Also wanted to add that we arranged transportation with Kingsley before we arrived for airport transfers and to move between hotels, everything went fine, we would hire him again.
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Also wanted to add that we arranged transportation with Kingsley before we arrived for airport transfers and to move between hotels, everything went fine, we would hire him again.
Thanks for sharing!
I have heard similar things from other trusted boardies and reviewers. Because of this, I'm reluctant to try Samsara despite the low rates. I have heard that property has a weird vibe because of the management, which carries through to the employees. We often stay at lower-budget, rustic resorts, but like to make sure that the staff (and the food) are top notch.Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryS
Well, I've stayed at SamSara many times & have never had any issues with management and/or staff ~~ LOVE the place & always welcomed back with open arms....
I was just stating my experience. It is wierd to have the owner, dressed in shorts and a tank top, sit down next to you at meals, not say hi, ask about your stay, nothing. It's strange to have him come over when you're in the hot tub, realizing the water is a bit cloudy, can't find the button to turn on the jets, and he comes over, doesn't say a word, and starts fiddling with something just a few feet from us on the base of the hot tub, then walks away. He never really seemed to be actually doing anything but hanging out, and if you're going to do that but not interact with the guests, it's strange.Quote:
Originally Posted by Patricia
I didn't have a "problem" with anyone, and thought the employees were perfectly nice and friendly.
Pictures from Samsara:
Standing at the end of the bar facing the ocean, to the right and left.
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The view from our room, #110:
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Looks like those first two pics aren't displaying, here they are again:
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We spent the first day just hanging out at the hotel, but the second we went on the pub crawl. I had a great time! We were picked up at 2:00pm, and were the first people picked up. We spent almost an hour driving around picking people up entirely from the beach area. The bus was packed in TIGHT! There were a few people who decided not to get on it was so crowded. Too bad for them!
A couple thoughts on the crawl... We stopped at Seastar, and I had decided I wouldn't stay there because they weren't right on the beach or cliffs, now they're on the top of the list of places to stay on our next trip. Really friendly people, (the bartender remembered my name from the pub crawl when we came back 7 or 8 days later for lunch), the bottled sauce they make there is excellent. I wanted to buy a bottle or two but they were sold out.
Stopped at the No Limit bar and went across the street to PeeWees, they have a nice spot with a great view, and they have steps down the cliffs to the water.
We hit the country and western bar (which I noticed, after walking past a few times, they only play C&W when there are tourists around) and I had some of the brown stew chicken, it was really good.
Here's some random pics from that day:
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Some more pics I took the day of the bar crawl... I believe these were taken at Xtabi.
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The next day (the 18th) we used the Samsara shuttle to go to Legends and hang out on the beach. Had a drink and some food at Legends and went walking the beach. When we were last on the beach (Sept. 2012) it was practically deserted. Lots more people this time, and it seemed fewer hustlers. Last fall we were bothered non-stop, this time it was much better. The hustlers scare my wife, and she was reluctant to go back, and part of the reason why I booked the AI package at Samsara and Riu was so my wife could feel like she could stay at the resort and not be bothered if necessary. My guess in September people are getting more desperate?
One thing I noticed right away - people still selling lobsters on the beach. I thought this was illegal, fresh or frozen?
On our last trip, we ended up spending a lot of time at Firefly. We're not nudists, and last fall we didn't see any naked people... so I wanted to go back, get a couple red stripes and sit under their tree. I drop our stuff on some loungers and go to the bar and grab a few. They tell us we can't stay, the loungers are for guests, but since she recognized me we could sit for an hour. I get back to the loungers and my wife has a funny look on her face... There are a bunch of naked guys right there, and I don't think she was prepared for that. We sat and I enjoyed my beers, actually had a nice conversation with a guy who has travelled extensively, but the whole time I could tell my wife wasn't terribly comfortable so I drank up and we moved on.
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From there we went to Auntys Thrill Corner, one of my favorite places on the beach to stop for a drink and some food. This time we only had a couple patties and some coco bread and rum punch, but in the past I've had some really good lobster, (best I've had in Negril), and I can't say enough how nice they are. They put a couple chairs in the sand for us in the shade right by the water and we sat a while drinking rum punches... they make them really strong, and it's about then that my memories get a bit hazy...
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We made one more stop, next door at Sea Splash. Had another rum punch (or two?)
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Then we started walking back to Legends to catch their shuttle. The only pics I have from the walk back are of the hat guy. My wife is obsessed with the hat guy, thinks it's the funniest thing.
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Gotta love Maurice :o He's really a nice guy, once you get to know him.....Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryS