotel. Having
narrowly avoided a few crashes with cars, lorries, tourists and locals we
eventually arrived at our villa…or where the map said it was! It was only when
we had stood on the road a while and eventually looked upwards that we saw it.
I should have got the hint when the directions suggested we might like to carry
our bags up first as the driveway looked almost vertical to me and the best way
to get up was to lighten your vehicle significantly and charge in a low gear with engine
screaming.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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The villa itself was lovely. Everything on the island is kept
reasonably compact but having found a slot to park our haemorrhaging car we
went in to explore. The villa is called The Stone House and it shares a small
enclave with three other properties. I was a bit concerned about their close
proximity but to be honest we need not have been worried as it was peaceful for
the whole fortnight. Someone had clearly tended the garden well and it was beautiful (thanks Simon).<o:p></o:p></div>
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We settled in very quickly. The combined lounge/dining room/
kitchen was roomy and mainly cool and the two bedrooms were comfortable and
enjoyed efficient air conditioning. Simpsons provided an entirely sufficient
welcome pack of food/drink to tide you through to the next day although I did
brave the driveway and roads to stock up quickly with wine that evening.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I inferred, the villa is perched above the coast road
(mainly quiet) and visually very pretty with a small pool and lounging area.
There was an outside table under an awning alongside the house which protected
one from the sun but sadly leaked when it rained…which it did frequently
during our stay. We also enjoyed a large sun umbrella but this had to be
requested prior to departure as it is non-standard with this and many others of
the Simpson locations nearby. Again this was fine except for when it was
windy….which was most afternoons.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All in all we were very pleased with our choice of villa, if
not perhaps its location, but again that is down to personal choice. You see
Paxos has three main areas built around its towns/villages. Gaios is by far the
biggest and busiest. There is a lot going on, lots of folk (tourists and
locals) and it gets very busy. The good side is you have plenty of choice and
the bad side is that it is hard to relax and unwind. There are plenty of bars
and many restaurants but sadly many offer the same kind of food and very little
else. I would also suggest that you do not go there when the world Cup is on as
we did. Obviously it is televised everywhere and, to us, kind of shatters and ambiance these
places have.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The other two main hubs were in and around the villages of
Lakka and Logos. Clearly they are more aimed at the tourist market and, whilst
busy have still maintained their charm. Lakka is just how you hope an Ionian
village port should look like. Yes it is a bit touristy. And yes visitors
probably outnumber locals, but no, it is not tacky or over-spoilt. There are
plenty of cafes and restaurants (more later), good boat hire and plenty of
surrounding coves and beaches.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then we went to Loggos. We loved this place although we
wished for fewer people around the place. There are better restaurants here and
quite a few excellent café’s and bars around the place. Add to that some of the
most exquisite beaches and scenery and you should get my gist. This is clearly
the choice part of Paxos to be if you are looking for peace, a bit more sophistication, and
rustic charm. Go there!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now for our biggest regret. We did not go over to sister island Anti Paxos
which is a little south of Paxos and easily accessible by ferry or private
boat. This island seems one big vineyard with two big sandy beaches and very
little isolated tourist accommodation. I will explain why we did not go there
when I get on to the weather! All the pictures show Anti Paxos as having the
two best sandy beaches which is actually quite rare in this region where
pebbles prevail. We spoke to people who had been there and they loved it. Both
beaches have café/restaurants overlooking them and both are served by ferry from
the three ‘ports’ in Paxos. The only other sandy beach that I know of in Paxos
is Mongonissi. This beach is man-made, very small and stretches across the
front of one of the two local restaurant/bars positioned there. We enjoyed
ourselves visiting the area because a) it was close to our villa and b) we enjoyed the
food. I didn't go in the water partly because there were lots of yachts with lots of sea toilets....but that's just me!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me explain why we did not get to Anti Paxos. It was me again!
I struggle to get up at a civilised hour in the morning when on holiday and the
best time to visit is the mornings! This is because the wind gets going in the
afternoon which makes the waves short and sharp and Judith (my wife) suffers.
If you do decide not to be wimps and go the alternative method is boat hire. I
wish we had done this as you can cruise around the whole of Paxos in a day
finding isolated beaches, coves and dramatic scenery. You just Have to show
that you know how to handle a boat and you get something quite fast but not to
zippy. If you have the necessary boat-master certificate you can hire something
very racy indeed. Plenty of guidance is available and all boats are a) as safe
as they can be and b) very well equipped.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Briefly let me address my view of the weather. In June it is nice and hot in the mornings but you can almost guarantee the wind will increase by afternoon and it also becomes quite strong. If I went again in June I would pick a villa in the lee of this nuisance as everything gets blown about and often boat hire gets suspended. We had quite a few thunder storms but mainly at night. All in all I would probably choose September next time as our kids have left school and we do not have to travel in their term holidays any more.<br />
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If anyone would like to ask me whether I enjoyed Paxos as
much as I expected I would say no. Why? Because me, not the island, was at
fault. I did not explore it as I should. The island is beautiful but not for
layabout, spoilt ‘adventurers’ like me. I got too relaxed, too lazy and too
laid back. Yes, I enjoyed it but simply failed in getting out of the place what
was available. Maybe too many First, Business Class type trips in the past
proved my undoing. Writing about it now makes me realise what I perhaps missed.
I also realise that I should have followed ‘The Guru of Paxos’. This man knows
everything there is to know about Paxos and I wish I had paid more heed to him.
He has written a guide with maps and this can be found at <a href="http://www.iankbleasdale.co.uk/">http://www.iankbleasdale.co.uk/</a>. Ian
seems to know everything there is to know about Paxos and his guide is
invaluable to everyone…..except me!<o:p></o:p></div>
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What else did I learn? Paxos locals are lovely. Simpson is a
little more pricey but well worth booking through. Loggos is (to me) the place
to be. Early season it is best to do things in the morning. Fast forward past
Corfu. Simon is great. Who is Simon? He is the long suffering Paxos rep for
Simpsons who is a lovely person.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And FINALLY. This is not it! In a week or so I will publish
my ‘critique’ on most of the cafes, restaurants and bars I went to. And perhaps a bit about the kind and interesting Simpson reps.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-29847676545998448982018-01-03T05:52:00.001-08:002018-01-04T07:55:40.165-08:00Hermitage Bay Antigua - The Nitty Gritty<div class="MsoNormal">
We needed somewhere new to go as our first choice (Galley
Bay, Antigua) had been shut allegedly because of hurricane Irma but actually
because they decided to undergo a refit. Because of the non-refundable/re-routeable
Club Class tickets I had bought on BA it had to be somewhere on that island,
but where? We have stayed in Antigua many times but felt like something new.
After scanning the usual places we ended up booking Hermitage Bay which, despite
being considerably more expensive, seemed perfect.<o:p></o:p><br />
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We did our usual which was to night-stop at the Hilton,
Gatwick South Terminal and not have to get up and drive to the airport early on the
morning of departure. I would recommend it as, although the Hilton is a typical
mid-grade airport hotel it does have the advantage of being directly joined to
the terminal BA fly from. Also, if you use the airport’s Valet parking it is
again in the same building and so very easy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was our first time trying the new BA check-in area at
South Terminal and again the whole thing was very easy. It is close to the
hotel and terminal entrance and easily accessible. Strangely there was a bigger
queue at the First and Club desks so we checked in at an Economy desk. It is
surprising how often this happens! Anyway, having passed through security we
eventually found the BA lounge. Again this new lounge was busy but pretty well
laid out and you can help yourself to an above par breakfast there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Obviously long haul planes are big and being an old-ish
airport now the jetties that take large planes are at the furthest extremity to
the main building so be prepared for the walk. We boarded and it was here that
I discovered my first big mistake. Having no First class on this plane the largest
Club cabin was at the front with a much smaller Club cabin behind. I pre-booked
the window and adjacent seat at the front of the small cabin. My thinking was
a) near the exit b) better passenger/staff ratio and c) quieter. A big mistake.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now I love my own
children and I like some other people’s children, but I got it all wrong.
Unfortunately for us (and probably them) we ended up with a harassed mother,
disinterested father, a toddler and a baby in the adjacent centre seats and it
was sadly noisy, smelly and sometimes exhausting. We had nappy changes on the
floor next to me, crying kids, the occasional scream and constant movement. Now
I honestly do not think I am a miserable child-hater but by the time we got to
Antigua I was not a happy bunny. Why do I relate this? Because I need to
suggest that you do not make the same seat choice as me if you are getting old
and crusty!<o:p></o:p></div>
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On arrival in Antigua I began to get the relaxed holiday
feeling. My seat choice got us second off the plane and the new airport meant
an easy air-conditioned transit through the arrival formalities. It really is a
nice airport and a smile still gets you a long way. As for my ‘priority’ bags?
Straight through and waiting for us! Getting to kerb-side I understood one of
the benefits of my 5 star resort. The lady who said hello earlier was waiting
there with a smile and a nice man with an air conditioned 4X4 to take us to the
resort. Marvellous!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now you never know what you are going to find when you
arrive somewhere new. It’s a bit nerve-racking really as your entire holiday
will rely on first impressions, or they do with me. The drive took 35 minutes
of friendly chat from our driver, a mile trip on a dirt track and finally the
arrival at a very pretty place. Now I chose this place based on what I read and
saw online and do you know what? It was exactly what I read, but with an added
plus, the people who work there really are downright marvellous.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Like most of these places you do the check-in formalities in
a comfortable chair with a cold drink. In this case it was Mojitos although
they were non-alcoholic as one needed to be accurate! When my signature was dry
on the form they brought me a real one! Are you like me? Do you form an opinion
quickly, sometimes too quickly? Judith, who is my wife and thankfully more
sensible than me, agreed that the vibe at this place was very good indeed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The place is not huge but big enough not to be crowded. The
central core houses Reception which links to their restaurant on one side and
the bar/pool area on the other. Beyond that is the beach. The rooms/suites are
scattered along the beach or built into the large hill bordering the resort.
The resort is well fenced and security seems very efficient. Some people find
it strange that you cannot just turn up and view these resorts but I personally
prefer them secure. If you want to visit then simply phone first.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Room prices vary depending on what you wish to pay and which
location you prefers. The beach-side suites look identical with the only
differentiator being that they are beachfront or tucked in the garden behind.
We preferred beachfront and my accommodation report refers specifically to them. The
remainder (and majority) of the rest of the suites are located off a buggy
track winding up the hill behind. From what I gather the accommodation is
similar although, in addition, they all have their own deck and plunge pool.
These are popular with honeymooners who usually fly in for a week or so from
USA or Canada.<o:p></o:p><br />
The rooms are built in a dark wood which blends in well with the island. They are quite large and designed in a way
that complements the low key ambience they strive to offer. In saying that
there are some things which some may prefer more than others. For example there
is no glass in the windows or patio doors which are instead decked with
louvred slats with insect netting on the outside. This obviously keeps the
bugs out but can let any chilled escape too thus negating some of the benefits of
air conditioning.</div>
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The bedroom section is large and has a small step running across it which separates it in to two halves. The lower part has a sofa but
this is placed facing the side door which, to my mind, was a bit pointless as it did not take advantage of the view outside. On the balcony there is a
small daybed, two easy chairs and a table with two dining chairs. None were
particularly comfortable, especially the easy chairs as they seemed to be more for
looking at than sitting in! If you are sitting on your balcony (on the dining
chairs probably) there is a lovely view of the beach, ocean and sunset.<o:p></o:p><br />
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In the upper section of the room you have the bed, dressing
table, occasional furniture, a desk with draws and an amenities unit containing
a fridge, safe, tea/coffee facilities etc. The fridge is small but sufficient
to hold milk (provided) beer, small wine bottles, spirits, crisps, chocolate
etc. These are supposed to be replenished daily if you hand in your order at
breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised that they provided drink in your room as
many such resorts don’t. We did not use the TV or the music equipment but from
what I gather it was good quality. The safe was sturdy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The bed was big, comfortable and protected by a mosquito net
if you wanted to sleep with the slats open. The air-conditioning unit was
directly above the bottom of the bed and there is also a ceiling fan to move
the air. They have plenty of plug sockets for hair dryers, hair
straighteners phone chargers etc including two British three-pin plugs. The
rest of the sockets were 110 volt US style two flat pin types. If you need
adaptors just ask and they will provide them. Above the bed head there is a
half- height wall that opens into the bathroom. You enter the bathroom through
an open space on one side of the bed. There is nowhere substantial to store
clothes in the main bedroom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The bathroom is sufficiently large but a little different to
what I expected. The bath was an enormous freestanding tub with taps built into
a stalk beside it. I found this rather odd as the hotel supports water
conservation although a full bath could supply a small village. It was also not
that easy to get in and out of especially with soapy hands and I worried for
some of the older folk staying at the resort. The stalk containing the taps was
particularly wobbly probably due to the number of times it had been grabbed by
folk staggering in or out! Either side of the bath were shelves and a hanging
rail for all your clothes. These were open to the rest of the bathroom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Across from the bath were two sinks with storage around and
underneath and alongside that was the toilet. Now the toilet is open to the
bathroom and subsequently the bedroom which I personally found off-putting.
There was no door, no privacy and obviously nothing to prevent unwanted
intrusion by your partner or anyone else for that matter. Odd. Outside the back
door there was decking and an outdoor shower. We did not use it but it was a
nice option to have. So did we like our room? Well yes, I suppose we did,
despite the foibles!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Leaving the room you take a very short walk and you find the
pool and bar area and this, along with the restaurant was the centre of most
activity. The pool is free-form, infinity and same depth throughout and very
enjoyable to float about in. The bar/lounge area was very laid back and
inhabited by some of the nicest staff I have ever met on holiday. The drink and
cocktail choices are enormous and you get very well looked after for your whole
stay. The bar stools are backed, cushioned and very comfortable and the bar
team very willing to socialise with you if you feel like it. If you want to sit
quietly they seem to sense it and leave you to yourself. You can eat your lunch
in the bar if you wish. And they regularly offer you the most delicious
appetisers prior to dinner or tea/sandwiches in the afternoon. Adjacent
to the bar they have a library cupboard that hold both books and games.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The hotel restaurant is something special. One needs to book
a table for dinner during the day but this is mainly to ensure the chef has
time prepare each meal carefully. The choice is amazing both at lunch and
dinner but please leave aside a little extra time in the evening because
service is not hurried. You will be offered a wine list but will be charged
if you use it. We did not bother because the house wines were of acceptable
quality and your glass always refilled. The restaurant breakfasts were equally
good and the choices on offer huge. It is waitress service at breakfast but
they do not stint on portions or flavours in fact what you want is what you
get. The dining area is on three levels so practically everybody has a great
view of the beach.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The hotel lay on low key musical entertainment of the
highest quality every evening. The small band of singers and musicians position
themselves between the restaurant and bar so all can be entertained at the same
time. We found this situation idyllic. The management move around the bar and
public areas frequently talking to guests and making them feel at home. Also
between bar and restaurant there are toilets which, like everywhere else is
well serviced and maintained.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is a beach holiday resort so how was it you may ask.
The answer is excellent however there are a few snags at present. Firstly,
there are enough sunbeds and shades for everyone which is a great help and negates
the need to run out and reserve one in the morning unless you have a particular
favourite. The beds are of a good quality with fitted towels over them. The
staff have a beach station where towels
and drinks are always available. It is also manned by excellent people who seem
to anticipate your desires for refreshments or dry towels.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The beach itself is visibly beautiful but again has a few
issues probably created by hurricane Irma. A lot of shattered sea shells have
been swept up on parts of the beach so protective footwear may be needed for
delicate feet. Also the sea floor is quite ridged at present, again maybe because of
the storms waves which means there are quite pronounced depth changes close to
the shore. There is a small ‘reef’ which is mainly rock close to parts of the
shore which is interesting to snorkelers but not to others who will need to enter
the water either side of it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Like all beaches in Antigua this one is not private but,
being quite isolated it is seldom visited by beach vendors and we only saw one
during our stay. Public access to the beach is at either extremity and on one
side there is construction going on. Apparently they are building some quite
lavish homes there but thankfully this does not bother the hotel much. It may
be something to watch out for in the future though.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Checking out of the hotel was sad but easy. We had enjoyed a
lovely relaxing stay and had met some of the special people who work there.
They really are that nice and the special service ran right up to our departure.
