Hedonism III – 06/09/01 to 06/16/01
Rookie Trip
TRIP REPORT
Our trip to Montego Bay was uneventful for the most part. Champion Air left DFW airport on time, made a 45 min. stop in the Cayman Islands to drop off and pick up passengers, then proceeded to Montego Bay, arriving 15 min. earlier than scheduled. We were in and out of the airport and on a Bus headed to Hedo III in 30 min. The bus ride was as expected. Fast, furious, and somewhat scary but we arrived at Hedo III safely but tired from the long day’s trip.
We were greeted with genuine smiles and check-in was a breeze. We were on our way to our room in less than 20 min. We entered our room (Building 5-Room 522) and were pleasantly surprised at how nice, clean and well decorated it was. The only disappointment was that it was indeed an oceanview room but we could not see any of the nude pool or beach area from the bay windows. Rather than unpack, we checked with the front desk to see about changing rooms to something closer and with a better view of the nude area. Unfortunately, they were overbooked due to the arrival of the Lifestyles group. So we went ahead and unpacked and settled in for our long awaited week in paradise.
First, we were desperately hungry after such a long day. The Main Dining Room was not set up for dinner yet, so we were directed to the Scotch Bonnett near the ocean. It was so relaxing to sit, eat and watch the waves roll in. We knew then that we had made a wise choice in choosing Hedo III because of its beauty and serene atmosphere. We tried Jerk Chicken and Jerk Pork for the first time and it was wonderful. After eating and a couple of drinks to wind down, we strolled around the property to familiarize ourselves with everything. The resort is absolutely beautiful, the landscaping is a prime example of perfection, the grounds immaculately clean, and the staff the most courteous and friendly we’ve ever encountered. You would NOT ever find such efficiency and genuine kindness from a staff here in the States!
Our first night, we were standing at the main bar having a drink and up walks Phillip, our leader of the Cavedwellers group. We visited a while and several more couples in our group that we had previously chatted with on Yahoo came up to introduce themselves. I can’t express how nice it was to arrive as rookies and already somewhat know others, rather than being on our own knowing no one. We all seemed to have been friends for years in a matter of an hour or so of visiting. Then the fun began.
This was our first experience with public nudity in 12 yrs. of marriage, our first real break away from 4 sons, and our first vacation abroad. I was very apprehensive about being nude in front of people and extremely nervous. Russell, being a typical man, was ready to strip down and get with the program immediately! But he was patient with me and we took our time approaching the nude pool area for the first time. We met a group of our Cavedweller friends that first evening at the nude pool (it was easier for me to strip down my first time after dark). As nervous as I was, in less than 30 minutes, I was fine with being butt naked and actually enjoying it. It seemed so natural and the respect of others around us was refreshing. Someone in clothes actually feels more “out of place” than if you were naked along with everyone else! After all, none of us are without an imperfection or two. When you hear that at Hedo III the “NO MEANS NO” rule is effective, it is absolutely true. No one is pushy, and I had no “uninvited” advances the entire week with the exception of one and that happened in the disco. Everyone is simply having fun, acting silly, being free spirited, and being themselves in a very natural environment. Simple as that.
I have to admit that the more you get involved and participate in the fun, outrageous, and funny games and contests held at the nude pool, the more fun your week will be. None of the activities were “over the edge” with the exception of one. I participated in a contest in which the entertainment staff did not inform the women as to what would be expected of them. It entails another male touching them in a very private area. I was embarrassed and humiliated and caught in a situation that I was trapped into. Several Cavedweller men made it clear to the entertainment staff that it was not appropriate to conceal what is expected prior to asking for participation. So that took care of it. If you want to laugh hard, get to know other people, and genuinely enjoy yourself, participate as much as you feel comfortable with. After hours (after 3 a.m.) at the nude pool, you can witness an occasional incident of public sex but during the day it is rather rare. Most people are discreet and will break away into the cave if they can’t maintain themselves. The entertainment staff at the nude pool are great. They keep the momentum going and the fun in tact. There is security posted at several locations in and around the nude pool and beach areas. They don’t hesitate to “call down” individuals who harass others or make continued unwanted advances. That is their job. I didn’t see security have to act on but two incidents the entire week and even those two incidents were far from severe. The bar staff at the nude pool are fun, sweet, and very attentive. They loved our Cavedwellers. Actually, most of the bartenders from the prude side told us they wished they were working on the nude side because that is where ALL of the fun takes place.
