Dave & Tam 03/01

We booked Hedo III with First Travel out of Las Vegas for March 3rd through the 11th. We had to catch a flight from Northern California to Los Angeles for the Air Jamaica flight direct to Jamaica. Departure time was supposed to be 9:40 pm but was delayed until close to midnight due to a two week old Airbus plane having a cargo door sealing problem. We boarded the plane just before midnight and squeezed into the seats. While being pushed back, the plane made a loud "clunk" and the plane stopped. The pilot came on and said the tow bar had broken and we must wait for a new tow bar to finish backing the plane out. We finally were underway at 12:30 am and had an uneventful flight, landing in Jamaica just as the orange sun crested the horizon.

Customs took only a short time and their personalities are as bad as US customs (did they train you to have zero personalities?). Unfortunately, only 3 out of 4 pieces of our luggage made it and we had to file some paperwork and hope for the best.

We were directed to a small white mini van just outside the airport and squeezed in along with two other couples. Filled to capacity, we hit the streets. The ride was terror filled on a few occasions, but once you decide that we all must die sometime, you relax a little. Our first stop before the resort was a pee break but everyone was fine so the driver departed immediately from his stop. The next stop was the mandatory drug stop and all six of us was ordered out of the van to see what was for sale. Several Jamaicans stuffed little bags of a green leafy substance into our pockets and began their sales presentation. I declined but my wife purchased a very generous sized bag for $20. It was the best purchase we made on that trip.

We checked in and notified the desk of our luggage situation. They said they would deliver the missing bag to our room when it arrived. We were assigned the 500 building which looked out onto the nude beach. It was very quiet and the views were great. The 700 building seemed to be one of the best locations however since it was right next to the nude pool.

The quad pool/jacuzzi was a nice destination during the day if you didn't want to hang out at the always packed nude pool. The layout of the quad buildings surrounding the quad pool and jacuzzi made for great viewing if that is your thing. The bathroom windows are conveniently positioned so that anyone taking a shower is fully exposed to anyone who wants to look. Believe me, the "shows" are non-stop.

We spent several nights at the quad jacuzzi since it was less crowded than others. Usually the water was extremely hot and you couldn't stay in very long. At night, this jacuzzi was 100% nude. The only problem here was that the bar closed at 10 pm (I think).

The nude side is where everything happens. The pool and jacuzzi are always filled to capacity. The space and availability of chairs is seriously lacking however. If you didn't secure a chair before 10 am, you were sitting on the edge of the pool all day. Same goes for the nude piers. If you go to the pier at the edge of the property, be aware that the Jamaican that lives next door will watch you all day and try to sell you whatever you want.

The jacuzzi party starts to come alive around midnight. At any given moment, you may see girl/girl, couple/couple, and/or multiple couples. Usually everyone respects the others, except for once incident of a drunken single male who wanted to participate. Most people there are couples but you do find a handful of perverts (male) who sit and watch very closely. And of course you will find the young men who act like they have never seen a naked human before. Overall though, the nude jacuzzi is the place to be from midnight to 5 am.

The jacuzzi next to the disco was nice too althoughis was small and everyone going to the disco walks right by, so be prepared for lots of people looking. Our first night we walked by and saw two guys and one girl having a very good time! They enjoyed everyone watching for sure.

Participation was very poor but we did use the body painting materials and found that it made for some great pictures. The dance parties were good, especially the toga night, PJ night, and the masquerade ball. Our group spiced it up with sheer outfits and mostly topless attire. And the one and only Kas performed the most awesome strip tease on top of the bar, using the pole like a pro. The crowd was mesmerized.

The music was good for the most part but sometimes the DJ got into some really funky stuff, so we had to tell him to change it (which he did). The slide coming through the disco was a neat touch, although rarely did you watch for anyone coming through, as they passed too quickly anyway.

We never used the gym, sauna, main pool, circus equipment, televisions, or the prude beach. I went scuba diving once during a night dive. The fish are scarce but I did see a barracuda, eel, lobster, and other interesting aquatic life. But there were far too many other fun things to do so I only dove that one time. We also went on a "hobie cat" ride. This is a small catamaran and we highly recommend it.

The main buffet was quite good. It served great fish including cod, snapper, and more. The crayfish were an excellent choice too. We ate most of our meals there.

The munahana restaurant was the place to be for excellent food and the chance to meet others as it sat eight people around a huge grill. It made for great conversation. The restaurant was booked 3 days ahead all week. Make your reservations the day you arrive.

The scotch bonnet was a nice pit stop if the buffet was in between meals. It is located right on the water and the views are terrific. The jerk chicken and pork are excellent.

We found that the real fun occurs when you make your own activities. Our group had couples from mild to wild. The bottom line is that you can be as wild and crazy as you'd like. Hanging out in the rooms with 6 to 8 couples is a blast. You can watch or you can participate, and if it's too much for you, the prude side has plenty of room.

Our group was mostly first timers like us (not all though), and we had quite a bonding experience shedding our clothes for the first time among strangers. It helps tremendously if you have some in your group who are wild and can "pull you along" and get you brave enough to try things you normally would not (thanks Kas and Dave).

The last night there for us was Friday night and we tore the place apart. We laid out at the nude pool all day, took an afternoon nap, ate dinner, and smoked some green leafy substance. We attended the masquerade party in the disco and promptly went room hopping and partied all night and took some great pictures (probably not appropriate for publication). haha

It ended all too soon and had to say goodbye to all of our new friends Dave and Kas, Andrew and Chantel, Mitch and Mandy, and Tray and Belinda. We only knew them for a week but will probably stay in touch for the rest of our lives.

The ride back to the airport was better because we rode in a mid sized bus instead of the van. Our flight left a little late and we were flying into a 90 knot headwing, so we had to land in Phoenix to refuel before continuing on to Los Angeles. But we made it home safely.

We would go there again. The place is most fun when you email others beforehand and can get to know them before you arrive. Forget most of the activities, but go to all the dance events. Hang out at the nude side exclusively and take a nap during the day so you can party til 5 am. Don't be shy and introduce yourselves to everyone. Let your inhibitions down and be the wild person you only think about. Bring a digital camera, take lots of pictures (trust me on this one), realize you are there for a very short time, and definitely purchase what the Jamaicans have for sale.

Dave & Tam - 03/01