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Nohoch Kay Beach Break


salmonbuster

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We've been to Nachi many times. Over the last couple of years, they have cut down on their staff and service has not been quite as good. It was still great and we will go back, but Nohoch was a whole different level of service -- it was fabulous-- Jaime (and his staff) are there constantly making sure you have everything you need. He seems to have as many staff as Nachi and only takes 25 persons a day (as opposed to Nachi's 80 -- down from the 100 they used to take)

Is the water (ice, salad...) ok there? purified?

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We were just there last week on the Dream... only thing we didn't like was having to leave so early. We had great food, drinks and service. The fly fishing guy was awesome. The massages were inexpensive and excellent. Our group of 6 all agreed it was truly paradise. For the cost of 2 Margaritas in Grand Cayman we ate and drank all day and can't wait to return.

any discount for group of 6?

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any discount for group of 6?

 

 

We were 3 groups of 2 that hooked up at the meet and greet. I'd feel bad asking for a discount to be honest... for $40 we ate great and drank many, many, many drinks. We would have had a bar tab alone over $100 each if we did that here at the beach in Florida. The blender was running non-stop for us the whole time we were there.

 

If the ice would hurt you I'd be dead. :D

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Has anyone done this in Costa Maya. My daughter wants to swim with the dolphins more than anything!!

The encounter is in the fake port of Costa Maya (not a real city). The pen is small and you have to feel sorry for the Dolphin. It's much better to do the encounter in Cozumel and you can book directly with Dolphin Discovery (at Chanakaab Park) for a cheaper rate than what RCI charges.

 

It is expensive and unless you buy the royal swim (not thru RCI) you don't free swim with them. Even RCI's Royal swim only involves hugging a dolphin, kissing one, being pulled through the water by one. What you see Samantha Brown doing on her Freedom of the Seas show was an experience not booked through the ship. We could see the free swim pen on the other side of our pen where people were given some time to snorkel while the trainer had the dolphins leap around. Whatever you choose to do, you are offered a chance to buy the video they make of your group with the dolphin.

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Just back from Nohoch Kay. It was overcast but decent air temp. I got a decent nap on the beach (wearing my jacket) then when the wind died down I put my suit on and went in the warm water. There's large weed beds around but you can walk to deep water on sand. It was quiet and Jaime and his employees are W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L!!!! They greeted us before we even got out of the cab. I took our printed reservation with us and just showed the cab driver where we wanted to go. Finding the gate to walk out of the port was the hardest part. When you get to where they sell the transportation tickets, walk down the sidewalk to the end of the building then cross the parking lot to your left. You'll then see the guardhouse and you walk right on through. There is a pretty paved meridian with sculptures and water elements down the middle of the street and that's what we walked on for 1/8 of a mile to the taxi stand. You'll see the words taxi station painted on the side of a high white building and in front a line of yellow cabs. Showed the driver where we wanted to go and for $2 pp he took right to the beach club. Hardly any of the beach clubs have signs posting their name so it was good we took a cab. The food was incredible, we went with Jaime's recommendations and he was spot on every choice. I now buy Dos Equis Amber! He recommended we share a shrimp creviche. It had octopus in it and it was good! I was full after my appetizer (he gave me shrimp taco cuz I told him I like shrimp) and creviche, maybe the 3 margaritas had something to do with it too. But husband had grouper fixed the way he wanted. Jaime and his crew had fished that morning at 6 am and caught 21 of them. You can't get it any fresher than that (well you can if you showed up and fished right then for yourself)!! He had it grilled with garlic and white wine and I could see the fish melted in your mouth, it just flaked apart with his fork like it was butter. We had also rented a wave runner but that is no longer at his facility, we had to go to another beach club for that. Jamie got us a taxi and told the driver where we had to go, and once again they greeted us at the taxi door. This one was called Quinto Sol and they gave us drinks while waiting for the wave runners and he gave us money to take the cab back to the port. It is a guided tour where the leader takes you out to a spot and tells you to go but just stay in his area. We had never been on wave runners before and it was just rough enough for hubby to catch some air while I clutched him dearly and reminded him in a loud voice to slow down. It rained on us several times but since there was no thunder and lightning we were fine, we were wet anyway. Once done, they got us a cab back to the port, we showed our seapass cards at the gate and the driver was allowed in to drop us right off in the port.