When it comes to the PJ party, Masquerade party, Bare as U Dare party, and the Toga party, participating will heighten your Hedo III experience. It is a blast and the week we were there, there was a lot of participation in each of the parties. It’s fun to see how everyone put together their costumes and added their own personalities to them. We especially had a wonderful time on Masquerade night because a group of 40 of us all dressed as Cavemen and Cavewomen to honor our Cavedweller group. The only complaint I have is that I feel the main Theme Parties should be held at the Main Stage. There’s more room and it’s equipped for a large turnout more so than the Disco. The Disco is too small and can tend to get overly crowded and getting a drink is harder, as well as limited seating space.
I can honestly say that I’ve never met anyone more respectful, courteous and friendly than the entire staff at Hedo III. The staff MAKES the resort. They are a big reason anyone would choose to return for another vacation. When I say “staff” I mean everyone from the front desk, the bars (Kevin), the restaurants, the grills (Antonette and Nola), the entertainment staff (Crazy Shawn and Romeo and all of the girls). The the wedding coordinator (Bevon), the nude area (Ann Maria), the housekeeping staff, maintenance, the chef and the restaurant managers. EVERY SINGLE ONE of these individuals go beyond the scope of their jobs to make you feel welcomed and a part of their family! I can’t say enough good things about the staff at Hedo III. They are wonderful people.
The food was much better than we had expected and the elaborate and wide range of choices were surprising. The Main Dining Room where the buffet is set up mornings, afternoon and evenings, is very good. There is something there for everyone no matter how picky you may be. The Scotch Bonnett grill is very good, smaller menu for hours when the main dining room is not set up, and their drinks are great! We did not eat at the Japanese restaurant but will on our next trip. We heard that it was excellent though. Pastafari’s is top of the line cuisine and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal there. The grill at the nude pool area is very good and actually has a decent size menu for us butt naked people. There are snacks at the front desk area at all times as well. You can also put out your “sign” by 2:30 a.m. and the food staff will deliver to your door in the morning fresh Jamaican coffee, juice, and a platter of fancy, fresh pastries. Very good and convenient if you are sleeping in past the breakfast buffet time or don’t want to get dressed. The variety of liquor is great and the menu of drink specialties is HUGE. Please try the Dirty Banana, the Purple Rain and the Vodka slush while there. They are delicious and refreshing. My favorite, Dirty Banana.
One of the best and most important things we walked away with was our new friendships made while at Hedo III. It’s hard to believe that you can spend a week with those whom you barely knew or did not know at all, and leave feeling like you’ve been friends all your life. That’s what we experienced. The people we met are so non-judgmental, friendly, and genuine. It made our trip more than worthwhile. Although most of the couples we bonded with were a part of our Yahoo club “Cavedwellers” that we chatted with prior to coming to Hedo III, we also met many that were not a part of that who quickly became our friends. I can’t begin to mention them all but to name a few……Phillip & Jane (Dad and Mom of the Cavedwellers) are the most kind hearted and genuine people I think we’ve ever met. Jane has nerves of steel and a gorgeous dimpled smile; Phillip is the most outrageous, fun-loving guy I know; they made our rookie trip a success by their kind words and making us comfortable. Eddie & Annette (our soul mate friends). Russell and Eddie hit it off right away. Eddie is so full of life and so funny to be around. Annette is a charm, so warm, loving and sincere. They are very much in love and it shows. Russell and I have such parallel lives to theirs and we miss them so much. Jordan & Christina (our newlywed buds). Jordan was a trip to be around. He is hilarious even when he doesn’t know it! He’s intelligent, fun and it’s painfully obvious how he adores his new bride. Christina is the sassy girl. She is NOT afraid of anything and will try anything without a thought about what anyone thinks. She sets an example for many of us women who are too timid and brings us out of our shell. Mike & Pam (our tanning buddies). Mike was so fun to be around and he is a sincere, “what you see is what you get guy.” Pam was a jewel. She’s so cute and sweet and helped me a great deal in my new nude experience. She made me comfortable and expressed to me to not do anything I am uncomfortable with during activities. We seemed to have so much in common. Jack & Mo were a lot of fun. Watching Jack holding his breath in fear of what Mo might say next was a show in itself! Hugh & Judy were great at making all of us new comers welcomed and comfortable. Judy, I loved your “faked orgasm” at the nude pool. It was one of the funniest stunts of the week aside from Mike and Russell running around in our bikinis yelling “RAPE” while Phillip chased them with a huge dildo (wearing his red wig)! Jeff & Tammy are such a loving and wonderful couple. They were so “real” and we thoroughly enjoyed their company and friendship. They even volunteered to take all of the pictures of us renewing our vows! It was such a heartfelt and nice thing to do for us and we are forever grateful to them. There are so many wonderful people we met that I can’t possible mention them all but you know who you are and we enjoyed your company more than words can say. The friendships we developed were, without question, the most important thing we derived from this trip. We will all try to schedule the same week next year to further develop our friendships and spend yet another wonderful week at Hedo III.
