(Green print = Nice Hotel, Red = Bates Motel, Purple=bar/restaurant, )
= Baseops Pick - a Hotel taking top honors, great service and facilities for crew dogs.   

Bahamas - Flew into Governor's Harbor Airport (Eleuthera Island) -- Day VFR only, 7900ft. "Big Daddy" has a 24 hour taxi service (big Dodge van), [332-1592], it costs $42 for the first person and $2 for each additional for a one way trip from the airport to The Cove [1-800-552-5960]. You can also rent a car for $60 a day. Approx. 30 minute trip (roads are bad from hurricane Floyd). The Cove will make arrangements if you tell them. The Cove has several bungalow buildings with four rooms each, right on the water -- great view. Rooms are clean, one bedroom with separate bath (no phone in the rooms), and well within the per diem rate. The food is some of the best in town. Complimentary drink coupon on check in. Well stocked bar and Chenelle mixes a mean Bahama Mama. They have kayaks, snorkeling gear, bicycles, and tennis equip. for no additional charge. Night life is 30 min north on Harbor Island. Run by a couple of nice ex-pat Canadians -- very laid back atmosphere. ~When in Nassau, Bahamas, stay at Super Club Breezes 242-327-5356. Very nice place to break down at. The hotel gov. rates are about 160 a night. All inclusive resort...which, if you dont know, means that drinks and food are included in the room cost. Lots of activities and great looking women. Per diem is like 130 a day....but you dont even need it at this place!!! so I recommend a nice week long break on this tropical island!!!

Curacao, Netherlands Antilles - Marriott Resort, Curacao was awesome! If you're lucky enough to venture down here for more than 17 hours, bring your SCUBA card! The island is between Aruba and Bonaire; but nobody knows how to pronounce Curacao (ker-uh-sow), so it's often over-looked by the mainstream tourist (although the KLM aircrews swap in and out of the hotel on a revolving-door-like schedule). It's an expensive island, but the turquoise waters of the Caribbean make up for it. The Marriott Resort is THE PLACE to be billeted ($150/night, $77.50 military contract rate). The hotel has a private beach (raise the flag on your beach chair and they'll bring you drinks!), a dive shack, four restaurants, and a heated pool with a swim-up bar. The restaurants in the hotel are Portofino (upscale-Italian), The Emerald Grill (usual restaurant cuisine), The Palm Café (hot breakfast buffet for $18 and casual lunches) and the Seabreeze (this is the swim-up bar that also serves sandwiches, burgers, fried fish and such). If you have time, venture off the hotel grounds to Hooks Hut--the tables are right on the beach! It's about a five-minute walk from the hotel--just follow the blue signs. There is always a special catch-of-the-day and a pasta-of-the-day. I had the blue marlin the first night--wonderful. They have great (but pricey) drinks, too. If you make it to the capital city of Willemsted, there is a good row of restaurants in the Pundo section of town called the old Water Arches--Indian, Italian, Grilled, American and Mexican foods are all available here. Mambo Beach is the local (and tourist) hangout on the weekends. It's quite the party spot. That's about it for the eats and treats. Like I said, stay at the Marriott! We were at the Sheraton Curacao for the first night. This hotel was still very nice (two-for-one drinks during Happy Hour), but it doesn't compare to the resort atmosphere of the Marriott. At the Marriott there is a shop to buy some swimming trunks, suntan lotion or whatever else you may have forgotten to bring on your seventeen-hour turn five-day tour. There is internet access ($14/half-hour) available at the hotel and an ATM across the street at the World Trade Center. Most hotels have tour-desks to signup for island tours, snorkeling / SCUBA trips or deep-sea fishing. The hotels are all about a 15-minute drive to the airport.

As for FBO support, you'll be working with Mr. Cordero (frequency 130.3 if you need him while you're in the jet). He will marshal you in, supervise the refueling of your jet, get you a rental car (at the airport terminal), make your box lunches ($6 each), file for you (it's easiest to bring copies of your next 1801 with you--there are no mission planning facilities on the island) and get your weather. It is very expensive to use any of the airport's equipment. Our crew chiefs needed a ground power cart for maintenance--$200/hour. They want you to be in civilian clothes before you leave the airport. There was a small Command Post facility maintained by the host NG unit to store secrets. There is no radar facility on the island, so you'll be giving position reports until you are visual with the field. 

