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Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/14/18 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 11/14/18

Jamaica – Hedonism II. “Be Wicked for a Week”.

The motto of Hedonism II is “Be Wicked for a Week” and, judging by...

By John and Sandra Nowlan

There was a Prude Side and a Nude Side. But during our afternoon and evening visit to the Hedonism II Resort, just a few hundred yards from the Riu Palace, very few guests stayed by the white sand beach on the quiet Prude Side. Those who did quickly disrobed.

But the Nude Side, especially the pool, was crowded and noisy with everyone required to disrobe. Only newbies had sun tan lines. The popular 280 room resort at the extreme west end of Jamaica's famous Seven Mile Beach is obviously adults-only but we were surprised by the lack of young people. Very few were in their 20s and early 30s. The majority were older, mostly in their 40s and 50s but some well into their 60s and 70s. The couples were mostly heterosexual but the resort also welcomes singles and gay couples. The scene was definitely not from Playboy as all body shapes and sizes were on display without embarrassment. No one was shocked by the gentleman with a Prince Albert piercing (look it up!). The resort prides itself as being non-judgmental. As one recent guest posted, “Nearly everyone here is decidedly imperfect…and nobody cares.”

*Sandra on the Prude Side. Quiet. Great beach.*

The motto of Hedonism II is “Be Wicked for a Week” and, judging by the pool activity, guests from around the world come here to shed inhibitions (as well as clothing) and to live out their fantasies. We stayed mostly on the Prude side (but greatly enjoyed the freedom and relaxation of swimming in soothing warm water in the altogether) but heard guests talking about the erotic pool games on the Nude side. One was called “Car Wash” which involved plenty of soap bubbles. We can only imagine!

We quickly got used to nude couples walking back and forth between the two areas of the resort, saying hello and chatting to strangers. Nakedness is also allowed in many other areas of the property but not in the dining rooms.

We were invited to stay for the Friday night gala buffet and, with everyone clothed, it was much like buffets at other Jamaica resorts. The Executive Chef at Hedonism II is Anthony Miller, a displaced Texan who seamlessly moved from Bar BQ to jerk chicken and ackee & salt fish. He told us that Jerk is extremely complex and takes his Texas skills to another level. The food at the buffet was indeed excellent, especially since it included unlimited lobster tails, roasted over coals.

*Anthony Miller, the Texas Chef at Hedonism II*

*Unlimited Lobster Tails at Hedonism II Buffet.*

Being curious about these things we were very happy with our short visit to Hedonism II and consider it to be among our travel adventure highlights. And, since we were asked many times, there was never a Hedonism I. No one knows why.

John and Sandra Nowlan are food and travel writers based in Halifax.

Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/14/18 Chris Dikmen & Rickee Richardson 8/14/18

Jamaica. Lots of sun, sand and music.

It was a 90 minute transfer from MoBay to our resort, the Riu Palace Tropical Bay in Negril.

By John and Sandra Nowlan

We could see the cruise ships in Montego Bay but this time we were going farther afield.

We had just arrived in Jamaica after a comfortable non-stop Sunwing flight from Canada and were ready for a full week of sun, sand and fine Jamaican food. The music was a bonus.

It was a 90 minute transfer from MoBay to our resort, the Riu Palace Tropical Bay in Negril but the seaside route, filled with colorful houses and bustling villages, was fascinating.

The white sand beach in front of the low rise, three story buildings of the Riu Resort was surprisingly wide with lots of palm trees for shade and more than 900 loungers, enough for every guest. Unlike many resorts, the beach was never overcrowded. Non-intrusive peddlers roamed the beach – all are public – but the roving musical entertainers were especially good. Most carried guitars and drums but one energetic soul pulled along a large double bass.

*Great beach. Plenty of beach loungers at Riu Palace.*

There’s no seaweed in the warm, crystal clear Caribbean water and it was totally free of rocks or coral. The water remains shallow out to the buoy barrier, no more than chest or neck high. Some like that but we had wished the water was a bit deeper for better swimming.

Riu has six resorts in Jamaica and, as first timers to the brand, we were impressed with the overall quality of our Negril property.

*Beach Sunset at Riu Palace Tropical Bay.*

Thanks to an extensive $35 million renovation in 2018 most of the public rooms and all of the 452 suites looked and felt brand new. Our large, comfortable room, decorated in tasteful colors of cream and beige with turquoise accents, had a partial ocean view but was still very close the beach. The super king size bed had great reading lights and the television included a wide variety of international channels. Closet and drawer space was generous and the large bathroom included a shower with both a traditional and rain shower head. The mini-fridge was stocked daily with complimentary sodas and beer (Jamaica’s Red Stripe, of course) and there was a bar-style liquor dispenser for rum, gin, vodka and low-end Scotch.

*All rooms at Riu Palace were renovated in 2018.*

Excellent cuisine is vital for a top quality all-inclusive resort and The Riu Palace Tropical Bay was outstanding. Buffets can often be boring but we were impressed with the wide variety in the main dining room, particularly the Caribbean and traditional Jamaican fare available at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many guests stuck with North American dishes but we relished the chance to try ackee & salt fish, Jamaican patties, curried goat, braised oxtail, plantain and rice with red beans.

*The chef with Jamacian dishes at the excellent buffet.*

Wonderful jerk chicken is available at the buffet but there’s also a jerk shack on the beach with a superb chef, Jolly, who prides himself on his spicy and tasty product.

Employing 74 chefs and cooks, the Riu also has four specialty restaurants, no extra charge, that do not require reservations. Just come when you want. If it’s full, they’ll give you a remote buzzer.

We enjoyed the Japanese, Italian and Steak House restaurants but especially loved Krystal, the fusion restaurant with an extra level of presentation and service. We enjoyed braised sea bass with miso, lamb with yellow curry and cannelloni with braised ossobuco. The steak house is the most informal specialty restaurant (shorts and T shirts allowed). Our first New York strip loin was tough but it was happily replaced by an excellent fillet. The Caribbean lobster was especially good.

In addition to the beach musicians, the Riu has nightly on-stage entertainment. Most shows have a Caribbean focus (the Jamaican theme was especially interesting) but touring specialty acts, like the Michael Jackson show, are very popular.

The airlines have full time reps at the resort to solve problems and sell tours. We chose a delightful rafting adventure on the Grand River. In earlier days, 30 foot long bamboo rafts were used to transport bananas downriver. Now these sturdy rafts have been fitted with comfortable, elevated chairs for two and an experienced guide poles his way downriver, navigating mild rapids and pointing out the remarkable flora and fauna. The relaxing 45 minute mini-cruise was followed by a visit to a banana plantation, a Jamaican lunch (jerk chicken) and samples of unique Jamaican liquors.

After our week in the sun we asked a few winter-weary Americans and Canadians about their Jamaica experience. All seemed to be delighted. The popular response? “We’ll be coming back for sure.”