Russell and I had arranged in advance to renew our vows. Then we thought it would be even more meaningful and fun if others from the Cavedwellers who chose to do so, scheduled their renewals at the same time. We ended up with NINE couples!!! I can’t express our gratitude to Bevon and his assistants for the unbelievable work they put into this event. We were all astonished at the thought and time they put into it to make it special. The Gazebo was decorated beautifully with sheer fabric blowing in the wind, fresh flowers everywhere, a photographer on hand and our wonderful preacher. They built a double archway of greenery and wild flowers backed up to the ocean. They had a 3-tier wedding cake made that was beautiful and champagne glasses ready and waiting. Our friends Jordan and Christina gave us all bottles of expensive and tasty champagne to celebrate the event. Each bride had a gorgeous bouquet of fresh flowers and the grooms each had a freshly made boutonniere. Please consider renewing your vows or having your wedding at Hedo III. Bevon and his staff will do you right and then some. Renewing our vows with our Cavedweller friends even heightened the already growing friendships. It was wonderful and didn’t cost a dime!!!!
The most cherished experience is the rededication Russell and I have to our marriage. We “became one” all over again. The quality time we spent together was magical and rejuvenating. The friendships we developed while at Hedo III will last well beyond the week we spent together on vacation. The first experience with nudity was exhilarating and such a natural thing. I can’t imagine vacationing any other way. The hospitality of the staff at Hedo III is so far above the level of service in the States that it’s unbelievable. The food great, the activities non-stop, the laughter. It was without question, the most wonderful week we’ve ever had together and we would recommend Hedo III to absolutely anyone. We will definitely be returning and will try to make it a yearly vacation from here on in.
Bring large insulated cups-it will keep you from constantly going back to the bar because the glasses are pretty small; go to the nude pool early in the morning (before 9 a.m.) and put a towel and/or a book or something on your chairs to reserve them. They go quickly; use suncreen (strength of 30 or 45) at least every couple of hours. You’ll be sorry if you don’t; bring slip on shorts, etc. to put on quickly to leave the pool area to go eat lunch, etc.; take a “power nap” late in the afternoon (around 4 p.m.) or you will run out of gas before the nights’ activities are over; dedicate some “private time” with your significant other aside from the other activities going on; bring your favorite staff members items such as Nike ball caps, Nike or Tommy Hilfiger T-shirts, sunglasses, batteries, scented lotions, etc. You won’t believe how much they appreciate it. They are hard to get in Jamaica and unaffordable for most of the staff; bring school supplies to turn in to the front desk to be donated to the local schools; simply have fun, keep an open mind and allow yourself to be free for a week; renew your vows, you’ll be glad you did; get involved in a chat group on Yahoo or dennyp.com to get acquainted with others going to Hedo III around the same time as you are. It makes it 10 times more fun and it’s nice to know others before arriving. There’s power in numbers!!!!! Go as a group naked down the slide….very funny and the shock effect on the prudes is great!
If anyone does not know a travel agent to use, we would recommend Robert with First Travel whom we used. He was the ultimate perfectionist in arranging our vacation in detail with the best rate of 15 other agents! He arranged the renewal of vows for us, got a room upgrade for us, and was instantaneous in responding to any and all emails we sent to him with questions. Our package included airfare, transfer fees, and taxes. No other hidden charges of any kind! I would recommend Robert to anyone, no matter where you choose to go for your vacation. His contact information is: Robert, First 1st Travel, 6363 W. Sahara, Las Vegas, NV 89146; phone-(702) 367-1055; fax (702) 367-1561; website – www.hedonistvacations.com. You won’t be sorry, he is wonderful, knowledgeable about the various resorts, efficient, and very likable. Tell him Russell & DeAnn Thacker told you about him.
Russell & DeAnn