Can anyone provide me with any general information about this Caribbean Island- climate, scenery, quality of snorkeling etc. I'd also be interested in information about Isla Bonita hotel. Thanks, Bob

Some scenery is pretty, the snorkeling was the pits, we couldn't find the so called excellent shopping, we didn't speak enough Spanish and getting around was hard. We had problems with the airlines and got stuck in Caracas. AKA the vaca from hell. <BR>Seriously, resort Spanish wasn't enough down there. The only positive point about the trip was we ate well and had several drinks a day for like 2 weeks and the cost was about $300 US. Other than cheap eats I could find nothing about the place I liked. The beaches weren't as nice as the rest of the CAribbean, in fact there was an oil spill at our hotel,and the water was very rough. Of the 54 islands we have visited, I'm sorry to say this is number 54 on our list of places to return to. <BR> <BR>A lot of people really love Margarita. I guess we just had bad experiences from the get go.

My wife and I TRAVELED TO mARGARITA AND JUST LOVED IT. tHE NATIVES MAKE AN HONEST ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE(NOT ALWAYS IN ENGLISH)

Cheri, <BR> I see your replies often and they are always entertaining and informative.I am curios however,about one thing.The last time someone asked a qestion about Margarita you said it was number 38 of the 38 islands you've visited.How in the heck 3 months later did you manage to get to 16 more islands.Late last year when responding to a question you said at last count you'd been to 41 islands...............are you pulling are legs Cheri?

Climate - Very dry, dessertic, little rain fall. Not lushy tropical vegetation. (Both these sceneries are present in the Caribbean depending on the winds.) <BR>Scenery - More pristine than other islands, rough in the eastern part. The town of Porlamar is nice, new mall opened, best Wendy's in the world! (Honest) They come up to the table and serve free coffee!. Beautiful venezuelan waitresses <BR>Snorkeling - Dont know <BR>Isla Bonita hotel is where President CLinton attended a Summit. Ask him. We stayed next door at the Allegro Dunes Resort. Great place , great food and great entertainment. This side of the island is less developed and the wind is strong but all beautiful. <BR>Dont get dissapointed as you drive from the Airport to the hotels, you go thru some semi run down villages. Rent a VW beetle and drive to Porlamar. Its aout 40 minutes and quite entertaining.

I don't remember ever saying 38 islands, I did miscount tho. When I consulted our list I found it was actually 54. I hope this is acceptable. I Have gone to the Caribbean 3 times a year for 14 years. You tend to lose track after awhile as to the number.

jeez,and here I thought this was a travel board,now were quibbling about how many islands ones been to.Well I may as well get in on it 14x3 is 42,looks like Cheri shold have stuck to her original story,and kudos to the observant one who caught her in her little white lie.But hey she is just trying to dispense information so lets not be to hard her.!!!!!!!!!!!

I was one of those people who asked for and recieved advice from Cheri.It kind of ticks me off to find out she probably hasn't even been to the place she was giving me advice about. <BR> Being a long time visitor of Fodos Forum,I have seen her name crop up quite frequently,and its now obvious to me,that she probably hasn't been to half the places she says. THANKS Bonnie, for being so observant and opening my eyes.

Maybe she visited an average of 1.285+ islands on each of the 42 visits....LOL. now maybe we should drop it before it gets into one of those awful "decent tropical" fiascos....

No wonder I come to this site so often.you people are hilarious.Where else could I get this many laughs.So what have we all learned here children? <BR>Cheri is a liar <BR>anne is very observant <BR>bonnie is good at math <BR>llasana is feeling duped <BR>and c'mon makes a good point if decent tropical gets involved in this we'll all get a lecture.!

Okay , everyone, calm down...I've come to the rescue ;o) <BR> <BR>This attack on Cheri is simply preposterous. You would think she was being cross-examined. <BR> <BR>It is perfectly reasonable to have trouble keeping track when you have been to a lot of islands over many years. <BR> <BR>The poster who asserted that Cheri could only have been to 42 islands used faulty logic. <BR> <BR>Cheri said that she has gone to the Caribbean three times a year for the last 14 years. She DID NOT say that each trip was limited to only one island! It is very common to divide a Caribbean vacation between more than one island. <BR> <BR>How sad that there are so many people here who are so quick to attack others as I experienced first hand on many occasions. <BR> <BR>Don't let them intimidate you Cheri! Stay strong!