Check out is noon but our flight did not go until after ten that evening. What
were we going to do? Nothing except relax as the resort checked and allowed us
to keep our room until the taxi transfer came. Wonderful, it really was but do
not take this for granted. They will do everything they can to help their
guests and we were lucky but sadly, don’t bank on it although certainly ask!<o:p></o:p><br />
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The hotel taxi collected us exactly on time and we bade a
very sad farewell. Again, Antigua’s new airline terminal was excellent and we
were through formalities in a matter of minutes. There is a general airport
lounge airside and this was comfortable compared with the old one. Beware
though if you want duty free as the shops are keen to close before the last
flight goes so get in early if you want anything.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The flight back on BA was superb. Admittedly we were put in First Class seats which helps! You see some airlines have fleet
management issues and sometimes they have to use aircraft which have First
Class seats when they are not selling them on a particular service. It happens
quite a lot with Caribbean flights where these planes can be used when they do
not have enough Club Class seats. When this happens they upgrade people into
the First Class seats even though the on-board service remains Club Class. So,
after a pretty awful trip out we had an excellent one back with the new, and
very comfortable bed seats.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If anyone has any questions about this report you are
welcome to email me at <a href="mailto:mikeplatt1@btinternet.com">mikeplatt1@btinternet.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-22006887900697138052017-07-29T04:25:00.003-07:002017-07-29T04:25:46.509-07:00British Airways. Saint or sinner?<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; position: relative;">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">So what is it with British Airways? Why does it seem so many people are falling out of love with them? If they exist who are these people? How many? And do they have a point.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">First one needs to clarify who they are as so many things have changed in the airline marketplace. British Airways (BA) used to be the UK’s national ‘flag carrying’ airline and was sometimes seen as a ‘full service’ airline. In recent years a full service airline was one that charged an all-in price for the full service provided which used to be extensive. People got used to it and some still continue to expect nothing less. Then the airline market changed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">It started with the arrival of what many call ‘cost plus’ airlines. These people (like EasyJet and Ryanair) use a different cost model which is focussed on lowest seat price plus charges for almost everything else relating to the flight i.e. baggage, seat allocation, meals, credit charge use etc etc. Travellers could then choose what they needed, or wanted. This coupled with flexible seat pricing and initially different origin/destination usage appealed greatly to flyers, primarily in the leisure market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">BA and these ‘no frills’ airlines managed to live with each other (just) until the market changed. The catalyst for change came when the Low Cost Airlines (LCA) saturated their initial operating destinations with flights, ran short of new ones, saw opportunities in mainstream markets and, essentially, started wining customers away from BA and others. Their marketing was very popular with the public who failed to understand why the big airlines seemed to charge so much more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Almost all airlines have one thing in common. They have shareholders who invest in them and expect a good return. Many are listed on their stock exchanges and therefor need to satisfy analysts and major investment institutions and share dealers. This drive for improved return on investment (ROI) is another key driver for airlines to seek lower operating costs and increased sales. Their very existance depends on it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">To my mind BA has had no choice but to respond positively to these drivers by being competitive with all opponents’ whist protecting and reshaping their brand. After all I have seen little evidence of the bulk of their customers demanding that BA charge premium fares for premium service. The contrary is more evident. With this in mind I see BA has little choice not only to vigorously defend their position but exploit opportunities for new business too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">So how can BA do this and are they competing on a level playing field? Well the field is certainly not ‘level’ at present although it is starting to get there. For example BA serves all sorts of routes that no LCA would dream of. They also operate up to four different classes of service on the same plane which is hardly ‘stack them high and sell them cheap’! They also operate on a completely different cost structure. They are trying to improve this by negotiating new staff contracts and outsourcing costs with sometimes disastrous but possibly predictable outcomes. Understandably staff do not want to change their desirable and traditional union negotiated remuneration packages and an outsourced function is less service secure than a costly internal one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Meanwhile the LCAs continue with their cherry picked lucrative cost and price models without the need to worry about huge antiquated legacy issues. Not for them the concern of taking products away from customers which they never gave to them in the first place. Everyone seems to accept that they are the ‘people’s champion’ in the fight for low pricing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">The only trouble is people have begun to notice BA’s cost reduction and do not like it. People will always expect a service they have always enjoyed but woe betide anyone who takes it away! Hell hath no fury than someone with a meal/drink/seat taken away. This combined with the service imbalance of operating different classes on board is a huge challenge, especially as the less populated premium cabins do not contribute the majority of a flight’s revenue income.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">So what is going to happen? Well it is anyone’s guess but I think BA will be taking a long hard look at how it will move forward and I have every confidence they will find a solution. I am also convinced it will not continue to operate exactly as it does now. Perhaps they might operate a two service/one flight system i.e. make the rear cabin low cost and the front full cost. With a flexible cabin configuration this may just work. Another possible option would be to split the airline into low cost short haul and full service long haul service as no LCA airline seems to have found a way into the intercontinental market yet and may never do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Going back to the beginning of this blog. Who is getting discontented with British Airways? clearly it is their premium business clients who perceive that service declines as BA drive for increased profitability How many? Well quite a lot really but the situation is still recoverable. And do they have a point? Well clearly they do.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Whatever happens I do not envy British Airways but I wish them well. The road will be challenging but I am confident they will get there. They are, after all, a damn fine airline and the envy of many a nation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Saint or sinner? Well saint is perhaps too kind but sinner? That would be unfair…wouldn’t it?!</span></div>
</div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-49641628902078260112017-02-17T03:37:00.000-08:002017-06-26T06:19:06.181-07:00Hoping for an airline upgrade. You’ll be lucky!<div class="MsoNormal">
No seriously, I mean it because luck is probably the best
way to describe so called airline selection policy as it applies to that all
important upgrade. A huge shame really as, with the arrival of single class
competitors, the incentive of potential upgrades is a definite plus when
deciding who to fly with. Sad that airlines do not recognise the power and
competitive edge upgrades give them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I read a long running blog the other day on the subject of ‘How
to get an upgrade’. It started with someone’s opinion and grew enormously as
others (including me at the time) regaled other readers with their tips,
experiences and failures. The only thing that seemed clear is that almost
everybody wanted upgrades and very few actually got them. The only successes
seemed to be with people that made no particular effort but got them as a pleasant
surprise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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On looking closer at these and other people one thing began
to become evident. It did not seem to matter much on what you looked like, how
many in your group or how important you are to that airline. It seemed purely
down to numbers and seemed triggered by how full the cabin was you were booked
in. Obviously the vast majority of seats are in economy class and also economy
passengers are more likely not to show up. As a result airlines overbook this
cabin in the hope it ends up going out full. If there are seats available in
higher classes then these are used for any surplus economy numbers via
upgrades. The same approach applies right up to First Class. Very often when
someone gets upgraded from economy they will create a chain reaction of upgrade
through Premium economy and Club class right up to the front cabin. Either that
or, to save hassle the economy passenger finds themselves placed directly into
seat 1A.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Meals also impact the need to upgrade. If the particular
cabin is short of meals they will often upgrade or sometimes if a forward cabin
is almost empty but fully catered for they will again upgrade. There is also
the airline staff upgrade where travelling airline folk hold upgrade tickets or
possibly are friends of the crew. And if there are plenty of meals and not many
staff? Then you might just get lucky. Also if you are on a flight that stops somewher you may get an upgrade if they are congested on certain legs of your journey.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I always used to think that if I looked smart my chances
of upgrade were better. I had hoped that someone in the ground staff were
wandering around thinking “now let me find a smart, deserving individual I can
bestow this super upgrade on” I am afraid I do not believe this happens any
more (it used to). Now some machine randomly selects you or a tired, bored
departure desk operative gets told to offer upgrades to whoever is in front of
them. I am afraid the truly discretionary upgrade has all but gone out of the
window. I suppose the computer could be programmed to select that airline’s
frequent flyer members but I have not seen this happening much either.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Looking deeper there is only one true way of getting an
upgrade and even that is risky and impossible for most people and that is
before check-in. If you can persuade the right airline person at the right
level to mark your booking ‘upgrade space available’ it might just happen. A
lot depends on the relationship between reservations and airport staff and if
the latter remembers to do something about it. For example I tried to help a
friend who had just lost his wife and needed to get to Sydney. I phoned the
airline reservations number and explained the situation and got nowhere until I
got my call escalated to a supervisor. After a lot of persuasion on my part she
agreed to try and help and ultimately he got upgraded. Not easy but possible if
you persevere<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So that is that really. Computerisation, apathy and, in my
opinion, short-sightedness by airlines means upgrades are hard to get and
mainly coincidental. Just think what a valuable selling tool they could be.
They would buy loyalty, give recognition and fill seats productively instead of
dishing them out indiscriminately to those not expecting them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
So. You want an upgrade? You WILL BE LUCKY!<o:p></o:p></div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-58759792464474212182017-02-16T06:12:00.000-08:002017-02-16T06:12:37.817-08:00Cheap Flights are what we want. But are they?<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been waiting for it to happen and now it has. The major national airlines that have been fighting low cost carriers are finally joining them with a vengeance that is creating its own backlash.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Naturally it is about money or should I say profit and ‘shareholder value’. Let me explain. Those same airlines that denigrated those ‘cheap’ airlines in the past have seen their profits suffer and have found it necessary to respond in order to maintain their position as market brand leaders.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, they are not going to give away their profit margins and pricing models are they? No. What they are doing is changing them into possibly more profitable returns. You see low cost airlines relied mainly on new routes, new markets, low charges for high volume and almost a carte blanche to do what they want as they were new kids on the block. In fact the crazier their actions seemed the more they were admired.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The big airlines could do very little to start with. These new guys were a pain but did not really hurt them too much on key routes. Meanwhile they still earned enough loyalty from business and other higher end markets to cope plus they had solid schedules to key cities to reduce the damage. In fact I think they did not want to play with low cost in those early evolution times. Then things moved on. Or at least they have on the smaller routes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The new ‘cheap’ market reached almost saturation point. These airlines introduced as many new routes as they could and filled them with as many passengers that were ready and willing to use them. But what happens when there are so few new routes available anymore? How do these darlings of the City maintain the expected rapid, continuing growth expected from them? The answer is they have to compete for those passengers they once scorned and mainly ignored the mainstream airline traveller.<o:p></o:p></div>
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How did they do this? By in part becoming a bit like their adversaries by flying in and out of major airports and fighting on a far more level playing field. By this I mean they kept their opening fare at the same low levels but charged add-ons for everything else from meals, drinks, bags, credit cards to reserved seats, extra legroom and most of the other things you get (or used to) as standard from mainstream airlines. This has created a massive change which will grow before it diminishes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To some extent this is what the big world airlines were waiting for. People started finding that low cost airlines are not as low cost as they used to be. The ‘cheap flight love affair’ was beginning to be questioned. Those airlines that could get away with murder in recent years started being called to account when directly and openly being compared with their bigger and more established rivals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Finally it seems the national airlines have started to act and I am not sure how popular it is going to become with Joe Public who enjoyed slating them but needed them to be around too. As ‘low cost fares’ went up so did ‘full fare’ prices go down. Except they were no longer the ‘full service’ fare.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The opportunity for these global carriers was there for the taking and being openly displayed to them by those competitors they feared were their nemesis. If you change elements of pricing you can milk extra profit. So now the low cost charges are being introduced by the big boys, particularly on short journeys. Food and drink quality have gone down but now you have to pay for them on top of your fare. The airline takes out a cost and replaces it with a new income stream! This is not the only example of this rapidly growing income stream. On flights cabin crew numbers are getting smaller and compelling reasons present themselves for reducing pay and benefits too. After all it is what ‘the people’ (you and me) want. Now we are finding that major airlines are more often the same or cheaper than low cost airlines on main routes. Sadly it must be at our cost not theirs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is a bit sad really but I think the major carriers are going to get a bit of a public bashing over this but hey, they are more profitable and the city institutions will love them! The will also be able to defend themselves by saying they are reacting to what the public want. Meanwhile, as I said before, ultimately Joe Public will end up paying more for less.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally a look to the future. I think the short flight market will level out and airlines of all persuasions will compete on more equal basis albeit we, the public, will probably get a more reduced service and at higher prices. As far as the longer distance destinations are concerned, I personally think that it will be a while before this, what I call ‘cost plus’ model takes hold. Companies bankrolled by city institutions have tried before to start up new low cost long haul airlines and have failed miserably. This may change and I see airlines like Norwegian trying their new model in this market but I hold out little hope for such in the near future.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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But who knows!</div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-47502981428261522352017-01-16T08:43:00.001-08:002017-01-16T08:43:26.407-08:00<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; position: relative;">
Bequia Beach Hotel Review</h3>
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<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">OK, so this is our third 2 week stay at this hotel and you might think, with two previous reviews there was nothing more to write about. Well there is! If ever there was a resort constantly improving on itself it is this one.</span><br />
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<br style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, "Bitstream Vera Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;" />
<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">We arrived after a short connection in Barbados seamlessly AND with our hold baggage. If you are making such connections I really recommend tying a few yellow ribbons around your checked bag handles and then photograph them on say your smartphone. That way the folks in Barbados can quickly identify them and grab them off the incoming luggage belt. People we were with who did not do this only got their bags 24 hours later.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">On our arrival in Bequia the hotel transfer vehicle was waiting for us. We got water and cool towels for the 10 minute transfer plus gave our welcome drink order which was ready for us when we arrived. Not bad.</span><br />
<br style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, "Bitstream Vera Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;" />
<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">On getting there they remembered both us and the room we stayed in and enjoyed 4 years and gave it to us again. Surprising in this day and age and very welcome.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">Small improvements had been made all over the property like extra beach sunshades, improved bar area, leisure equipment etc.</span><br />
<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">The room was once again excellent and they really do seem to think of everything and, if they missed something (like overseas plug adapters) we simply asked and it arrived without fuss or repeat phone calls .WIFI worked well in the room and poolside.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">We know the owner, resort M/D and the GM because all three were out and about talking to guests and checking on their stay. The rest of the staff were their brilliant and kind selves with the restaurant running efficiently and the bar team, particularly Kong already pre-guessing what you want. You almost start feeling like a welcome returning family member!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">Food was good and a nice blend of Swedish and Caribbean as there are chefs from both regions working there. We were holidaying during the main lobster season and the special nights they did were a treat to the taste buds. Nothing like soft tasty lobster that you saw being bought from the fishermen up the beach served with well cooked vegetables and/ or fresh salad. Breakfasts were great with fruit, cereals, cheeses, bread and toast available in the buffet while juices, coffee and main courses served on order.I This was not a holiday to diet on unless you really want to. I never made the spa but from what people say it really is top notch too.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">All in all a great holiday in a welcoming well run hotel but it did not stop there. The owner tries to think of everything and has branched wider. He has bought Jacks Bar and restaurant on the best beach on the island so there is a broader choice of cuisine. He has also bought at least one mega yacht which had just been delivered and operated its first sunset cruise. Not cheap but one hell of an experience I believe. Finally he seems to have thought deep enough about getting clients to Bequia by buying/leasing at least two King Air aircraft to operate key routes to connecting points. Not your average hotelier!</span><br />
<span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "bitstream vera sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.992px;">I know I have sung the praises of this resort but it, and the island of Bequia deserves it.I have no professional interests in this hotel but simply believe it is something very special. Why else would we return to the same place three times?!</span></div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-28721861801877006182017-01-11T09:09:00.001-08:002017-10-10T02:55:29.794-07:00Places to go back to again and againI started writing about places I would (and would not want) to visit again. Having been blessed in the past with a large opportunity to travel in my work and holiday I visited many countries and islands more than once and here is my verdict on them. You might disagree with me about some but I hope this input may help you in your future decision making.<br />
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I feel like dedicating this blog to my very favourite places which can mainly been summed up in two words which are THE GRENADINES. Have you been there? No? Then you are missing somewhere very special and I would urge you to bear them in mind for future holidays. The islands are simply beautiful, the atmosphere is laid back but civilised and the people are mainly absolutely wonderful.<br />
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The two islands I spent most time in were Mustique and Bequia. The island of <b>Mustique</b> has a charm of its own and many people do not realise that you do not have to be a millionaire to enjoy it, although it helps! Take a look at my other blogs on this island and you will see why. You get there by taking a 40 minute connecting flight from Barbados on local airline SVG (very efficiently done) or an even shorter one from St Lucia. When you arrive it is like another world of fabulous beaches, lovely people and wide ranging accommodations including two hotels and many private villas.<br />
http://travelprotales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/bequia-travel-report-complete-edition.html<br />
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The island of <b>Bequia (http://travelprotales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/we-arrived-from-antigua-on-28th.html </b>can also be reached via Barbados or St Lucia or even St Vincent if travelling from the USA. In truth it is heaven to my wife and me and I cannot see it changing even with more tourism which is what will happen as its fame spreads. There are hotels, guest houses, villas, B&Bs, in fact you name it and they have it across the full spectrum of accommodations.<br />
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When we go we always stay at the Bequia Beach Hotel. You would not need to ask me why if you had been there, it is that good. So good in fact that I am writing my second blog on the place which will be published very soon. People from The Grenadines are kind and honest by nature and the islands really are beautiful and well worth that extra flight which, as I said before, is very easy.<br />
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Bequia as an island is perfect with all kinds of different landscapes, terrain and beaches. Princess Margaret and Lower Bay beaches are calm, pristine and have places you can eat, drink or even hire/borrow beach chairs. The main 'town' is Port Elizabeth which is both colourful and easy to get around. It also has an ATM machine and a well equipped supermarket called Knights.<br />
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<b>You owe it to yourself to go there at least once although I suspect you will want to go back again!</b><br />
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While on the subject of small pretty islands you also should try <b>Anguilla.</b> There are numerous beaches and a large range of hotels and restaurants. All this yet it remains unspoiled. A great thing about Anguilla is that the weather is probably the best in the Caribbean and the likelihood of it being hit by a hurricane is very small Even though it just happened) as its location seems to miss them as they pass either side. If you go in the quiet season the costs are much lower yet the weather is still fine most of the time. The island still has its links with the UK so Brits are particularly welcome.<br />
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Where to stay in Anguilla? Well, check my blogs http://travelprotales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/we-arrived-from-antigua-on-28th.html but we tend to stay either in a beach villa at Meads Bay or the Cuisinart, a beautiful hotel on another perfect calm sandy beach.<br />
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So lets get back 'civilization' and a better know and well frequented island, <b>Antigua</b>.<br />
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Antigua is often compared with Barbados as they are both main destinations for global holidaymakers but I do not think them similar at all except for the international resorts located there.<br />
This island is a bit smaller but does have a wide range of hotels and activities. It also caters for the adult only and all inclusive markets very well. I find it a place to be either very relaxed or very active, it is up to you if you choose your resort carefully. Recently we stayed at Galley Bay which is an adults only and all-inclusive resort on its own beach. We loved it and recommend you go there if you want peace, a 'few' drinks and one of the best sunset views in the region.<br />
