CombatCritic's TravelValue™: beach

Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts

Monday, November 25, 2019

Honolulu, HI: One Sun Of A Beach, If You Can Gain Access

Hickam Beach and Picnic Area
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam AFB, HI 96853
Prices: FREE

We flew space-available (Space-A) on a US Air Force aircraft to and from Honolulu, Hawaii this past February on a C-17 and KC-135 tanker. Because I am retired military, my wife and I can fly for free and have access to US military installations around the world ... HOOAH!

Adjacent to the popular Lanai at Mamala Bay on the Hickam Air Force Base side of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, with its' spectacular views, this sandy beach is long and semi-narrow with a southern exposure looking out over the blue Pacific.

The two times we were at Hickam Beach this past February, the water was clear and calm with hardly a wave. The beach faces open sea, but is protected by a peninsula created by the runways at Honolulu International Airport and Hickam AFB, a similar exposure as Waikiki which is almost always very calm. There seems to be a very gentle slope once in the water, so I think it would be a great place for families to enjoy themselves.

A great place to spend the day or evening, unfortunately, you must have a military ID to access the base and beach, so civilians will need to buddy-up with an ID holder to visit the beach and Lanai at Mamala Bay.

CombatCritic Gives Hickam Beach 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Monday, March 11, 2019

Albufeira, Portugal: This Nice Sea View Apartment In Central Albufeira Is A TravelValue

Andre's "Fisherman's Beach Apartment"

Albufeira, Faro, 8200 Portugal

A nice one bedroom apartment in central Albufeira, this place has everything you will need for a couple days or a couple months and it even has a nice sea view! Andre met us upon arrival and was as nice and informative as he could be. It is on the 4th floor of a building with no elevator which was not a problem except when we arrived and were leaving, hauling heavy suitcases up and down the stairs. It does have its own secure parking space (not covered) through an electric gate and inside the courtyard of the building. There was even a bottle of Portuguese wine waiting for us when we arrived.

The living/dining room is large with a large pull-out sofa and coffee table, LCD TV with satellite channels, relatively fast internet, a dining set with four chairs, and a small balcony overlooking the street and a view of the Mediterranean Sea.

The kitchen has an automatic coffee maker (there was even some coffee to get us started), electric kettle, toaster, electric range and oven, microwave/convection oven, a large refrigerator, and a clothes washer. There were plenty of plates, pots and pans, and other utensils and spices needed to cook and eat in the apartment if getting tired of eating out as we did. There is also a Spar market immediately downstairs and next to the building in case you need something right away. Two large supermarkets (Pingo Doce and Continente) are a just ten minute walk away if you need to do some major shopping. There are several restaurants in the immediate area, but the ones closest by were not the best and had higher than average prices. You have to walk down to Fisherman's Beach and Old Town Albufeira for more variety and competitive prices.

The bedroom is relatively large with a king size bed, nightstands, dresser, and fitted wardrobe with plenty of space for our clothes and bags. Andre even provided plenty of beach paraphernalia, including chairs, mats, and an umbrella for those days where the sun is shining (300+ days a year) and the temps warm enough to bare all. The weather was wonderful during our entire two week stay, but not quite warm enough to do any sunbathing, averaging between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit (15 to 18 degrees Celsius) during the day.

I always provide the pros and cons in my reviews and I rarely find a "perfect" restaurant or hotel and the drawbacks here were all very very minor. First, the AC/heating units, of which there were only two (bedroom and living room), were not quite enough to heat the entire apartment on our first night. The apartment could possibly use one more wall mounted AC/heating unit in the hallway, but after the first night the walls must have defrosted a bit because it was a bit easier to warm the place up at night. Second, the massive dog that lives just behind the building, who was very sweet by the way, likes to bark in the morning. I am a light sleeper and he woke me up a couple of times, but it was not a daily occurrence and, after all, dogs bark. Finally, the unit is advertised as "Fisherman's Beach Apartment", a little bit of a stretch given the fact that Fisherman's Beach is actually a ten minute walk away down a large hill to a double escalator and across a large plaza.

