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An Oasis in Mexico

memiah — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:58:16 +0000

Its September and Mexico is suffering from what feels like a heat wave, a wonderful surprise as I was told to expect tropical storms. The main strip in Cancun is filled with hotels, clubs, bars, restaurants and more hotels. Arriving at the Grand Oasis Cancun was all I dreamt. The hotel was sophisticated, large and luxurious.

The hotel consists of one main five star building in the centre of the complex, surrounded by tropical gardens and a quarter of a mile in length pool with two pool bars for those who wish for a true, lazy and relaxing holiday. On each corner edge of the complex are blocks of apartments which are four star buildings with restaurants, a tennis court, a spa, a night club and a gym scattered around them. Not content with a beautiful pool? Walk straight out of the main complex towards the pool and you’ll see the sea. Just in front of the hotel is the beach which is long and stunning, complimented by the tropical clear blue sea. Five star rooms are very spacious with a mini bar and four star rooms are just as good, a bit smaller but all double rooms come with two king size beds. Rooms are cleaned each day and are of a high quality.

The great thing about this hotel is that even if you’re staying in one of the four star buildings you have the same access to all facilities that five star rooms pay for too. The main reception and five star building have two bars and a restaurant called Careyes which is for five star guests only. Careyes is a lovely restaurant and well recommended, try the steak, its tender and mouth watering which was complimented by the champagne you are allowed as part of the all inclusive band. Four star accommodations allow access to most other restaurants and bars which are equally as delicious, Dos Lunos serve lovely fish and Italian dishes and Tunkul International host a buffet with all types of food to try.

The hotel is centred on the strip and has easy access to the night life and restaurants in the centre of Cancun. The buses are regular and run through the night but a taxi is better for those who want a quick entrance into town. The town is lively and I recommend Coco Bongo as not only is it a night club, there are shows put on throughout the night but you have to see this for yourself. On top of this there is a wide selection of excursions available, the water park is a good choice to swim with dolphins.

A perfect oasis.

Read reviews about the Grand Oasis at Trip Advisor.

Cotton Bay St Lucia

memiah — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:58:24 +0000

My family and I visited the beautiful Cotton Bay resort in St Lucia during May 2007. The complex is set in three phases, the first two are completed but the third is still underway which means the back of the complex was still under construction.

This did not ruin any views and there was no noise because the development is set far away from the other apartments. All building work is projected to be finished by this year.

Apartment

The apartments are 5* and extremely luxurious with marble floors and brand new furniture. The apartment we stayed in was about 20 steps from the swimming pool, one minute from the beach and in an all round spectacular location.

The style of accommodation was a Tamarind; two bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen with full appliances, lounge area, toilet, balcony and front porch/lounging area. The master bedroom was large with a four-poster bed, flat-screen TV, wardrobe and en-suite with shower, toilet etc. The second bedroom consisted of twin beds, two wardrobes, flat-screen TV. The bedroom was again a reasonable size and the beds were large for singles. The second bathroom also consisted of a shower, sink, toilet etc. both bathrooms were decorated in marble tiles.

The kitchen consisted of new units and doors, granite worktops, American style fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine, oven and hob, microwave, basically everything you would normally have in your home kitchen. The lounge had enough seating for four people, a coffee table, huge TV cabinet and TV.

More info at St Lucia Apartments.

Swimming Pool

The pool is huge and we were one of the only groups of people there at the time so we pretty much had it all to ourselves – it was great! The pool is raised above the apartments so that privacy on balconies is maintained and there are steps leading up to the pool area. It is surrounded by wooden decking and luxurious wooden with fabric sun loungers. The pool is slightly heated and the temperature warms throughout the day, a morning swim is great for waking yourself up.

Local Area

The complex is set right on the beach therefore you do need to get taxis if you want to go out of Cotton Bay. The nearest town is Gros Islet and a taxi for four people costs about $16 US (approx. £8) one way, prices go up the more people travelling. The next town is Rodney Bay where there is a lively beach, restaurants, bars, small shopping mall etc. this only costs $16 US as well so it’s better to go to Rodney Bay!