I think the point that was trying to be made from the start ,was,that Cheri told 3 DIFFERENT stories .Having just been put on total bedrest for the next 9 weeks I have the time to check and put this permanently to rest after going through the entie forum,Latin america and carribean I also found the original postings.Cheri indeed contradicted herself,unquestionably,so what ,lets get on with this and put it to rest.

wow, <BR>when I first made the query of Cheri I never meant to cause such a sensation.First of all,I don't think she is being cross examined,I simply made the point that FIRST she said she had been to 38 islands,then 3 months later said it was 54,but last year, in late fall it was 41.Noah says the poster who said 14x3 uses faulty logic but 16 islands in 3 months?come on. <BR>And if we do believe that what about the 41 last year.It simply doesn't add up , no matter how you cut it dice it or slice it.Period.NOW LETS TALK TRAVEL!!!

Dear Bob, <BR>We have been to Margarita Island two times (Jan '96 and Jan '98). They say there is good snorkeling at Los Frailes Islands just off of the NE coast of Margarita. You can take a boat I believe from El Tirano Beach (near Playa El Aqua). Margarita is a great base for taking day trips to other interesting locales such as Los Roques, Angel Falls, Grenada, La Blanquilla, Cubaqua and Tobago. The best beach there I think is Playa Caribe near Juan <BR>Griego. It has golden sand, great scenery, and good surf in my opinion. At Playa Caribe, there is the Mosquito Coast Club where they have an all night party every Wed. night as of 1/98. La Isla Bonita Resort is on one of the most scenic parts of the island. It has a nice beach with calm water. The beach is called Playa Puerto Viejo and is open to the public. The beach next to it is Playa Puerto Cruz with rougher surf, but is very scenic. It is a lot of fun watching the sunset at La Galera Fort in Juan Griego. The local children will recite the story of Juangriego to you for a small fee. It is very entertaining. In Jan of '98, we stayed on El Yaque Beach near the airport at the Casa Viento guest house. <BR>El Yaque Beach is great for windsurfing and for taking a speed boat to pristine Coche Island 20 minutes away. We really enjoyed our two trips to Margarita Island and would like to stay at La Isla Bonita Resort someday! <BR>

Bob, <BR> <BR>My husband and I visited Margarita in 1997. We stayed on the north side of the island at the Dunes Hotel and Beach Resort. We loved it. True, little English is spoken, but the people were so friendly our little bit of laughable Spanish, si and Banos, was all we needed. <BR>We did make a day shopping trip to Porlamar and didn't find it too exciting. We didn't go to shop,however, the day trips were great, Angel Falls, and we flew to another island to snorkel. It was beautiful. The food was inexpensive. We had a great time and if we every visit every other place we want to see, we'll go back. We bought a time share at Dunes. Also took a tour of the island, found it intersting and unspoiled like so many of islands, not commercial. <BR>

hi Bob: We went to Margarita Island as a cruise port of call. Although it may not be a place I'd choose to go for a long vacation we did have a good time. We went on a excursion to Restinga Lagoon National Park. They take you by boat through a really neat lagoon lots of wildlife and vegatation and a really different way to spend the day. We ended up at the Beach and there were Pearl vendors and a lobster restaurant. The beach was nice, surf a little rough, it wasn't the beautiful white sand of say Aruba but it was still beautiful. The people that we met were some of the friendliest we have met in the Caribbean. Have a Great time. Karen

Cheri <BR>Its amazing how people sit there and pick on trivial points of a matter...Its the firing squad for you Cheri for not remembering exactly how many islands you have been too...BTW how was St Croix

Have any of you pea brains picking on cheri ever considered that you can pick up several islands at a time if you go on this thing called a cruise? You get on a big boat and in a week or so they take you to maybe 5 different islands. <BR> <BR>I think you should all get a life and get on with it. This petty crap has ruined many a travel board and you are well on the way to ruining this one.

you are absolutely right,a person can go to many islands during a cruise,and,having been on a few I know that I am not an authority on any of them. Being on an island for a few hours certainly won't qualify me to give any advice on the islands.And I think everyone is missing the point or just not paying attention,The original poster is pointing out the discrepancies in the persons story,and your right thess post can ruin the boards BUT ANYONE who answers is also a party to it JEAN