Merry Christmas from the Beach Bum, 2009
Merry Christmas!
I’m sure that many of you are freezing this year wishing for the beach, and what better to celebrate Christmas than by laying on a tropical beach somewhere in the Caribbean.
Or maybe you’d like to spend Christmas with Jimmy Buffett on Christmas Island.
Posted on December 23, 2009 Filed Under Beach Vacations, Vacation Time | Leave a Comment
Unusual and Adventure Hotels
If you are in the mood for something completely different than the run of the mill hotel, then check out some of these hotels. This site (Unusual Hotels of the World), has places to stay all over the world, but not necessarily what you are used to.
For example, this Tree House in India;
Wild. That would be a pretty cool place to stay. I’d feel like Tarzan.
How about this one, an underwater lodge in Florida;
Now that is cool. Except for the divers looking in the porthole, I would stay here anytime.
Check out the Unusual Hotels site and tell us if you have stayed anywhere you think should be on their list.
Posted on December 17, 2009 Filed Under Recommended Beaches and Places, Travel | Leave a Comment
Jamaica Vacation Part 2 – Monday
I have not been posting very regularly here. It has been almost 5 months since my vacation and I only have one day posted. You can find the rest of our trip to Jamaica here.
On Monday, we did almost absolutely nothing. Sort of. We relaxed.
There are many vendors on the beach selling everything from fruit and beads to weed and mushrooms. So we bought some fruit which was great. There were some small bananas that were fantastic. The vendors have a tendency to be very persistent, and you have to be firm about saying no. If you are halfhearted or say maybe later, they will remember and come again.
We got into the ocean about three times today. It was beautiful. The water was perfect, the weather was perfect, everything was perfect. I’d say we probably spent at least 6 hours total in the ocean.
We went to Margaritaville for lunch, which has pretty good food, but not the best. I’ve said it before, you go to Maragaritaville for the atmosphere.
For dinner we figured we would try Norma’s at the Sea Splash resort. As we were walking down the beach, a guy stopped us and asked if we would like to have the best food on the beach at Norma’s. Since that was were we were going, I said sure, and he gave us a 10% off coupon to go there. At first I was a little wary, but This guy is making a living by getting people to go to Norma’s. After you eat, you sign his coupon and he makes a commission.
We had Jerk Chicken and Coconut chicken. I loved the jerk (of course) but the coconut chicken was unbelievable. It was unlike anything I’ve ever eaten with coconut here in the States. It was sweet without being overly sweet, it was juicy and… I can’t think of how else to describe it. It was excellent.
I would definitely recommend Norma’s.
So ended our first full day in Jamaica. Come back for the next post about our Jamaican Vacation.
Posted on December 8, 2009 Filed Under Beach Vacations, Food, Jamaica Vacation | Leave a Comment
World’s Sexiest Beaches for 2009, Part 2
If you missed it, here is the first part to the sexiest beaches of 2009. Here is the conclusion of the list of the Sexiest and Most Beautiful Beaches of 2009.
Mazunte, Mexico
Originally known for the turtles coming ashore, and therefor turtle meat and turtle soup, Mexico has since declared Mazunte a reserve, and the area has started to focus on sustainable eco-tourism. So if you are in to saving the planet, but doing it from the comfort of a beach, then this is for you.
Goa, India
Goa, India has a number of beaches. From very well touristed beaches to secluded ones. If you can find a spot for yourself, you could definitely enjoy the view.
Skiathos, Greece
Back to the Mediterranean, to Skiathos, Greece. Skiathos is a small island that is a protected environment, so it will never see much development. That is excellent news for those wanting to head to the beach. It will always be a very natural beach setting.
Ambergris Caye, Belize
Ambergris Caye is the largest island in Belize, which is in the Caribbean. No matter what you like to do, you can find it here. Exploring Mayan ruins, trekking through the jungle, snorkeling and scuba on the second largest coral reef in the world, and of course, swimming in the Caribbean and laying on the beach.
Hawksnest Bay, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Hawknest Bay Beach is a National Park Beach. That means no hotels, no restaurants, no resorts no interruptions. Just you and the beach. Maybe some coral formations and forests and rocks to climb, but mostly the beach.
Santa Catarina, Brazil
If you are into surfing, then you definitely want to check out Sanata Catarina, Brazil. Many international surfing championships have been held here, and you can get a piece of the action. Also, Brazilian nightlife, beaches, the southern Atlantic, what else would you want?
Montauk, Long Island, New York
At the end of Long Island, Montauk claims to be one of the best spots in East Hampton. If anyone has watched the new USA Network show Royal Pains, you’ll have seen the Hamptons. However, it stretches the truth a bit, the median income is around $42,000, not millions. Although quite a bit north of many of our other beaches, it does have a warmer climate zone than you would think. Plus, on a clear day you can see Rhode Island.
Posted on November 13, 2009 Filed Under Beaches to go See, Recommended Beaches and Places, Travel | 1 Comment
The World’s Sexiest Beach for 2009, Part 1
It’s that time again, time for Concierge.com to release its 2009 list of the most beautiful and sexiest beaches in the world.
Sometimes I think I shouldn’t read these lists, because they just make me want to leave everything behind and head for some waves.
For past years lists, see the Sexiest Beaches for 2007, and the most beautiful and sexy beaches for 2008. Here is part 1 on the list for 2009;
The Baths, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
With natural pools and grottoes formed by giant slabs of concrete, you will almost always be able to find some privacy at The Baths in Virgin Gorda, BVI.
The Baths are also a great place for snorkeling and Scuba diving with lots of great coral formations.
Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town, South Africa
Muizenberg Beach is a perfect beach for almost every activity, nice moderate waves, yet still some great ones for surfing. Dolphin and whales can be seen not far from here. Muizenberg Beach is set in a Victorian style town for added atmosphere.
Zuma Beach (Malibu), California
Located in Southern California, Zuma Beach is one of the best known beaches on the West Coast. Some rate it as one of the best for surfing.
You can also see dolphins many times when you swim at Zuma Beach.
Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica
South of San Jose on the Pacific Coast, this is what I call a beach bum paradise. Beaches surrounded by forests, mangroves and lagoons. Coral reefs make this great for snorkeling and scuba, and rain forests make it perfect for those looking for some adventure and wilderness. Here is a Costa Rica map.
Hvar, Croatia
If you are looking to go to the Mediterranean, then check out Hvar, Croatia. It has been a center of tourism for over 140 years, and is considered one of the top 10 most beautiful islands in the world.
Homegrown grapes and olives make Hvar the only place if you are into local food and wine.
Gold Coast, Australia
It’s Australia. Do I need to say more?
With many, many beaches, you can pick and choose the beach that fits you, from beaches for kids, for surfing, for snorkeling, everything you want is on the Gold Coast.
Varadero Beach, Cuba
Varadero Beach is known by many as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
It has over 20 miles of beaches, which should make it easy to find a nice private spot. However, it is also one of the largest resorts in the Caribbean, so there will be a lot of people.
This isn’t the end of the list, read part 2 of the world’s most beautiful beaches.
Posted on November 12, 2009 Filed Under Beaches to go See, Recommended Beaches and Places, Travel | 2 Comments
Primal Sky – Caballero Del Mar
Recently, I was sent a CD through my blog here. I have talked about beach music a number of times before, and he thought that I might like this.
Music and the beach go together. Some just fits for unknown reasons (like Darko Rundek), other for more obvious reasons (like Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffett). But when it comes to the beach and the ocean, of style of music stands out ahead of all others, surf music. I have loved surf music ever since I first heard the deep guitar of Miserlou as a kid. So what I was expecting to hear when I played this CD was a lot different than what it actually is.
Primal Sky combines so many types of music, it’s hard to describe. My first impression was that of a New Age artist surfing in Mexico while listening to some acid jazz, and it works. It works fantastically.
The album Caballero Del Mar is one of the more relaxing albums I’ve listened to in a while. I could definitely see myself coming out of the ocean after riding some waves (if I lived somewhere that I could surf of course) and turning on some Primal Sky.
I was scared at first, the name of the band sounds sort of like a death metal band, but it is very misleading. Here is a sample of what you can expect. This song is called Flamenco Beach.