~We've been here for 45 days and while we weren't at the Marriot and the Holiday Beach and Casino left a lot to be desired, we still enjoyed this beautiful island. If you are looking for a great place to eat for very little money, we recommend Landhuis Papaya. It is minutes from the airport and the Holiday Beach and is by far the best restaurant for your money. We recommend the grill platter (2 of them fed 6 of us plus leftovers.) It is family run plantation house with a very friendly proprietor. The are opened for lunch on Wed and Thurs and dinner Fri, Sat, and Sun with live music on Sunday. This is a must do while on Curacao.

If you are coming to our FBO in Curacao and would like to let us know about services you require, please E-MAIL US at CATSNV@HOTMAIL.COM  with your aircraft's tail number, arrival date and time, and services you would like. We will arrange every detail for you!

~Marriott Beach Resort was definitely the place to stay according to the USAF AEW personnel staying there and at other hotels. Hato/TNCC now has a USAF run ramp, no need to use the FBO anymore.

Grand Cayman, British Virgin Islands - The Westin Casuarina Resort (345) 945-3800 is a great place to stay. Right on Seven Mile Beach. Ask for the Airline Pilot rate ($97.50) Across the road is a good pub, Legendz. Grand Caymen is VERY expensive. It is a huge off-shore banking center and their dollar (the CI) is worth $1.25 US. A 12 pack of Miller will run you $19. The hotel is right on the beach, with a great pool and great snorkeling right out the door.  The big thing to do on the island is Stingray City... Captain Marvins (across from the hotel) has 6 hour trips for $50 that includes all you can eat Mahi-Mahi and sides plus the Conch's you pick up off the bottom, and Rays are amazing. Get your rental car at Coconuts' across the street from the airport. 

Dominican Republic - WARNING!!!! Do not play a game called progressive roulette in the Dominican Republic. Despite the fact that it is played in hotel casinos the game is rigged and crewdogs lost lots of money. The guys who run it rent space from the casino and the casino and hotel are NOT responsible for their actions. Stick with the blackjack or craps and you should be fine. This game might also exist in other Caribbean islands so beware.

Norman Manley Int'l, Jamaica -Recommend not staying in the hotel (Morgan Bay?) that is provided by the station manager.  Port Royal hotel was decent.  Hilton was a very nice hotel.  Be prepared for a 2-3 hour ordeal with customs and immigration. We broke here for 3 days and getting the prop and other tools out of customs took all day the second day, which had I not been at the airport all day would have been a good deal. They require a Form C-36 for customs on any parts coming in which they never actually took from us and they finally let us download the MRT airplane anyway. The AMC rep., Ken Harris, was great. He was able to help us out with most problems. Chief Porter from the MLO was a great help as well for all the unexpected problems with customs. The requirements here change on a daily basis so expect the unexpected. Use the embasssy military liaison office to book rooms. They will put you at the Hilton in the middle of downtown which is very nice. The tower rooms are nicer than the garden rooms but not as close to the pool. Reasonable rates for massages and great food which was reasonably priced for the per diem you'll make. The hotel also had prepaid cell phones for rent. No charge for the phone itself and they are international capable. Minimum of 40 international minutes was only 20 USD which was a steal when compared to direct dial from the rooms @ 1.20 USD per minute. If you're broke and using an Iridium, throw the Iridium in the pool and go rent a cell. Much easier. For transportation back to the airport you will have to catch a taxi or bus. We used JUTA tours which is readily available at the hotel. The bell captain can help you out if told in advance or call directly to Mr. Donavan Green @ (1876) 783-4766 or 367-3671. He will also provide group rates to any of the beaches on the north coast. Just remember that all rates are up for negotiation on everything here. If you are looking for entertainment ask the hotel bartenders who can direct you to the happening spots which change each night.

Melody L. Brown
AMC Station Manager
Kingston, Jamaica
cell: 876-877-5513
fax: 976-935-6030
maytagaircraftjamaica@yahoo.com

Great AMC station manager. Melody was very helpful and proactive. Coordinated trans and rooms (Hilton) for us. Got us an aircart when our APU broke also.

