David - February, 2015
I read trip reports religiously. I like to hear about Hedo and read about people’s vacations. Makes me feel like I am on vacation while I am reading the reports. In that vein I am happy to contribute for the first time, a trip report to DennyP.
This is a long report. I like reading long reports, so I am contributing what I like to read. If you feel it is too long, I understand.
This was our first trip to Hedo, and the decision was not made on a whim. We had discussed a vacation for several months when we finally decided on Hedo. We had read trip reports and all the forums, we had heard about the quality of the rooms, the selection of food at the buffet, the activities at the pools, the piano bar, single guys, etc. We had read everything there was to read. Also watched Youtube videos.
We booked with DennyP about 5 weeks before travel. My work does not allow for planning travel a year in advance. I was a bit surprised when Denny was able to get us in a GVN room for the eight nights we wanted in the beginning of March.
I should mention, I never use travel agents. I travel extensively, and I book all my own travel; flights, hotels, ground transportation, I do it all. I have this idea that if I book directly through hotel and airline websites, the process will be easier and there will be less chance of “issues”. Most of my travels are international, and my system has worked well for me.
I do read DennyP website and forum every day. It is part of my morning routine. (Note: You need a VPN to access DennyP’s website in China) I enjoy the website so much I decided to ask DennyP for help in arranging my trip. And I was so happy I used DennyP. If you are wondering about using Denny, please do not hesitate. The price of the holiday was better than I could have secured on the Hedo website, payment was easy, and transfers to the resort were sorted.
We booked Hedo from February 28th until March 8th, but our travel began several days earlier. We live in Beijing China, so the travel to Hedo is a journey. Jetlag is also an issue. A big issue. I know it seems jetlag would be a good thing in Hedo (up all night, sleep all day), but it is not. I think the time change was 14 hours. There is nothing worse than your body feeling like it is 3am and having bright sun outside. Also, you feel like dinner at breakfast time, you are not hungry at dinner time, and you wake up in the middle of the night starving.
Jetlag hurts. To get over Jetlag we spent 4 days in Dallas (visit my parents and friends) and another 3 days in Miami South Beach, before arriving Hedo. A week in the States before Hedo, was sure to help with Jetlag, and it did.
We departed Beijing International airport on February 20, the day after Chinese New Year. Good time to travel because all of China had already traveled the week before.
Beijing was in a drought. We had not had any meaningful precipitation for about 9 months, and the night before we leave about 2 inches of ice falls. Made it to the airport, but once on the plane we were delayed an hour at the gate, and another 2 hours for de-icing, before a 13 hour flight to Chicago. Missed our connection in Chicago.
Chicago was having its own issues. We were told that it was the coldest day in Chicago since forever. American Airlines shuffled us around a bit, and did ok. We were put on 2 other flights which were canceled, before finally getting a late afternoon flight to DFW.
Dallas was better but had trouble with weather there also. An ice storm forecast for our departure day did not materialize.
Flight from DFW to MIA was on-time. So nice arriving in Miami. Is there a city anywhere were the colors are more vibrant? Hard to imagine. Convertible white Camaro. Stayed at Dream Hotel on South Beach. Selected Dream Hotel because it has a pool and is not directly on Ocean Drive. We thought we might still be jetlaging, so wanted a pool close if we did not want to walk to the beach, and a little quieter location but still close to the action. When you are jet-lagging, you just want things easy.
South Beach is awesome. It is just cool. I know some people think it is just a place full of posing douchers, and that is not un-true. But it is beautiful, a good party, and fun. We ran every morning on the beach and there were so many people running and exercising. So easy to be healthy in South Beach. And everyone is beautiful and sexy. Everyone. We did not do any late nights in South Beach due to Jetlag. We were up early every morning to get the most of the day.
Dream Hotel was just what we needed. Room was a bit small. Will up-grade next time. Rooftop pool was very nice. The restaurant at the hotel, Naked Taco, was fantastic and reasonably priced for South Beach. Staff are exceptional.
We departed MIA on February 28th for Jamaica. Check-in at MIA was a mess. Not sure I have ever seen a more disorganized airport check-in. We arrived at MIA early, but were still nervous about time, even with priority access.
We arrived Jamaica on-time. We did not book Club Mobay. We had wanted too but Club MoBay’s website has issues in China. By the time we arrived State side, Club MoBay was fully booked. But we did not need it. Jetlag was almost over, and the chaos of the immigration hall and baggage hall was actually kind of fun. I guess it took us about an hour to get through immigration and get the bags. The bags were the critical path, not immigration. We waited for bags.
Our transfer was with SunHoliday. We were told 20 minute wait and directly to the resort. We waited longer than 20 minutes and there was some confusion. There was another couple that arrived at the SunHoliday desk about 10 minutes after us. We watched as they got high-fives and hugs, and then were escorted to the bar near the parking lot. We were waiting where we were told, but could sense maybe we were not in the right place or being forgotten. The ground transportation hall was very busy and what appeared to us as very confused. We asked the desk again and told us to wait at the bar outside and someone would be along shortly.
