posted 04-12-2005 23:27               

It isn't, however, for everyone. If you need a TV to finish your day, you won't want to go there as they don't furnish the villas with them. That's not a bad thing at all IMHO!

Anyhow, I hope the photos give more perspective as to what Ocho is about! Each of the villas is a bit different, but they keep a similar theme - and all but Villa 2 have a great view! Oh well... we had a great view in that villa until about 5 years ago - and it still beats anything here at home!

posted 04-13-2005 02:59               

We have used a total of nine weeks there since October, 2003 + 2 more we had for friends. Everyone who has gone there has loved it, but it is not without it's idiosincracies... if you are looking for a plush resort, this is not it. If you are looking for a tranquil place to unwind and are undaunted by the elements, lack of ammenities, etc then this is the place for you. Going to PV I always feel like I am going home and OCC is just another aspect of that.

posted 04-15-2005 04:22               

Not sure if you realize this - but the wonderful photos of the sunsets and ocean that 4dabirds included in his reply to you were taken from the unit. You look out on those sites from your living room, kitchen and bedrooms - what could be better than this?

My husband and I had been married for 6 or 7 years when we stumbled on Ocho. Didn't realize until then that I had never truly seen him relax. - This place has an amazing affect on us both...

If you have a chance go! If you are like us - you will quickly find that it is a helpless addiction and you'll need your Ocho fix on a regular basis...

posted 04-15-2005 10:38               

Are mosquitos a problem? Mosquitos seem to be very attracted to me, and I am very sensitive to their bites. I see that some of the beds have mosquito netting -- is this available for all the beds? Are there times of year when mosquitos and other insects are less prevalent?

posted 05-21-2005 20:21               

There are mosquitos all year long... in the dry season (Nov-April) they are very few and I have slept outside without netting and came home with only a bite or two. May-Oct you will have more issues. Not bad (to me considering how bad it can be anywhere during the summer). There is netting available for the couches as well as the netting supplied for the beds.

It can get very warm and humid without a/c. Some people have issues sleeping in this environment. Ocho may not be for you. There are fans, however, the netting is over you and this tends to obstruct the airflow. I recommend going down to Rizos and purchasing a fan (upstairs in the housewares department) for $20. You may also get them from the office, but there are only a couple and we like two fans per room sometimes when we go in October - for us, buying the fans is worth it.

The beds are a bit hard by American standards (this is generally the case in all Mexican timeshare). Take a cushion if it bothers you...

The cook is Betty... her fee is something ridiculously low $15 <- I can't remember. Anyway, we always just give her $100 for the four of us to include the food, her services, and tip. She is usually there for several hours. She is always happy with that and it seems fair to us. She always makes extra salsa and brings it for my husband who eats it every meal while we are there. She and her husband are very wonderful people and she is an excellent cook.

The pool water is chlorinated... the fellow comes each day and checks the chemicals and adds them as necessary for each villa. There is no nudity allowed on any of the decks and no jumping from one pool to another. Also, there is a quite time observation after 10pm... although when it is really warm and not too late sometimes I have slipped in and no one has complained.

Also, they have changed the tipping policy.. there are envelopes now and you tip each person seperately (instead of them splitting everything equally). Please do not forget the people such as the gardener, pool guy, and the night watchman/bug spray guy... they all work very hard and are integral to your positive experience.

Everyone asks if there are critters... I haven't ever seen any bats in the unit. I have seen them flying about, but not in the unit. We had a skunk once... he didn't bother us, just came over the wall, dug in our trash I left out, and went about his business. If I hadn't been up, I wouldn't have known he was there (he didn't even make much of a mess). I saw the tail of something one other time... a possum or rat or some such thing. It was late at night and we were up in unit 9. It was leaving the villa and heading out into the jungle lot next door... didn't get into anything that we could see, but our trash was put away this time. A girlfriend of mine found a small snake (6 inches) on the deck... it was a little non-poisonous snake - she was in villa 6. Of the people we have spoke to, very few have had any issues with anything wild regardless of how many years they have owned there.

Hope that answers the questions you had... if not, feel free to email me and I will answer what I can.

posted 05-22-2005 12:35               

quote:

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Originally posted by remax:
Thanks for the answers. What would be the best time to avoid mosqitous and noseeums? Do you need a car? Thanks 4dabirds for such a informative post? There is a last minute Ocho for june 9 I would like to take advantage off, but I am worried it will be to buggy and hot. Any thougts?

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The best time to avoid these things is in the winter months December through mid-March when temperatures start to rise as well as the humidity... that said, we have not had the issues Jeff has had in October, November, March, April, or May.

Current Weather: http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/76601.html
The weather there currently is VERY mild for mid-May. Normally, I would expect it to be 90ish with 40-70%+++ humidity. By June 9th it definitely will be those temps. A more accurate depiction of the current weather is to check out a live webcam... Cuates y Cuetes has one right off the Los Muertos Pier check out their website here: http://www.sunsetpv.com/

Regarding spraying the unit:
I rarely have Jose spray the unit - to the point where when he sees me, he just stops to chat and goes about his business in the other units.

Regarding a car:
I have always a car until my last visit over Semana Santa/Spring Break... I enjoy the freedom a car gives me, but then again I like to get out and about and I do not like having to work around a bus schedule. If I am watching a band in Boca I do not want to have to worry that the last bus goes back at 11pm. <--- this is just me That said, even I wouldn't rent a car over Semana Santa, Christmas, or any other big Mexican holiday because people come from EVERYWHERE! It is very crowded with cars from the Canada, US, and all over Mexico. Lots of others swear by the bus and I agree IF you are staying somewhere where THE HILL isn't a factor. It is pretty steep to be lugging all your suitcases, groceries, etc (think San Francisco). We always would walk down to the bus stop, pay the .50 cents to go into town and then decide if we were going to spend the $3.50 on a cab to go back home. Generally, it seemed worth it especially after a long day of other activities.