This report is a bit long because I've included some background that will perhaps help some of the readers decide if a Grand Lido vacation is in their future.
My wife and I are now in our forties, and we started our Caribbean vacations four years ago with two cruises. We had a wonderful time on each cruise and I would not discourage anyone from taking a cruise if you think you would enjoy it. Cruising gave us an opportunity to visit several islands, and Jamaica made a great first impression. However, I was never really able to relax on a cruise. It seemed as if I was looking at my watch much too often and I could not keep myself from thinking about the bill we would get at the end of the trip from the bar tabs and the excursions.
Then, in 2001, we took advantage of the Super Surprise program to try the all-inclusive resort vacation. I was apprehensive about several things. I did not wish to have someone constantly at my elbow, asking if I needed anything. I did not wish to have entertainment directors walking around with a bullhorn, nagging me to join in the activities. However, the Super Surprise was such a bargain that I was willing to risk it. We were fortunate to draw Sans Souci in the Super Surprise. What a wonderful place. The resort was beautiful, romantic, relaxing, and quite. The food was terrific. This was the vacation I had been looking for. The Super Surprise was an excellent marketing strategy, because I was hooked.
The next year, we chose to try Braco in August. As much as I enjoyed Sans Souci, I enjoyed Braco even more. We booked a room on the textile side, but spent nearly all of our time on the A/N side. We met several great couples and became immediate friends with the staff. It was easy to make the decision to return to Braco. Sondra was much more comfortable with the A/N atmosphere of Braco as opposed to the clothing optional area of Sans Souci, as it dramatically reduced the number of gawkers. The security staff at Braco handles the occasional group of gawkers quite well by politely asking them to move along if they don't wish to drop their clothes.
That brings me to this year's trip. Rather than give a day-by-day account, I'll try to summarize a typical day. I tended to loose track of the days anyway, which is part of the reason I love Braco.
We booked an A/N Jr. Suite through David Parker of All The Way Travel. David is great in that he got us a good rate with a minimum of hassle and I do recommend his service. We arrived late Friday evening on August 1st. Fortunately, the folks at the front desk processed us quickly, which allowed us to catch the end of the street party buffet. They were still grilling lobster tails. Because we were so late, we had a problem finding silverware, but I managed quite well with my fingers. By the way, if you're reading this report expecting a gourmet critique of the cuisine at Braco, you're reading the wrong report. I enjoyed everything I tried, but I'm pretty easy to please. After dinner, we skipped the conga line and the rest of the street party, finding our way to the hot tub and then to the beach. Sitting on the beach gazing at the Milky Way is a great way to end a long day. I was surprised how quickly I felt at home and at ease being at Braco.
Our room was excellent and impeccably maintained. The air conditioning and the plumbing worked, which is really all it took to keep us happy. The room on the A/N side did seem to be quite a bit newer than our room on the textile side last year and the view from the balcony was breathtaking. Having the extra bath was nice. For us, the room was not very important because we spent so little time in it.
I started Saturday morning early with a workout in the gym. The gym at Braco is modestly equipped, but it has enough equipment to get a decent overall workout and you can't beat the view, as you can watch the waves break over the rocks. The gym is enclosed in glass and air conditioned.
After the workout, I retired to the A/N beach with a mug of coffee and
a book. The gnats on the beach were a little annoying, so some bug repellant
may be appropriate for next year. After Sondra woke up, we threw on some
clothes and strolled to Victoria's Market for breakfast. We repeated this
routine every morning. This is the kind of rut I don't mind getting stuck
in. The breakfast buffet included lots of fresh fruit. The omelet cook was
consistently good and he will cook eggs to your order. There were a few
Jamaica specialties on the breakfast buffet during the week: ackee and bacon,
fried plantain, fried breadfruit, fried bammee. I enjoyed these, but again,
I'm pretty easy to please. Breakfast that includes mango and papaya in an
open-air restaurant with a gentle ocean breeze while the Caribbean invents
new shades of blue by the minute. Picture it in your mind.
After breakfast, we strolled back to the pool. The bar and the activities
usually don't kick off until 10:00-10:30, so the pool area is quite until
then. Our trip overlapped that of the Braco Bears, so the first few days,
there was a lively crowd by the pool early in the day. However, the A/N
pool area is so large that you never get the impression that it's crowded.
We had the privilege of meeting some of the Bears; they're a great bunch.
I've read questions posted on the board that suggest some folks may be intimidated
by the groups that visit Braco. Don't be; if the Braco Bears are representative,
the only impact that they will have on your vacation is that you will have
the opportunity to meet more great folks.
There was always a morning pool volleyball game and various other activities such as trivia games or bingo. The entertainment staff, usually Steve or Kendia, did not really pressure anyone to participate. They seem to respect the guests' wishes to vegetate.
I usually opted for lamb chops at the pool for lunch. The lamb chops were exquisite and plentiful. Two days during the week (I can't remember which two), the staff set up a small buffet at the A/N bar. These buffets were small, but well done. They had a selection of lamb shops, grilled chicken, and fish. On non-buffet days, Sondra usually wandered over the Victoria's Market for lunch. She enjoyed their selection of salads.