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It must be pretty obvious to you that I would, and will, go back to these islands again, God willing. Where next? We plan to go to Nevis next as I have heard great thing about this island and the Nisbet Plantation resort there.<br />
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My final report in this trilogy will be in Europe covering Majorca, Kefalonia and Athens so I hope you read them and maybe get some new ideas for your own trips.<br />
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<br />Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-65184977690484789312016-12-30T09:15:00.000-08:002016-12-30T09:27:25.944-08:00Going Back<div class="MsoNormal">
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Now this is a tricky question. So you have been on holiday and you loved it! But would you still love it quite so much if you went back again? Maybe yes, and, quite often, no.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The British, as a nation are quite expert at ‘going back’. We find a place we enjoy and almost inevitably assume it will be just as good if we return. There is a certain reassurance that you know what to expect and clearly a benefit in being able to find your way around. You know the things to avoid and already have in mind your favourite beach/bar/restaurant/resort. What could possibly go wrong? Unfortunately what we inevitably fail to identify is that familiarity can sometime breed ‘contempt’…or at least boredom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Feeling nostalgic (and bored) between Christmas and New Year I looked back over the years to identify again where I had been and, where I had visited more than once. Because of my career in the airline and travel business I found I had travelled to 79% of the countries in the world, many frequently, but I ignored most of those and focussed instead on frequent holiday visits. I came up with a much smaller varied group of destinations dotted around the globe and wondered why I kept on going back and would I go again? My feedback to you is blunt and may cause disagreement but please bear with me as I start at the ‘worst’ and get better as I go along!<o:p></o:p></div>
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These holiday revisits were as follows: Mauritius, Maldives, Dubai, Barbados, Bequia (in the Grenadines), Anguilla, Antigua Athens, New York, Majorca and Kefalonia. Some verdicts were easy. For example I would never want to go back to Mauritius. Why? Because I found the island touristically over resourced and crowded, the people unfriendly with an undercurrent of resentfulness, and a feeling the whole place had been exploited<o:p></o:p></div>
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I also very much doubt if I would go to the Maldives again which really surprised me. I defy anyone to name anywhere as scenically beautiful as most Maldivian islands. I would also commend the staff in these resorts who work ceaselessly to give you a good experience. The problem I have is price and again, exploitation. It seems that the resorts squeeze every last pound/euro/yen/dollar they can from the tourists. Everything is charged at a large premium which results in most visitors being either extremely rich, extravagant or on honeymoon.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I thought Dubai was over the top but although the Maldives is not so ‘naff’ it grossly overcharges. You cannot take alcohol into the Maldives being a Moslem country yet they allow you to directly connect with a seaplane taking you to a resort with a full drink service. You will pay $50/$60 for a bottle of New Zealand wine which cost $10 in a UK supermarket.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In the Maldives you get the sheer beauty of the place but you are not getting good value and you are stuck on a small island with a diverse and sometimes not so pleasant mixture of guests. And the staff? Most of the workers are Maldivian, Sri Lankan or Indian and they live in tiny compounds in the middle of the resort being paid a pittance in comparison with the resort tariff. So many tourist go there for a one off ‘holiday of a lifetime’, brief honeymoon or as part of a two centre holiday with Dubai or somewhere similar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The last on my ‘never again’ list is Dubai. What on earth have they done with the place. So much ‘in your face’ wealth and so little genuine sophistication. It is not as though the locals like you. I am convinced they don’t. Again you have the wealthy land/oil owners, a workforce from the Asian subcontinent and imported management to run their businesses. I never fully understood or used the expression O.T.T. (over the top) until I went there. The beaches are not very nice either!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Phew! That got that off my chest. That is my not again list. Mind you. In condemning these places I would probably swallow my bile and go back to the Maldives….if I could afford it!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I would not particularly want to go back to New York either. In saying that I have no particular gripes with the place, it is more that I hate shopping and that seems to be what most people do! I do however love the surrounding area and New York City is as good a base as anywhere else.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Heading south from New York you eventually come to the Caribbean and it is here I have had quite a few repeat visits, most of them very successful. For example Barbados is interesting as it is two islands in one. What I mean is you have the South Coast and the West Coast and they are both very different to each other. There are always exceptions but the south is where the action is. There are more activities, lower cost hotels and it is adjacent to Bridgetown where the cruise ships go. It is the ‘party’ and ‘drink cruise’ area. I had a great time there but I needed a holiday after this holiday!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The West Coast is supposedly more ‘sophisticated’ with high end hotels, restaurants and an obscenely expensive golf course. It is the home of the Sandy Lane Hotel which rivals Dubai for ‘naffness’ and silly prices. It is a great place to go if you like calm beaches and diverse but good service hotels. You need a bigger wallet than the South but you do get good value. We stayed 12 hours at the Sandy Lane (that was enough) before moving to the Colony Club as well as the Sandpiper and Fairmont on other stays. If you are nice to the Bajan people they are nice to you unlike the Mauritians and I will go again as each experience is different to the last.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Still hanging in there with me? I hope so. Now I will give you a rest before, in another day soon I will tell you about my love for The Grenadines in general and Bequia in particular. Visit a gain soon!</b></div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-59896463776351669352015-12-22T09:09:00.000-08:002015-12-22T09:09:03.896-08:00Mind your Head!<br />
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I finally got around to writing my holiday report on Antigua
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When I finished I suddenly remembered my fishing trip and
the way I felt afterwards so I thought I would share my cautionary tale with
you!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The trip was far off-shore and the waves, most of the time
were big and rolling. I went for the eight hour trip as I was determined to
catch 'The Big One'<o:p></o:p></div>
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The day seemed to last forever and it was not until we were
way offshore that I discovered I was supposed to bring my own lunch. So,
nothing to eat and mainly only their beer to drink and it was HOT! I only got a
Mahi Mahi although a large Marlin roared in on my lure only to flip it
contemptuously away after dragging us around for a while.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally we got back and I must admit to feeling a little
sun-stroked and light headed. Fortunately that is like a lot of Antiguans drive
so I weaved my car back to the hotel quite safely just in time for sun-downers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There was Judith, getting me a Mojito and all was well in
the world. Then I moved on to another few cocktails like 'Reef Runner' and a
good old 'Sex on the Beach'. I felt pretty good really.....until I stood up. OH
GOD! The heavens moved and all was not really 'all well in the world' Better
get to my toilet I thought Sharpish!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The way to the toilet was along a beautifully manicured
winding path with young palm plants along each side. I know they were a special
sort of palm because I took the tour the previous day and met the gardener.
These palms were unusual AND his pride and joy as he had raised and nurtured
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I fell face first into them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They flew towards me as I crashed down on them. One
penetrated my butt and the others scraped crazy patterns on my face that both
lasted days and caused great embarrassment to me and hilarity from most of the
staff and management.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So the moral of this true story?<o:p></o:p></div>
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1/ Eat during the day<o:p></o:p></div>
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2/ Take on lots of non alcoholic fluids.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3/ Do NOT hit the cocktails if you have been in the sun too
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4/Improve your aim.<o:p></o:p></div>
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p.s. I suggest you avoid the gardener as I still wince when
I think of his accusing glare!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-23714275421325272692015-11-05T07:14:00.003-08:002015-11-05T07:14:24.426-08:00Getting Old<div style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<b>I got an email today from somebody I used to work with way back in time and never seen since. It literally came out of the blue!<br />Some of it is worth reading and some not so much.<br />All in all it is pretty accurate albeit long so lets see what you think!</b></div>
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<br />THE BACK NINE</div>
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I FIRST STARTED READING THIS EMAIL & WAS READING FAST UNTIL I REACHED THE THIRD SENTENCE. I STOPPED AND STARTED OVER READING SLOWER AND THINKING ABOUT EVERY WORD. THIS EMAIL IS VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING. MAKES YOU STOP AND THINK. READ SLOWLY!</div>
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<br />AND THEN IT IS WINTER</div>
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<br />You know ... time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.</div>
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<br />But, here it is... the back nine of my life and it catches me by surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?</div>
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<br />I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the first hole and the back nine was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.</div>
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<br />But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd become.</div>
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<br />Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!</div>
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<br />And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though I'm on the back nine, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's over. A new adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.</div>
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<br />So, if you're not on the back nine yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you’re on the back nine or not!</div>
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<br />You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!</div>
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<br />"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY ! HAVE A GREAT DAY Remember"It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. LIVE HAPPY IN 2015-16!</div>
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<br />LASTLY, CONSIDER THIS:<br />~Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren are perfect!<br />~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!<br />~You forget names.... But it's OK because some people forgot they even knew you!!!<br />~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything like golf.<br />~The things you used to care to do, you aren't as interested in anymore, but you really do care that you aren't as interested.<br />~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV 'ON' than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep".<br />~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch..<br />~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ???<br />~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!<br />~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.<br />~Everybody whispers.<br />~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear.</div>
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~~~But Old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!</div>
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</div>
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</div>
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TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN; YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE, SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LAST</div>
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Do Not Regret Growing Older. It is a Privilege Denied to Many</div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-68914774978787868512015-10-18T03:45:00.000-07:002015-10-18T03:46:38.387-07:00A Message to Readers in Russia an USAHi<br />
I have noticed a huge increase in readers from your countries and just wanted to say THANKS.<br />
If you find my posts as interesting, amusing or even informative as I hope they are then please feel free to share my blog address with your friends.<br />
ANY input good or bad is both necessary and interesting so get in touch if you want to.<br />
All the very best.<br />
MIKEMike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-40221405087520961112015-09-11T12:16:00.003-07:002020-09-11T04:07:52.991-07:009/11<span face="helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">I will never forget 9/11.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span face="helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">We were doing a presentation at our Holborn Gate office trying to win the KPMG account.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span face="helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">I was very annoyed to hear gasps and shouts coming from our reception area mid presentation so I made apologies and stormed out of our conference room to give the staff a rollocking and tell them to stop spoiling our presentation.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;" /><span face="helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">as I was about to launch off at them the second plane hit and I saw it on the TV in the waiting area. Our business was travel and I kne</span><span class="text_exposed_show" face="helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">w instantly that hundreds of our customers were in that building including the folk from KPMG New York office.<br />I went back in the conference room, told them what happened and what we were doing to try and identify what was happening and how to get the survivors home. It was awful and we just sat looking at each other. They thought of the options and what any of us could do about it and asked us to finish our presentation. My and my team's minds were in shreds as we did what they asked.<br />The end result was we retained the account and won more business but that was not the real outcome.<br />The real outcome was our work had just begun. The phone lines were jammed with customer's families and loved ones who wanted to know if they were safe and how we could get them back. The whole of America had become a no fly zone and we had hundreds of our clients out there including many in the twin towers. Frankly it was the ultimate nightmare situation...magnified.<br />Ultimately we got them all back by bullying/begging British Airways and other airlines to get our people on the first planes out.<br />Sadly there were some of our folk who died in those towers. I feel so bad about them but yet so proud of the ordinary people in Hogg Robinson, my company, who worked day and night to reassure, help and bring our people home.<br />Thank you all those who may have read this. It has taken me this long to speak of this to anyone.</span>Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-68667563873707479402015-07-02T04:58:00.003-07:002017-12-29T03:46:55.339-08:00Galley Bay - The Nitty Gritty<div class="MsoNormal">
Some people like to know the fine detail and, as I am one of
them, here is my interpretation of what I saw and often used.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The Resort:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Built along a ¾ mile strip of sandy bay between two
headlands that separate it from its neighbours. There is room for approximately
100 people and the accommodation blocks are no higher than one storey i.e.one
room above the other. Many of the rooms are single level and I personally did
not see any that had other rooms on both sides. It is located about 40 minutes
from the airport just on the other side of the capital St Johns next to a
village called ‘Five Islands’ where many of the Galley Bay staff live. The
beach in front is large with fine sand and the gardens behind the rooms are very
well maintained and have features such as a croquet lawn and a large lagoon and
nature/jogging trails that amazingly did not seem to attract extra mosquitos or
creepy crawlies. All in all it has a very visually attractive and relaxing feel
about it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Reception:<o:p></o:p></div>
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They have built their reception area on the mainland side of
the lagoon and it is here they have their car park and taxi stop. To get to the
main part of the hotel they take you by buggy across a little bridge and
deliver you and your bags straight to your room. Everywhere is very well
manicured and there is a ruin of an old but preserved sugar mill alongside
where you sit and enjoy a cold towel and welcome drink if you want one. Most
people have prepaid but they will probably ask for credit card details in case
you want any of the few extras over and above the all-inclusive package like
excursions and meal upgrades. The staff are very slick in the way they handle
busy arrival periods so it should not take long. Obviously if you want a taxi
during your stay this is where you go and some taxis choose to wait for rides
in the car park. You can get there by asking for a buggy to take you from Guest
Services.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Guest Services:<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the hotel side of the lagoon there is another ‘main’
entrance and just inside you will find guest services. It is usually manned by
one to two staff and this is the main hub for most enquiries by guests. It is not a huge area and the staff know what they are talking about. Attached to
it is a small shop/boutique selling souvenirs and summer clothes. It is also
worth noting they sell essential non-prescription medications covering most
holiday ailments plus American brand cigarettes. For information, if you want
UK cigarettes take a taxi into Heritage Quay in town where you can get duty
free prices with your passport.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Smoking Policy:<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is pressure from some non-smoking guests to get it
banned but they have chosen a more equitable policy. This is that you can smoke
outdoors and in the open sided bars (they all are) although they rely on your
common sense to keep away from people ‘choking’ and ‘pulling faces’. I do not
smoke but my wife does and she had no problem from anyone. You are asked not to
smoke in your room or in the dining area of restaurants which seems reasonable
to me but there seemed no issue about having them on room balconies or patios.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Fogging:<o:p></o:p></div>
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The only other smoke people might notice is when the ‘fog’
the hotel once or twice a week. This happens in the early evening when the
resort hopes most people are in their rooms getting ready for drinks and
dinner. They drive a buggy around that sprays out a mix of smoke and bug
repellent to kill off mosquitos and any other nasties. It is particularly
necessary with the close proximity of standing water in the lagoon even though
they try to keep that water moving with fountains. It works well and I got no
bites from mosquitos. My wife had a few but a) she is a bug magnet and b) they
were far fewer than other places we have stayed. It works well but try not to
inhale the fumes!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The Beach:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Obviously the beach and the sea are very important and one
of the reasons you went on holiday anyway! As I said earlier the beach is long
with rocky headlands at either side. It is sandy and is almost on two levels.
The top half is flat and runs right up to the rooms. It is here that sun beds
are positioned (one for everyone but not always used) and there is also a lot
of shade from palm trees and permanent grass umbrellas. I personally think they
could do with more umbrellas but there is always somewhere to go to avoid the
direct rays of the sun. Some folk have griped about the lack of comfort of some
sunbeds but I am not sure what the resort can do as they are pretty much
standard to most hotels. They were fine for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The second level of beach slopes down to the sea and clearly
this slope has been created by waves over the years. The slope is not steep in
any way and the sight and sound of mainly small waves is a pleasure to me
especially when going to sleep. The only down side of the beach is that it can
sometimes get choppy enough for them to restrict swimming and using their
non-motorised sporting equipment. When this happens they put up green/amber/red
flags to let you know but it is not that often.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sand-flies? We did not get bitten which was a first and
testimony to the efforts of the resort. The only beach bites we got were from
ants. Not many I hasten to add but those that are there (on the top level) sure
pack a bite. Just don’t sit near one of their nests which are usually close to the
trees!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Like all beaches Galley Bay is open to the public however,
it is far enough away from others not to attract many beach vendors who can
sometimes drive holidaymakers mad with their selling techniques.The very few
vendors that visit do take 'no thank you' for an answer and don't push
themselves too hard. Being regulars I think they listen to the hotel management
who know some guests want to buy but do not want the others pestered.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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One guy who seems to
base himself and his sail boat off the beach is 'Captain Sean'. His business is
taking the guests on sailing, snorkeling day cruises that seem very popular. He
certainly attracts more guests than the big catamarans that ply the coast and
will stop off at Galley Bay if asked. Again, rarely you could see a visiting
jet ski but thankfully that is rare so the peace is not shattered! I loved this beach<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The Sea:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I said the water here has (mainly small) waves which I
think is far better than flat calm places that get too hot. Some people have
even mentioned an undertow but I dispute this. Occasionally, when the warning
flags are out you get a tugging at your legs when in the 'surf' and trying to
get out up the slope but no way would I call it an ‘undertow’ which sounds far
too sinister. It just means you might need to try a few times to get out
without filling your costume with sand! There are a few rocks in some parts of
the bay but you can easily see and avoid them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Water Sports Centre:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like most other resorts this hotel has an active water
sports kiosk where you can book out a large range of non-motorised sporting
equipment and also learn how to use it if needed. Equipment includes
windsurfers, paddleboards, kayaks, sailing boats hobicats and snorkel gear. Snorkelling
is not brilliant except if you go out with say Captain Sean on his boat to
Cades reef.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is an exception
which is a sunken wreck near the rocks in the bay and is both large and visible
under the water. The water sport guys will take you out there on a hobicat and
watch over the boat and you while you swim and dive. Great fun. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The people at the water sports centre clearly want to enjoy
their job and socialise. You obviously have to go through the process of
competence testing and signing of disclaimers but, once complete you are good
to go. Be aware that they strongly limit activities if the wind gets up or the
yellow/red flags are hoisted. In fact I think these flags have more relevance
to boat hire as it can become both difficult and wet to launch the boats in
rough weather. They are very safety orientated and life jackets are mandatory.
They also have the almost uncanny knack of knowing exactly where you are and if
you are in difficulty.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you take out a hobicat (they have three) I suggest you
sail upwind of the centre and have a look in the mini bay in the far corner.
This is past the wreck and is a gorgeous scenic spot frequented by visiting
yachts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Main Guest Areas<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are in the middle section of the resort spread either
side of Guest Services. Here you will find the largest of the restaurants
called Sea Grape and also the most populated bar called the Tepee as this is
what it is shaped like, an open sided tepee. The planked boardwalk runs along
in front of and between these centres of activity. There are a number of pastel
coloured rocking chairs and side tables on the boardwalk for sunset watching
and relaxing with a drink and, despite them not having cushions they are pretty
comfortable. Probably outdoor cushions would be impractical even though kinder
on the backside!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tepee Bar<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the old days this was cramped and too small but
thankfully they have done a lot of work to update it. The bar itself is shaped
like a large hollowed out rectangle with bar stools on the two longest sides and
it usually has two people serving the drinks and another collecting and
cleaning glasses. They serve very reasonable good quality drinks including
champagne and wine which mostly taste fine for casual drinking. The cocktails
are extensive and unlimited served frozen or with ice, everything from a mojito
to a reef runner or pina colada served with a smile and sometimes bar nibbles.
