Conference moira::naturism

    Whew........
    Now that's a REAL "never a dull moment" event. Seriously, that
    sounded like one %$#?! great vacation (at least the part starting
    about noon the first day there).

    Thanks for the extensive report.  Having been there myself I can echo a
    lot of the praise.
    
    The week we were there the person who won the pajama contest had on a
    sneaker (tied around his waist).
    
    I got the impression that there is an unwritten rule that first time
    visitors don't get assigned to a nude side room until their second day. 
    We had requested it and were given a prude side (their terminology)
    room.  They told us to come back the next morning to see if one was
    available.  Turned out that the first room hadn't been made up yet --
    they were very apologetic and instantly "found" a nude side room to
    assign us to.  I'm guessing maybe they've had problems with
    first-timers who didn't realize what they were getting into.
    
    We ran into one fellow who said he went down there for a week every
    couple months.  I didn't have the nerve to ask what line of work he
    was in.

    The diving at Hedonism II is pretty good, and as with everything else
    there it doesn't cost extra.  Just sign up the night before.  I was
    surprised that there were no tests (as there are at Club Med).  They
    hand you the equipment, put you on the boat, and then you're in the
    water!  They do ask to see your dive card (NAUI, PADI, whatever). 
    The wildlife is about average for the Caribbean.  A nice variety.  I
    didn't see any baraccuda or sharks (fine by me).  One of the people on
    my dive was fond of rays.  She spied one under the sand and swam over
    it.  For a moment or two they were swimming in parallel.  The ray was
    bigger than her and her fins put together!  (about 7').  Gorgeous!
    
    If you aren't into diving, the snorkling along the beach is very nice. 
    I tormented a puffer fish by chasing after it once or twice.  I also
    saw quite a few sea urchins.  Be real careful if you decide to stand up
    barefoot even inside the ropes.  There were a pair of leopard rays that
    came by every evening about dusk.  They would swim by with their wing
    tips out of the water, prompting someone to shout "Sharks!".  They came
    within a couple feet of us once.  Very nice.  
    
    The snorkling equipment is free, but the shack is on the middle beach,
    which is a clothing required zone.  You can take the equipment over to
    the nude side, no problem.
    
    I was disappointed that the volleyball net was in the clothing required
    zone.  It is built under a huge tree with a big branch about 20 feet
    over the net.  The tree does double duty as a bar.  They have extended
    a roof out from the trunk and added a bar and benches encircling the
    tree.  (the tree doesn't seem to be suffering any)  You can sit at the
    bar/tree and watch the ocean and enjoy the cool breeze.  What an
    atmosphere!
    
    The "Olympics" features two teams the "nudes" versus the "prudes",
    based on room number (2nnn is nude, 1nnn is prude if I recall).  All of
    the events are clothing required :-(  There is also a weekly volleyball
    game against the neighboring resort, Couples (or is it Sandals?) owned
    by the same folks. 
    
    I really loved being able to sun on the nude beach then wander over to
    DelRoy's Bare Bum Bar for a ginger ale or rum punch without so much as
    a towel!  No need for carrying a purse, just sun tan oil.  A note to
    beer drinkers, the only beer available is Red Stripe, the local brew.
    
    The resort seems to be under better repair than Club Med and the staff
    are more familiar with the territory and with each other.  Club Med
    will let things deteriorate pretty far, then come in and rebuild the
    place.  Hedonism is constantly repairing one thing or another.  There
    is a very nice air-conditioned Raquetball court building that is quite
    new.  
    
    I also liked the horseback riding.  The horses are in a stable across
    the road from the resort.  Marty and I went to go see them the day
    before we went riding.  The minute we stepped out of the gate we were
    set upon by a local trying to get us to spend a couple hours on motor
    scooters or a taxi with him as our guide.  We checked out the horses
    and they were mostly old, kind of rangy but well cared for.  I found a
    nice buckskin, Hatless, for Marty to ride.  On the walk back to the
    resort a lady was trying to talk me into getting my hair braided ($25
    US).  I decided against it as I'm blond and I don't need streaks of
    sunburn on my scalp.
    
    The next day we took the bus to horseback riding, so we didn't have to
    deal with the soft(?) sell specialists.  They have western and english
    saddles, everyone must wear a hard hat.  They also provide ladders to
    get up on the horse for those who aren't up to getting on themselves.
    The first part of the ride was pretty sedate walk through the scrub. 
    Then the scrub opened out onto bloody bay for a nice canter along the
    beach.  Just beautiful!  (Sorry to the lady who's beach towel got a
    hoofprint on it!) 
    
    One of the handlers remembered that we had been talking to the local
    the day before.  He said not to go out with them.  They will take you a
    couple hours away, then refuse to take you back until you hand over all
    your money.  
    