Puerto Rico - Support is non-existent with the Navy at Roosevelt Roads NS (go to San Juan instead),. But if you do RON here, several resort hotels near Rosie Roads will suffice: The Westin Rio Mar, (787)888-6000 is a luxurious resort and hotel, with a beautiful beach, a casino, Greg Norman golf course, gym and spa, plus many pools and hot tubs. The rooms are nice, but everything (food, etc.) is vastly expensive.  I've been working with the Westin hotel which is giving us a better rate than the $155.00 rate allowed. The hotel is unbelievable and the folks at Starwood Hotels (Westin, W, Sheraton, etc.) have been terrific. If you're going through San Juan, Puerto Rico I would suggest you contact Lauralee Shapiro at 407-934-1032 or at Lshapiro@tishman.com. I use Westin hotels when I'm on corporate business and these guys are great.

The Westin offers a very expensive buffet and entrees at their restaurants ($20 - 30 per plate).  Not to worry, there is cheap food for the Crew Dog nearby.  Right after the turn-off from the highway to the side road leading you to the Westin there is a great Chinese Restaurant that serves good (cheap) food.  When leaving the Westin on the day of your flight, go straight through the traffic light at the highway, turn right and about 4 blocks down on the right side is a GREAT Bakery / Deli.  It opens at 5:00 AM EVERY DAY.  Fantastic Cuban sandwiches go for about $1.50.  They also serve rotisserie chicken and other good food.  Load up for your flight!

 El Conquistador, (800)-WYNDHAM is also a fine resort hotel. Although being over the gov rate, it boasts a large casino, great view, golf courses, private island, tennis, multiple pools, and even a disco in the hotel. Rooms are spread out. This place also charges a lot for food/drink -  found out the hard way I couldn't afford to drink there. Get booze on base. Bring your sticks and talk to the golf pro. He'll hook you up. If you can, get a van and go into town or San Juan. If you stay at the Westin Rio Mar, and you have a full day off, check out the El Yunque Rain forest. Its only 20 minutes away and offers excellent hiking trails and beautiful sceenery in the only rain forest operated by the US Parks Service. To dine, go to Luquillo, near the Westin. Sandy's is one of many good local restaurants in the town, offering typical, inexpensive Puerto Rican cuisine and friendly service.

NOTES: 1.) ATOC has u-drive-it vans allocated for USAF use ONLY - therefore they must allow you use of them as long as no other transient crews have them. 2.) There is a letter down from AMC dictating that USAF crews MUST stay on base (Navy Billeting) if available - that's bullshit, of course; so instead of relying on ATOC to make your reservations, bypass them and do it yourself.  Also, cabs/vans can easily be acquired if no u-drive-its are available - the fees are all reimbusable, of course.

***Navy Lodging Update***Apparently they finished the new rooms at the Navy Lodge on base.  AMC has designated these rooms (in addition to the 10 they already had blocked out before) as "appropriate" for AMC crews. SO this opens some 140 rooms for us.  They all have to be full before the Navy people can issue a non-avail slip.  This really sucks! I don't know how we can get around this. AT the very least pass on to the crews to NOT MAKE ANY RESERVATIONS.  Just show up; it increases the  chances of going to the Westin or EL Conquistador.  You probably heard about the crew that refused the Navy lodge, and the Navy guy took pictures of the room (to show that the rooms were "good enough"), and mailed them to AMC.  This in essence started the cracking down, since the AMC general saw the pictures and started this snowball rolling.  The only guys that have gotten around this that I have heard of are the guard people, since their units pay for
anything.

