Check on one of the back issues of Caribbean Travel & Life from this year or 96, there was an excellent article devoted to this island. Have not been there, but we did go to the Dominican Repulic for a New Years and I tell people that even though we loved it (did not stay at Casa del Campo) this island is not for the average American Traveler. I tend to believe that Margarita Island is the same, although if it were me and my wife we would be going in a heartbeat.

We spent a week last January at the Allegro Laguna Mar Resort. The resort is undergoing much renovation but is beautiful and extremely large. The food was great and good entertainment.Some of the attractions were undergoing repairs (wave pool) but most was completed. Although most of staff spoke only Spanish, they were most friendly and helpful. The island varies from desert to beach to mountainous. Be sure to take a trip around it if offered. Because of the language barrier and varied nationalities of the travellers there some minor inconveiences may occur but the beauty of the country and people more than make up for it. Of the 10 couples in our group--all would return but we have decided to try Dominican Republic this year. Hope you have a good trip--take along some bug spray--mosquitoes do come out at night.

This message is to M>O> Holte....Read your message response and was very interested in your comments re: your visit to the Dom. Rep. @ New Years...where in the Rep. did you stay, what did you do, hotel accom. any "crimes", stealing, etc.? Did you have to carry your "papers", drivers license, money with you all the time? Did you get traveler's checks - did you feel safe? Is there golfing? Buses? Have never been there....tell me all you can...thanx

Spent two weeks last February at Lagunamar on Margarita and was not impressed with the resort. I was surprised at how someone posted and said how friendly and helpful the staff was because our biggest complaint was the rudeness of the staff. Our problems started with their not having a room for us when we arrived and snowballed from there.
We spoke with people who had been there many times before and most were saying they would not come back again.

We did enjoy the island though. One of our favorite days was spent with a young man named Hermann (Tel 016-9525 29) who took us on an adventure tour around the island. It was wonderful. Try to go to LaRestinga. It's beautiful. You can have the boatman leave you at the beach and pick you up later. Also try to get out to Punta Arena. We ate with some of our friends from Caracas at a tiny little restaurant on the beach where you pick out your red snapper and they cook it while you enjoy the beach. Really fun. A day on the island of Coche is fun also. We went aboard the Amazonia and really enjoyed the day. The beaches there are better for swimming than most of the beaches at Margarita. Margarita's beaches really have a lot of surf that make it great for the wind surfers and surfers but not to good for swimming.

Go and enjoy!

Sally

Bruce - we will be going to Margarita Island in April. I will be interested in hearing your comments. I am especially interested in issues of safety. Thanks.

If you go to margarita, remember that you are going to the third world, so take advance of it.
I love maragarita and I have being there several times.
Most of the natives are nice people, and the beaches are so beatiful!!!, Enjoy.

A friend of mine (without internet access) is going to Margarita Island soon and has a layover at Simon Bolivar airport, Caracas, from mignight until early morning. She is looking for recommendations for inexpensive but comfortable and safe accomodations near the airport. Any suggestions?

Got back to Toronto early friday morning after two weeks at the Coconut Villas. For the first time in twelve years even my cast iron stomach gave in to buffet of the non identifiable food groups on the first night. Of twelve hungry Canadians they maintained a 100%25 kill ratio. Four left the second day for other hotels, a new friend from Missasauga wanted to know if it was surgically possible to remove Thomas Crappers invention from her gluteous and as the hardest hit she was laid up for a week. When it began to look like sanitation was improving I ventured for lunch on Tuesday instead of a cab for downtown Porlamar, big mistake, I could have launched the the space shuttle the next day! Mandy from Ottawa came to get me at nine to say the grub was identifiable, her first food there in ten days and did she pay the price for one piece of chicken, road kill, stray cat or whatever. We videoed and photoed the kitchen and prep areas which I designated a Natural Wildlife Habitat, love the crunch underfoot when you're wandering at midnight for a Kodak moment. Talked to a lot of people at the airport, no probs at the the Hilton, Bella Vista, Confortel, International, avoid the Villas unless you like the plague!

I am going to margarita island in mid april. Would like to know if anyone has stayed at the hilton? Also is their a good place to eat dinner and watch a sunset? would like to all so no if anyone has taken a airline called Aero Postal from Caracas to Margarita Island on their last flight of the day would hate to find out that Iwould be stranded in Caracas airport all night.