    I found out the lady offering the hair braiding out front was cheaper
    than the people over the fence at the beach.  The beach people charged
    $30.  They were also willing to braid hair in some out of the ordinary
    places ;-)
    
    Overall I had a very wonderful, relaxing time at Hedonism II and I
    would recommend it to members of the notesfile.  
    
    We booked through Crimson Travel, a rather big travel agency here in
    New England.  The manager of the local branch had been there and was
    more than willing to tell us about the nude and prude sides.  They
    barely batted an eye when we said we would like the nude side.  You
    don't have to go to a Naturist travel agency to book a trip there.
    
    			Bb  

    Wow !!!  Thank-you .0 for your wonderful account of your experience at
    Hedonism II, and to Barbara for her's.  This is what I've been waiting
    to read for a long time.  I wish travel brochures were written like
    this !!
    
    Vicki & I confirmed our booking TODAY !!!!   Yes !!!  We are going to
    Hedonism II from July 27th to August 3rd.
    
    There are only 2 companies that are offering the Hedonism II resort
    during the summer months (here in Ontario, that is).  They are
    "Thompson Vacations" and "Conquest". 
    
    I went to two different travel agents and asked each to get me the best
    deal they could on a package deal, with the idea of obviously booking
    with the cheapest.  I went to American Express Travel, and to a local
    travel agent, but the cost was the same.  Since both agents went to 
    "Thompson" for costs, each came back with the same price.  Conquest
    is offering the club, but they haven't produced their price list yet
    for the summer.
    
    The cost will be $ 1,700 Canadian dollars per/person, which includes:
    
    	* Return air-fare from Toronto Pearson International Airport,
          direct (non-stop) to Montego Bay, Jamaica.
    
    	* Transportation to-and-from the resort
    
    	* One week stay at the resort and all that goes with it
    
    Our only obstacle is to get from Ottawa to Toronto (about 400 miles).
    We were thinking about flying, but naaaaa... I don't think so.  I 
    wouldn't want to risk taking a flight to Toronto and then missing the
    plane to Jamaica !!  It only  goes down once per/week (or so I have
    been told).  We'll drive.  It'll take just a little longer, but will
    probably be more comfortable.
    
    I specifically asked the travel agent to book us a room on the nude
    beach, she said she'd try, but as mentioned in other notes, no
    guarantees.  If we get there and have been given a room elsewhere, I
    will do as others have done, and request one the next day.
    
    Oh yea, can someone tell me what they paid for their trip ?  $1,700
    sounds like a lot of money to me.
    
    Bye for now,
    
    Darrell
    

    Darrell,
    
    	If $1700 is for the airline tickets and a WEEK (7 nights) at the
    resort that seems very cheap. I don't know what the exchange rate is
    for CA$ to US$ but the room for the original 7 nights was US$2700 for
    the two of us. The airline tickets on AA were about $1100. (Hem I
    wonder if CTN got us again?????)
    
    	By the way the Red Stripe beer brewed locally is not bad. I don't
    like beer, but the Red Stripe I can at least drink. Pat does like beer
    and likes the taste of Red Stripe enough that she has bought it in the US
    when she can find it. (Although the taste is nowhere as good in the
    bottle after shipping, storage, etc., as compared to the stuff right
    out of the tap).
    
    		Dave L.

    Dave,
    
    	Don't forget, the price I quoted is "per/person", so the total cost
    for the two of us is $3400 Canadian.
    
    	The exchange rate (currently) between Can $ and US $, is that 
    one US$ will buy $ 1.21 Canadian.  Therefore, the total package cost
    to us is $3400 Canadian, divided by 1.21 = US $2810.
    
    	Your total package came to US$3800, which equals $4600 Canadian.
    That's a difference of $1200 Canadian.  Yup, sounds like we got a good
    deal !!
    
    Darrell
    

    I have found that any travel agent can get you reservations at any
    resort. I have been using the same travel agent in Ayre Ma for several
    years now. They have booked us in Club Orient as well as club meds. We
    are planning  to go to either Hedonism II , Sorobon, or the new Grand
    Lido in JamicaYou dont need to use a naturist travel agent to make
    	reservations to a naturist resort. Stick with a good agent and
    avoid the hassels.
    Great info on Hedionism II thanks for the info.
    John

    
    Aghhhhh !!!   I could SCREAM !!!
    
    Our Jamaica/Hedonism II trip has been put "ON HOLD".  Actually, we're
    not sure what's going to happen yet.
    
    No doubt some of you may have already heard this, but, "Thompson
    Vacations" (remember me telling you that we were booked through
    them?), went into RECEIVERSHIP last Thursday.  The "Royal Bank
    of Canada", forced SOUND AIR (parent company), to put "Odyssey 
    Airlines" (subsiduary) into bankruptcy, and "Thompson Vacations"
    (another subsiduary) into receivership.
    
    My travel agent says that she is pretty sure that "Thompson Vacations"
    will not be able to re-cooperate.  
    
