Heartbreak In Jamaica

This is a short little video we put together to show the different animals you can see right off the beach of Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton in Lucea, Jamaica.  Definitely one of the best snorkeling off the resort I've seen! Enjoy =)

Heartbreak in Jamaica from BeachJunkies on Vimeo.

ADVICE: Snorkel Gear (UPDATED)

miQ snorkeling in Holguin, Cuba

I always get the question "Is there snorkeling at the resort?".  Most of the time, you won't know how good the snorkeling (if any at all) is until you get there.  Everyone has their own opinion on what "great" snorkeling is.  Great snorkeling for me is to be able to swim out of your resorts beach front without having to pay for anything and being able to see an abundance of fish in their own habitat.  I've been to 4 resorts that have great beach front snorkeling but there are so many out there that you really just have to research it to make a better decision on your choice.

snorkeling picture from El Dorado Seaside beach in Akumal, Mexico

Once you've done your research and figured out what kind of snorkeling there is out near the resort, it's time to ask your self wether or not you should buy the equipment or not.  75% of the time people won't buy it and they will just rent whatever equipment there is at the resort.  The other 25% go out and buy their own gear (like myself) just so they don't have to worry about it when you get down there.

Here are the pro's and con's of each choice.

Renting Snorkel Gear:

Pros:

• save on luggage space
• save on money

Cons:

• everyone uses the same mouth piece and mask and only gets washed with salt water
• most resorts will give you a time limit of an hour to use the gear
• the equipment is cheap and can cause cuts in your feet and gums
• dive shops are usually on the other side of the resort where you have to take a hike to get to.

Buying Snorkel Gear

Pros:

• sanitary, it's yours and yours only
• no time limit, use it as long as you want
• convenient
• better quality equipment

Cons:

• luggage space will be tight
• will have to spend some money

To me honestly it's a no brainer but I am a snorkeling enthusiast.  So I'm partial to buying my own gear.

If you decide you go ahead and buy your own gear, here are a couple of reviews I have done on some I have owned in the past.

The first snorkeling kit I ever bought was the Dolphino Pro Series Adult Dive Bag.  I saw this at Canadian Tire and said to myself "Wow, it's cheap and the fins are small!  These will work PERFECTLY!!"  Let me tell you, the only thing perfect about this was the fact that it fit in my luggage!  The fins broke after 2 days of using it, it is made out of cheap rubber so the friction of it cut me at the back of my heel, the silicone on the snorkel was so hard that it cut my gums and the mask leaked for days!  The lesson?  You get what you pay for!!

Beach Junkies Rating: 1 out of 5

The second time I went to buy gear was at Costco.  I saw this Body Glove Kit for about $70 and it looked cool!  I was hesitant but I thought I would try it out anyway!  This equipment lasted me 3 years and was one of the best snorkeling kits I have ever bought.  The fins are big enough to efficient propelling in the water but small enough they fit in your luggage or carry on.  The snorkel has a very soft and comfortable mouth piece and the top has a splash guard which prevents water from coming in for you to swallow (otherwise known as a dry snorkel).  The mask was awesome and never leaked!  It does get old though so you would have to replace it with a new set but for the price, I would recommend this for anyone looking to start out snorkeling!

Beach Junkies Rating: 5 out of 5

miQ snorkeling in Lucea, Jamaica

I said I would update this post as soon as I was able to use my new snorkel gear and now I have kept my promise =).

I absolutely love my new gear!!! The mask is better this time around.  It is not split in the middle and is a WIDE mask which makes for better visibility and a greater field of vision compared to masks that are split into two.  It was very comfortable and spending a bit more money on it was not necessary, but I could really tell the difference.

miQ snorkeling in Lucea, Jamaica

The snorkel I bought is a BARE Dry Top Snorkel.  I prefer dry top snorkels because you don't have to worry about inhaling water when the waves get rough.  This was my second dry top snorkel.  Really no big difference in the snorkel other than that the mouth piece gets really heavy compared to my Body Glove snorkel I previously had.  I noticed a significant drag on the bottom while swimming but it wasn't a nuisance, it just took a bit to get used to but overall the quality of the snorkel was excellent and I'll be keeping this for a while.

My new fins are the U.S Divers Blast fins. BIG difference from my old Body Glove fins.  The only draw back with these fins is that they are a bit heavier than my previous fins due to the frame on the outside, but other than that, these are AWESOME!  It took a bit to get used to the open toe shoe but it ended up being more comfortable.  The split fin make maneuvering in the water effortless and you honestly have more control of yourself in the water.  Sprinting in this took less effort than what I was used to and they definitely came in handy when I ran into a MASSIVE Barracuda in Jamaica =).  Lets just say that I left my friend with the Body Glove gear in the dust hahaha!

Overall these three items together worked very well and I definitely can't wait to get back in the ocean!!

Beach Junkies Rating: 5 out of 5

RESORT REVIEW: Royal Hideaway Cayo Ensenachos

Trip Date: June 2009

Location: Santa Clara, Cuba

Beach Junkies Rating: (based on 5 stars)
Beach: 5+ / Food: 4 / Rooms: 4 / Pools: 5 / Snorkeling: 4

Playa Megano in the morning

With this having been my 13th trip down to the Caribbean, I would say that this would've been the best beach I've seen yet!

Playa Megano - BEAUTIFUL!! When people say that pictures cannot describe it, they are absolutely right. You can ooh and ahhh about the beach pictures but being there and experiencing it yourself is another thing.

Playa Ensenachos - It was low season when I went so none of the bars or snack bars at that beach was open. We did visit for a bit and the water there is just crystal clear! The beach isn't as wide as the Megano beach but for low season if you want a quiet time with you and your significant other, this is the perfect place to do it. There are no beach loungers though.

Starfish found in Playa Megano

Snorkeling - Great snorkeling at this resort. Best time to go I'd say is in the morning when the tide is still high and I'd say the best snorkeling is to the left of the resort. They do not have any snorkel gear to rent so please bring your own. If you are snorkeling, bring water shoes as I saw an immense amount of urchins near the rocks. 

Shrimp Ceviche

Food - I go to Cuba with no standards or expectations. I think once you do, you set yourself up with disappointment. Lunch at the pool snack bar was the best, followed by the buffet then if you are lazy (like me) and don't feel like leaving the beach, they will serve you snacks on the beach. My only recommendation would be to add french fries to the beach.

Room/Concierge - The rooms are HUGE. At least in building 42 they were. It pretty much had everything you needed. Our concierge was not helpful at all. The resort also offered us a $50 certificate per person but she did not give it to us until Thursday (we flew from Sat to Sat) so we didn't have time to use it up. We also checked up on our dinner reservations at least twice a day and she never had it and one time we came back at 6pm to find that our dinner was at 7pm. I think it was just her though. The rest of the people I met at the resort had no problems with their concierge and their dinner reservations were given to them much earlier as well as their $50 credit. They also make it difficult for you to make group reservations. If you guys are doing that, pick the best concierge between your group and book it with them. Ours was honestly totally useless.

If you are flying a night flight like we did, get the late check out. Trust me it's worth it!

This was my 3rd trip to Cuba (Holguin, Varadero) and this was the best trip yet. If you ever want to go to Cuba for the first time, go here. You'll be spoiled for life!!!!

Just want to say a big HELLO to Chris and Karen from BC and Dave and Evelyn from Toronto!! These people made our trip a BLAST!!!

Still not convinced?  See what others think here.