We had a margarita at the bar and watched all the action of buses loading and people starting their holiday. It was so fun. But we could tell something was not right. When we saw the other couple approached at the bar and escorted to the SunHoliday van, we thought we would be next. But we were not. Waited a bit longer, and saw the guy that escorted the other couple, waved him down, told him we were for SunHoliday also, and he waved us off and went inside. Another 10 min, and the same guy came back with the desk woman and found us. Walked us to the van. Carried our own bags, unlike the other couple.
I know it sounds like I am complaining about SunHoliday and the experience, but I am not. I would use them again for sure. I tell the story to illustrate that it did not go smooth, but I was sure we were not going to be left in the airport for the week. The whole airport is filled with people trying to get to their resorts. You can see how excited and stressed people are, at the same time. It is a very fun experience.
There were 3 couples on our bus including us. Two couples that had been there 10 and 20 times respectively, and us. The “virgins”. There were introductions, but no friendships were established with the couples on the bus. We did see them as the week went on, but only exchanged glances.
We arrived at the resort about the same time another bus arrived (about 4pm on Saturday), so there were maybe 10 couples needing to check-in at the same time. Check-in was very organized for those traveling with a group, but we were not. Those traveling with a group had paperwork and rooms very organized. They did not seem to wait long at all. Certainly no longer than 10 minutes. As we did not have a group affiliation, we confused the process. “Please sit over there and we will be with you shortly”. We waited about 20 minutes. I ended up approaching the desk and asked for some attention. I was quite tired really. Jetlag was mostly over, but I was still having moments. I just wanted to get to the room.
Once the front desk person realized I was not going to sit back down, we got our room. This was not a smooth process at all and I did have to assert myself subtly. I did not make a fuss. But again, although it seems like I am complaining, I was fine. I understood that we were not the typical guest with a group and the confusion that might bring. Also, the air was clean and warm, and the sky was blue. We were happy. And I was sure we would not be sleeping in the lobby and that we would get a room.
About the rooms; We like a nice room. One of our favorite hotels is the W in Hong Kong, and if you have been there you know what I am on about. But a W room (or W style hotel for that matter) would somehow be wrong for Hedo. I think the quality of the rooms, the nature and beach, the food, and the people, all seem to work.
We got room 2144. It is a good room. By China standards it is very good. Ground floor. Good view of garden and the walkway to the nude pool. We had no issues with the room that we had read about. The water in the shower was fine. Hot water when you wanted hot, cold water when you wanted cold. Water pressure in the shower was great. Did not find the shower controls confusing. The bathroom was ok size. AC worked great. Set the temp every night to 71 degrees. AC went on and off and maintained the room temp. AC unit was not loud. We had read so much about the rooms and came away wondering what all the fuss is about. Maybe we are conditioned by what we live with in China, or maybe all those people complaining are soft. Maybe a bit of both. We liked the room. The bed was especially comfortable.
We were anxious after getting to the room. Hard not to be anxious after arriving to Hedo. We did see one naked couple walking to the pool on the way to our room, and we knew we were going to have to take the leap.
Once in the room, we unpacked the minimal amount and we both encouraged each other to get naked and leave the room. I am not going to lie; it is one of life’s most unique feelings the first time you leave your room naked. Nothing like it.
We walked to the nude beach and on to the nude pool bar for a drink. Two shots of tequila straight away, and a couple mixed drinks to carry around. And the skies opened up and rained so hard. Maybe the most beautiful feeling.
New to the scene and raining hard, I have to say, we did not make any friends at that time. No one said hi. There were some smiles exchanged, but that is it. Surprised us a bit after reading so much about how friendly and warm people are at Hedo. But again, we were having fun, so did not feel put out. And it was raining and late in the day, so it was a strange time to just be arriving. And we knew that.
Back to the room and dress for dinner. Saturday night’s theme was “Hats and Heals”. We did not have hats, and were a little concerned we might stand-out because we were not in theme. Did not matter at all. Qian wore a cocktail dress and heals. I wore jeans and a nice shirt.
The theme nights are fun. We did not participate in all. Qian dressed for theme more than I did. We would dress for dinner in theme, have dinner, go back to the room around 10pm, change to more risqué clothes, and go back to watch the show or sit in the courtyard. In this way we were not naked in any way at dinner, but quite exposed after. We called it a costume change.
We did see topless (or exposed nipples), and thong clad bottoms on both men and women during dinner. Not a lot, but there were a couple every night. Did not bother us and it was good people watching. But somehow we think dinner and nudity do not mix well. And you have been naked all day long. Do you really feel the need to be exposed at dinner? We didn’t.