Oh, by the way, they serve draft beer (Piton from St Lucia) or bottled Carib if
you prefer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the open end to the bar are three large containers with
iced water, iced tea and fruit flavoured water. These you can help yourself
from and many wander up from the pool to do just that. Around the bar there is
a range of four seater cane and glass tables and chairs. Some tables have ash
trays (usually at the sides) or you can ask for one if you wish (behind the
bar). The management were updating this furniture and I was told the new
consignment was currently waiting customs clearance in the main port.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This bar seemed the main hangout to watch the sun setting
over the sea. Sometimes this can be spectacular and other times disappointing
depending on the cloud levels and sea haze. Around this time the staff wheel up
a large lidded server containing an evening snack. Like most of the food it is
good to eat and helps the sun-downers…..down!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the great features of Galley Bay is that it is all
inclusive of food and particularly drink so do people misbehave and become
overly intoxicated? I admit I saw a bit of it but nothing to my mind aggressive
or annoying. Yes, some people got a bit drunk and needed to stop or go to their
room and mainly that is what they did. Also the bar shuts around midnight and
frankly, what with the heat, most people are too worn out by the sun to make a
fuss. Mostly it was a few people having too good a time which was either
entertaining or a cue for us to change tables.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Tepee bar was also the place to go for ‘take away’
drinks. Like most all-inclusives the resort does not provide large quantities
of alcoholic drinks in the room as they would probably go broke if they did.
Instead you can go to the bar and get them to pour a dink in the green flasks
they give you on arrival. These are quite large but I have known them served
pretty full if you ask nicely! Otherwise the room fridge is large enough to
take a few bottles brought with you or bought at the supermarket. Despite the
Tepee bar being reasonably close I rather like to sit on my room balcony with a
drink while Judith enjoys one when drying her hair ready to go out so I used
this service.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Tepee staff do occasionally circuit the pool taking
drinks orders but many folk just wandered up to the bar in the beachwear (with
t-shirt or wrap) and got their own as it was clearly quicker and the drinks
colder. At least once a day they come round with ice lollies which is a nice
idea.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Sea Grape Restaurant<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sea Grape is by far the biggest and it is here that most
people eat. It is the only place that serves breakfast and it also plays host
to the bigger events i.e. barbecue nights etc. It is located in a central position alongside the wooden
boardwalk that spans across to the Tepee bar. The entry part contains s
lounging area and bar with a small toilet next to it that has to serve guests,
Tepee users and pool folk which is not so good in such a well thought out
resort.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The lounge also serves as the afternoon tea area where they
provide tea/coffee and ranges of sandwiches, scones, cakes and fruit to those
that have space for them. Quite civilised really and particularly suits the
older Brits….like me?! Like every open sided food fascility in the Caribbean
you get birds flying in and out but there is little to be done about that, and
besides, people like me like them!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The restaurant is at the other end with a reception desk at
the entry and lots of tables and seats. It is always worth asking for a table
as near the boardwalk as possible as mostly they are cooler with a sea breeze.
Immediately prior to the desk is an area containing buffet and other ‘help
yourself’ options. It is always worth pausing to check it out particularly if
you are in any kind of hurry. If a table is free you are usually taken there
quickly where separate wait staff will offer water and take drinks orders. If
you want to see what is being served in all restaurants there is a copy of the
menus at Sea Grape reception or opposite Guest services.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You will not go hungry at Galley Bay. The food is both
substantial and varied and pretty good for all tastes. I think people need to
remember though that this is not a top five star resort and catering for 100 people
(mainly arriving within 10 minutes of each other) leaves little scope for too
much imagination. The food is a mixture of tastes and types which provide a
good all round experience and what you get depends on what is available on the
island. The executive chef is British and works hard to keep food standards up
and he is always happy to help people with allergy or dietary problems. Do not
expect rapid, organised service but you do get plenty of smiles which help!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Breakfasts are great and it is easy to overindulge! The
buffet (as you go in) has fruit, cereals, juices, salad, toasts and hot choices
such as sausage and bacon, scrambled egg etc. Inside you can order just about
any cooked combination you want as well as pancakes with numerous sauces.
Service is friendly and relaxed and you never seem to be rushed. Those Brits
that like Marmite can even order it here!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lunch is a slightly lighter version of dinner in that it can
be four plus courses including starters salads (buffet) mains and desserts.
They serve quite a few locally created meals which are very tasty and can be
quite spicy. Frankly you can eat as much or little as you want and some people
go for something lighter at the’ Barefoot Grill’ or more elegant at ‘The
Gaugin’.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dinner at the Sea Grape is often very busy depending on how
many guests are staying at the resort. Again they clearly make an effort to
please everyone but sometime a few cracks in the service and food standard
shows at times of pressure. I think this is the time some guests need to remember
they are on a laid back holiday island not in their home town/city. If you are
providing what is close to mass catering you cannot expect everything to be
perfect.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They have a barbecue night which can be quite fun. Again,
seating is in the Sea Grape or on the boardwalk itself and an extensive buffet
is lined up on one side. There was a delicious suckling pig at the end nearest
the barbecue on the boardwalk although some people did not like the fact that
its head was still on! The barbecue itself was the usual mix of meats and fish.
If they offer you sauces with it then speak up quickly or they will take no
answer as a yes. This sauce was great for me but the piri piri nearly blew my
wife’s head off! The meat itself was OK without being excellent or poor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On barbecue night beware of one thing. Good entertainment is
provided and this contributes to having people rush down as soon as it is open
to get the best seats. If the hotel is full you can get turned away to one of
the other restaurants. This happened to us in our first week which was a little
annoying as we were not particularly late. They blocked a good table for us on
the second week to make up for it despite grumpy looks from some other guests.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Other
Restaurants:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Gaugin<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This restaurant is located at the extreme end of the
property on the Sea Grape side. You enter through a small but very nice bar
area and are seated in your own little area under a reed canopy. Each seating
area is away from the next so it is great for privacy and not so great for
socialising with those around you. I found the layout very attractive and the
nearer the sea you go the better it looks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You have to book a table here and they serve lunch and
dinner which are usually a slightly higher and more bespoke version of what you
get at the Sea Grape. Despite the food being an improvement on what is already
a good standard it is still available to all at no extra cost. If your room is not nearby you can call for one
of the buggy transports that are available although allow a little time for
this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ismays<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story goes that this restaurant is named after a long
serving staff member and I must say it deserves the description ‘fine dining’.
It has a totally different feel to the place and compares favourably with all
the high calibre restaurants and hotels I have visited in the Caribbean.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Again, you need to book and yes, there is a surcharge to
dine there and yes, it is worth it. I fail to understand why some folk gripe
about this surcharge because it is a totally different dining experience. The
location (other extreme to the Gaugin) the service and the food are in another
league and the surcharge is much smaller than this difference. Every guest
should go there at least once.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Bare Foot Grill<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This really is a one lady show. It is no more than a little
shed with a counter and the lady chef turns out lovely substantial snacks/lunch
from there which you can eat in your swimwear (with wrap/T-shirt) if you want.
She does numerous different burgers, fajitas and snacks with plenty of fries.
Everything was cooked perfectly and was produced promptly and freshly cooked.
It ia a great addition for anyone that wants quick, informal tasty lunches. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Galley Bay Dress Code<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now let us get this straight. The web site says (and I
quote):<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Breakfast & Lunch: Shoes must be worn at all times and
bathing suits are covered and dry. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dinner: Men are required to wear collared shirts with long
pants or stylish jeans. T-shirts, shorts, capri, 3/4 pants and ripped jeans are
not accepted. We ask that women wear dresses, skirts, long pants or stylish
tailored shorts or jeans. No short shorts or tank tops allowed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now for some reason this subject can be quite emotive,
especially as the resort enforces it. But why?
Does this sound too harsh? I personally do not think so, in fact I find
it quite reasonable if you agree a dress code is as much a state of mind as a
fashion statement. People dress down and their attitude can reflect that,
although I know some of you will disagree. I personally do not want to eat and
drink when the folk at the next table have wet costumes, hairy armpits and
acres of bare flesh on display!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Pool Area:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is one of the most improved areas and is situated
alongside the Tepee bar on the other side from the Sea Grape restaurant. It
used to be pretty claustrophobic but they have greatly increased the size of
the pool surrounds and put up plenty of permanent reed umbrellas that are discreetly
apart from each other. Don’t you just hate it when you lie on your sunbed and
are able to view a close-up of your neighbours feet! It is mainly a calm,
relaxed area although you sometimes get a bunch of Wahoos floating around in
the water with drinks in their hands shouting across to their friends.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are plenty of pool/beach towels in your room although
they also keep a large extra supply behind the counter of the Water sports hut
adjacent to the pool. The water itself is warmer than the sea and very
inviting. Strangely the pool is not tiled so it can feel a bit rough under
foot. It can also look a little dark because of the paint used but I understand
that both these oddities are like that for ‘ecological’ reasons. The sunbeds
are wooden, on wheels and adjustable with a decent mattress and have curved backs
for comfort.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As mentioned before I found it slightly irksome that in such
a spread out resort there is practically nowhere to change bathing gear. You
either walk through the Tepee bar or around the front of Guest Services to find
any facility. It is either that, dry in the sun or walk back to your room which
can be some distance away. I noticed there is an office they could convert or
perhaps do away with the underutilised bicycle hut. This lack of facilities can
be quite amusing entertainment as there always seems to be someone trying to
wrestle something on or off under their towels with varying degrees of success/exposure!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Rooms<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I mentioned earlier the beach front rooms fan out either
side of the central reception area, probably ¼ mile in each direction. There is
a winding path leading to them with pick up/ drop off point for the buggies to
pick you or your bags up. There is a croquet lawn (gear at Guest services) and
a couple of ‘rehydration stations’ which are basically water and ice machines.
The room entrances are from this side and then back directly onto the beach.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are three types of beachside rooms, Superior, Deluxe
and Premium. Probably the largest differentiator between the three types is
space. We stayed in a very roomy Premium room and there are probably more of
these types than any others. The resort seems to manage its space very cleverly
to give everyone what they want and this means occasional upgrades are
possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You enter through the back into quite a large hall which has
the bathroom door leading off it. By anyone’s standards the bathrooms are
large. The one we stayed in had two basins, two showers and an enormous bath in
it. It does not have air conditioning in it which is a bit of a shame but I
have stayed in smaller rooms than this bathroom. We did not lose water once and
the temperature remained constant which is amazing for the tropics. Water
pressure was fine considering the need to conserve resources but I would not
have wanted to fill that bath!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The room was equally big and split into two sections by a
slightly dropped floor in the lounging area. The bed was large and a little
hard and the pillows were not to my particular taste but that is not unusual. I
slept well as I always do with the sound of waves in the background and a
stomach full of good food and wine. There are two bedside tables with a clock radio,
telephone and plenty of space for books and things like that. Also there were
two enormous chest of drawers pushed together which more than housed the
clothes we brought with us. As you would
expect there was a wardrobe that also
contained a safe, iron/ironing board and
suitcase stand. This took up quite a lot of space but we still got all our
things in. Consider taking a few extra plastic hangers as we needed some.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The lounge area had two sofas, a dressing table and sink
unit containing the fridge and tea/coffee making facilities. This included a
kettle so we did not have to try making tea using the coffee machine! The
fridge had a small range of beer, sodas and water as well as plenty of room to
store some of your own drinks. The dressing table was well lit and there were
plenty of plug sockets to accommodate hair dryers and straighteners. My wife
liked this as it meant she did not have to get ready in the bathroom which got
hot. It might be worthwhile bringing a travel mirror with you if you want to do
the same. Electricity is 110 volts using US plugs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a modern flat screen television on the wall with
plenty of cable channels but we never switched it on. On the other wall was a
large air conditioner with a rather complicated remote. I say complicated but
what I mean is modified as a number of the commands did not work and you could
not turn the temperature down below 20 degrees. I do not think it reached as
low as 20 degrees the whole of our stay. We could have done with a cooler room
but I never mentioned it which was stupid as I suspect, like all things, they
would have tried to help.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the end of the room there was a floor to ceiling glass
wall that opened up to a lovely balcony overlooking the sand and sea. This had
two comfortable loungers with a wicker table between them. This proved ideal
for my wife to smoke as there is a no smoking rule in all bedrooms. We had a
choice of being on the ground floor where you walk straight from bedroom to
beach or upstairs where you could view the sea better and run no risk of noisy
footsteps of people above.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Resort in General<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The property has been around for quite a while but still remains fresh despite
the wear and tear it gets from a regularly full guest inventory. The gardens
are well kept, they train well and commit themselves to all sorts of eco
policies from water conservation to tortoise and turtle protection. The facilities
are excellent and I have not mentioned positives like the spa, sports
facilities, library, yoga etc as I sadly never visited them. My only excuse was
that I was too relaxed!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the price I paid it is the best I have stayed in. On
flicking back through these notes I feel I have not given full enough credit to
the people who work here. They are so damn nice! Good people are down to two
major influences, their home life and their management and I think Galley Bay
works on both. Antiguan people are basically friendly and kind, but they also
need strong and encouraging leadership and this is where Galley Bay gets it absolutely
right. Well done Galley Bay and I hope, one day, to return.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-82354356919616370172015-06-22T05:23:00.003-07:002017-10-21T11:30:08.889-07:00Galley Bay, Antigua. Put to the test<div class="MsoNormal">
I was not so sure whether I wanted to go to Antigua again.
After all, years back we used to go regularly and in some ways we thought
enough might be enough. More recently we have journeyed slightly deeper into
‘unspoiled’ Caribbean and enjoyed places like the Grenadines enormously. So why
back to Antigua? Mainly because we had just survived organising and hosting our
daughter’s wedding and were about to commence major house renovations which are
sadly still ongoing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So this was supposed to be a relaxing holiday with little
hassle and lots of enjoyment. We chose to go to Galley Bay because of four
magic words, All-inclusive and Adults only. We looked at trying Sandals for the
first time but decided it was too big glitzy and ‘young’ for our tastes with
extras like personal concierges whose main job seems to be pinching sun beds
for you early in the morning!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We also looked at
visiting Grand Pineapple but their security was such that they would not allow
us to view the hotel without prior notice. Shame as we had stayed there at
least 4 times in the distant past. Maybe it was because the property had just
been bought by Sandals who intend turning it into a ‘Beaches’ brand property
encouraging young families. It will be great for them as the beach is beautiful
and safe unlike some other locations in Antigua. But not for us…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had visited Galley Bay years ago in the middle of their
‘slow’ off-peak season and the experience was not brilliant as they were in the
middle of refurbishment. However, it was good enough for me to conclude that it
could be brilliant if it was developed properly as the location is spectacular
and very large. I decided to take Judith there although she was not too keen,
and I am glad and not a little relieved to say it was excellent.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most reports about Galley Bay are complimentary and they
enjoy a very high number of repeat visitors. So much so that this in itself can
become an issue. As soon as you get people praising a place it almost becomes
inevitable that others look for things to moan about. Equally, frequent return guests
can behave like they own the place and get special treatment which, in itself,
can annoy others. Neither of these issues are the hotel’s fault but have to be
faced.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Resorts such as these have to perform a very difficult
juggling act of keeping everybody happy whilst working within a budget
depending on its star rating. I think
Galley Bay does this well although there are obviously things that can and will
be improved in the future. The management host a dinner for repeat guests most
weeks and pick their brains for new ideas and improvements and, from what I
could see, followed up on them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The resort is spread out along a ¾ mile beach. The main
facilities including the largest restaurant, the pool and two bars are in the middle as is
the entrance approached by buggy over the lagoon bridge. There are also
restaurants at either end which, partly due to their location, are less
frequented. They are both ‘pre-booking only’ and one (Ismays) has a fine dining surcharge which is well
worth paying at least once during a stay. The other one (Gaugin) is a great
place to go to avoid the hurly burly of the main restaurant which can get
rather busy at times. We also liked the new lunch snack facility 'Barefoot Grill' which
is close to the pool.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leisure activities take place on the beach or by the pool.
The pool area has been expanded since our last visit which has, in the main
relieved the umbrella sunbed issue although you still get folk putting out
their towels when they have little intention of using them. Why they do this I
don’t know but it is an unpleasant behavioural virus that has spread across the
Caribbean from Europe! The beach is mainly pretty empty which is great for
those that prefer to sit there although they do need to refurbish beach sun
loungers and perhaps erect more permanent umbrellas. In saying that I have
experienced far worse loungers in more pricey resorts! Non-motorised water
sports were great with nice helpful people to guide you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rooms that we stayed in and saw were very good. Yes,
they could be improved but just remember what you are paying. The bathrooms are
huge by resort standards but not air-conditioned like the bedrooms. The bedroom
we stayed in (Premium) was again large, spacious and had a lounge area. There
was plenty of room for Judith to do her hair and I am glad to say the plugs
were nearby unlike other places we have stayed. British people will need
adapters as the plug sockets are American style and the electricity is 110
volts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A safe, ironing board/iron, kettle, coffee maker, television
(American cable) bathroom accessories and air conditioning were all provided.