    My deposit on the trip, $400 , was charged to my AMEX card.  I called
    AMEX today and they said that the charge was coming through on my
    next bill in May.  I said "yeah, but what about the fact that it was
    for Thompson Vacations?".  Apparently, I have to wait for the bill
    to come in, and then call AMEX back and complain about it.  They will
    then do an investigation, and if "Thompson" has officially been
    declared bankrupt, they put the charge back to Thompson.  The AMEX
    agent assured me that no matter what happened, I would not have to
    pay for the deposit on the trip.
    
    That was a relief !!
    
    But now, what about our trip ?
    
    The only other Canadian company offering Hedonism II in the summer, is
    "Conquest".  They STILL haven't put out a brochure yet, and will not
    tell anyone what specific packages they are offering or what the costs
    will be.  I COULD book the whole thing myself, but it would cost about
    an extra $1,000 .  I'm not prepared to pay that much.
    
    It's hard to say what Conquest will be offering as well, since Conquest
    and Regent Holidays, previously made a lot of bookings on,....guess
    who.....  Odyssey Airlines. !!!
    
    The TV news reporter, said that the collapse of Thompson Vacations is
    a major blow to the tourism industry around the world.  There were 
    Canadian citizens trapped in holiday destinations with no way back.
    
    The saddest story was.....
    
    	A woman in a Florida Hotel was talking to the Canadian TV reporter.
    She said that her and her husband had planned a 4 day trip to bring
    their kids to Disneyland.  The first day was spent travelling, by
    plane, then get their rent-a-car, over to the Hotel, check in, all
    that stuff.  She said by the time they had supper, it was time to go
    to bed.  Unfortunately, that evening she heard on a Florida Radio
    station, about the collapse of Thompson Vacations.  The next day, she
    spent all day calling airlines trying to get flights back on the fourth
    day of their trip.  It took her "all day" to finally get 4 seats on 
    a plane back with a charge of over $350.00 each.  The fourth day was
    their journey home.  What happened to the third day ?  They made it to
    Disneyland, but it RAINED.
    
    The Canadian government chartered 13 jets, to go around the world and
    pick up stranded Canadians in holiday destinations in an effort to get
    everyone back home.  The tab for these jets was picked up by a "fund"
    of money that all tour companies have to pay into, in the event that
    something like this was to happen....and it did  8^(
    
    The woman mentioned in the story above, did not know that the 
    governement had chartered these jets.  It is uncertain whether she will
    get any money back for the tickets she purchased.
    
    It'll be very interesting to see what happens in the travel industry
    over the next few weeks.  
    
    I still want my vacation in Hedonism, and Vicki says we'll "canoe"
    there if we have to !!  ;^)
    

Would there be a problem with booking the vacation through American companies?

B.

    Hmmmm.  Yeah, I could probably do that, but you're correct in assuming
    that is a problem.
    
    	1) No local travel agents to go through, causes major phone bills
    	2) Transporation (airline) would leave from a US airport.  It would
    	      be very unlikely that it would go through Toronto.
    	3) Have to get to the US airport.
    	4) Have to go through customs, which could be a real hassel coming
    	       back.  In fact, would have to go through customs twice, once
    	       going to the US by car, and then again in Jamica, and the
    	       same thing coming back.
    	5) The costs are likely to be higher.
    	6) US airlines are very unreliable, (that is, in comparison to
    	       Canadian Airlines that don't go bankrupt. ;-)  In fact,
    	       Odyssey Airlines *was* ranked #2 in the world for chartered
    	       jets.
    
    

    Re: .8
    
    We are VERY sorry to hear about what has happened. Hedonism II is a
    fantastic place, but from our experience and your's it can be difficult
    to get to!!!
    
    Hey, I know. A bunch of DECies should get together and charter their
    own flight and say goodbye to the travel companies!!!!!
    
    	Dave...

    My wife and I are two DECies who will sign up for a DEc charter to
    Hedonism II or the Grand Lido!
    John and Elaine Reid

    Another reason why Canada should become a State!!!

    Hmmmm,  this is getting a bit off topic, but please don't suggest
    that Canada should become another STATE !  Canadians are *very*
    sensitive about this, and believe it or not, although Canada and the
    US are similar in many ways, most Canadians want to *stay* Canadians,
    and have no desire to become part of the US.
    

    Well..... I'm happy again !!!   :-)
    
    The travel agent was finally able to get some information from
    the "CONQUEST" tour operator, (even though they *still* don't have
    their brochure out.
    
    We are now booked and confirmed with "Conquest".  We leave on July
    28th, for one full week.  Flying down on 'Air Canada' out of Toronto.
    
    "Conquest" is actually $150 per/person *cheaper* than the original cost
    would have been to us if Thompson vacations hadn't gone under.
    
