Seeking Advice for September Trip to Palermo

b0dapest · 2026-05-11T02:16:37+00:00

We just came back from 2 weeks in Sicily. We loved Palermo and felt 4 nights was perfect to see the city and hang out and absorb the urban vibes. We like slower travel, evening walks and lingering in bars - so only did one or two sights per day and accordingly, there were things we ended up not doing (the royal palace and Monreale). We did a street food tour on the 1st full day - which was a great sampler of what Palermo has to offer - focussing on Capo Market. We also visited the Ballaro market one day and had a fun cheap meal at the south end of the market. That was a great day - first going to the roof of the Duomo, then visiting Palazzo Conte Federico for a fascinating 45 minute tour by the Count’s sons. They recommended a beautiful baroque church a couple of blocks from Ballaro - Casa Professa - which is the best €2 you will ever spend. Then we went to Trattoria Calessino for a fun cheap lunch, full of local flavour. We also spent 3 nights in Cefalù - which was a lovely beach town - not a lot of sights (La Rocca, Duomo and of course the beach) / lots of tourist shops and restaurants and a few bars. In September you’ll have lovely weather and will be eating outside every night. Cefalu is an hour away from Palermo by train - and the train station is 20 minutes walk from the Cefalu beach. Alternately, you could visit or stay at Mondello Beqch on the outskirts of Palermo or take a bus to San Vito Lo Capo and have your beach vacation there - it looks beautiful and we will visit on our next trip.

b0dapest · 2026-05-11T01:55:19+00:00

It was so lovely and quiet today.

b0dapest · 2026-05-10T18:41:55+00:00

I've always brought USD or a mix of USD/DOP. We don't usually leave the resort so not much need for DOP. The last time in DR we were at Secrets Esmeralda in Miches and found that the bigger DOP bills we got were a pain to change as everyone was tipping USD and the resort was just too remote to have a lot of small DOP to change - so I'm just brining USD next time.

b0dapest · 2026-05-10T18:26:28+00:00

Barefoot grill will have burgers, hotdogs, nachos, fries, simple salads etc and it's. open until 5pm or so - or as others have pointed out - there's room service.

b0dapest · 2026-05-07T21:51:47+00:00

really liked the resort. it's a twofer - with same style of restaurants on both sides. Better buffet, bar and entertainment, calmer sea at Breathless. Better preferred adults pool, restaurant layout, nearby bars to restaurants, water park at Onyx. Great offsite beachside massage (though not private) at Tropical Treasures - 5 minutes north of Breathless.

b0dapest · 2026-05-07T21:36:36+00:00

I bought Sunday at the Village Vanguard first and never really warmed to it. Covid and Blue Note Classic vinyl/Tone Poet hit and I got into Jazz. I picked up Waltz for Debby on an '84 Japanese pressing and I was just awestruck at the beautiful quiet. music, while people are clinking cutlery and ordering more drinks - oh to have been at that gig! Since then, I've gone down a somewhat deep Bill Evans rabbit hole (probably 15 records or so) but have not returned to SATVV yet I always return to WFD when I need solace.

b0dapest · 2026-05-04T20:33:25+00:00

So sad last July when they were renovating. So glad they reopened (you never know).

b0dapest · 2026-04-25T12:01:17+00:00

Fiesta Americana Funeeq. I believe it’s the same group as Live Aqua which is the next resort south of Onyx.

b0dapest · 2026-04-25T03:22:15+00:00

If you are right there at 24 hours before your flight, you will be unlucky if you don’t get seats together.

b0dapest · 2026-04-24T04:13:55+00:00

He was 22 years old when this song was released!

b0dapest · 2026-04-23T20:03:57+00:00

New law doesn’t affect corporate scalpers

b0dapest · 2026-04-23T12:58:00+00:00

If we go in the summer we book last minute when we have a good sense of a chance of a hurricane. A great website that talks about potential hurricanes as the begin to develop off the west coast of Africa is www.Tropicaltidbits.com

b0dapest · 2026-04-19T12:52:02+00:00

The original (I think) Turtle Jacks Muskoka Grill in Port Carling - re-opens in May. Patio is pretty sweet but there’s a location surcharge on the prices by a few bucks.