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Here are some more posts about Beach Music;
- Bob Marley – No Woman No Cry video
- Bob Marley Album Burnin’ In the Library of Congress
- Darko Rundek Beach Music
- 10 Questions for Jimmy Buffett
Posted on November 6, 2009 Filed Under Music | 3 Comments
Jamaican Vacation Part 1 – Sunday
Today was the first day of our vacation to Negril, Jamaica.
We left very early in the morning, about 5:00 AM. It made for a very long day and trip. We also had only about 30-45 minutes in Charlotte airport to get to our second plane.
The driver fom Rondel Village (John) was at the Montego Bay Airport waiting for us when we got there. He drove very fast and passed just about everyone on the road. I was fine with that as I really wanted to get to our hotel to get to the beach.
One thing to remember, not everybody exchanges money at the same rate, so make sure you go to the airport exchange. At the airport we had a rate of 88 Jamaican dollars to every 1 US dollar. At the hotel, it was 80 Jamaican to 1 US. So we actually recieved more money at the airport than we would of at the hotel. The restaurant at the hotel also had an exchange of 90:1. So we saved some money there too. For more information, read my previous post on how to get the best exchange rate.
Once we got to the Rondel Village, we had to wait quite a while for our room. Apparently a big tour bus was in the process of checking out, so our room wasn’t clean yet. We also got there very early, so it was understandable. We ended going to the restaurant before our room because I was hungry.
The music at the restaurant was very loud, although it could have seemed louder that day because we had been traveling all morning and just wanted to relax.
We did get to the beach today, which was my whole goal in leaving so early. I wanted to make sure that I was able to get in the ocean every day of our vacation.
I also got some jerk chicken today, and it wasn’t the last time this trip.
Posted on August 11, 2009 Filed Under Beach Vacations, Jamaica Vacation, Jamaica, Beaches, and the Caribbean | 1 Comment
Cancun Vacation Beaches Closed
Cancun, Mexico Vacation Closed for Sand Stealing
If you were planning on going to Cancun for a vacation, you might not be able to.
A beach in Cancun was shut down for stealing sand. That’s right, stealing sand. After Hurricane Wilma in 2005, much of the sand on the beach was washed away, and since then, sand has been pumped in from the ocean floor, but has been washed away.
The Gran Caribe Real Hotel has been stealing sand by building breakwaters to keep the sand in front of their hotel. However, this stops the natural movement of sand and keeps it away from the other Cancun, Mexico hotels and beaches.
Really, if there isn’t any sand, what’s the point of going to the beach?
Posted on July 31, 2009 Filed Under Beach and Vacation Travel Tips and Help, Beach News and Stories, Beaches to Avoid | 1 Comment
Sturgis Bike Rally in SD
The 69th Annual Sturgis Rally is coming up on August 3rd through the 9th. This isn’t the beach, but it is something to go to.
I heard that the people in Deadwood, SD like the bike rally people better than the Corvette people. The bikers are more polite, cleaner and better behaved.
If you are in to traveling on a motorcycle, and would like to go to Sturgis, just don’t miss all the great things that South Dakota has, such as Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, the Badlands, etc. They got all kinds of stuff.
Posted on July 29, 2009 Filed Under Not Much to do with the Beach, Travel | Leave a Comment
Negril, Jamaica Holiday Vacation
What a vacation.
Rondel Village was a beautiful hotel in Negril, Jamaica. It was clean, had great service, and was almost right in the middle of the beach.
These are pictures from our room. You can see that we were right on the beach. Although the entire beach is lined with hotels, Negril the city is actually surrounded by cliffs. This is one thing you have to watch when searching for cheap hotels in Jamaica, if they don’t say beachfront rooms, then they are most likely on the cliffs, and don’t have beaches close.
If you are looking for a vacation or holiday in Jamaica, I would definitely recommend Rondel Village. The restaurant had great food, and there were always people at the bar. However, it wasn’t a party atmosphere, which I liked.
Tours in Jamaica can range in price from cheap to expensive. Going through the hotel is probably not the best idea, rather go through another agency, or ask a taxi driver.
I will be going into much more detail about places we went and things we did in Jamaica in later posts.
See the first day of our Jamaican Vacation here.
Posted on July 29, 2009 Filed Under Beach Vacations, Beaches to go See, Jamaica Vacation, Travel, Vacation Time | 1 Comment
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