Restaurants

Within the resort there is a fabulous beach bar, set right on the coast you really get a lovely breeze from the sea and obviously the fantastic view. The prices are extremely reasonable and they provide a 5* service, the staff are very friendly and will make sure everything is satisfactory. Common dishes on the evening menu included Duck, Red Snapper, Lamb, Pork and much much more. If you’re on the beach during the day you can pop in for a quick sandwich and a cold drink to keep you going for the rest of the day.

When we visited the resort it was not completely finished so this was the only restaurant available to us. There will be a posh piano bar coming soon where guests can wear suits and dresses and really spoil themselves.

Restaurants in the local area were lovely and again very reasonably priced.

The Edge Restaurant in Rodney Bay

We visited The Edge twice during our one week stay and I must say the food and service was to a Michelin Star quality. The food was incredible, the setting peaceful and romantic and the prices were unbelievable – great value for money.

Located on the water front, views before dark were beautiful and after dark were tranquil. Below are some pictures of our food:

Spa

I had the most amazing treatment involving an Vichy shower massage, scalp massage and foot massage, I could have spend thousands of pounds in the spa – I wanted every treatment available. If you have got some spare spending money it’s definitely worth booking a treatment at the spa, you will feel totally relaxed and calm.

Treatments available include manicures, pedicures, body wraps, body scrubs, massages, Vichy shower treatments (applying water to certain spots of your body), special treatments for you and your partner and loads more.

Beach

The beach at cotton bay is not perfect golden sand; it is slightly more natural looking with rugged edges and a beautiful mangrove by the beach bar. There is seaweed in the sea that collects on the sand but every morning this is cleared to make the beach look as perfect as possible.

There are horse rides available on the beach front and the horses go into the sea to cool off while you are on their backs. It is lovely and peaceful if you want to just sit with a good book and relax for the afternoon.

Gallery

Results of Mosquito Repellents and Relievers

memiah — Tue, 15 May 2007 12:17:29 +0000

I am back from St. Lucia and after spending £60 on mosquito related products I am sorry to say I still came back with over 50 bites . I think in the majority of other countries the experiment would have been a little more successful but the mosquitos in St. Lucia are fearless man eaters! My poor sister was attacked more than anyone out of the group and she scratched them so hard they became infected and it was straight to doctor when we returned.

The self standing bed net was the most expensive product and although it worked when we tested it at home, the bed was too big in the holiday apartment so we didn’t end up using it. To be honest I think even if we did use it we still would have been bitten because it was during the early evening (dinner time) that they seemed to be out hunting the most.

I think I would have gone crazy without the £5.95 after bite clicker, I know it was probably psychological but I swear it took away the itching (only for a short period of time though). The repellent sprays and wipes did nothing but again if the mosquito’s weren’t quite so vicious I think they could have been better. Overall the after bite clicker was the most successful product for me in St Lucia but I’m still itching a little bit now!

How to Avoid Mosquitoes

Wear light coloured, light material trousers when going out for dinner and in the evenings.
Avoid using highly scented products such as perfume and aftershave.
Avoid areas with small puddles of water – they love still water.
If you see mosquitoes in your bedroom do your best to splat them before you go to sleep.
Keep your bedroom door and apartment door closed during the day if possible.

Mosquito Repellents and Treatments

memiah — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:22:24 +0000

I am off to St Lucia next week to stay in my parent’s apartment and am very excited about getting away to the sunshine. There is however one issue that makes me want to stay in England; the mosquitoes. St Lucian mosquitoes are bad, last time I went I had 37 bites just on my left leg, I have therefore been researching different repellents and formulas that may help.

I have heard the garlic tablets are quite affective but have not yet tried these, I have also heard that rubbing a garlic glove over your body also works but seriously, who wants to stink of garlic on holiday?

I found an array of interesting products at travelextras.co.uk, my favourites are shown above; the 1st product (from the left) is a mosquito bite relief – an after-bite treatment to relieve itching and reduce swelling. You are supposed to place the product over your bite and it works by creating a small electrical charge. No batteries are needed, it lasts for between 3000 – 6000 bites and only costs £5.95.