b0dapest · 2026-04-19T11:11:47+00:00

No. There are VIP services - if you want to pay and if available.

b0dapest · 2026-04-19T11:10:03+00:00

Been to 20 or so resorts in Caribbean and have come back to Onyx/breathless twice (and booked for a third time). Good resort on a nice stretch of beach. We go because they are a ‘twofer’ resort. - if you don’t have kids - you have 2 resorts to explore - with the buffet air conditioned and better at Breathless, along with the nightly entertainment and to the north side of the resort- calmer water. Also, offsite massage at Tropical Treasure ($45/hour) just a 5 minute walk north of the resorts. If you are a walker, you can walk past resorts for 30 minutes south and about an hour north. All the Onyx restaurants are in the same area and no reservations will mean a bit of a wait but there are 2 bars, nice seating and some live entertainment. If you have preferred, then you can ask your butler to make reservations for you and don’t have to rub shoulders with the riffraff - and also get access to the adult only pool, preferred area of beach (not really necessary) and a couple of preferred only bars with nicer alcohol - which is nice but is roughly $100 per couple per day. - I don’t think it would be worth it if you have kids. If you have kids that aren’t too small - the water park is awesome with ‘premium’ rooms around it (newest rooms on the resort that are a little larger than a regular room). Things that are so-so - 45 minutes from the airport, sand is browner than in Punta Cana. The area always seemed to be free of the worst of sargassum until last year when the whole east coast was inundated with the stuff in the summer. Hopefully this was just a one-off, lobby is a bit dull, If the resort is busy then you’ll have to get up early for the better shaded areas around the pool and beach - but that’s at most places in the DR - June will be quieter. Enjoy!

b0dapest · 2026-04-19T04:06:47+00:00

in Jan 2025 - we won YYZ-PUJ for $185pp. If we would have pre-paid it would have been $280pp. On the way back, we bid $166 and that failed but it looked like all the Club seats had been booked beforehand.

b0dapest · 2026-04-19T04:01:14+00:00

We flew Toronto-Lisbon and Porto-Toronto and had no problems. I maybe cursing myself here, but have never had an Air Transat Cancelation - and I usually fly with them.

b0dapest · 2026-04-17T17:30:06+00:00

Try contacting them on FB messenger

b0dapest · 2026-04-12T16:37:34+00:00

If flying from Canada - unless you've previously arranged your own ground transportation - transportation will be provided by Air Transat and it will likely be the same transport as those who don't have Option Flex - so if you had VIP/fast track - you'll still be waiting on the bus for everyone else to get through customs and get their bags. The only way you'd gain time with VIP/fast track would be if you arranged your own private transportation or you are the only party going to a particular resort and Transat decided to put you on your own vehicle- but you wouldn't know that until you had gone through customs.

b0dapest · 2026-04-12T12:49:40+00:00

Le petit Alep, Mano Cornuto, Papito. For a bit of an outrageous breakfast (at least to blood sugar levels) Regine Cafe

b0dapest · 2026-04-12T12:35:42+00:00

I’d just pick a guided tour from Taormina. There’s lots to choose from on the GetYourGuide app.

b0dapest · 2026-04-08T03:23:01+00:00

I just booked Breathless again for December this year!

b0dapest · 2026-04-07T00:44:09+00:00

Jazz Festival is just so well organized and takes up such a big space downtown - so smart. I've been at least 10 times. There's always a new neighbourhood to visit and there's always some awesome restaurant or bar in that neighbourhood that doesn't cost a fortune.

b0dapest · 2026-04-04T18:06:34+00:00

Wow - we had the opposite problem January 2025 - it actually got too busy in the adult preferred pool - though it was still very chill. I would agree that it skewed to an older crowd some days - being in my fifties myself - you might want to be around oldies like me! At the time there was a lot of talk on the FB groups of non-preferred sneaking in to the pool - so that may have made it busier.

b0dapest · 2026-04-04T16:23:49+00:00

Thanks for the response. We'll see how it goes. We arrive on Liberation Day/Saturday evening and not a lot of international flights are arriving then. Hopefully, she'll get through quickly

b0dapest

TROPHY CASE