Some people moaned that the soaps were in dispensers which seemed to annoy them
and the only very slight gripe we had was the air-conditioning minimum was set
at 20 degrees which meant cooling was a bit slower. I expect if we asked they
might have made an adjustment as they were so helpful with everything else.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I said earlier the food was generally very good for
Caribbean standards and the drinks were all high quality, or at least they tasted
so to me! Everything was substantial and I liked the idea of being given free drinks
containers to put in whatever you like. They are very useful if you want a
drink in your room or if you need to rehydrate yourself at the water and ice
dispenser between the rooms. What amazed me is you could practical eat all day
if you wanted to as the Barefoot Grill is open until late afternoon and this is
followed by afternoon tea/scones/ sandwiches (which few ate) and finally hot
snacks in the bar at sunset.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is clearly a place where you will never get too hungry
or thirsty. The main ‘Tepee’ bar is
probably where most people end up during the day and night. It is relaxed, open
sided with comfortable seating which I hear is/has been updated. It is a place
you can go to watch sunsets and talk to old and new friends. The staff there
are wonderful and they manage it well. Sometimes one can be unfortunate as you
end up being thrown together with other guests that you are less keen on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
I have been in the travel business for many years and have
never been backward in offering criticism and suggestions but I must say I find
coming up with anything pretty hard with Galley Bay. Searching my memory I have
only come up with two slight negatives which are totally outweighed by the
positive things they do:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Firstly, and something they could do, I think they need to
provide a changing room/toilet nearer the pool. With the resort so spread out,
people do not want to go back to their rooms and the only other cloakrooms are
the other side of the bar next to the Sea grape restaurant. These are also too
warm, too small and one does not want to wander wet through the bar.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My second point has really little to do with the resort or
its management. It is the guests. We are all such a mixed bunch and sometimes
we do not get on or relate to each other very well. Some get too drunk while
others sit arms folded muttering about them. Some put towels on sun beds while
other complain bitterly about them. Some like to shout and one even thought it
was cool to play bluegrass music out loud by the pool while another debated
(loudly again) which was the best pie and mash shop on Canvey Island. All
fascinating stuff but you could see lips curling everywhere although nothing
was said!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The guests here are a mixture of mainly British of a mature
age, Americans and Canadians and I guess
the fun of it is that you certainly see life out there as different
nationalities and classes get loosened up by alcohol. In the main it was fun
but any resort in the tropics conveniently located between USA and Europe that
provides free drinks will experience diplomatic ‘challenges’ on occasions and I
think Galley Bay got maximum points on this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So all in all it was a brilliant relaxing fun holiday at a
very professional and well run resort and I would like to reserve my final
comments for the staff and management. If truth were told we moved our holidays
to the Grenadines because the people there are so damn nice. We felt Antigua,
Barbados and even Tobago had been spoilt by mass tourism and the people had
become jaded by what they had put up with from us tourists. Well I was wrong
about the Galley Bay team and I openly admit it. I was privileged to meet
such nice and hard working group of
people and I wish them success in the future. Well done.<o:p></o:p><br />
Finally I would say that it might not be to everybody's taste, but if you want a minimum hassle, easy place to unwind it worked for us!</div>
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Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-17639877932159839532014-01-26T08:58:00.002-08:002015-06-22T05:24:54.496-07:00BLOG CONTENTSIf there is something here you would like to read either scroll down or put one or two of the key words in the 'search' box in the top LEFT corner above.<br />
<br />
CONTENTS<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Galley Bay Antigua - put to the test<br />
Mustique Travel and holiday report<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Is Virgin Upper Class really Upper Class?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bookings.com A Cautionary tale<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Business Lunches and Dinners Consolidated<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Maldives. A tale of four islands<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Holidaying in the Maldives – General<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Majorca Holidays – Complete<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anguilla Travel and Holiday report<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Entertaining foreign Guests – Consolidated<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two trips to Brazil<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bequia Travel report<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thomson Champagne and chocolate<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cephalonia Holiday<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting an Upgrade. A matter of Life and Death?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Longest Flight Home<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Low Cost Airlines - Honeymoon Over?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Travel Report - Anguilla<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Entertaining Foreign Dignitaries - Part 3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Entertaining Foreign Dignitaries – Part 2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An Innocent in Brazil - Part 3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An Innocent in Brazil
– Part 2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An Innocent in Brazil – Part 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Entertaining Foreign Dignitaries - Part 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Readers Forum<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Blogger in Paradise -Majorca Part 4<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Blogger in Paradise -Majorca Part 3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Blogger in Paradise –Majorca Part 2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Blogger in Paradise –Majorca Part -1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dining Out on Business Travel - Part 6<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dining Out on Business Travel - Part 5<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dining Out on Business Travel – Part 4<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dining out on Business Travel - Part 3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dining out on
Business Travel – Part 2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dining Out on Business Travel – Part 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Secure Life Abroad – Part 6<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Secure Life Abroad - Part 5<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Secure Life Abroad - Part 4<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Secure Life Abroad – Part 3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My life in Hotels - Part 4<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My Greatest 'Hits'<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My life in hotels – Part 3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My Life in Hotels Part 2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My life in Hotels - Part 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My Life in Bars - Part 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Blogger in Paradise
- Maldives<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Children Behaving Badly - Unmins<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Secure Life Abroad 2 - Zambia<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Secure Life Abroad 1 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pets Abroad 2 – Carnage in Kitwe<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My life in Toilets - Part 2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My Life in Toilets –
Part 1 <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pets Abroad<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Corporate
entertaining 3 – Could end in divorce!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Corporate
entertaining 2 - A few painful lessons learned <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beware the Bearded
Scotsman - SPAA Dinners<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brushes with the rich
and famous – Frank Sinatra<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brushes with the rich
and famous – Michael O’Leary...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brushes with the Rich
and Famous– Richard Branson.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brushes with the rich
and famous – Naomi Campbel<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brushes with the Rich
and Famous – Conference Moderators.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brushes with the rich
and famous – Royalty<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paupers in Paradise<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peril on Planes 2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stranger than fiction<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peril on Planes 1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Sleeping Salesman<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our Colin got a Nasty
Rash in Brazil.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pets on Planes. Part
3<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Welcome to Lagos<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pets on planes. Part
2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A truly sickening
idea<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ladies of the Night<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Distressed Salesman
in Paris<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Getting an Upgrade. A
matter of Life and Death?<o:p></o:p></div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-85522151145224566542013-06-20T10:58:00.003-07:002013-06-22T07:40:11.781-07:00Mustique Travel and Holiday Report - Part 4 Cotton House<div class="MsoNormal">
The Cotton House Hotel is a special place. Why? It is not
that easy to explain but I will have a try. Descriptions such a relaxed and
informal come to mind but equally so does elegant and luxury which is weird as
the first two rarely link seamlessly with the the last! Maybe because it only
has 17 rooms, but on the other hand they are in a huge acreage which has a big
and beautiful spa. Like all hotels it has a pool and beach….but where have all
the people gone. I hope you are getting my drift.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The rooms vary greatly. The entry level are called ‘cottages’
and are pretty enough for anyone. The next up are the Grenadine Suites which
are in a block of four with the ground level rooms having plunge pools. We
stayed once on the first floor and, whilst modern and gorgeous made me jealous
of not having the pool below our balcony. None of the rooms have a sea view and
look over the extensive manicured grounds instead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The sea view rooms are in the Coutenout House. There are 5
rooms here and they are all different in design and layout. We have stayed in
three. They are all on one level and all have decking and plunge pools except
for one. This is the Tower Room which is, as you may imagine, in a little tower
above the other four. This room has a fabulous view, its own veranda
overlooking the beach and is very private. Great for honeymooners!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Out of the other
rooms we have two favourites. The Orchid
Room is tucked to one side and is very peaceful. It has a separate lounge
(unlike the others) and a very attractive glass ceilinged bathroom.
Star watching whilst soaking is a great experience. This room is well sound
insulated from the others, has a nice little pool and great for skinny dipping
if you had the desire to do so! The bed is FANTASTIC. The best I have ever
slept in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally we stayed in the Sunset Room. Probably named after
the superb views of the beach and the sunsets you get out there. It has a big
deck and pool which is stuck out towards the bay which stops it being
overlooked whilst allowing any sea breezes to blow through. We loved it there even
though there is a hatch from bathroom to bedroom so you can see the view from
the loo. Unfortunately the same works in reverse and can result in your partner
yelling at you!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally there are some duplex suites which are large,
spacious and usually two storied. They too have plunge pools and also have two
bedrooms which make them good for children. They are lovely but we still prefer
the Coutenout rooms. At the top of a little hill next to reception they have a
2 bedroom villa. This is pretty good realty because it is private and secluded
yet you can enjoy all the services and amenities the hotel has to offer whilst
living a villa lifestyle. Nope, still Coutenout for us!<o:p></o:p></div>
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The hotel has its own little beach. On it they have top
quality wooden sun loungers with a towel covered mattress and sun umbrellas.
There is a beach attendant/drink getter a few paces onto the grass. On the
grass they have lounge settees sheltered under the trees so you can flop out
and read or sleep if you want. On one side of the beach is a pier and water sports
centre which has got just about anything you can imagine and also runs diving
trips. Snorkel stuff and sail boats are free to guests.<o:p></o:p><br />
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At the other end of the beach is a bar/café and it is here
they serve lunch. It is not that cheap but the food is usually pretty good and
the portions huge. Very often we shared one meal between us but, if you didn’t
then be prepared to spend around US$65 (including a drink) between the two of
you. The staff are lovely and the sea breeze cooling. Like most places in the
Caribbean you do get the occasional bird showing too much interest in your food
so they lend you little water pistols to discourage them! P.s. a thrill for me was I could get a pizza without cheese there!</div>
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It is usually shut in
the evenings which is a bit of a shame although they try to hold their barbecue
night there when the can. This meal is not to be missed but don’t get mad when
they weigh your choice of meat in front of you as it is not to charge you extra
for a big lobster. Or, like I had, Lobster, Prawn, Steak and Lamb! My own
interpretation of ‘Surf and Turf’.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dinners are served in their ‘fine dining’ Veranda restaurant that circles around the Great
House where reception and the main bar and lounge is. As you can imagine this
is not cheap but most hotel rates you get do include breakfast and dinner. Some
people complain about the variety of the food as the printed menu rarely
changes but what I think they forget is the the chefs are willing to adapt any
dish to your own taste. Bearing in mind there is always at least four different
kinds of meat as well a two fish that isn't at all bad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then you have two other sources of food. The ‘all day dining’
menu in your room has kiddies and adult food like spaghetti Bolognese, BLT and fish fingers which is good eating on
your patio under the stars. Also they
have a good Tapas menu in the lounge/bar. Unfortunately I only found out about
it on our last day as the menu is behind the cocktail list which I never looked
at. So is it Michelin standard? Of course it isn't. Is it good Caribbean
standard? Yes I think it is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What about the rest of the hotel? As you can gather I think
the pool, beach and spa areas are great. The grounds are extensive and contain plenty of relaxation and exercise areas from running trails (did not use) and
tennis (what on holiday?!). Everything is well groomed and maintained although
there was a very short spell when power and water was lost.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We loved it all but
it appeals perhaps to only certain types of holidaymaker. I think you have to
be comfortable enough with your partner to spend time in each other’s company.
The island is ‘laid back’ and not that regular a haunt of celebrities, chavs and
royals. We met nice people but, apart from Basil’s or Lisa’s bar there were not
many places to go and have a wild time. However, if you want beauty,
relaxation, peace and laid back enjoyment we find it unbeatable.<o:p></o:p><br />
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And these other local holidaymakers seemed to be enjoying their honeymoon to the Cotton House too!<br />
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Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-5611312402555544212013-06-16T04:23:00.001-07:002013-06-16T04:23:27.251-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
Mustique travel and holiday report – Part 3 The Island<o:p></o:p></div>
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It really is a very pretty island with a number of amazing
unspoiled, often empty beaches to enjoy. The best thing to do is jump into your
‘Mule’ and explore in order to get your bearings and then plan your stay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Probably the best place to find is Macaroni Beach . This
beach is everything most people want. It has pure white sand, it is clean and
the water is crystal clear. It has waves but nothing to be too afraid of as the
currents are usually very benign. All along this small beach are tropical trees
for shade and under these are all sorts of amenities from volleyball courts to
picnic spots. The latter can be booked in advance and you can even order a
picnic and have it delivered to your chosen spot. Nobody tries to pinch your
place or your belongings. Remarkable in the modern Caribbean!<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are other equally beautiful beaches. Lagoon beach is
terrific although it can get a bit sea weedy in some seasons. Some of the other
beaches on the Atlantic side are pretty wild yet beautiful and swimming is not
recommended here. All of these are within 10 minutes from where you are
staying. Snorkeling is good by Caribbean standards and one of the better places
is just off the Cotton House Hotel beach. You can get a great lunch there too
which will set you back around US$60/70 for two with a drink.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The island is a great place for activities particularly on
and under the sea. There is a dive centre too on Cotton House beach with great
tuition and a strong safety ethic. You can rent all kinds of snorkeling and
diving gear from them as well as catamarans, sailboats and windsurfers. Next to
the tiny airport is the sports area where they play cricket and base their
Equestrian centre. The island is great for riding and trekking with lots of paths
and fitness trails for those that enjoy that sort of thing. Some people
complain that there is not much to do but I don’t get that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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OK, so what about the social side? This just might be an
area where some folk enjoy perhaps more than they think Mustique can offer, and
they may be right. There are only four places most people will find for a
drink. They are The Cotton House, The Firefly, the famous Basil’s Bar and a new
place called Lisa’s overlooking the harbour.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You have to know
where you are going to find Lisa’s. You
go to Lovell's Village where most of the workers live and it is almost
immediately on the left as you go in. I have heard Lisa and her husband are a
great and hospitable couple and the bar is open to both locals from the village
and guests from anywhere. You can just turn up, get cheaper drinks, enjoy the
view and eat great local cuisine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Firefly is a very small but chic hotel with 5 rooms (I
think) and a very nice bar and restaurant area. We did not go this time because
we heard mixed reports about the food and what it cost. Words like over-priced
and sub-standard were used by one couple we spoke to. In saying that it was
just one or two opinions and it reminds me of the term ‘one man’s meat is another
man’s poison’. Some people think it a fabulous place. It is built on the side
of a steep slope the other side of the bay to Lisa’s and the rooms are very
pretty and chic.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Right down in the port/yacht harbour you will find Basil’s.
It is built on its own pier sticking out into the bay and is quite an
experience. We went there most nights for a sun downer or two, or three and
enjoyed the relaxed ambiance of this unique setting. They have a ‘jump up’
night on Wednesdays and often feature Jazz on Sunday lunch time. Sometimes it
can get quite wild (in a fun sense) especially if something is being celebrated
at the time. I have heard people who didn't like it say they were glad they went
on one of these nights. As for me? I got myself introduced to a cocktail called T Punch which looked pretty harmless but.....<o:p></o:p></div>
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The last place I want to talk about is The Cotton House
which is the only larger (17 rooms!) hotel on the island. This is where we
stayed and we loved it. Would you? I don’t know. Some people expecting a ‘Chav
Fest’ of glamour, celebrities and parties might have been disappointed. We
found it a masterpiece of what I call ‘relaxed luxury’ or ‘understated elegance’.
I will tell you about it in my next update.<o:p></o:p></div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-35839777942741453432013-06-15T09:02:00.001-07:002013-06-15T09:36:52.311-07:00Mustique Travel and Holiday Report - Part 2 Staying in Villas<br />
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Mustique is mainly an island full of villas which are mostly for rent. These vary from super luxury homes built for people like Tommy
Hilfiger and Mick Jagger to smaller but equally beautiful homes mainly used for
holiday lets.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As you would expect prices vary enormously but this is what
to expect to pay per week if you rent one. We looked at the 2/3 bedroom villas
like Bali Hi, Moana and Greystone Cottage. All have pools and come with staff
to look after them and the guests. These usually comprise of 3 people to cook,
garden and serve. The cost per week to rent these homes are from US$6500, US$7000
and US$8,000 respectively. This includes staff cost although be prepared to pay a tip of approximately 5% of villa rental.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As far as transportation is concerned the villas come with their
own included transport and to get from Bridgetown, Barbados to Mustique about
US$525 each. And the time to go? Well any time really but I like it particularly
in November as everything is very green and the rain is not a major problem.
October half term might also be a good choice. I do not have anything to do
with the Mustique Company but if you wanted to have more of a look then type in
<a href="http://www.mustique-island.com/">www.mustique-island.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive about renting a
villa with staff in the Caribbean. I mean what do you do with them? Do they
hang around comparing you with the last guests? In fact that is why I
personally chose the Cotton House Hotel. A bit daft of me really because the
staff are around as much (or as little) as you want them to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The food in the
villas cooked by the chef is mainly superb but if you want something like beans
on toast then say so and do it yourself if you want. It is after all laid out
for you and nobody else! You can order stocks of food in advance or shop at a well equipped local store. And security? I know nowhere safer in the Caribbean or
Wiltshire UK where I live! A blessed haven in this troubled world although nothing
can be guaranteed anywhere.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Transport is always a bit of a worry especially in the
Caribbean. Sure, on most islands you can hire a car, and what are the roads
like? Are they full of mad drivers in big lorries and what if you get lost or
run out of petrol/gas? On this island you drive ‘mules’. No, not the hairy four
legged kind. These are what can be best described as heavy duty golf carts with
attitude. They are huge fun to drive but not really lethal like a large car or
lorry. The ‘roads’ are mainly tarmacked with regular speed bumps and I have never seen
anyone hit anyone ever. You need a visitors license but they can get these for
you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One thing you have to be careful about is………tortoises. Yes tortoises.
In fact if you have a phobia about tortoises don’t go. The place is full of
them and they even have an interesting statue of two having a good time on a
road junction. Mating season seems to be June and it can be disconcerting to
lie on your sunbed and hear low level grunting and shell clanking in the
background! You get a few cats and dogs as well but most of them belong to
someone and those that don’t are trapped and neutered to prevent breeding
without disrupting mouse catching!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ91TtDdo-GVHaejnQ5VIqtfSGjN2OHXBes_iB19wbzPM_HVr3LE2ixOtEjjaxkZcoKLNX2C2HqumXDyYp5sdcnJs4d1eSxnd9Spt3DuQaYCVCM3mfk0szNHNUVM7fEXeTNPAZETZAoNQ/s1600/IMG_4495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ91TtDdo-GVHaejnQ5VIqtfSGjN2OHXBes_iB19wbzPM_HVr3LE2ixOtEjjaxkZcoKLNX2C2HqumXDyYp5sdcnJs4d1eSxnd9Spt3DuQaYCVCM3mfk0szNHNUVM7fEXeTNPAZETZAoNQ/s320/IMG_4495.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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That was the nearest
I got to a celebrity when out there. I saw Sandy Gaul (newscaster) and Brian
Ferry (singer) but the highlight was ‘Mick Jagger’s dog’ or so I was told.