Hedo’s buffet is not The French Laundry. But it is not bad either. We thought the food was great, especially for buffet food. Was always easy to get food. Never went hungry. We found the food full of choice and flavor. The Friday buffet with the lobster was particularly very good. Two tails each. We liked the salads also.
We met the best people at dinner. We would arrive for dinner about 7:30pm. Pretty early. We would look for the big tables and either ask if there was room for us, or sit at a table and have other people join us. I think all of our dinner companions became good friends. By some coincidence all the people we sat with every night had all been visiting the resort for years. One couple had been to Hedo 40 times. 10 time repeaters were common. And none of these people were with groups. And they were the best, most friendly people.
The long time repeat guest we met knew all the Hedo stories and gossip, and it was fun to listen to them. None took life or the resort to seriously and were just looking to have fun and meet new people. They all, every one of them, welcomed us into their group of friends. To these people we owe a big thank you for making our holiday so very special. Words cannot express our gratitude.
One more note about the long-time repeaters; every one of them was happy with the change in ownership of the resort and the changes being made. There were no complaints. None.
We enjoyed the nightly entertainment. Not Broadway, but enjoyable. We watch perhaps half the shows, and found ourselves sitting in the courtyard the other nights.
About the piano bar; we had read so much about the piano bar. About how much fun the piano bar is at night. All the inside jokes in the songs. The laughter. The stripping. We were expecting a party off-the-hook. What we experienced was the complete opposite. Maybe it was just the time we were there, but you would have a hard time convincing me it is fun at other times. People there seemed bored by the songs. People would show up early, sit behind the piano or at the piano, and just sit there. We had read that some of the piano players are better than others but from what we witnessed, it was the crowd that was driving the bad vibe. If you get there early, sit front and center, and not even smile, you are responsible. Not the piano player. And it was not one person. It would be 20 people. All sitting in the best seats. We went a couple of nights. Did not stay long ever.
The court yard was more our scene. Or sitting around the pool by the dining hall. Lots of people just chilling out and socializing. The court yard is very nice anytime of the day. Would sit there in the morning to use wifi, and in the evening to talk and drink. The court yard and pool deck always had a good vibe. Felt like a lounge club, if you know what I mean. Could use a small dance area and music. Outdoor club. Like the Clevelander in Miami.
About the music at Hedo; I get that the resort has an older cliental. But we heard Mustang Sally no less than 5 times in our eight days. And that is 5 times more than I have heard it in the last 20 years. If there must be oldies played, and I think there should, maybe get a more diverse selection. Nude pool songs repeated daily. And a few current hits would be good also. Not all old music is good. Not all new music is bad.
We stopped in the disco almost every night. Did not stay long. We like to dance, and we like our music thumping. The disco is just not the right place. In a resort with so many truly beautiful places, the disco is not one of them.
One night there was a party at the pool by the dining area. Stage was set up, DJ, dance music, no Mustang Sally, and people we dancing at 10pm. This is what the disco needs to be. With the pool party, seating in the court yard and dining area, the bar, this felt like a club.
We fell into a daily routine quickly. Up in the morning about 7am (still a bit of jetlag?). Go to the gym for a workout. Treadmill. Back to the room for a shower and dress for breakfast. Breakfast and check emails. Back to the room, undress for the beach and grab beach lounging stuff (magazines, books, etc.). The day is spent on the beach. Swim, sleep, sun, eat, drink. Move to the nude pool for a couple hours before going back to the room about 5pm. Maybe another nap. Get ready for dinner.
We did the nude catamaran cruise on Tuesday, which was a lot of fun. Again, the air is amazing. Dolphins swam with the boat for about 10 minutes. Snorkeled naked. Swam to cliff side caves. Next time we will plan our trip so we can do this cruise twice.
We did the catamaran cruise to Rick’s café’ and enjoyed that also. I even did the jump off the cliff. We liked the catamaran cruises. The people are fun, and the air….that air, it is just amazing. Being from Beijing, the chance to breathe truly fresh clean air, feels incredible.
One thing about the cruises which is curious is the picture taking by people on passing boats. Boats would come rather close to our boat and all(?) the naked people on our boat would stand up and dance for the passing boat, all the while they are taking pictures.
I know there is much written about picture taking at Hedo. In truth, naked pictures of us on the net do not concern me. I think there is enough nudity on the net that the chances of me being recognized are exactly zero. But if you are concerned, wouldn’t you trust someone at Hedo having your naked picture, over a stranger on a boat from another resort who probably emailed the pictures to friends showing what they saw on vacation? And yes, we danced for the passing boats and the pictures.
We met a couple who recommended we take a walk down the beach to Margaritaville. This couple told us that they walk the beach all the time and that his wife walks topless the entire way, and we should try it. So we did. But we didn’t. We made it about 200 meters before turning back. It is really not a walk you want to do with the wife topless. But it is a nice walk.