Unless you plan on hanging out and simply going to the beach and eating in Albufeira, you might get by without a car. However, if you plan on sightseeing, playing golf, or visiting the other beautiful areas in the Algarve, of which there are many, a parking place is A MUST in Albufeira. We were there in late January, the low season, and parking spaces were few and far between. Having said that, there is pretty much everything you need within walking distance of the apartment, so you could easily get everything you need for a short or long stay nearby. At $36.32 (€32) per night for a private, one bedroom apartment in a central location and a great view, Andre's apartment is a definite TravelValue!

CombatCritic Gives Andre's Fisherman's Beach Apartment 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Saturday, April 4, 2015

U.S. Divers St. Tropez Snorkeling Kit Is Inexpensive, Durable, and A Great Value

For the price, the equipment is quite well made. We purchased the set (mask, snorkel, fins, and a mesh bag) for a trip to Puerto Rico and they held up quite well over three weeks. Sturdy, leak-proof, and cheap, the set worked quite well for basic, novice snorkeling, but if you are serious and plan to snorkel over a long period or SCUBA dive, you should definitely invest in a more expensive, durable set.

CombatCritic Gives the U.S. Divers St. Tropez LX Mask, Seabreeze II Snorkel, Trek Travel Fins & Mesh Bag Kit 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... Bombs Are Good!

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic On Yelp And TripAdvisor ... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: U.S. Divers St. Tropez Snorkeling Kit Is Inexpensive, Durable, and A Great Value

Key Words: US Divers, St Tropez, mask, Seabreeze, snorkel, trek, travel, fins, kit, snorkeling, beach, ocean, fish, SCUBA, travel, value, Amazon.com, Amazon, CombatCritic, Puerto Rico, puerto, rico

Photo Courtesy of Amazon.com

Varkala Bus Dancer

Energetic ... Infectious ... Brilliant!

I wanted to go to a beach a few miles from where I was staying in Varkala, Kerala (India) and as I was waiting at the bus stop, a bus full of students stopped and told me to get on. I though it was a public bus, but they were apparently on a school trip to a beach farther north up the coast.

As the bus started down the road, the music went on and the kids started dancing and singing. They all wanted to take a photo with me as we neared my destination and as I got off the bus I asked who I should pay and how much. They told me "don't worry" as they drove off into the Kerala sunset waving goodbye as they continued singing.

Enjoy "Varkala Bus Dancer"!

— Varkala Beach, Kerala, India

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic On Yelp And TripAdvisor ... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Varkala Bus Dancer

Key Words: Varkala Bus Dancer, Varkala, bus, dancer, dancing, dances, dance, music, video, Kerala, India, student, trip, road, beach, travel, value, TravelValue

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Varkala (Kerala), India: India Jones and the Temple of Gloom

I had heard that this place was "the best" and being #4 of 59 restaurants in Varkala on TripAdvisor I would have thought it was a sure bet, but nothing is for sure except the grim reaper and the taxman.

To be fair, I made several visits at various times of the day and I have to say the service was dismal nearly every time. On at least three occasions I sat at my table for 15 minutes or more and was totally ignored (I many times purposely do not make a fuss to see how long it will actually take), having ultimately had to either get up and ask for or retrieve my own menu. On one occasion one of the servers, who I will call "India Jones" because of his long hair, unkempt beard, tattered shirts, and "local" Kerala dress (he wears a sarong as a skirt even though he is obviously a westerner), moped around, conserving energy I assume, and lumbered past me at least ten times, never asking me if I needed a menu or wanted to order. I sometimes believe that I am invisible here because employees constantly walk by without even acknowledging my existence.

Chicken Salad Sandwich - 230 Rupees

The coffee and teas are good, coming in large (10 ounce) mugs, but are a tad overpriced by Indian standards. The food looked good from what I saw others order, but is also a bit more expensive than most places. I have to admit that the only things I tried were the the toast, three large, thick pieces of brown bread with butter and jam (80 rupees/$1.30 - I had to provide my own peanut butter even though the menu claims they make a crepe with it), a large bowl of fruit muesli (100 rupees/$1.60 and not so large) which was not bad and a fair deal, and their chicken salad sandwich (230 rupees/$3.75 with cheese), a huge disappointment. The bread, a small baguette (see photo above) with sesame seeds on top was the highlight, but what little chicken salad there was oddly enough was served warm, the chicken mostly dark meat and full of gristle, and the mayonnaise had a rather disgusting sweet taste like Miracle Whip, which I loathe. Disappointingly small and lonely on the plate with no garnish, it was one of the worst meals and values I had at any restaurant in my nearly four months in India.