Anyway, none bothered us and you can be given water pistols to discourage birds
that show an interest in your pizza! A great new hobby I will try at home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Woops, there I go digressing again. Just to sum up the
villas they include:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Airport pick-up and transfer to villa<o:p></o:p></div>
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Household staff<o:p></o:p></div>
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Use
of (6) floodlit tennis courts<o:p></o:p></div>
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Managing Director’s Cocktail party <o:p></o:p></div>
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One
(1) vehicle<o:p></o:p></div>
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Laundry service<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fitness Trail <o:p></o:p></div>
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There are all sorts of other events and activities going on
all the time and everyone was very helpful. You will enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-24848957999785327442013-06-12T10:34:00.001-07:002013-06-12T10:38:22.397-07:00Mustique travel and holiday report – First episode<br />
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How much can you say about a small supposedly exclusive
island in the Caribbean? An island that is mainly remembered by people old
enough to recall Princess Margaret’s hedonistic lifestyle out there or young
enough to read about Prince William and Kate’s recent holiday. The island is
Mustique and frankly there is a lot to say about it as I am beginning to
discover.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As some of you will know I go into quite a lot of detail in
my reports so that I can try and provide answers to everyone’s questions. So
please skip past the bits that do not interest you and I hope that either way
you reach the end more knowledgeable than when you started.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The island is north of Tobago and 160 kms west of Barbados.
To get to it you should fly to Barbados and take the 40 minute small aircraft
hop. This short flight on the Grenadine Air alliance (SVG) is so easy
to fix and can be done by your agent, yourself online or via the place
in Mustique you are staying. Sometimes the latter can be cheaper. UK flight
connection timings are excellent especially if you catch the earlier Virgin
flight although BA is a shorter, slightly more risky possibility.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The airport in Mustique is ‘cute’ in every sense of the
world. The airport building is made of wood and covered in flags. The people
working there can be stern looking but that is because they take pride in the
job they do and want to be sure they do it properly. One bit of advice is to
keep a close eye on your bags, especially things like carry-on trolley bags
that may be loaded in the small aircraft hold for convenience. Ours were not
taken off in Mustique and went on to St Vincent. We got it back at 8.00 a.m.
next morning but just make sure what goes on also gets off to avoid anxiety.<o:p></o:p><br />
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So who goes to Mustique? Well very few actually except for
residents and villa owners which is a shame considering its beauty and what it
has to offer. The island is run by The Mustique Company who build and maintain
the villas as well as serve the villa owners. The villa owners are a mixture
between very rich people, title and land rich but short of cash people and
ordinary folk who buy the villas, rent them out and then use them themselves
from time to time. The local folk are primarily from St Vincent, neighbouring
Bequia and adjoining islands and from that you will know how kind and welcoming
they are.<o:p></o:p></div>
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From a tourist perspective you get mainly British and a
reasonable share of Americans, Canadians and European. When we were there they
were holding a large wedding where a Swiss banker was marrying a British girl
and there was about every nationality under the sun staying in the villas and
the two hotels. We had a great time talking to them but never felt crowded or
out of place. Mustique does that to you if you are prepared to completely relax
and chill out. You always get a few visitors who dress up to the nines, plaster
on the make-up, pose around the place
and then wonder why so few others are doing it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then of course you get the yachters. There are regular mini flotillas of boats from
mega-yachts to small catamarans that cruise around the island and anchor
overnight to enjoy the experience of the famous/notorious Basils Bar and take
on provisions. The anchorage is very pretty with crystal clear water although
it can get a little bumpy if the winds blow strong. More of Basils in a minute.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Who do I think would enjoy Mustique? That is mainly up to
you but here are one or two things I like about it:<o:p></o:p></div>
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*The people are so very nice. In the main they are happy to
share their island and are welcoming. That is everyone not just the locals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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*There are no beach vendors whatsoever. The beaches are kept
clean above the tideline and are some of the best in the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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*The main hotel (Cotton House) is a world leading what I
would call ‘relaxed’ luxury hotel. More on it shortly. The second much smaller
hotel (Firefly) is cheaper, still chic and excellent too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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*The place is safe and secure. It is well patrolled and ‘The
Company’ knows of everyone who is on the island. It is very comforting that
there is very, very little chance of any pilfering or assault. We often did not
lock our room or our buggy. Never had or heard of any problem.<o:p></o:p></div>
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*It is small but big enough to spend plenty of time
exploring. You can easily get lost if you relax too much but just keep driving
and you will end up where you started! <o:p></o:p></div>
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I think Mustique is ideal for expanding their current market
which is older couples, honeymooners, families (villas and hotel) and stressed
old ex-businessmen like me! I t is also really great for people who usually go
to places such as The Maldives. In the Maldives most islands have one resort
and little else. In Mustique you get the resort and other places to go. Where
are these other places?<o:p></o:p></div>
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They are:<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Cotton House Hotel<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Firefly Hotel<o:p></o:p></div>
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Basil’s and Lisa’s Bars<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Island and its beaches.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In my next blog very shortly I will talk about these and
more about how the island works.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-87393979786402449912013-06-12T06:02:00.000-07:002017-07-14T06:13:20.708-07:00Is Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Upper Class?I have taken to flying Virgin quite a lot recently and when I do I usually book in advance (for price) into the Upper Class cabin. This is mainly because I go to the Caribbean quite frequently and Virgin take off earlier and are far more prompt than BA on this particular route. This is important to me as I am usually catching a connection which BA often miss necessitating an unwelcome night-stop in Barbados. I cannot understand why BA keeps making such a gaffe but I digress.<br />
<br />
My early booking got me a pretty good Upper Class fare and I sat back anticipating the holiday to come. I was particularly enthusiastic as Virgin were introducing their new executive seating on the route and I was looking forward to seeing how they could make an excellent product even better. Despite taking a little time getting used to their 'wishbone' shaped seating plan I found the service combined with seat comfort unbeatable compared with their competitors.<br />
<br />
Virgin on the ground are very slick. There was no queue at Upper Class check-in and very little at the fast flowing economy desks. The staff were polite, efficient and very welcoming. We even avoided the scrum at security via the priority lane and, apart from joining the growing numbers of people trying to walk while replacing belts, shoes, loose change etc etc we were air-side very quickly.<br />
<br />
We visited their lounge which was a little disappointing. OK, it is light and airy, and the staff were nice but sadly their famed breakfast was cold and it was rather noisy with excited visitors. You also need to be ready to be called early as they are determined to get the flight off on time, or early in our case. They used to use their jumbos on this route but now they mainly operate Airbuses with their newest seat configurations and in-flight service.<br />
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As I said earlier, how can you improve on the already excelent? Well, I am afraid you can't. sadly this was not an improvement but more a step backwards. This might sound mean minded but I have been flying once/twice a week for the last 40 years so I should know what I am talking about. The joy of virgin was the impression and reality of space and this new cabin did not look like that. I think someone looked at the last set-up and wondered how they could squeeze more seats into the same space. There were rank after rank of tightly joined seats with tiny foot-rest/visitor stools, no arm rest on one side and a much narrower feel. You cannot really sit alongside anyone and, if you tried you would have to choose a different centre seat row to your window seat to get close. as the seating is now staggered across the cabin.<br />
<br />
The seat still folds over to become a mattress at nights but the fit is narrow and you need extra pillows to stop your head being lower than the rest of you. Your feet have to perch on the little stools and the narrow aisle means that people knock into them when you are trying to sleep.<br />
<br />
The in-flight entertainment is still unbeatable and the tray tables are still big but they are monsters to drag out un-aided and spring back into your mi-drift if you are not careful. The ability to use your phone is a bonus to some and a curse to others. It made a change to hear folks brag to surprised relatives that they are 'on the plane' rather than 'on the train'!<br />
<br />
Was the cabin full? Yes it was. Did they all pay the fare? No they didn't. Like BA Virgin operate an upgrade policy where they overfill economy and upgrade the surplus into Premium Economy and Upper classes. It can be rather annoying to those that booked and paid for the comfort, ambiance and space. Upgraded folk are often not the best behaved and it also means that cabin resource like food and drink take longer getting to you. It is irritating if you are in the part of the cabin that gets served last and your food choice gets sold out before it reaches you. I have to admit to double standards here.<br />
<br />
I used to constantly battle to get upgrades but now I am there by right I get very tetchy when seeing some of the folk that get 'moved forward'. My mood is not improved when I hear that Virgin and a few others may auction off upgrade seats on departure. Brilliant! Now I can pay a lot of money to book a better seat only to witness some kind of financial competition among other passengers to join me. And this is all because they either overbook the back end of their flights or want to make a quick buck on departure. Not happy with that!<br />
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So what did I think of the flights? Both were perfect on timing to the point of arriving early. I saw the BA flight come in later afterwards and their passengers missed the connecting services. The staff was nice and the food was fully acceptable by airline standards. The tea and coffee was either stewed or tepid but you always get there. The new seats? A disappointment and a step back. I doubt if they would get away with them unscathed on a major business route.<br />
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Is it 'Upper Class'? NO.<br />
<br />Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-52787590764975951202013-06-06T03:49:00.003-07:002013-06-06T03:49:28.110-07:00Bookings.com - A Cautionary TaleHaving been in the travel industry very many years and reached pretty much the top of the tree I thought I of all people would not get caught out by anyone. Sadly I was wrong. In the hopes that I might spare someone (i.e. possibly you) some anguish/annoyance I thought I would share my experience with you. After all over 20,000 people have read this blog so I might be able to help one of you!<br />
<br />
The 'issue' is one of online bookings.<br />
<br />
I wanted to book a surprise 3 day break in my wife's favourite childhood holiday venue of Scarborough for her birthday. Easy I thought. I simply got on Google and found Bookings.Com. The website was the usual friendly and easy display so I booked The Mount in Scarborough and sat back waiting to enjoy the break. Sadly something came up and we had to cancel so back on the site I went and carefully cancelled the booking as I noticed that otherwise fees would apply.<br />
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That was that really until I got a message saying my card would be charged £180 for failure to cancel. Not correct I wailed and emailed Bookings.com and told them so. Ah, they said. Send us proof of cancellation. O.K. I thought, I will go back into my sent/recieved messages to see if there is anything referring to my cancellation, but there wasn't. I became a bit indignant. Polite but indignant. Look, I said, I used to run the biggest hotel booking company in the UK. not only did your system not cancel when asked to but there is also no record of the cancellation in my mailboxes.<br />
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I pointed this out in a subsequent email (friendly and slightly less indignant) but was told that the manager 'Craig' had basically pronounced 'No proof then no refund'.<br />
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So the lesson to be learned is yes, by all means book and cancel online BUT make sure you get and keep immediate proof you have done so. Bookings.com must have assumed I was either 'trying it on' or they could get away with it. As for me? I will still book/cancel online but use an online agency that believes in my integrity as much as I do! That counts Bookings.com out then!Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-40736448122237545842013-05-03T08:43:00.002-07:002013-05-03T08:43:28.622-07:00Business Lunches and Dinners - Consolidated BlogI wrote down these true experiences quite a long time ago. Having just found them again I thought I would put them all together and remind you of what to beware of when eating with business 'friends'!<br />
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<b>Doggy and Chips anyone?</b><br />
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It is great when someone else is paying. You go to restaurants that you would never dream of frequenting if you were picking up the tab and they make a very welcome change to the local KFC. I have enjoyed many such lavish and sometimes damn unusual evenings out as my waistline and two visits to casualty will testify.<br />
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The most exquisite and possibly risky places I have ever dined in were in China including Hong Kong. The further you get out of the main centres of mass tourism the greater you test your taste buds and the more you discover just how squeamish you are.<br />
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On one visit to Hong Kong our local hosts decided to show us the ‘real China’ so they loaded us onto a coach and we headed off to the then border with the mainland. The thinking was to take in the sights and enjoy lunch in a well known restaurant where Chinese tourists went. It seemed a fine idea at the time and I think our hosts were prematurely congratulating themselves for thinking of it.<br />
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Unfortunately I nearly brought the whole thing to an end before it started. We arrived at one of the most dangerous looking borders I have ever seen. There were barracks around it and razor wire everywhere. Worst of all it was full of small fanatical looking soldiers who looked as though they would like nothing better than to shoot someone. We were told not to ‘do anything sudden’ and sit quietly at an outside table in the baking sun whilst our documents were checked. We were being chaperoned by two armed guards who looked like a pair of pit bulls straining at their leashes. ‘Make my day Punk’ they seemed to be thinking.<br />
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It was at this point my lighter exploded in the sun sending shards of plastic everywhere. I had bought it for next to nothing in the street outside my hotel and the combination of the sun’s rays and cheap components were all too much for it. I found myself the centre of attention. Guns were pointed and I had to lie on the floor with the rest of my bemused lunch companions while being screamed at in Chinese. <br />
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It took a while but eventually my explanation was accepted and off we went into the New Territories to find our ethnic restaurant. We eventually arrived after a hot and gruelling journey and got behind a huge queue of local tourists. Why anyone would queue to get in that hell hole I do not know. It seemed to be made of concrete squares and contained home made tables and a range of 24 different types of chairs (we counted them).<br />
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Our hosts soon discovered their big mistake. Being local there was no menu translation and no pictures of the dishes to decipher. There was nothing to tell us what we were eating so we ordered the ‘feast’ set meal. This arrived on 10 different types and colours of serving plates (we counted them) and their contents looked like the reject pieces from an abattoir. <br />
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The silence was palpable as we all sat there with our chopsticks staring at bits of beak, feet, possibly eyes and fins. The waiters extolled the virtues of each dish (in Chinese) and started ladling the choicest bits on our plates. It was bad for most of us but worse for our German colleague who was trying to explain she was vegan and American asking if it contained gluten. I do not think either got a conclusive answer.<br />
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The time had come to eat. By now we had become the centre of attention in the place. Other tables stopped to watch and even the chef had come out of the kitchen to see us enjoy his ‘feast’. I was first with a chicken foot and it was truly disgusting. Others started picking at their plates as it soon became clear that an international incident would be created if we refused to eat. It soon became a relay race to the toilet as one by one we bolted off gurgling like cats bringing up fur balls.<br />
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Somehow we managed to eat enough off our plates to make at least an appearance of having dined. We attacked the water and rice wine and started on a large bowl of rice that had mysteriously arrived unordered. Unfortunately the rice heralded the final dish which was the chef’s particular special that he prepared just for us. It was a stew. Well it had some kind of fatty liquid and there were lumps of meat in it.<br />
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The meat looked like a kind of pork belly. There was a strip of meat with a layer of fat covered with black crackling type skin. Unfortunately some of the skin still had a few hairs sticking out of them and it proved not to be at all crispy. With the chefs eyes boring into us we decided that the only way to deal with this was to swallow chunks whole. We were even quite organised and allowed the women to go first and swallow the smaller bits. Somehow we managed.<br />
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The chef was pleased to bits and shook all our hands. A Chinese lady from another table came over and asked in halted English whether we enjoyed Doll. ‘Doll’ we queried? ‘Yes Doll’ she replied. “You know, Woof Woof” she mimed. "Oh my God she meant dog not doll" said our vegan as the fur ball imitations started all over again.<br />
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We fled to the coach and many of us could not look a dog in the face for weeks!<br />
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<b>Helga's Fishy Friend.</b><br />
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You would have thought they might have learnt wouldn’t you? Having nearly poisoned us on dog they nearly went one stage further. Our German Vegan lady was already talking about needing counselling after one ethnic meal but the second one definitely made her mind up. If you have no idea what our culinary ‘Chinese doggy’ experience was see part 1.<br />
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Our hosts in Hong Kong were still keen to show us just how nice a truly local Chinese meal could be. To do this they remained determined not to take us to a tourist restaurant but one that well off locals might go to. This time they promised no doggy treats (and I am not talking biscuits here) but a fish feast instead. What could go wrong? Hmm I thought as shark fins and jelly fish flashed through my mind. ‘Don’t worry’ they assured us as only fresh fish and shellfish would be used in a pre-ordered set feast.<br />
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We arrived at a fantastic place. The whole of the large restaurant had a giant aquarium built into the wall which was teeming with beautiful coloured fish and even sea horses. Absolutely magical especially when lit up with various shades of discreet lighting. Everybody felt good, except for our German Vegan lady who somebody had unkindly nicknamed Helga the Hungry Hun. Again she did not know what the hell she could or could not eat.<br />
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Language was a problem again but it did not matter so much as the meal had been carefully chosen to suit western palates and we had a fantastic corner table right by the biggest part of the aquarium. The only uncomfortable feeling we had was when we were eating our main fish course we could imagine fish in the tank saying ‘oh my God that’s my friend Cyril on that plate!<br />
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Much to the consternation of the management ‘Helga’ was only eating plain boiled rice. ‘I will not get caught out again’ she vowed. Also she had made a new friend. It was the most gorgeous fish in the tank and it would not leave her alone. She would tap the glass and the fish would do all sorts of somersaults and headstands while staring at her intently with wide eyes. He became her friend and the table mascot. We even gave him the name Herman. Herman was one cool fish and Helga became besotted. <br />
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The waiter came over with the wine and Helga could not resist trying to find out more about Herman. She pointed him out and asked what kind of fish he was, how big he would grow, how old is he etc. It was obvious something was lost in translation because the waiter replied saying that it was an unusual request but he would speak to the manager.<br />
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I realised something very wrong when behind Helga’s back I saw a large net descend into the pool and scoop out Herman. ‘Oh no’ I thought, ‘please not Herman’. But it was too late and yes, it was Herman. He arrived with a flourish on a plate, in a bed of rice and with bit of garnish sticking out if his gills. He was no more and he was placed by the manager, with great ceremony, in front of Helga. She screamed as Herman lay there with his now blank eyes staring reproachfully at her.<br />