San Juan, Puerto Rico - A great time waits for you in this beautiful city. The Coronet Oak guys and the PRANG will offer you great support despite the small ramp space. Once you get off the base, the list of hotels is large. Many opt for the ESJ Towers in Isla Verde. Not bad, since it is located next to the the El San Juan and the San Juan Grand Hotels which are awesome (go to their casinos and clubs if you can), and near the Ritz Carlton (another awesome hotel with a large casino). In addition, there are a few bars and restaurants around. Another popular choice is the Embassy Suites. This hotel is nice and very close to the Airport, but its fairly far from the nightlife. If you go to the other touristy area, Condado, consider the Condado Plaza, located at the heart of the tourist section. Across from Tony Roma's, and with the area's largest casino, four restaurants, a private beach, and a club at the lobby, this hotel will have all that you need if you don't want to leave the hotel. If you do opt to go out, Old San Juan is a ten minute drive from the Condado Plaza (compared to 20 minutes from the ESJ Towers). Go to the strip of bars by Cristo Street. Nono's, el Patio de Sam, and Lazer's are only a few of the nice bars in the area. The hang-out place for locals is in Santurce, at the "Plazita," near Stop 18. If you like to meet university-age people and drink, go there. Its all improvised tailgating - no bars. But lots of people. Other nice clubs include Stargate and Havana Club, all near Stop 18. If you have a full day there, do not miss out on touring Old San Juan! The views around EL Morro are spectacular, and you will meet lots of toursts from the cruises that stop there every day. 

St. Lucia - Club Med is an all-inclusive (3 full meals, beer, wine, windsurfing, face-painting, nightly parties, fun activities for your loadmasters, Marco Polo, etc) beach resort 5 minutes from Hewanorra Int'l airport. The Hewanorra service contractor will drive you there. It's on the windward side of the island, but the nicer resorts on the leeward side are a 1.5-hour drive from TLPL. Hey, it's still Club Med. We got 12 rooms at a special $65 rate--the allowance is around $210. Call the hotel directly (search on the net) rather than the Club Med reservation number, and I'm sure you can get a decent rate.

Piarco, Trinidad and Tobago - Crowne Plaza hotel is decent and in Port-Of-Spain, right next to the docks. Best place to eat is probably in the hotel. Beer is cheap. Breakfast isn't served until 0630 or 0700. There is a place to get sandwiches and doughnuts near the airport.

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands - This is a fantastic place to RON.  Stay at King's Alley - right on the water, and just blocks from the bars and restaurants. The rum and tequila down here is phenomenal and VERY cheap.  Danish Manor was dangerous... ~Be advised we had a crewmember mugged not far from this hotel. After getting back to home station heard another crew had two that got jumped by 6 guys.  ~At Chenay Bay hotel, food was expensive but good. The rooms are great - first floor rooms are on the beach! You're across the street from the Casino but you're out of the way (east side of the island) They have a small "shoppette" store in the hotel and have laundry facilities & a shuttle to the downtown. Went on a day-long catamaran ride that  included snorkeling & a lunch cookout - Big Beards is the company. Was broken for 4 days and Bohlke set us up! Had to change hotels 3 times (International Triathalon in town) but he set us up everytime with rooms within our lodging allowance (Chenay Bay was the best by far). He set up our MRT with everything they needed on the flightline (even pizza). He's the man on that Island for anything & he loves us coming through using his equipment & buying his gas. He has everything you need - even flight planning stuff. After you've been here, you'll understand what all the hoopla is about. This is one guy worth the investment of buying a few extra thousand pounds of gas from! Service was first rate. ~Divi Carina Resort was a very nice motel, with first floor rooms on the beach. The downside is that it's on the opposite side of the island from everything else. It's got a bar, restaurant, and casino across the street. Nice place if you want to get away from the city. Either way you work it, get Bohlke to work everything for you.

We stay at the Tamarind Reef Hotel all the time; it's a great place to stay.  They have a great bar called the Deep End by the pool with a great little grill for lunch and dinner.  It's a very convenient hotel.  All oceanfront rooms with super duper air conditioners.  The rooms are standard style hotel rooms with a small kitchen.  Cheeseburgers is a great restaurant, outside eating atmosphere with a band  playing.  For a fantastic meal eat at TuTu Bene, the owners are from New Orleans and any meal you get is outstanding.  Bombay Restaurant is also another great place to eat.  Stay away from The Case Place if you want seperate checks, we asked for it and the waitress cursed out the entire table.  The food is great but the attitude of the staff over the check was a bit much.  And of course Stixx pizza and Ft. Christian Brew Pub are always a good stop for eating and drinking.  The Ft. Christian brew pub has a deal if you buy a steak you drink free beer all night long.    They are really cool people.  Another great hotel and resort is the Buccaneer Hotel.  For great crew meals on your flight you have to stop by Schooner Bay and get a sandwich or plate lunches.  Their sandwiches are outstanding!!

