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Thursday afternoon is yet another day of staple jam-packed lineup of premium all-inclusive fetes.

Many are ardent fans/defenders of their selected all-inclusive while others flip flop year to year for variety/spice of life or in years like this with a recession in mind they make a decision based on pricing.  The big two going head to head are C’est La Vie (CLV) and Beach House (BH).



I attended Beach House, which had a new venue on a plantation specifically cleared and built out for this event. When it comes to all-inclusives, Beach House takes it to a whole other stratosphere of premium food & liquor.

The feeling you get as you enter Beach House with servers walking up to immediately offer you shots or a glass of champagne is just the beginning of what is bound to be an indulgent experience & sensory overload, let’s keep it real – for the money your spending on tickets you want to make sure you have a hell of an experience & I truly believe Beach House ensures you get what you pay for inside the fete.



The strategy employed here as a feter is to be aware that while some come just to see & be seen if you want the most bang for your buck grab a glass of your favorite libation, a celebratory flute of champagne & a bottle of water and then head to the food stations (my inner fat kid is doing cartwheels when I walk into this fete) - you've got plenty of time to wine since you'll be there for 6+ hours if you've timed it right.

Being on a very restricted Carnival diet for the last 6 weeks & my belly shrinking to the point I can’t hold/consume half of what I normally do, plus still wanting to reserve large portion of my caloric intake for liquor – I drooled as I walked by each service station to make a mental checklist & devise a strategy of what “had to be” consumed.



Spicy Shrimp over Thai Noodles
Cilantro Coconut Crusted Pork Loin
Crab Meatballs
Cinnamon Roasted Chicken
Grilled Vegetable Medley (I’m a sucker for properly grilled zucchini & eggplant)
Corn Soup
Doubles
Jerk Chicken
French Macaroons (yes, even I allowed myself to indulge & enjoy a few)
Tres Leche 



The list continued on & on, but considering I’m still attempting to be road ready that was more than enough.  One thing you can truly appreciate is the consciousness of bringing in numerous styles of food, an extremely wide variety of proteins (even my vegan friend’s were satisfied), with a range that goes from decadent to “down home” staples – whatever you want, they have you covered.



The idea for many back in the US, Canada, Europe and beyond that you can walk into a fete and literally feel like they’ve designed it so that any bar you walk up to you are immediately served or have no more than a 30 second wait (it’s not 3 rows deep – you literally are always belly to the bar) and be served an unlimited amount of Johnnie Walker Gold, Pure Hennessy White, Ciroc (pick a flavor), Patron (again take your pick) is not just foreign, it’s the stuff only dreams are made of.  Well, it’s what you come to expect (possibly even take for granted a bit) when you attend Beach House.


(you're never going to see a free-flowing Hennessy White lounge in the U.S.)

Alcohol pours like a beautiful waterfall from an endless spring, Soca engulfs your every move & as the sun goes down people’s hands are often seen raising up in praise position as the latest & greatest songs pump out of massive speakers that turns a “dance floor” the size of 3 football fields into a blur of bodies gyrating in euphoric bliss.



For any Carnival goer I say this is a MUST DO bucket list item because you will never have any party/fete in the US/Canada, Europe or beyond that will compare.

Now like everything in life, there’s always room for improvement.  While there’s no doubt you can asked any attendee of Beach House that they had ample opportunities to enjoy incredible music, food, and drinks – the new venue created a new wrinkle when it comes to parking which required a number of shuttles running to & fro.  Like anything during Carnival season traffic can be intense & a bit unpredictable.  After the fete was done the demand for transportation far exceeded supply, which led to some attendees having to walk a couple kilometers in order to find a lift. 



(unfortunately.... no shuttles to be found post fete making it all the way up)

I’m certain that knowing how meticulous the Beach House staff works on things each and every year to enhance the experience of the attendees that they will expand the strategic plans for car parks and shuttle runs after the fete.  But even with some rumblings of discomfort from some the smiles, memories, food, beverages & fun trumps all. 

Beach House is well worth your time and money to attend, especially if you’re coming from foreign as you’ll never experience anything like this outside of the Caribbean.

Stay tuned for the next Trinidad Carnival 2016 review installment, Carnival Friday.

'Til next time - Soca to de World,
Jouvert Mike

>> Beach House Carnival 2016 - Part 1 Gallery
>> Beach House Carnival 2016 - Part 2 Gallery
 >> Beach House Carnival 2016 - Part 3 Gallery
>> Trinidad Carnival 2016 Coverage