    The travel agent also said she confirmed that we would get a room
    on the nude beach.  :-)
    
    We're counting down the days......
    
    Darrell
    

    My wife Vicki recently spoke with some acquaintances who just got back
    from a vacation in Jamaica.  One of the couples went to Hedonism, and
    said they had a wonderful time. 
    
    The other couple, stayed at the Holiday Inn.  They said that they had
    to purchase all their meals.  They were constantly clutching their
    purses and wallets in fear of being mugged.  They said they were
    bothered non-stop during their whole vacation, by locals begging for
    money or trying to sell them something.  In addition, they saw Jamaica
    for what it really is.... a third world country full of poverty.  This
    couple said they will never go back.
    
    What's the moral of the story ?  Stick to the Super-Clubs, and don't go
    off the property unless you're with a group tour organized by the
    resort you're staying at.
    
    Darrell
    Still counting down days :-)
    

I have never participated in any of the notes file communiques although I 
must confess that I have read some from time to time. I was raised on the 
ocean just north of Boston and presently, hang my hat in South Carolina. I
have always had a real "hankering" for the beach. Crane Beach in Ipswich 
was "my" spot. I have been lucky enough to visit some really beautiful beaches 
from Moorea Tahiti in the South Pacific to St Tropez on the French Riveria 
(actually more famous than beautiful) and although most of the beaches that 
I frequent are not necessarily CO some of them are and I have baked my buns 
to a frazzle on more than a couple of occasions. 

Now the reason that I feel compelled to make a comment here is the horror
story about the folks at the Holiday Inn in Jamaica. I have been going to
Jamaica every year since 1975. The first time I went I believe that I too
stayed at this Holiday Inn. It's called the Rose Hall Holiday Inn and it's
in Montego Bay. It's truly the pits but for that matter so is Mo Bay. After
being there two days I knew that this wasn't it, so I got a rent-a-car and
drove to Negril. I have been going back to Negril every year ever since. 

Over the years Negril has really become developed. (I'm afraid that someday
soon Negril will be over developed.) When I first went to Negril there was
only about ten to twelve places to stay. Most of the people stayed there
were .... let's say free spiritted. Every day at about noon time a couple
of little minivans would arrive with tourits from Mo Bay. They would splash
in the water, the guys would check-out the ladies (our ladies - some
topless -some total-less), get caught dogging by the wife, take pictures of
each other in every possible compination, get back on the bus and go back
to Mo Bay. (The last few years some of them have been staying.)  Hedonism
II was called Negril Beach Village and it was the largest place in Negril.
(Local law makes it illegal to build anything higher than a coconut tree) 

Over the years the I have stayed at about half of the places in Negril.
Places ranging from my famous camping-on-the-beach days at the Roots Bamboo
(very cheep - 5.00 US per day) up through Hedonism II. (One year in the
late seventies I took a young lady from New Hampshire with me. I warned her
that it would be primitive. I told her, " We ain't staying at the Hilton
honey". We stayed in a thatched roof, bamboo hut on the beach at Arthur's
Golden Sunset for 25. US a day. Of course it had no electricity and the
shower facilities consisted of a shower head mounted on the side of a
coconut tree. But it was real casual. She loved it!) Certainly staying at
the "super clubs" can be a great vacation but the cost can be higher than a
Georgia pine. (After all I've got alimony to pay and my contribution to the
cash flow at the local liquor store to cover, etc..) For a week at Hedonism
you can stay on the beach for three! In addition, the truth is that you
miss some of the local flavor and culture when you are isolated to the
grounds of a particular location. You can get really fine accommodations
right on the beach for about 50. - 55. US per day (WITH electricity, in
door plumbing and hot water too. Last November I stayed up on the cliffs at
the Rock Cliff Club. The sign out front said "Satilite Dish". They had a
dish, but no TV.) The food is about one half the cost of a comparable meal
in Mo Bay and it's always excellent. 

True, Jamaica is a poor, third world country and in the real "tourist trap" 
areas like Montego Bay and Ocho Rios (don't bother going there either) you 
can find whole herds of hustlers, hagglers, and "ragamuffins". But if you go 
out to Negril you will find that there are also some great nice people there 
too. Some have been my friends for years. It's really a little piece of heaven 
on earth and yeah mon, in Negril....it's "No Problem".

                                           
                                             the olear..

		Hedonism II Resort, Negril Jamaica, Trip Report

	Vicki and I left on July 27th from Ottawa by car to Toronto.  This is
about a 5 and 1/2 hour journey.  We stayed overnight with some friends in 
Milton Ontario, 20 minutes from Pearson International Airport. On Saturday
our friends drove us to the airport in their car, so we could leave our car
at their place and avoid having to pay about $75 dollars to leave the car
at the Toronto Airport parking lot.  We left Toronto airport on Air Canada, 
direct flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica.  The flight left at 10:30 am, and 
took 4 hours.