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I forgot to mention that ship crew like to go to Nohoch Kay also. They did shoo away a group of 6 Phillipino guys and girls (they were young and probably would have been "loud") that didn't have a reservation. Even the crew has to reserve, we had dinner next to a guy who was the bartender at Radiance of the Seas Sky Bar. Jaime said he comes every week! We talked with the man and found out he was one of the few Americans (not in activities or entertainment) RCI had hired. He went through a recruiting agency in France and did his interview via web cam so he kind of back doored RCI. Or else RCI wouldn't have hired him, that's what he said, RCI doesn't hire Americans (unless its for Adventure Ocean, Activities, or Entertainment) cuz they find out how hard they have to work and then quit mid contract.

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We booked both the Exclusive Costa Maya Beach Break and the Costa Maya Catamaran Sailing and Snorkeling Excursion about six months before we visited Costa May on Wednesday, January 26th while on a cruise with Celebrity. The printed instructions were excellent, but it helped to speak a little Spanish when arranging the taxi ride, because the English on the part of the cab driver was not really good. It cost eight dollars to get four of us to the restaurant. On the way we could see a lot of damage was still around from the ‘07 hurricane. We were dropped off from the taxi right next to the restaurant around 9:15 a.m. and found we were the first to arrive.

 

We were greeted by Tracey, who happened to be the masseuse, and introduced to a number of the staff. During the introductions Jaime, the owner, arrived and promised us a feast once we had finished our snorkel-sail. We were assured that everything possible would be done to make our stay enjoyable.

 

Tracey along with other staff showed us the beach where palapas were set up and recliners placed out of the sun. We arranged our beach stuff under our palapas and conversed with Jaime and his staff while our snorkel gear was gathered and placed in a catamaran. Captain Nacho did a fabulous job of guiding our catamaran to the snorkel site and then following the swimmers so they could easily get back on the boat if they got tired.

 

It got cloudy and rained, but the bay was crystal clear and we got some excellent underwater photos of fish and coral. There were plenty of drinks (sodas, water, and beer) when we wanted them. We got back to the beach, and while the others settled under the palapas I got an excellent 30 minute massage from Tracey that really loosened up some knots from my neck and shoulders.

 

The other group members had gotten a head start on drinks and were in the restaurant waiting for a rain shower to stop. It was noon so we decided to have lunch and what a lunch it was! Jaime did indeed fix a feast! Jaime checked the food preferences of each individual and suggested an entree for each person. He also showed us three sauces that he had developed (hot, medium and sweet). The staff was extremely attentive and checked often to make sure that drink orders were filled.

 

Jaime’s food was just excellent! The sauces, especially the green habanera-based one really added a special taste to the food. Jim, a member of our group and a hotsauce devotee, and Jaime had a great time discussing Jaime’s Habanera sauce. The octopus and ceviche were just excellent. Everything was cooked to order and fresh from the kitchen. Jaime kept stopping by to make certain that we liked his food and to make suggestions for the next dish.

 

Another member of our group decided to have a massage with Tracey’s daughter and also had an exceptional experience. After lunch and a little nap on the beach we sat at a table with drinks and chatted with Jaime about his experiences as a restranteuer as well as some politics and his philosophy. Jaime proved to be a most interesting individual.

 

In sum, Jaime is the most attentive, and personable host anyone in our group has met. He obviously loves what he does and wants to share his great food with his customers. Everyone really enjoyed the meal, time on the beach and efforts of his attentive staff.

 

About 3:00 p.m. Jaime arranged for a taxi to take us back to our ship. We all agreed that this was one of the best experiences we had had for a shore excursion.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We also just got back from Nahoch Kay. We had the most excellent lunch, grouper blackened with garlic and white wine! One of the best fish dishes I have ever had! Excellent food and drinks. We went on our own and did not have a reservation, but at the end of our lunch we were able to lounge on the beach because of a few no shows. Jamie said they are usually fully booked so a prior reservation is recommended. We got lucky with the no shows and were able to take their loungers and spend the whole day there! So happy to get to stay! Had a full hour massage on the beach from Tracy and she was wonderful.

 

HIGHLY recommend this place for excellent food, drinks, massage, beach, staff, etc. Will go back if we find ourselves in Costa Maya again!!

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We are booked here next month and I am very excited about it. I, too, am a bit concerned about my kiddos. We are taking our 5 and 6 year old. They love the beach and calm wading water so I expect they will really enjoy it. I just hope its not TOO peaceful to the point where children playing will be a disturbance. It sounds heavenly, there, though!

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  • 2 weeks later...
Agree with the above posts. Was just there last week, and it was just what the doctor ordered. Jaime was extremely attentive, the whole staff was friendly, and the more intimate atmosphere allowed us to focus our attention on our kids and the neighbors who cruised with us.