Doing the walk to Margaritaville made us really appreciate the beach at Hedo. Yes, the sand is better down the beach. But Hedo’s buildings are set so far back off the beach, and the trees, make Hedo’s beach so nice.
About saving lounge chairs; we had read so much about this and there is no doubt this is a problem. We never saved lounge chairs and we could always find lounge chairs, but there are great areas of the beach that do not get used because of towels, or signs, or floats on lounge chairs. And if there are enough chairs, there are not enough floats. All the floats just sit on saved un-used chairs. It is really incredible and quite selfish of people. How Hedo guests can possibly say they are easy-going, laidback, friendly and accommodating of other guests, when so many people feel the need to hoard and rarely use lounges, floats, or the areas of the beach, is staggeringly hypocritical. These people obviously consider themselves privileged elitists. There are more than enough chairs and floats, but people saving them and rarely using them is a problem. The resort should at least require the chairs and floats returned in the evening.
Another hot button issue; Smoking. We have zero tolerance for smoking, primarily because we live in Beijing air. There is no chance we are sitting near anyone smoking. We had one moment while sunning on the prude beach naked (yes, naked). We were sitting by ourselves away from anyone, when two couples pulled up lounge chairs next to us. Without saying hi or any introduction, setup, and lit-up. It was a bit awkward, but we packed-up and moved down to the nude beach.
Smoking in the dining area and court yard was not an issue. Did not notice any smoking by the nude pool either. On smoking; I think most people are behaving well.
We had one issue with a single guy who always seemed to be nearby Qian the first few days. We are not easily intimidated and simply told him we were not interested. He backed off after that….mostly. Not really a problem. We do not mind single guys. More people, more diversity, more fun. And we had conversations with single guys all week. But there is a politeness-line that should not be crossed, by anyone.
At the nude pool we would occasionally see people wearing different articles of clothing. No one seemed to care. We didn’t.
We did the kayak on our last afternoon and wished we would have done it sooner. We learned about the snorkeling boat the last day also and wished we would had known about that. Will do better next visit.
We watched one sunset. Was amazing, and next time will watch more. I took pictures on the beach during the sunset. Was the only time I took pictures while at Hedo. I have a big Nikon DSLR and I kept it in full view of everyone so there was no question where I was pointing it. I had no trouble from anyone. In fact, on the pier while taking pictures of Qian, a few other couples were also taking pictures. We traded cameras so we could get couples pictures. Good way to make friends.
The guests of Hedo really are the best. We had so many great conversations, laughed so much, shared stories and life experiences. So many good times.
The resort as a whole is just so easy, convenient, comfortable, and good quality. There is no worry about money, or where to eat, or what to do. Was going to be hard to leave.
On the morning of our departure, the logistics of leaving Hedo were easy and well sorted. Sunholidays got us back to the airport comfortably and on time.
Emotionally, leaving was more difficult. After eight days, we understood Hedo enough to know we will be back. Maybe this year. For us it is a remarkable place. The air (I will finish with the air comments soon), the sun, the green plants, the people, the food, the people.
We arrived at the airport 3 hours early and we needed the time. Ticket hall was crazy busy, thank goodness for status on American Airlines. We departed MBJ on time around 2pm for our connection in Miami.
We connected through Miami on the way to Las Vegas. We had a 3 hour connection time in Miami which I would had thought would give us plenty of time. It didn’t. Getting through immigration was fine, but waited nearly 2 hours for baggage. Was an incredibly long wait and I was concerned. Made it to Las Vegas about 10pm.
There were two thoughts about going to Las Vegas after Hedo. First; we had to have a long connection to get back to Beijing. We were going to spend the night somewhere, and it would have been 40 hours of travel. We could had gone back to Miami for a day or two, but we had already been there. Second; Vegas seemed like a “soft-landing”. Traveling from Hedo to Beijing may had been too big a shock. Vegas was a transitional time.
We were in Vegas for 3 full days. We are not gamblers, so after shopping and walking through a few casinos, 3 days was plenty. We even laid out at the pool one afternoon. In early March it was warm enough. In Vegas we stayed at the Aria in City Center. Was very nice and would stay there again.
The highlight of the Vegas leg was a helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon. Maverick Helicopter Tours. Great way to see Vegas and see some of the Canyon.
The flight back to Beijing was uneventful. Connection in Chicago and non-stop to Beijing. Returning to Beijing in the middle of March after being in Miami, Jamaica, and Vegas, was an adjustment. In total we had been gone 2 ½ weeks. People were returning from Chinese New Year, and the country was getting back to work. The air was cold and grey.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Thanks to all the wonderful people at Hedo, guests and staff alike. Thanks to all of you who write trip reports or post on the forum. And thanks to DennyP. You all in some way contributed to our great vacation.