	Upon arrival in Jamaica, we had to line up to go through immigration.
This took about 1 hour.  Oh, by the way, if you've never been in the Montego
Bay Airport, imagine this:  it is about 1/30th the size of Chicago Ohare,
at it's maximum capacity, add an extra 1,000 people, total chaos and you get
the picture.  After immigration, you had to line up at an exchange booth
to get your money exchanged into Jamaican funds (this took about 20 minutes),
followed by another lineup to get through a "declaration" line (another 20
minutes).  BTW, you can avoid the money exchange line-up, since Hedonism II
offers their own exchange bureau.  Make sure that you get in the line that
says for those people who have nothing to declare.  I was in the wrong line
for 30 minutes before I realized it.  Once through here, you enter another
part of the airport where all the tour operators are.  

	We were booked through Conquest Tours.  In our itinerary, we were
told that a Conquest representative would be at the Toronto Airport to give
us a free "flight bag" which was included in the package.  There was no
Conquest rep anywhere.  We were also told that there would be a Conquest
rep in Jamaica at the airport AND at the resort.  There was none.  We looked
around for close to 1/2 hour and asked other tour operators "Where is the
Conquest representative ?", only to get the response "there is none!".  But,
we were lucky enough to find a rep from the Hedonism resort.  We hung around him
for about another hour, before he had crossed everyone off his list and loaded
us onto a tour bus.  The busses are packed in like sardines into the parking
area, and the exhaust can just about choke you to death.

	If you look at a map of Jamaica, you'll see that the road looks
fairly straight from Montego Bay to Negril.  Don't believe it !  While the
roads were paved, they were extremely narrow and very, very winding.  Lots
of curves and bends and small bridges only big enough for one vehicle.
A horn is a necessity on any vehicle on the road in Jamaica, as we discovered
very quickly.  Our bus driver used it all the time to get people, dogs,
chickens, pigs and cows out of the way, and if they didn't get out of the way
they would get hit, cause the bus driver does NOT stop.  He travels about
40 mph maximum speed and slows down rarely.  We even passed other vehicles
while going uphill !  Oncoming traffic passes within inches of your vehicle.
In all, the bus ride took about 2 hours, with a bathroom stop at the
"Lollypop", which is not a nicer part of town...

	Luggage:  take with you only the bare necessities.  1 pair of underwear
to wear down, 1 pair to wear back (that goes for socks too), about 5 pairs
of shorts, running shoes, sandals, and about 8 to 10 T-shirts.  I usually wore
about 2 T-shirts each day, cause I sweat a lot in the heat, and my shirts
get smelly quickly.  Take also bathroom supplies, shaving cream, deoderant,
shampoo and conditioner, sunscreen and whatever else.  These are NOT supplied 
by the resort.  A hairdryer is helpful although your hair dries quickly in 
Jamaica.  DO NOT TAKE TOWELS.  A fresh supply of towels are yours everyday 
when the maid cleans the room, as well as beach towels available by each of the
beach bars.  Oh, and take your swimsuit -- you'll need it for swimming in
the main pool area, going for lunch or dinner, or if you go snorkeling or
scubadiving (as these activities are intermixed with the prudes).  Vicki
and I had one carry on tote bag each, and this was plenty.  You can also
be assured that no-one will steal your luggage in transit either.  At the
Jamaican Airport DO NOT let anyone carry your bags.  Some people thought that
this one nice chap was a rep from Hedonism and carrying their bags to the
bus was part of his job or something.  NOT THE CASE !  They had to tip him
$5.00 US before he would leave them alone.  I'm sure he carried the bags
no further than 50 feet.  And these guys are very aggressive, they just come
along, pick up your bags and start walking, without even talking to you !!

	Carry on bags are also very helpful when you arrive at the resort.
If you have suitcases they must be stored at the back of the bus on your
trip to the resort.  Once there, you MUST get your bags off the bus before
registering in, if you don't, you will LOSE them.  Vicki and I were in the
front seats of the bus.  When we got off, we had our carry on bags with us
and went straight to register.  There were 2 people ahead of us, and it
took 30 minutes before we were at the front of the line.

	Life now is easier, and all your stress of travelling is beginning
to lift.  The rooms are quite nice, with a full bathroom, king-size bed
(with mirrors on the ceiling) two small dresser night tables, full size
mirror on the wall with a shelf to put things on, and a sitting area by the
sliding windows that look out over the beach and water.  There are NO
alarm clocks, NO radio, NO television, and NO telephones.  I was delighted !
Our room was on the nude beach side, and I immediately stripped and went
down to Captn' Bob's Bare Bum Bar to get a "Strawberry-Banana-QuickPeel"
alcoholic beverage.  Nudism is permitted and practiced not only on the 
nude beach itself, but behind your complex as well.  In other words, the
window of the room faces the beach, but the door into the room faces the
back and the resort's property.  So you can go anywhere nude in that 
general area, and few people will blink twice.

	At Captn' Bob's Bare Bum Bar, a Jamaican man with a smile all the
time serves some of the best drinks you'll get anywhere on the resort.  He
is very friendly and quick to answer any questions you may have.  I asked
him if Captn' Bob's was named after him.  He said "no" and that it was 
actually named after (get this...) a CANADIAN who comes down to the resort
twice a year for some kind of convention.  He has a lot of bumper stickers
attached to the back door of the bar hut that read "Sail Naked", "Surf
Naked" and "Party Naked".  There is one in particular that reads "Men come
in three sizes, Small, Medium, and Oh-My God !".  Which brings me to...
the second day on the beach, Vicki and I saw a naked black man conversing
with some of the other guests. When Vicki saw him she turned to me and
said "I want a divorce !"  :-)

	On your first day, make sure you go to orientation.  One of the
"co-ordinators" (people hired to keep you entertained and to make sure that
you enjoy every minute of your stay), will guide you through everything the
resort has to offer, and at what times everything is available.  They'll
also give you some helpful hints if you plan on venturing out of the resort
property.

	Ganja... now there's a word you hear a lot of in Jamaica.  The
co-ordinator (Larry) explained in orientation, that if you are caught smoking
Ganja on the resort, and one of them tells you to put it out, if you don't,
they'll get a security guard to come bop you over the head with their billy
club, and drag you back to your room... AND THIS NO JOKE !  Larry said
that any kind of drugs in Jamaica (even Ganja) are totally illegal, and if
you are caught by Jamaican authorities, there's no telling what might happen
to you.  The US and Canadian embassies will turn their backs on anyone
in custody for drug related activities.  Now... the reality, is that they
really don't care.  In fact, the security guards who are out to make an extra
couple of bucks will sell you the stuff if you want.  But don't try to 
smuggle any out of the country.  When we were at the Jamaican airport on 
our way back, every once in a while we could hear dogs in the back room
barking whenever they sniffed something unusual in people's luggage.  
My advice is to stay away from it... you can enjoy your holiday without it.

	The main dining area is close to the main entrance.  It is only
enclosed on one side where the kitchen is, but there is a roof to it.  All
of the meals are buffet style, and you can always find something appealing 
to eat if the main course doesn't turn your fancy.  The night we arrived
(Saturday) they were serving BBQ Lobster tails.  Vicki was in heaven !
Other nights there was roast beef, chicken, pasta dishes, shark steak
and chinese dishes.  There are always plenty of rolls, all types of salads,
soups, cheeses and desserts served every night with the main course.  Rice
and pasta dishes seem to be some of their favourite dishes, as these were 
always readily available.  Then there's the continuous flowing of bar drinks,
wine and Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee (no meal is complete without at least
one deliscious cup of this coffee).  Breakfast and lunch are similar in 
the quantity of selections, but if I told you everything that was available
for every meal, I'd eat up all the buffer quotas for this conference.

	Just off the main dining area is the only pool area.  It is quite
large and has underwater windows at the far end that look into the Disco
(or vice versa).  In additon, there is a small Jacuzzi here as well that
should hold about 4 people comfortably.  Most of the time, this area is
for prudes (or nudes with bathing suits), however, after 12:00 midnight
no-one cares if you go for a nude swim.

	At the far end of the nude beach is a very large jaccuzzi.  At
maximum capacity it holds 250 nude people.  I think one night that we
were in it, the number of people went up around 100.  I should also
mention that the Hedonism experience means total freedom, and it is not
uncommon to see people making love in the Jaccuzzi, so if this kind of
behaviour offends you, stay away from that area.

	Also on the nude side of the beach (I don't know what's on the prude
side, as we never ventured over to that area), are hammocks.  Vicki and I
layed out in them at night, staring up into the clear sky and watching
the stars twinkle.  On the third night that we were laying out in a hammock,
a somewhat drunk prude decided to make an a** of himself.  He came right over
to our hammock and introduced himself.  At first, I thought he was just being
polite, but then he said "So... Darrell... do you always lay around in hammocks
at night with your dick hanging out ?".  I was getting really upset and
tried to control myself.  Then he said "If I had a dick that size I wouldn't
come out of my room!".  Now my blood was boiling but I tried to retain my
cool and said to him "Well your's must be extremely small and that's probably
why you hide it in your pants, right ?".  I was ready to jump and slug the
guy when Vicki yelled out "Hey, this is the nude beach and you're not welcome
here, so take a hike chump!".  I was floored!  I had never seen Vicki like 
this before !  The guy laughed to himself and carried on his way to the
Jaccuzzi.  Half an hour later, he was being escorted by several security
guards off the nude area.