The place has potential with its incredible view and open air feel, but the servers need to do something about their simultaneously apathetic and arrogant attitudes and start acting like customers are important. As far as the food was concerned, I was not impressed, but the coffee and masala chai were pretty good. The only reason I am giving them 5 bombs and not 4 is because they are about the only place on the cliff that consistently opens early (6:30), so if you are an early riser like me, not always by choice, you can at least get a coffee or breakfast with a sea view no less.

CombatCritic Gives Coffee Temple 5 Out of 10 Bombs ... More Bombs Are Better!

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Title: India Jones and the Temple of Gloom

Key Words: Coffee Temple, coffee, temple, Varkala, cliff, beach, Kerala, India, restaurant, cafe, food, menu, tea, sandwich, breakfast, view, sea, CombatCritic, TravelValue, TripAdvisor

Saturday, January 24, 2015

Goa, India: You Will Not Find A Better Accommodation Value ... Casa Praia Is THE BOMB!

Candolim Beach

Casa Praia

Vaddy, Candolim,
Bardez, Goa, 403515, India

+91-997-044-4666

CasaPraiaGoa.com

Prices: $$$$$

With a dearth of available options over the New Year 2015 holiday in Goa, a last minute cancellation gave us an opportunity to book a room at Casa Praia (4,000 rupees/$64 per night), a relative bargain at a property with an unprecedented 9.9 rating on Booking.com and 5-star rating on TripAdvisor. I jumped on it and am I glad I did!

4,000 rupees per night will get you a 3 or 4-star hotel in many places in India, but Goa is unlike anywhere else in India thanks to supply and demand, and hotels and taxis are at least triple the price of anywhere else I have been (Dharamsala, Rishikesh, New Delhi, Jaipur, Pushkar, Cochin, Varkala). But this is Goa, Candolim Beach in particular, a beachside party town packed to the gills with Russians and Brits ready to party, and just two budget-minded Americans that I knew of … my wife and I.

Paul (or “Hardip” as he likes to be called) and Sophia, the owners and hosts of Casa Praia, greeted us by email immmediately after our booking and offered to send a taxi to meet us at the airport at the standard government rate of 1,100 rupees ($17.80), so we took them up on it as their property is an hour’s drive from the airport and the hotel/guesthouse is somewhat secluded and not easy to find. Our driver met us outside the terminal as promised with sign in hand and we proceeded to Casa Praia.

Being early evening on New Year’s Eve, Hardip, Sophia, and some other British guests (Brits) were sitting around the pool enjoying a beverage and chatting, and after showing us to our room we were invited to join in the celebration. We enjoyed a wonderful night of conversation and commaraderie with our new friends and former rivals, the Brits plus one Swede (Sophia).

Our room was large, well appointed, and very tastefully decorated with three sets of French doors, one opening onto the garden with the pool not far away. The stone tile floors were immaculate, the queen size bed had fresh sheets, plenty of pillows, and a mosquito net tasefully draped near the headboard and there was plenty of storage space for our clothes and personal belongings. A decent size flat screen TV with cable was provided, along with air conditioner and ceiling fans (2), a small refrigerator, sink, cups, plates, bowls, cutlery, and plenty of filtered water throughout our stay thanks to Raja, a friendly, attentive young Goan that works on the property. The bathroom large, it had all the necessities, including toilet paper (a rarity in Indian hotels), and plenty of hot water thanks to the solar panels on the roof. I have to say that although somewhat expensive by Indian standards, it was the nicest $64 room I have ever stayed in.

Breakfast is included and Sophia and her cook, Jessica, cheerfully greeted us each morning with a choice of yogurt (curd) with granola and fruit (bananas and pomegranite were in season while we were there), oatmeal (porridge to the Brits) with accompaniments, or eggs (any style – I liked the cheese and onion omelete with green chilies), along with fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee or tea, and toast with butter and jam (get some peanut butter for the Americans Hardip – Delphino’s has a nice locally made butter for 250 rupees per jar). Seriuosly, the breakfasts were marvelous, the food fresh and hot, and we never walked away hungry like some places we have stayed.