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‘What is wrong’ the manager asked as Helga fled to the taxi rank. ‘We did our best’ he continued. ‘We do not normally cook our aquarium fish for guests but the VIP lady asked so we made an exception’. He went off shaking his head and muttering in an inscrutable way about ungrateful foreigners while we asked for a bag to put Herman in.<br />
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We eventually left as our hosts were keen to placate Helga and a few of us weaved our way to the waterfront outside the Grand Hyatt hotel. We buried Herman at sea and got some very strange looks in the process. The bag was weighted with two ‘stolen’ items of cutlery and we slid him into the deep off a KFC carton we found on the way. One sentimental colleague imitated the playing of ‘the last post’. We filmed it all in the hope that it might give Helga ‘closure’. But it didn’t.<br />
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<b>What Shall We Do With The Drunken...Prawn?</b><br />
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I am not sure what it is about me and prawns. Apart from eating them what have I done to the little pink crustaceans that have merited me being chastised badly at least twice at business lunches and dinners?<br />
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Like the time I invited a somewhat eccentric but sensitive older lady to yet another gourmet restaurant in Hong Kong. It was in a major international hotel so I assumed we would be safe from any culinary shocks as this lady was too important and far too straight laced to endure any food carnage.<br />
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I will always remember her as she looked and dressed just like Greta Gabo in her latter years as she swept into the cocktail bar like royalty with a friends Pekinese dog in her arms. I rarely pray these days but I asked God to please make sure they did not take the dog away and cook it. I could just imagine it delivered to the table on a large decorated platter boned and skinned.<br />
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I could have cooked it myself. The damn thing kept on baring its teeth at me and sniffing my ankles. ‘Bite and you are history’ I thought to myself. Thankfully it did not as my guest then went on at great length explaining how she passionately loathed any cruelty to all creatures however big or small. She explained how she once stood on a spider and cried as she gave it a decent burial afterwards. ‘Barking mad’ I thought as I smiled sweetly. Apparently the dog was there because her friend never took it out of her apartment and she was liberating it for the evening.<br />
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Apart from constantly sniffing at me like I was rancid the dog played no real part in the rest of the evening except for the occasional yap and a couple of unpleasant suspicious smells. In fact from the moment we started dinner until nearly the end everything went well. The lady loosened up and the Peke went to sleep next to my ankles. The waiters were attentive and made a great fuss of us which was nice. The maitre d’hôtel even came over and offered us their special signature dish of ‘drunken prawns’ which we accepted.<br />
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They arrived with a large bowl which they half filled with rice wine and various pretty leaves, herbs and flowers. They then snuffed out our table candles and turned the lights down. By this stage we were puzzled. Finally the chef arrived with a large handful of live prawns which he dropped in the decorated bowl with a great flourish. <br />
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We watched in shock as the prawns swam around ingesting pure alcohol rather than sea water. At the optimum moment when the prawns must have been both drunken and probably dead they set fire to the lot and it flared up like a torch. It was mesmerising to see the prawns seemingly leaping about as the inferno raged.<br />
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All the other tables clapped, the flames were extinguished and the now cooked drunken prawns were served. They were delicious and I ate them all but I am not sure this was the reaction my guest was expecting from me. She left very soon after dragging her complaining ‘loan dog’ with her and I never got one iota of her business. Apparently she told someone I was ‘barbarous’.<br />
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Another prawn catastrophe happened when I went with a group of people to a seafood restaurant in Ostend in Belgium. I still maintain it was an unhappy coincidence and not my fault but the lady in question does not accept this. I will let you be the judge. <br />
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We were given a bowl of prawns and were enjoying shelling and eating them. The place was packed with people doing the same. We were all in high spirits after a particularly rigorous sales campaign and the drink and prawns were going down famously. That was until I cracked a joke just as my colleague Jenny was in the process of swallowing a prawn. She let out a snort and the prawn got totally stuck in the back of her nasal passage.<br />
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Now Jenny has/had a very pretty pointed nose covered in freckles and this soon became the centre of attention for the whole restaurant. ‘Snort’ went Jenny again. ‘Breathe in deeply’ some shouted. ‘Blow’ shouted others and very shortly and to yells of encouragement the offending prawn started to peak out of her left nostril. We were all rapt and I broke the silence by picking up a seafood utensil and offering to pick it out. Not a welcome suggestion.<br />
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Finally, to cheers and applause from at least 50 people Jenny snorted more and the prawn emerged far enough for her to get her fingers around it. To be fair she showed a lot of dignity as she slowly and daintily drew it out as though it was a perfectly normal thing and placed it on the side of her plate. She maintained she could smell garlic mayonnaise for the following fortnight.<br />
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It was clearly not my fault but you try telling Jenny that.<br />
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<b>Jolly Japes around the Campfire.</b><br />
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We were posted to Northern Zambia when I was about 30 years old. I felt I was pretty mature in those days but after reminding myself of a few business dinners I went to I have changed my mind. I must have been damn naïve as this little tale of drugs, politics and lust will tell.<br />
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It was a strange kind of job. I was District Sales Manager for a UK airline and my job was to persuade the mainly expatriate international population to fly to and from Europe on my airline rather than Zambia Airways. Not a difficult task in those days so I spent most of my time sponsoring events and entertaining. This made me very popular and there was not a local club or establishment where I was not an honorary member. The dinner invitations flooded in.<br />
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The first client dinner of note was at a nearby ‘ranch’. ‘You are not going there are you’ a staff member said,’ it has one hell of a reputation?’ I smugly told her I was more than capable of looking after myself. She rolled her eyes in a way that said ‘they won’t be told’ and returned to her counter. The host was supposedly a bit of an eccentric who people said had spent too long living in the bush but that just added spice to my interest.<br />
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We had not been there long and knew we were meeting a lot of new faces so Judith got dressed to kill and I dragged out my very best suit (UK winter thickness) and off we went. We followed the directions we had been given and ended up in the middle of nowhere driving down a pot holed track that threw Judith around the car like a ping pong ball ruining her hairstyle and creasing her cocktail dress in the process.<br />
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The ‘ranch’ was in a clearing. From a distance it looked like a shack. Close up it looked like a big shack. Outside was our host waiting to greet us. I started getting concerned when I saw he was wearing beads, a string vest and some very ancient dirty shorts. Should I have worn my pin stripe I thought? Should I kill Michael now or later’ thought Judith as she climbed out in her heels?<br />
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After we all had a jolly good laugh at our expense we were led behind the large house/shack to a wild area laughingly called their garden where we were introduced as ‘The British Ambassador and his lady’ to the giggling guests who were all wearing what seemed to be gardening clothes. Where is you feathered hat one wag called out. Must read dress codes on invitations I thought to myself as I am sure this one must have said ‘dress like a tramp and then roll in mud’.<br />
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The party was a wild one. A huge fire was lit in the middle of the garden and the drink flowed freely. We borrowed clothes from our host, started to relax and I felt great. We sat around the embers of the fire and watched the ‘ethnic’ food being fried and flame grilled on big racks and in huge frying pans. The food and air was filled with exotic herbs that were thrown on the fire and I did not even mind when I found some animal’s ear on my plate. Judith was munching through the kind of gristle that would normally make her sick.<br />
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Towards the end of the meal we all took a break to enable the last special dish to be prepared. Well actually I thought the host said ‘caught’ and prepared but assumed I heard wrong. A vast bucket full of beer floating in ice arrived and I was in seventh heaven as I languished on my back at peace with the world. I had even found my tie and tied it like a bandana around my forehead as a statement on how ‘cool’ I felt.<br />
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Then the ‘Zambian Peanuts’ arrived to be fried. Apparently they were only available for a few weeks every year and were seen as a great delicacy. They looked just like dry roasted peanuts as the frying pans were filled and more scented herbs were added to the blaze. They sizzled and jumped in the pan and the most delightful aroma of groundnuts permeated the already sweet smell of wood smoke.<br />
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They were incredibly tasty with a hard nutty tasting exterior with a surprising soft and liquid centre. Even when I spotted a few insect wings in mine it did not bother me. Down it all went with the beer and I felt that all my birthdays had come at once. We left at dawn and I do not know to this day how we got home. I was missing a shoe and Judith’s handbag was minus all her expensive UK make-up but hey we had a fantastic time.<br />
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The next morning (actually afternoon) when I staggered into the office I noticed my ticket agent was sniggering to herself. ‘Did you have a good time?’ she asked. “Brilliant” I replied. “You like drugs do you” she asked sweetly? I looked blankly at her until she explained why I had been feeling so very wonderful. The ‘herbs’ was Dagga which is a local name for marijuana and they had been chucking bales of it on the fire all night. It grows like weeds all over Zambia. I had been stoned out of my mind without knowing it for the first and last time in my life.<br />
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She went on to explain the ‘peanuts’. They were a special kind of giant flying ant that only sprouts wing for a few days each year. The host had two bright lights which these things flew into and stunned themselves on. They were quickly picked up, had there wings torn off, the body dusted in ground nut powder then chucked probably still alive in the frying pan. The soft centres were parts of the inside that had not been full cooked.<br />
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My stomach turned. I will never be so naïve again I thought, until the next time. My next blogs will be about those two ‘next times’ when politics and someone’s lust have a bearing on my stupidity!<br />
<b><br />
A Sexy Snack?</b><br />
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Over the years I have come to a conclusion that there is a definite link between food and sex. OK, the alcohol served along with the food makes a major contribution but the ambiance brought about by close proximity, relaxation, liberated discussion and sharing taste sensations with each other aids in the dropping of inhibitions. <br />
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Maybe sharing a hot curry and lots of lager is an exception but the act of say feeding each other oysters and champagne is clearly a good illustration of this phenomena. All those who have seen that old ‘bawdy romp’ of a film Tom Jones can bear witness to the old oysters and booze syndrome. However, don’t try the same effect with Guinness as it plays havoc on the stomach at the most inopportune moments which is a real passion killer.<br />
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So what has this to do with business travel dinners? A great deal in my experience. Despite being relatively naïve with regard to what goes on around me at dinners and banquets I have seen and experienced much that could turn me into a successful blackmailer if I had carried a camera and tape recorder with me. Maybe I could hire a small person with a camcorder to sit under the tables of the high and mighty and record the goings on under tablecloth. <br />
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Under table groping is rife at many major business dinners which may explain why most banquet table fronts have a cloth that extends to the floor. The omission of such ‘modesty cloth’ can provide much hilarity as I discovered one night in an Italian restaurant in Edinburgh. We had taken over the whole place and the tables were laid out in a large square. Our then very high profile leader was sat in the place of honour and beside him, by chance I am sure, was our most eligible and eager lady sales representative.<br />
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It all kicked off by the middle of the antipasto. Unfortunately they were not aware that everybody the other end of the square could see every move. It started with warm patting of knees that progressed to thighs and I leave the rest to your imagination. By then my end of the table was spellbound. What was fascinating was that their faces and upper bodies showed no sign of the wild activity below, except that they were eating one handed.<br />
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The show ended when they noticed me grabbing a passing colleague and saying ‘hey look at that’ whilst pointing an indiscrete finger. Well I was young at the time and had yet to learn about discretion. After an icy stare in my direction that would have frozen hell all ‘down below’ activity ceased. The big chief left for his room soon after and, strangely, the whole experience must have brought on a headache in our young lady as she left soon after. In the same direction!<br />
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I have been on the receiving end of such overtures twice both directly and indirectly and neither was enjoyable in the least. Once in a banqueting suite in a Dubai hotel when a dinner guest’s wife started grappling me under the cloth. I think she was doing it more for fun (like a cat playing with a mouse) than intent but when you are sitting next to a husband that has no idea what is going on and is in the middle of discussing his business travel needs it isn’t easy. Also you could end up in jail for less in Dubai.<br />
Fortunately she stopped before being discovered although she did give me a broad laughing wink as she departed hand-in-hand with her clearly doting husband.<br />
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My indirect experience was even more unpleasant in that it involved my then partner not me. My boss decided to take all his sales team to dinner as thanks for a great result that year. It was Christmas and everyone was looking forward to a big celebration made more enjoyable as spouses and partners were invited too. It was a Chinese feast where everybody could share dishes although I did not realise that my boss considered my partner to be ‘dishy’. He cut a strange figure. He arrived dressed in a Caftan (it was not fancy dress) and with a newly trimmed goatee beard. All this topped with a paper hat three sizes too small and a leer that would make a maiden scream.<br />
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He plonked himself down between the two of us and entered what he thought was a subtle and suave conversation about ‘sharing’ experience other than food. Alarm bells rang in my head but, he was my boss, I liked my job and hey, he was only joking, wasn’t he? The answer to that question was almost immediate when he shrieked and leaped backwards, made his excuses and left.<br />
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‘What the hell happened’ I asked of my partner. He squeezed and pinched me under the table she demurred. ‘Oh no’ I replied ‘but why did he yell’? ‘’ I pinched him back’ she explained, ‘very, very, hard and he will have great difficult explaining that bruise to his wife’. Not a woman to be crossed I mused as my eyes started to water at the thought. Not a man to continue going out with she must have been thinking as she dumped me soon after.<br />
Politics and dinner can be an indigestible combination, especially in some African countries. Even more so if there is a virtual state of emergency in place. It was like this during my last year in Zambia caused by poverty, disappointment and insurgency in that order. Rightly or wrongly many of the people felt let down by what they received after’ InMike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3473989934846377966.post-11729612453749123442013-01-23T07:25:00.000-08:002013-01-26T01:45:28.898-08:00The Maldives - A Tale of Four Islands - Complete<br />
In my first report I tried to give you general detail about holidaying in The Maldives. I told you I had been 6 times visiting 4 islands and how I planned to write a consolidated report my experiences with them. Well here it is!<br />
Rather than reproduce the individual Tripadvisor critiques I wrote soon after each journey I am going to write afresh with the benefit of hindsight but the risk that possibly some detail might be historic. So please bear with me as I wade through my rapidly dwindling memory banks.<br />
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Hilton Rangali/ Conrad Rangali<br />
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We stayed there three times in rapid succession. It was our first experience of the Maldives and, like with most people they not only take your breath away with their beauty but also beguiled one into returning. We stayed on the following dates:<br />
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10th – 24th April 2005 25th August – 09th SEP 2005 20th April – 4th May 2006<br />
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All of these dates are outside the peak ‘dry’ season yet we only saw rain on the second stay and that was mainly at night. In saying that it got quite windy at the end of August which, whilst cooling the air, made the waters a little choppy. When it is both windy and choppy some people in the water villas were disturbed by some movement in their structure. To be honest, we liked it!<br />
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You will see I have given two names in my heading. The reason is that Hilton had the management contract when we first went there but their parent company decided to upgrade the resort to their more expensive ‘Conrad’ status around this period. We ended up not going again because we felt they increased their prices just that little bit too much when turning it into a Conrad.<br />
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We were there during the period of transformation and was given the opportunity of watching how they did it. The resort consists of two islands that are linked together by a narrow bridge. In the middle of the bridge they built a seaplane pontoon and a small reception/departure lounge. This handles all the transfers and replaced the original disembarkation point on the beach of the smaller island. In fact when we first arrived the bigger island was empty and being converted.<br />
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We could see the main island conversion was taking place rapidly. A large workforce consisting of hired foreign workers were putting together villas at a rapid pace. Restaurants, reception areas and a pool were springing up and we could see that ultimately it would have a big impact on the resort. They constructed their underwater restaurant and we were thrilled to join them eating the inaugural dinner under the lagoon’s turquoise waters. We were even given a little pearl to mark the occasion!<br />
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The palm trees arrived next. I was like many people who thought that properties were built between trees but it is the opposite out there. Most of these palm trees come from other islands. They are dug up by bulldozers, root ball and all, and then ferried elsewhere to be replanted. It was strange seeing it for the first time as palm trees appeared to be floating across the beach and then replanted.<br />
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Eventually the work finished and the new part of the resort opened. Most of the beach villas looked splendid. A lot had outdoor bathrooms which, whilst romantic, did not feel terribly practical. The baths were huge and, on occasions, filled with flower petals but it was still damn hot outside, you could hear you neighbours and the few mosquitos around just loved the easy meal! Apart from teething problems most of the guests staying in these villas had a wonderful time. If you stay in these villas now try to avoid being put in one on the lagoon side as the beach in that area is small at the best of times and tides.<br />
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The guest ‘balance’ changed with the construction of these villas and particularly the pool. Families with young children started arriving as did small groups and honeymooners. We kind of liked our barefoot paradise to be quiet and initially that was how it remained and we got completely spoilt. As visits progressed the resort did too as noisy kids played in the pool and couples groped each other on daybeds in the bar area. The resort eventually almost split in two where the ‘mature adults’ kept to the small island and the fun loving families stayed on their bigger one.<br />
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By the time our third visit came the split became three-way. Conrad as it was now called had built a new string of spa water villas at the end of the big island. I think this was built mainly to capture the East Asia market who take honeymoons of just a few days and enjoy spa breaks. A dedicated restaurant and spa was opened at the beginning of the pier selling small quantities of excellent food at a pretty high price. Again, aimed at those healthy dieters among us. The majority of these spa dwellers stayed put in their sector of the island.<br />
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So that is the history of this resort as I know it. What about our experiences during our three holidays? It was wonderful….with future forebodings.<br />
Rangali Small Island is beautiful in every way. There was no pool (there is now) but who needs one when you have a vast crystal clear wave- less lagoon in front of you. It was all water villas and people tended to use their private sun decks. This meant the beaches were practically empty apart from staff bringing you drinks and cleaning your sun glasses! We were actually hugely surprised if we saw any other guests on ‘our beach’.<br />
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The restaurant and bar (Vilu) were superb One could flop into deep and comfortable settees overlooking the lagoon and eat by candlelight on the decking. The staff were kind and the food good. It was heaven. We made some good friends with the people we met including the waiters who we got to know quite well. The barmen were good and mixed great drinks. Unfortunately one had his contract terminated when he drank some alcohol and drove a buggy straight through a glass wall in reception!<br />