	The main nude beach area is "clothes optional", but the majority
of people are either nude, or with someone who is nude.  One afternoon
there were a bunch of guys (who had obviously come vacationing together)
who were all prudes, and they brought with them a video camera.  One would
yell to the other "get her, get her" and "oh get that one over there",
etc, etc.  Nudists will NOT tolerate this crap.  We told the boys that
if they didn't strip they were not welcome.  None of them stripped, and
they stayed where they were.  So, one nudist went up to his room, and when
he came back down he had a bag of balloons.  Everyone got together and filled
them with water, while some of us rigged up a very powerful slingshot.
They couldn't see what we were doing until it was too late.  We bombarded
them with water balloons, several of which struck the guy with the video
camera.  I think we ruined his camera, cause he couldn't get it to work 
after that, and we never saw him or his friends on the nude beach again !
Yeahhhh !  :-)=

	The disco opens every night at 11:00 pm and closes at 5:00 am.  On
Tuesday nights they have their pajama party.  You MUST wear what you wear
to bed, if you don't you won't get in.  For the guys, they said if you
don't wear anything to bed, then put it in a sock, and some did.  Most of
the women wore lingere and a couple women wore only their underwear.

	On Thursday night, was Toga night, you MUST wear a sheet that
is provided in your room to supper.  NO SHEET, NO EAT, and that's no BULLSHEET!
You CANNOT wear any underwear, just the sheet.  We saw a couple of people who
tried to wear their underwear and some of the co-ordinators ganged up on them
and cut it off them !

	Every night except Friday, they have SHOWTIME.  This is presented
in the main dining area after supper.  One night they had a local rock group, 
another night was the staff talent night and fashion show, another night was the
guest talent show, and yet another was a magician and hypnotist (this guy
is extremely boring though, and it's not worth your time to stay and
watch him).  On Friday night, they have a big bomb fire and beach party,
with a Steel band.

	Other activities available include, glass bottom boat rides, snorkeling,
scuba-diving, wind-surfing, sailing, kayaking, basketball, squash courts,
tennis, horse-back riding, bicycle riding and ping-pong.  On one afternoon
that Vicki and I went snorkeling, I was stung by a jelly-fish.  The next
day we were snorkeling just along the main beach and I stepped on a Sea
Urchin.  Both times required a trip to the nurses office.

	Not everything is included in this all-inclusive resort however.
There is a schooner docked at the main pier that will take you out for
a four hour ride to see some coves.  They supply the food and the booze.
The cost is $35 US per person.  We were going to go on this, but others 
who had taken it said it wasn't worth it... just a big drunk and not much
else, so we saved our money for other things.  One of those things was
getting a massage at the massage hut.  This was a unique experience.  The
masseuse I had was a Jamaican girl named Primrose.  The massage room/hut
is right next door to the weight-lifting and work-out room.  Although you
get your massage in the room, you feel like your outside because they 
leave the door open.  A massage that lasts 45 to 50 minutes costs $35 US.
Make sure you book 2 days in advance, as these masseuses are always booked
in advanced.

	Then there are the gift shops that sell clothes and nick-nacks,
one that sells ceramics, a drugstore/pharmacy for any bathroom or other
supplies you may have forgotten at home, and a duty free shop.  Everything
for sale is in Jamaican currency except if you purchase at the Duty
Free shop, everything in here is in US dollars.  The drugstore also sells
booze and coffee.  We brought back home 2 cans of Jamaican Blue Mountain
Coffee (this is claimed to be the best in the world), a bottle of rum,
a normal bottle of coffee liqueur, and a bottle of 'Old Jamaican Wild Orange
Coffee Liqueur'.  If you're in Jamaica you have to get a bottle of this 
stuff... it's the best I've ever tasted.

	All-in-all we had a fabulous time.  We were only there for one week
but even at that Vicki and I were ready to go home after 5 days.  You can
only go so long with only 4 hours of sleep each night.  When we arrived home,
we slept for most of the 2 remaining holidays before returning to work.
It's a trip we'll never forget, and we are sure to return again just as soon 
as we can afford it.  :-)

Darrell

    Read my base note if you want to know what the sailing trip on the
    clothing optional cruise can be like. Pat and I found it to be a
    wonderful experience and one we would repeat (probably the sunset
    cruise however).
    
    As I said in my base note, the waters at Hedonism are rich in life. I
    strongly suggest that anybody walking in the water wear some form of
    scuba shoe to protect yoyr feet from stepping on the sea life on the
    bottom.
    
    Pat and I were never bothered by anbody at night on the beach, but I'm
    sure that it can happen at any time. Short of going to a resort that is
    NUDE ONLY I see no way out of the potential a**holes being around. You
    have to stand up for yourself (as the folks on the beach did with the
    ballons :-) ).
    