A word here about the service at Braco: One the common negative points I've read in other postings relate to the speed of the service. For example, it was not unusual for an order of lamb chops to take 45 minutes to an hour during lunch. Part of this is due to the fact that, yes, you're on Jamaica time. However, most of it is due to the fact the staff to guest ratio at Braco is relatively small. For a hotel or resort to provide that snappy, at your elbow type of service that some folks expect, the resort would have to have a much larger staff. My personal opinion is that this would take away from the relaxed, casual atmosphere that contributes to Braco's charm. Also, a word of advice: a little respect goes a long way. I did see a few (thankfully, very few) examples of ugly American tourist behavior, and it was obvious that the recipient was insulted or hurt by it, as I would have been in that situation.
The afternoons at the A/N pool included another round of pool volleyball, another trivia game, and sometimes a drinking game. By 5:00-5:30, most folks were drifting toward their rooms to shower and dress for dinner.
We tried all of the evening dining options. The pizza at La Pasta is good, although their salad bar is a little sparse. The dinner selections at Victoria's Market were varied and well done. Piaciere, which requires a reservation and a jacket, was superb. I had a crawfish bisque that was good, not great, as it was a little thin for a bisque. For the main course, the seafood medley surprised me. It included scallops, crawfish, tuna steak, oysters and it was well seasoned (i.e. spicy). The service here is a little slow for my preference, but I suspect that is a part of the formal atmosphere rather than a reflection on the restaurant staff. I'm a little too unsophisticated to know the difference. Munahana, which requires a reservation, was good despite the brief power outages. A word of advice here: just order one of everything at Munahana. The servings are small.
The beach party was well done. There was no lobster, but there were plenty
of spicy grilled shrimp that I really enjoyed. The post-dinner show is good,
if you haven't seen it before. If you have, you're still sitting under the
stars on a beach in Jamaica. How bad can it be? Kick off your shoes, dig
your toes into the sand, have another drink and enjoy.
After dinner, there were usually activities in the street for entertainment.
Two nights were designated casino nights. The staff set up blackjack tables
and played for prizes. There was a fashion show one night. There was karaoke
in the street one night. For those of you that were there for karaoke, I
apologize. I won't do that again. My favorite activity was to sit on the
sidewalk with an after-dinner drink, visiting and watching everyone enjoy
themselves.
The piano bar was being remodeled while we were there. Toward the end of the week, the remodeling effort moved into the main bar and the main bar moved onto the sidewalk outside. I got the impression that the remodeling was going rather quickly and that both rooms should be open again soon. I did poke my head inside the piano bar; I was impressed with the refinishing job on the ceiling and with the new paint.
The toga party and the pajama party were slow getting started and were only moderately attended. These parties don't start until 10:30, and for us older folks, that's a little late after such a hard day in the sun. The entertainment staff does a good job of trying to get reluctant guests up to dance to get the party started. If Braco has a weak point, it's the disco. It has a decent dance floor, but that's about it. The black light and the strobe on the white togas was an interesting effect.
Our return guest letter was delivered the day before we had to leave, we didn't even have to mention it. Our return flight was at 7:00 P.M. Friday. We packed our bags checked out before noon and headed back to the pool until the last minute. We kept out just enough clothes to be decent on the flight home. It's funny how your perspective changes on that subject after a week of being naked most of the time. At 3:30, we quickly rinsed off, got dressed and caught the bus. In case you were wondering, when they call this resort all-inclusive, they mean it. There are no surprise charges on the last day.
I won't address the clothed/nude debate (goodness knows there has been enough heat generated on that subject) other that to say, if you think you might want to join us nekkid folks, try it early in your trip so you won't be sad about the time you missed. You'll not find a friendlier group of people than those at the A/N area of Braco and I guarantee that your physical appearance or anyone else' has absolutely no bearing on the enjoyment that the A/N side of Braco has to offer. If you don't want to try it, then by all means don't. The textile area of Braco is actually larger than the A/N side and it has every activity and amenity. You will still have a terrific vacation.
Two other couples traveled with us, one of which had been to Braco before and chose to get married on this trip. I was very impressed with the professional and efficient manner in which the wedding was organized. It was very simple and elegant. The bride chose to have the wedding at the gazebo on the jetty. However, at wedding time, the tide was high and twenty-foot stretch of ocean separated the beach from the jetty. No problem, we took off our shoes and waded across. When the minister saw that we weren't going to let a little water stop us, he removed his shoes, rolled up his pants, and marched forth. Kudos to him for adapting to the situation.
We met one couple that was on a cruise and had taken a taxi from Montego Bay to purchase a day pass at Braco. They wanted to sample the resort. I got the impression that they were pleased with what they saw and would be back. This is not a bad way to try Braco if you have the opportunity.
There are a few things that you can bring with you. As I've mentioned, some insect repellant is a good idea. If you must have salt and pepper with your meals, bring some paper packets as the humidity makes the salt and pepper shakers on the tables useless. Bring plenty of sunscreen; you will need it. If you are so inclined, please fill any extra space in your luggage with notebook paper, pens, and pencils. The ladies at the front desk will be happy to get the supplies and they will see that they are taken to the local school.
I discovered that AT&T is no longer honoring the pre-paid calling cards sold at Sam's when the number is accessed from Jamaica. The AT&T operator said they were concerned about fraud. I wondered what AT&T calls it when they sell you long distance time that you can't use?
I was pleasantly surprised to see several couples from last year's trip. This, along with the new friends we made, is the real point of a vacation at Braco. Jimmy Buffet, in one of his books, talks about adding to your song line throughout your life. Since I can't sing (as those who witnessed the karaoke disaster will attest) I like to think that I'm adding to my story line. This trip to Braco added new names and faces and stories to my story line that I hope to carry forward. Many thanks to all of the staff and guests.
Until next year,
Byron and Sondra
August 2003