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You could walk around the small island in under 15 minutes and we did frequently. It was most odd because there were no really noticeable corners yet you suddenly found yourself where you started. There are pontoons off the island in at least four places to the various water villas which I understand have now been fully renovated. <br />
We had villa 331 and it was perfect for us. It was not overlooked; it had a Jacuzzi and its own little clump of coral full of fish directly in front of it.<br />
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They are all made of wood with grass thatch roofs. Each has its own bedroom, bathroom and outside decking. There are three main types which are standard, superior and deluxe and they are all good. We preferred the superior villas because they are well positioned and had their own Jacuzzi sunk into the decking. The deluxe villas are bigger but are all in a line fairly close to each other. The only water villas I personally would avoid are at the end of the island towards the bridge as there is a current around them that can be quite strong.<br />
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There is also a Sunset Villa which is quite spectacular with its huge space, plunge pool, rotating circular bed and glass lounge floor. It also contains a kitchen area where staff can prepare your meals. We were moved into it for a few days as they tend to offer it if new guests arriving and there are no water villas available for a few days. I think they considered it better to upgrade existing guests for the end of their holiday than downgrade new arrivals. Perhaps one could mention one’s willingness to go there if necessary?<br />
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The Spa villas on Main Island are another place you may be offered. Again we were offered this on one of our stays. They are huge and absolutely beautiful inside. They were having teething troubles when we moved in with the plumbing and dangerous slippery decking but I am sure that this has been fixed by now. We ourselves were not too keen as they were rather isolated from anywhere serving my kind of food portions! Also the beds had hardwood surrounds that I kept on crunching my legs on and there was not enough curtains in the sleeping area.<br />
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Rangali is wonderful for swimming purposes but there is one little snag for small island dwellers. The house reef is the other side of the main island. They have all the other services you would expect from a high range resort like a Japanese restaurant intriguingly sunken in the sand, a Sunset Grill in a beautiful over-water setting, two good bars, underwater restaurant (quite unique) and a thriving dive centre.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9sfqGszT3P_upekHMSP9vtCBrn1uvW38dOfkLB-3TDKQOEzeuLFDtxs_Lfq724DxpacePU82seSNmIgdnHCbwG_tKAdddpIa2AfeoncaoeJzseqok7q8dvqO4Lw35_HPQmI-xrAGOig/s1600/100_0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9sfqGszT3P_upekHMSP9vtCBrn1uvW38dOfkLB-3TDKQOEzeuLFDtxs_Lfq724DxpacePU82seSNmIgdnHCbwG_tKAdddpIa2AfeoncaoeJzseqok7q8dvqO4Lw35_HPQmI-xrAGOig/s320/100_0088.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Now, if it is so perfect (and it was) why have we stopped going there? The price hike is the main thing. This company has really pushed their prices up, and arguably beyond, an acceptable limit. At the same time they have diluted its exclusivity and made it crowded in comparison. We look at it as a dream island that we remember very fondly. We worry about risking these memories going again and paying a premium to do it. It worries me too that an island that was number one in the Tripadvisor ranking has dropped to number 31 today.<br />
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<b>Mirihi Resort<br />
24th July – 12th August 2010</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1WUAk7YfwgN9rZ-smLbPocNfIpMV1Xzht4zuDYvp7on2mWpUOAcrGScHaJhJIJbXgcJ7pST0H4hARmtqmvMEMoIrri_HHKV4KNqne48WwW6llQ3sUbfius0_Ll8oC8DZ3KZYOf1NPck/s1600/Maldives2010+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1WUAk7YfwgN9rZ-smLbPocNfIpMV1Xzht4zuDYvp7on2mWpUOAcrGScHaJhJIJbXgcJ7pST0H4hARmtqmvMEMoIrri_HHKV4KNqne48WwW6llQ3sUbfius0_Ll8oC8DZ3KZYOf1NPck/s320/Maldives2010+001.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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How on earth do we compete with our Rangali experiences? Especially when the Maldives is well into the ‘rainy’ season. We decided to look for a small island away from it all in the same southern atoll where I had heard there was a chance of better weather. We studied Tripadvisor reports and found Mirihi. It seemed to fit the bill in so many ways but did not seem to have any UK tour operators using it. We ended up booking direct although now it has ascended to number 2 in the Tripadvisor ratings it is easier to book a package even in the UK.<br />
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Our first impression was how tiny it was. How do you get both guests and staff on such a tiny island? It really is that small. Probably the smallest we have been on. It probably takes as little as 5 minutes to walk around it. Our reception was great. The seaplane taxied up to a pier from the shore and there was the new GM with two very attractive young German ladies (guest relations) to meet us and arrange bag transportation.<br />
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We walked towards the shore and the first thing you came across was something that looked like a graveyard. There were all these posts and crosses standing next to the tree line and we began to wonder if previous guests had been buried there. On closer inspection at a later date it turned out that these were in fact monuments to those that had reaffirmed their love for each other on the island before flying home. Not at all ‘British’ we thought which just about described the place.<br />
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The island was owned by A Maldivian lady who was not really keen on making any changes and these ‘monuments’ had been implanted in prime beach sun lounger positions for years. Nobody seemed brave enough to move them! This was our overlying impression of our whole stay. A brilliant resort built mainly for the diving market and not very focused on the British or beach comfort.<br />
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You enter the resort through a sanded reception area which was a few comfy seats, one desk and little else. One then walks through a lounge/boutique shop area where there is also a PC for guest use (it used to cost a small fee) and on to a crescent shaped bar with sheltered indoor and outdoor seating. Beyond that was the main buffet restaurant and then through to the sand paths that lead to the villas and a very busy and thriving dive shop.<br />
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This place is always pretty full but looks mainly deserted except for meal and dive times. The vast majority come from mainland Europe (particularly Germany) and there are regular frequent organised dives during the day and even into the night. It is the perfect place to learn to dive and is located close to some of the best diving and whale shark viewing location in the atoll. The reef around it is also abundant with all kinds of marine life and the resort itself feels very eco-friendly.<br />
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I labour on the benefits of the diving as somewhere along the line that is where the amenities seem to have stopped. The small beaches are pristine but they had no permanent sun umbrellas. The only sun beds were made of brittle plastic and positioned only for the few beach villa dwellers. Very strange!<br />
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When we told the management we did not want to dive but would rather sit on the beach they could not have been kinder in fixing us up, but we had to ask. We ended up with chairs, mattresses and an umbrella stacked in reception that they ran out with every time we went on the beach which although nice, became rather embarrassing after a while. There were also infrequent rain showers that necessitated frequent removal where a permanent grass rondavel shaped permanent structure would have made so much sense. What made it more weird was that we were again sat next to the ‘graveyard’!<br />
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I think the resort had at least two staff looking after every guest. The guests stayed in either a small line of beach villas that were always occupied by regular visitors and a dozen or so water villas. These water villas were mainly built in a tight circle at one end of the island and were comparatively small but well laid out. Positioning is important and you need to weigh up whether you want sun, sunsets, shallow or deep water. There was another small line of water villas but we did not think they were as attractive and at least one was badly overlooked<br />
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There is also an extremely delightful but highly under-utilised special restaurant off the flying boat pier. They host sunset drinks there and the water is illuminated to display the many fish that swim around it. The restaurant was superb when we were there but rather like the rest of the island we were the only ones there to enjoy it.<br />
Like everywhere else on the island there is a spa. Within this complex there is also a very large pool like Jacuzzi pool. There are small cubicles for massages that overlook parts of the beach so it is best to look away as you pass! They also have a great library to swap your holiday books.<br />
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The island staff soon became our friends and you could not help liking and appreciating them. They have/had a long term GM there who left just before we arrived but came back a few months after we left. We got to know a highly motivated interim GM who listened closely to all my comments and suggestions. I only hope his attempts to implement them did not lead to his hasty departure not long after us. They also had an Australian ‘Executive Chef’ called Tim and he was a fantastic cook and all round great guy.<br />
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The bar staff were also great but heavily underutilised. As most people are divers they are somewhat restricted in what they can drink and when they can eat. We had many pleasant but rather lonely evenings sat in the bar talking to the staff or stroking ‘Tiger’ their then VIP permanent cat resident. Tiger is unfortunately no longer with us but at least he lived on that island for over 20 years which is one hell of a holiday!<br />
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Mirihi is a wonderful small ‘Robinson Crusoe’ island that would be perfect for honeymooners who also happen to be divers. It could be a lot more and maybe it is now. Mind you I only hope that it maintains its special charm. I am sure it does as it has risen from obscurity to the top ten resorts according to Tripadvisor<br />
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We were supposed to be there for 16 days but after 10 I phoned the Lily Beach resort and we transferred there. Why? At that time we found temporarily camping during the day and totally quiet evenings a bit of a drag after our previously hectic lifestyle.<br />
Lily Beach was very different as I will report next!<br />
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<b>Lily Beach<br />
<br />
06thAugust – 12th August 2010</b><br />
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Lily Beach sent a boat over to pick us up. It all went very smoothly and surprising quickly. One minute we were clambering on board the large powerboat and seemingly whisked over to Lily Beach in a matter of 20 minutes. I was a little puzzled as I had been told it would probably take an hour yet there we were after 20 minutes $386 lighter but hey, this is the Maldives!<br />
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As I reported at the time Lily Beach is a bit unusual as it seems to have a bit of an identity crisis. It was clearly a beautiful resort that seemed to be packaged as one yet had a huge range of different guests. It is billed as a 5 star all inclusive but how can you have an all-inclusive that is 5 star? Do people who stay in a 5 star resort eat buffet meals in crowded restaurants drinking lower cost wine and sitting next to a rowdy table of eastern Europeans? But then you go back to your water villa and walk into incredible opulence. How does that work because it happens a lot at Lily Beach.<br />
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The island is a kind of oval in shape. At one end are the water villas along a huge double looped boardwalk that goes out quite a distance. In my opinion the best villas to choose for safe and enjoyable swimming/snorkeling are the ones on the spa side. The spa is at the beginning of the boardwalk on the right as you look at the villas. I am afraid I never went there being idle and past redemption!<br />
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Before you get to the spa there is one of the alternative restaurants which is popular at lunchtime and right next to the infinity pool. There are sun loungers all around it but these tend to get grabbed by folk pretty early which is another thing not very 5 star. The beach there extends all down that side of the island and is very beautiful albeit open for beach activities and water sports. Bordering this shore are the villas. I never went in one but was told that they were pleasant but not quite as good as the water villas.<br />
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Eventually you get to the other end of the island where they have another bar/restaurant called Vibes which is also next to a second pool. They occasionally stage entertainment in this area. Walking from one end to the other takes quite a long time (especially in the heat) and they lay on an intermittent buggy service to ferry people around. Allow plenty of time as this service sometimes waits for a number of people to ask.<br />
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Walking back along the lagoon side of the island there are another group of villas. They do not have a beach as such but enjoy direct access to the sea. Beyond them you get to the main structure which is the largest I have seen in the Maldives. There is a huge open- sided reception area full of benches and chairs that house new arrivals and departures while they wait. Beyond that is the main bar, and library/games room. Behind that is a truly vast buffet dining area and further on the dive centre.<br />
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If you keep on walking past that you will come to their ‘fine dining’ restaurant which is built over the lagoon. There are inside and outdoor tables and the latter become very busy in season. Most people staying at the resort get one dinner there per holiday so, if you do, book as soon as you arrive. We didn’t and they could not fit us in the rest of our stay. Not very 5 star. Carry on from the restaurant and you end up back at the water villa pier.<br />
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So what do we have? Two standards of villa, two pools, a huge restaurant and a beach along one side. But that is not all. Twenty or so feet from the villas and beach is the most wonderful house reef. Very few people seem to swim along the deep exterior of this reef but if they did they would marvel at the myriad of different fishes large and small.<br />
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I mentioned the huge restaurant area. Most nights it is set up using a main theme i.e. Chinese, Indian etc. and the buffet and service stations groan under the weight of food from those areas. You still get more generic stuff on some counters and there is a three or four choice table d’hote menu as well. You can order bottles of pretty decent wine too under the all-inclusive tariff. Water, other drinks etc. are also included.<br />
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The biggest shock we had were the people staying at this resort. They were not what we expected which sounds awfully pompous but true. Maybe it was the massive difference between a tiny Mirihi and a large multicultural, all inclusive resort like Lily Beach. The first few day got me seething as noisy gangs of people shouted to each other and men in Speedo swimming costumes sat in the pool restaurant. I muttered darkly as Japanese guests snagged their pedalos on the coral outside our water villa and had to be rescued. I had become a snob.<br />
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Reflecting on it now I would most certainly go back again. You see you still have your own water villa refuge and the rest can be very entertaining. On reflection it was enormous fun watching the antics in the bar at night. People were drinking huge quantities of premium spirits free of charge whilst pocketing handfuls of cigarette. One man never learnt how to sit down on the seats and catapulted over the back every single evening. The plant behind him died after six days of being squashed. Great fun and I left feeling most of the resort were 5 star but many of its guests were not!<br />
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Now what about these water villas? They were wonderful. They were very spacious, had a bedroom with large seating area, a fabulous air conditioned bathroom and fantastic outside decking with shallow plunge pool and steps into the sea. The fridge was stocked with soft drink, crisps and wine and nothing much was left out anywhere. They can get a bit wild when the wind blows hard but, as I said, we liked that. My only worry was the toilet. It had a glass side and floor. How nice you might think until you have a Korean couple in a sea kayak paddling underneath you!<br />
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In summary I would say that Lily Beach has something in common with Conrad Rangali. They both do not seem to know what market they want and how they are going to satisfy them. Perhaps Conrad might charge more in the hopes of getting the ‘right’ clientele. Lily is by no means cheap but slightly less prohibitive cost-wise. No doubt neither need worry to much as so many people want the Maldives experience.<br />
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Next to come…Cocoa Island…Tripadvisor’s number 1<br />
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<br />
<b>Cocoa Island<br />
22nd November – 6th December 2010</b><br />
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This was our most recent trip to the Maldives and probably the most luxurious of all. Not quite as expensive as Conrad but so much better in many respects. Maybe we just prefer smaller island and this one is definitely in that category.<br />
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This was the only island where we transferred to it by high speed launch and we enjoyed the journey thoroughly. Most of the transfer seems to be in calm water travelling between islands and getting the chance to see everything going on around you. The launch flies through the water and, as I said earlier, the flying fish and dolphins sometimes join you.<br />
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When you get to Cocoa Island it is like walking onto a superbly comfortable and sophisticated Robinson Crusoe film set. Superb. The GM welcomes and sees off every guest and you are given a very comprehensive briefing on the resort and a quick tour of the facilities. Unlike say Lily Beach we never saw any more than four other couples at any time including meals. Wonderful for some honeymooning couples but a little quiet for other folk.<br />
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The main area has an infinity pool and wrapped around that is the restaurant and bar and that is just about it. The boat dock and reception is down one sandy path and the spa including another indoor giant Jacuzzi pool further along. Next to the Spa reception is a relaxation/reading area with a large supply of books to satisfy the most avid reader.<br />
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Again, you can walk around the island in 10 minutes and on this one the staff quarters stretch to the edge of the lagoon. Despite how close they live to each other they seemed a very contented crowd which is usually a sign of good management. As usual the staff here were charming and very keen to talk in order to improve their language skills.<br />
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The island is surrounded by a sand beach. The flattest sandiest area is where they have put their water villas and this area is vast and good for swimming. Lots of little sharks and rays and we even saw a small marlin leaping out of the water 30 yards from our deck in the deeper water. Like a lot of the island the sands are constantly shifting and they have a little pumping barge in the large lagoon that pumps sand across the island to a place where it is currently needed. This did not disturb us or anyone else I saw.<br />
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The water villas have been very well planned and many of them are in the shape of a Dhoni which is the name of the local fishing boats. They are extremely comfortable and well maintained. We spoilt ourselves and chose a ‘loft suite’ which had a lounge, upstairs bedroom hall, bathroom and upstairs toilet. We had a very large sun deck with high quality beds and, best of all, separate decking and stairs to the water leading from the bathroom. There was also an outside shower here which was perfect when you came out of the water.<br />
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Inside the lounge there is plenty of seating plus a table to eat any in-villa dinners. We assumed this were where many guests ate because we never saw them. At least in-room you could get more standard (and cheaper) meals. Food actually became a bit of an issue with us. It was perfectly cooked but most was too rich and too spicy for my wife’s taste. 14 days of fusion ‘fine dining’ was too much and we began to hanker for simpler stuff!<br />
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Diving from this island is supposed to be very good indeed and there are plenty of places to go. Cocoa is relatively close to other islands which you can see in the distance including the one reserved as for the Maldives prison. I have heard people speak negatively about this but I frankly cannot imagine anyone escaping and heading for a resort. They certainly will not try tunneling out!<br />
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Before signing out I must tell you more about the beach . There is a great area around the pool and bar with large straw umbrellas fixed in the sand accompanied by large comfortable sun beds. They were so comfortable that we inadvertently walked past an isolated one to find a honeymoon couple looking like they were about to consummate their marriage. I was not sure whether I should get them a sheet to cover them or a bucket of water!<br />
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Further along the beach, past the water villas are some even more isolated sun shades and beds. Here you can enjoy the sunshine and sunsets without having anyone anywhere near you. Next to this area is a sand spit that at low tide stretches out almost half a mile out to sea. A great walk but make sure you beat the tide coming back.<br />
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The welcome and service here was excellent. If I had to criticize I would sometimes say they were over-cautious not to disturb you to the point where you had to ask for things you expected like drinks etc. They were also sometimes so keen to get their cocktails right that they were warm by the time they got to you!<br />
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Out of all our stays this island was probably the most perfect (bar the food) although I still do miss the magic of our first love Rangali. Maybe I will throw caution to the wind and try it again. Who knows but, if we do, I will be sure to tell you about it!<br />
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Mike Platthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05347691650108554470noreply@blogger.com0