    Hedonism can be overwhelming if you don't limit yourself. It can be a
    24 hour a day whirlwind. Luckily, Pat had been to Hedonism before, so
    she warned me about pacing yourself. As I said in my base note we
    basically just relaxed and used the beach and had a wonderful relaxing
    time. 
    
    The Toga party was a blast, and we'll participate again. We didn't go
    to the Pajama party but we will the next time we go.
    
    And yes we WILL GO BACK as soon as we can.
    
    
    		Dave L...

    Question. What is the best time of year to go there for factors
    such as weather, crowds, price, etc...Also how far in advance do
    you have to book to get the best season?....Thanx for some great
    reading..
    
                            Chris

    
    I'm a first time Notes user, so forgive me any errors.
    
    I just returned from Jamaica, mon and spent the entire week at
    Hedonism II.  I was there March 3rd through March 10th.  In many
    ways this was a unique experience for me.  I have only in the past
    few years come to know the pleasure of nude beaches and the beach at
    Hedonism was really enjoyable.
    
    In many conversations with my travel agent and with the man I travelled
    with, we concluded there are times best not to go.  We find that these
    are in November and December, which are reputed to be the rainy season.
    Also, August and September are historically hurrican season.  However,
    I have found over the past years, that the weather in the Carribean can
    be unpredictable at best!
    
    When we were there, the first two days were rainy, grey and cloudy. 
    The ocean was really black and the waves crashed the beach.  Now, as
    long as you know this will stop in a day, it certainly is quite a 
    thrilling sight.  And in fact, the weather did improve and we had 
    wonderfully sunny, hot weather for the rest of the vacation.  Now, of
    course, as always in the Carribean, there's one or two quick showers,
    but nothing that gets any of the locals too worried.  Only first time
    tourists panic, but the rest of us know the sun is just a couple of
    minutes away.
    
    Unless you are in to this crowd, I recommend avoiding spring break time
    for colleges.  I'm not sure where the kids get the money for these
    vacations, but they starting arriving at the end of our stay and they
    definitely have a "dorm room" mentality that can be wearing.  There was
    considerable shouting outside the rooms at 3am by college men that had
    decided to get the money back for their trip by drinking it at the bar
    the first night!  We wanted an unstructured vacation, but we didn't
    want to be part of the cast for Porky's V either.
    
    We scheduled our vacation through a local agent in Ayer, Mass who has
    done a lot of trips for us.  This is the best way, I think to handle
    the trip planning.  She in turn booked us through Sunburst Holidays and
    everything went very smoothly.  What they promised is what we got.
    The cost for us ran about $1500 US per person.  We flew TWA and had
    few problems.  The Montego Bay airport is a zoo, but it is very typical
    Carribean, so if you've travelled anywere else in the area you won't
    be surprised.
    
    Have a wonderful time if you go.
    
    And... I have a question.  When we were there, a group of people really
    kept things interesting.  They are called the "Bubbly Bares" and they
    have a strong presense on the nude beach.  They are into wearing wild
    and skimpy outfits at dinner and had some pretty great togas on
    Thursday night.  And, what they wore to PJ night at the disco made me
    feel like I was dressed like a nun.
    
    At first, I wasn't sure how to take these folks.  But as the week
    progressed I realized that the outfits were just part of the fun.
    Because of the size of their group, I believe they were instrumental
    in keeping some of the jerks off the nude beach.  We had a couple of
    fully clothed gapers with cameras, and a couple of Bubbly Bares very
    politely informed them that if they wanted pictures, to take them of
    each other.  They were welcome to stay, but why not undress and relax?
    They left shortly after.
    
    The Bubbly Bares are there in March at the same time we are and also
    Halloween week in October.  Many of the folks we met, travel to the
    resort two or three times a year.  
    
    After the fact, I wish I had been more gregarious and gotten more info
    on joining as I understand they enjoy discounts on the rooms, always
    get nude beach rooms and just look like they have a great time.
    
    So if anyone is a Bubbly Bare or knows about them, I'd love more info.
    
    Joan
    
    
    
    
    

Going to Hedonism II through a Naturist group seems to be a good deal.
At the last NENA swim in Revere, a few representatives from a local 
travel agency came in and gave a presentation to the people who attended
the swim.  The package they offered was $1250 for 7 nights from May 7 to the
12th.  They even gave out coupons so that if we signed up before March 4th,
it would have given us another $50 off...

From several people at the Swim who went to Hedonism II, that was suppose
to be an incredible deal...

    So Ben, are you going???  You're due for a vacation around early May,
    aren't you?
    
    - Kathryn
    

    :-)
    
    If I had the money, I'd buy a condo down there or some place equally
    nice and take a vacation there every year...or half year, or quarter,
    or month....
    
    B.

    
    ..and I'd have to go with him because he wouldn't be able to carry
    his suitcases ... for fear of ... umm... lemme see... hurting his
    (volleyball) serving arm :-)
    
    Sue