The property has four buildings, two large two-story structures with four guest rooms each, a small kitchen building, and the Hardip residence where Paul, Sophia, and their two beautiful (and very well behaved) children, along with Feni their sweet cat, live. The grounds are lush and well maintained with a medium size pool (relatively new), plenty of stone tile deck space, lounges, tables, umbrellas, and chairs and is surrounded by a six-foot concrete wall with locked gates for added privacy and security.

Casa Praia sits midway between Candolim Beach (250 meters) and the main beach road (150 meters) in Candolim (not sure if the road has another name), so you can exit one gate and walk to the beach for a day of sun, the Arabian sea and lounge chairs, umbrellas, drinks, and food at one of the countless beach “shacks” along the coast (the place we went to had a 400 rupee/$6.40 minimum, but all the comforts were included if you spent that much, a relative bargain) or through the other gate for a stroll into town.

There are an overwhelming number of restaurants, bars, and shopping options within a stones throw of Casa Praia, so you do not have to venture far unless you are so inspired. We ate at Floyd’s our first day and were unimpressed, The Mango Grove our second and were equally unenthused, but on our third and fourth days we found The Bistro, which was a continental delight, and Tuscany Gardens, an Italian restaurant with nice, relatively authentic food. Please click on the links above to read my full reviews.

And if you staying over a Saturday night, you must go the the Saturday Market, a 20-minute ride (350 rupees for a Tuk-Tuk/500 rupees for a taxi) away where you will find an international food court with numerous options and a maze of countless stalls selling everything from Kashmiri scarves and hand painted boxes to local and name-label clothing, jewlery, and everything in between.

Old Goa is also worth a visit, so hire Garesh, one of the few “Goan” taxi drivers in town, and a very honest and warm person (his English is very good too, another rarity in India where one of the National languages is English BTW) to take you there with a stop by the two local forts on the way back. Old Goa has some nice, old Portuguese (Catholic) churches, one being the Basilica of Bom Jesus where Saint Francis di Xavier (their patron saint whom is encased in a glass casket and brought out for his festival which is only held every ten years – we were there during the festival, but opted not to atttend because of the reported massive crowds and traffic jams), Se’ Cathedral (a large, but unispiring church), Saint Augustine (a Portuguese Catholic church in ruins, but well worth a visit), and Saint Francis Church (adjacent to Se’ Cathedral, smaller, but much more ornate) which has an archeological museum attached (closed on Fridays, the day we were there of course). Fort Aguada and its lighthouse are also worth a visit, but are not overly impressive, and Reis Magos Fort, a smaller, more attractive option (50 rupees entry, includes van ride to the top) with beautiful views of the river, the Arabian sea, and the cliffs below. We paid 1,200 rupees/$19 for the six-hour tour (taxi), a bargain by Goa standards, so just ask Hardip to contact Garesh or contact him directly at +91-901-194-8499 if you need a lift anywhere.

Saturday Night Market

On a final note, I was ill during our stay and realizing I had become dehydrated and needing medical attention, Sophia and Hardip jumped to attention and without hesitation rushed me to the local hospital, a large clinic with beds actually, where I was given IV fluids and kept overnight. Hardip returned later that night to drive to five pharmacies to find the potasium I needed (the hospital did not have any), and again the next morning (twice) to pick my wife and I up (she had spent the night in the bed next to me) and deliver us back to the hotel where I spent the next few days recovering. We also needed to extend our stay by three days, and good thing we did because of the unforeseen emergency, so Hardip shifted some bookings (we basically displaced Sophia’s older daughter, who was visiting from Scotland, we found out later … you’re a gem Sophia!) so we could remain the in the same room even though they were “fully booked”. All I can say to Paul and Sophia is “thank you for your unparalleled compassion, extreme kindness, and oustanding hospitality”.

Without a doubt, Casa Praia is “THE BOMB” and deserving of my highest rating, rarely bestowed on a hotel or restaurant …

CombatCritic Gives Casa Praia The Maximum … 10 Bombs Out Of 10 … More Bombs Are Better!

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Title: You Will Not Find A Better Accommodation Value In Goa ... Casa Praia Is THE BOMB!

Key Words: Casa Praia, casa, Praia, hotel, guesthouse, guest, house, Candolim, beach, Goa, Bardez, India, Arabain Sea, sea, ocean, CombatCritic, review, TravelValue, travel, value

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