 

Don't get me wrong, we still had a good time with the 'menu of mexican beers' and all... it just fit us better than the larger/more crowded 'Pez' beachbreak. We talked to a couple other folks who were there, and they seemed to like it better too. Guess it's all in what you want. For us, it was the perfect fit for our last land excursion in the sun before heading back to the great white north ;)

 

P.S. Food was great. When Jaime found out we had some food allergies in our group, he went out of his way to ensure we were safe. Don't know if we would've got that level of detail at 'Pez'.

 

P.S 2 - here's the link to the Nohoch Kay beachbreak: http://www.costamayacruiseexcursions.com/AllInclusiveBeach.htm

Hi - We'll be headed out on the Dream 6/11. My husband, myself and our 4 kids. Is Nohoch Kay good for the kids? And how would we get here from the ship? I am trying not to get overwhelmed with all of the possiblities!:D

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One of the things I loved about Nohoch Kay was how peaceful & quiet it is. No island music blaring in the background, no garden of water toys, etc. Personally I think with kids I'd want a place that had more of a party vibe, but it depends on what type of kids you have. Read through some reviews of the different beach clubs and see what seems like the best fit for your family. For any of the beach clubs on Mahahual you take the shuttle bus from the port $3pp and they drop you off at a central point. Taxi back to the port is $2pp.

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Going here in November on Carnival Magic and just now started looking at this forum. To many choices for beaches but this one sounds like what I'm loooking for.. I will email Jaime a little closer to October for reservations. Does anyone know if they had hammocks or beach beds.. We loved the beach beds in Cozumel...

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Does anyone know if they had hammocks or beach beds.. We loved the beach beds in Cozumel...

None that I recall. They only take 40 people per day, and it seems to be setup with 20 palapas, two lounge chairs under each. You can move the chairs around, of course.

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  • 1 month later...

Just back......went to Nohoch Kay on April 19th. What a wonderful experience! We go to beaches all over the Caribbean and this is now one of my absolute favorites! Jaime is a class act and all of his servers are so happy and give great service. Very quiet, laid back....good for kids......there is kayaking and Hobie Cats. The food is wonderful and my husband got a 30 minute massage for $25 that turned into a 45 minute massage. He was a happy camper. We went there thanks to people on this thread. So I want to pay it forward.....hope someone else will go and enjoy. We definitely hope to go again! Here are some pictures:

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011080.jpg

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011089.jpg

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011175.jpg

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011176.jpg

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011183.jpg

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Just back......went to Nohoch Kay on April 19th. What a wonderful experience! We go to beaches all over the Caribbean and this is now one of my absolute favorites! Jaime is a class act and all of his servers are so happy and give great service. Very quiet' date=' laid back....good for kids......there is kayaking and Hobie Cats. The food is wonderful and my husband got a 30 minute massage for $25 that turned into a 45 minute massage. He was a happy camper. We went there thanks to people on this thread. So I want to pay it forward.....hope someone else will go and enjoy. We definitely hope to go again! Here are some pictures:[/size']

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011080.jpg

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011089.jpg

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011175.jpg

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011176.jpg

RadianceOfTheSeasApril2011183.jpg

This looks pretty. Was this an Ai or pay as you go???

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Maya Chan has kayaks.

 

When we were at Nohach Kay [with 'jimie' pronounced 'Himie"] last October they had kayaks, sail boat and inflatable rafts to float on free of charge. Bathroom facilities were rather primitive, but clean. locks on doors were secure. No place to put valuables, but no one around to bother anything. Very quiet relaxing and nearly deserted we were the only couple there until like 2 pm then there were only like 4 or 5 couples in all. Water is very shallow there, but clean beach. Lunch was more than we could eat, and they started serving drinks at 830 am! [didn't realize it was that early their time...]...a little too early for us, but it was 5 o'clock somewhere I guess... they bent over backwards to make sure we never had an empty bottle/ or glass, and when it was time for us to go we had a taxi within 2 minutes of them making a call for us and for less than 5$ we were dropped right off at the pier.

Angie the masseuse was fabulous! 35$ for an hour long full body massage on the beach!!! who could ask for more! {she got an extra tip from me, well deserved I might add}

Too bad the cruise we booked for this fall doesn't stop there, we'd do it again in a heartbeat!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...
The more I hear about this place, the more I wonder if jaime, the owner, is the same Jaime who had La Oasis in Playa Del Carmen (defunct). I heard he recently (past 6 months?) moved to that area. Descriptions of the food sure sound like it. Anybody know for sure? Regardless, I'm pleased to hear that Majahual is developing a vibrant local restaurant community.

 

This is an old post, but just spoke with my next door neighbor here in Belize. We were talking about my upcoming cruise. She told me to look up Jaimie at Nohoch Kay. She said that he was a freind of hers from Playa. And has known him for 13 years.

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