~As of Nov 03, Boehlke has lost the government FBO contract. The new FBO is Carribean Flight Center - nice folks - met the plane with coolers of beer, t-shirts, taxi, and gas truck. They can set up trans and hotels for you. Per previous writeups - take Danish Manor Hotel off your list - run down, sleazy hotel now in a "rough" neighborhood. Best Western also no good. Buccaneer was fantastic resort hotel - golf, tennis, beach, etc. - ten dollar cab ride to downtown. Lastly, the IFR sup shows limited hours for the airfield, but the tower/afld mgr say the field is open 7 am - 10 pm seven days a week. ~CFC Carribean Flight Center 340 778 0090, 513 1447 was a great FBO to use! They made our reservations, had a free taxi to and from any hotel we picked and worked with the resorts to get room rates for the cost of our per diem. Plus they have the only military contract for fuel. They offered to give us rides around the island, and suggested good places to go, and they even offered to put up a spread for our Breakfast. Their flight planning area is fair, but they are in the process of building a nice facility. The Divi Carina Resort is a nice resort on the water, with a coral reef across the laguna. They rent scuba gear, kayaks, and snorkel rentals for cheap. Also, they are across the street from the only Casino on the island.  Divi Carina Bay 877-773-9700 was a nice resort.  Week long mission flying in/out of St. Croix. Used FBO (Carribean Flight Center 340-778-0090). GREAT FBO...EXCELLENT STAFF !! Couldn't do enough to make our stay more enjoyable. What ever our flight schedule called for, they made sure they were open to handle our needs. They coordinated rooms/car/food.  Most of the crew had stayed in the downtown area of St. Croix before, so we decided to stay at the Divi...and we're glad we did. Great beach ! Staying there afforded us the opportunity to explore the beaches and restaurants in that part of the island. Just be aware that it could be up to an hour drive from the resort to the FBO, depending on time of day. Average travel time for us was abour 45 minutes. Have Fun...Be Safe !!!

NOTE: Bring your passports.  It is common practice to cancel VFR approaching the island and then circumnavigate the isle to get to the field VFR. 

St. Thomas, USVI- Marriott Frenchman's Reef Resort (340.776.8500 / FAX 340.715.6192) was a palace! Alliance Aviation is the current contract FBO at St Thomas. They offer excellent all-around support. WX and flight plan filing for outbound leg is available via 1-800-WXBRIEF [flight service]. We encountered no delays. Islander Taxi service (Delita Parsen 1-340-774-4077, FAX 1-340-776-1328) was used for transportation and provided excellent service. The Frenchman's Reef resort is about a 20 minute ride from the airport. All around, this is a fantastic resort. Per diem more than covered the somewhat pricey meal/drink tab. To book more than 9 rooms you'll need to go through the sales office (1-340-776-8500, ext 6403). However, with 9 or less rooms, booking rooms is simplified. The government rate the hotel offered was significantly below the maximum lodging rate paid by the Air Force.

Antigua, West Indies -Club Antigua is a Great Resort/Hotel... Last time I was there a couple of years ago and it was $95.00 a night. Free dinner buffet and FREE BAR! Small rooms with no phones or TV, but, its right on a great beach with its own cove. WARNING!  Don't use the pay phone at the lobby cause you'll get charged ship-to-shore fees and it adds up real quick. Other than that, GREAT PLACE!  Jolly Beach Resort (phone: 268-462-0061) was a nice resort.  This all inclusive was nice. Rooms are a little dated and small, but the beach location is fantastic. We were greeted on arrival with cocktails, and the overall service was excellent (despite slow check in and check out). Food was average, but for free... so who cares. Pools were great as was the scenery. For dinner, if you choose the seafood restaurant, don't bother paying a surcharge for the surf and turf or other seafood specialties, as it wasn't fresh seafood, and you'd be better off saving your cash for seafood at home. There is a Sandals resort on the island, which I am sure is more modern and probably nicer, but we didn't get an option.

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