The next product is mosquito repellent wipes; each wipe repels mosquitoes for up to six hours. They are probably more practical for the daytime, 30 wipes cost £3.75. The next item is a Bed Bug Guard – a fine net liner, impregnated with Permethrin, designed to go under your sheet to protect against mosquitoes. A single sheet costs £9.50 and a double £13.99. The last item is repellent spray that costs £5.25.

I’ll report back when I return from St Lucia to let you know what worked best for me!

Casa Del Mar, Dominican Republic

memiah — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 17:49:02 +0000

View Map

My boyfriend and I spent 2 weeks at the all inclusive resort in March 2007. We booked online with Thomson for £1700. The flight was 9 hours long, but luckily if you book with Thomson from May they have upgraded their planes on all long haul flights, you get nice new leather seats and 33 inches legroom with a TV in the back of the seat in front. Unfortunately they only fly to Punta Cana, not La Romana which is almost a 2 hour coach journey to our resort. However the journey was comfortable and you get to see the real Dominican Republic and how the people there really live.

Accommodation

When we arrived at the resort we were greeted with cocktails while we waited to check in. We were given a room in block 2, which out of the 7 buildings is one of the oldest and could do with being refurbished. We took a sneaky peak in a couple of the rooms in building 3 and they looked a lot nicer. We had a balcony, bathroom, fridge, TV and DVD player and two double beds. It was plenty of room for 2 people, some of the rooms have king-size beds instead which would have been better for us, so if you happen to go I’d request it at check in. We did have a leak in our roof which left a puddle on the floor everyday, and we were unlucky enough to have a birds nest in our roof and the birds were quite loud early morning. We also had an aerial problem with our TV and the DVD player didn’t work which they did attempt to fix but were unable to do. Other than that it was fine and to be honest we could have changed rooms if we really wanted to, we were just too lazy. Everyday our fridge was restocked with water, coke, sprite and orange juice which was all included.

Restaurants

There were several restaurants to choose from, including the World Cafe which is a huge buffet serving cuisine from all over the globe. There are also 2 Seafood restaurants, a Chinese, a Mexican and Italian. We were more than happy with the food everyday and the Dominicans really do know how to put on a spread. The service was very good, and the staff are so friendly and chatty, they gave us a mini Spanish lesson at each meal, as we were constantly asking questions they were more than happy to answer. It was my partner’s birthday whilst we were away so on his birthday we booked a candlelight dinner on the pier, which was amazing and our silver service waiter was so kind. We ate a 5 course meal along with a bottle of champagne and as many other drinks as we liked for $45 per couple.

Entertainment/Activities

There’s always plenty to do, they have all day entertainment, from water aerobics, dancing lessons, baseball competitions, volleyball, massages, Spanish lessons, and so on. There is also a water sports shop on the beach so you can book, a catamaran, canoe, windsurfing, snorkel or pedal boat which is included within the all inclusive package, or there were plenty of other activities you could book and pay for. My partner and I did a deep sea fishing trip, parasailing, trip to Catalina and a Padi open water dive course for £400, which we really enjoyed. There is also a club for children and a trampoline in the sea and a huge blow up iceberg in the pool for children to play on (which my boyfriend tried to play on). There are a few shops on site, along with an internet cafe, and DVD rentals. It would be impossible to get bored here. A different live show is also put on every night, we didn’t stay that long to watch them but they looked good and there were always plenty of people that did. There is also a spa which offers all treatments you’d get at any good spa at home, and it’s probably around the same price maybe a little cheaper. I had a facial and a pedicure, the facial was the best I’ve ever had, and my boyfriend had 2 massages.

Beach/Pools

The beach is gorgeous with great snorkeling out on the reef and around the peer, there are plenty of sun loungers, it does get very busy on the beach, but there are bars and restaurants and games all around you. There are 2 pools one over looks the beach, and is slightly smaller and has a swim up bar, with lilo’s for anyone to use, the sun loungers go very quickly and you’re very close to the person next to you. The other pool is slightly busier with plenty of sun loungers and slightly more children, this also has a bar. On the day we left we went on a walk to pass time and found a Jacuzzi on the beach front with an amazing view.

Overall we were really happy with the holiday, and would say I was very good value for money, my boyfriend didn’t want to leave so we would definitely recommend it to anyone.