I suggested to my husband that we might take a vacation for our first wedding anniversary. He said sure... thought it was a great idea - "like upstate?" he asked. I said "well actually I was thinking maybe Jamaica...". His arm did not need to be twisted. I planned this trip about a month and a half prior to going. Luckily The Rockhouse was booked. I found Tensing Pen thru Tripadvisor. My darling husband and I are young but we don't like to party. I want a view, some drinks and quiet. We've been to Anguilla 4 times (and fell in love) and I was hesitant to try somewhere else in the Caribbean. Apparently Tensing Pen is named after a dog named after a Sherpa - as close to being Buddhist as we are it just made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Especially after seeing photos of the lodge with the Prayer flags. Tensing from the get go seemed perfect for us -- and it was (is!).

We took the noon nonstop (fully packed!) AA flight from JFK to Montego Bay. Smooth flight arrived perfectly on time. The airport is nice, reminded me a little of SJU - it is under construction in some places. Customs seems to be always on the opposite side of the airport from your gate - it was nice to stretch our legs. We never check bags, a few "yes maams" and "no maams" later - we blew thru all formalities without a hitch. Walked outside to meet with Clives Transport that I arranged before we left. They were waiting for us and we were off in 5 minutes. We paid for the non-private transfer ($36) but it was just us! Maybe it was the extended release xanax I took for the flight a few hours earlier but I didnt think the ride to Negril was that bad. Our driver pointed out different sights and towns. I was sort of paying attention. It was Sunday - so less traffic it seems, we got to Tensing Pen in about an hour and a half.

Our first vision of Tensing is the same as probably everyone elses. The beautful dark wood of the Indonesian furniture in the outdoor reception area, the hibiscus, the "guard" dogs - Tensing, Sugar and Bella. The backdoor to the lodge was open and we were able to see the ocean. We walked into the office introduced ourselves, shook hands - they were expecting us. No "check-in", no "we need to swipe your credit card" Mikey would bring us to our room. OK cool, off to a good start. Walking down the path behind the lodge, to the left of middle pillar, the ocean we found ourselves at our room - Rock Cottage II. We opened the door. Thanks Mikey.

The AC was on along with the ceiling fan, there were fresh flowers on the bed and in a vase on the desk. A pitcher of ice water with glasses by the refrigerator. Rock Cottage II is beautiful. This is not a hut on the beach in Ko Pang Ngan (but you already know that).. inside the roof and ceiling is beautiful hardwood (what I am saying is that it is not just thatch!) There's a king sized bed with canopy, a writing desk and a seperate dressing room. The view from the terrace (and the bed) is 180 degrees of ocean. Very private and very clean. The bathroom and dressing rooms do not have walls all the way to the ceiling, - this wasnt a big deal for us. (the ceiling are obviously very very high). The bathroom shower could have used more light but it was fine (no tub). The terrace has 2 loungers a chair and a table - and occasionally Sugar. We came to like sitting on the wood edge. This cottage is one of the only ones that has AC - I have to say I was thankful to have it. The constant breeze that you associate with the coast was nonexistent.

Okay, unpacking la la la.. umm.. let's get a drink!

Rum punch and Red Stripe please.

Dinner was delicious at the restaurant. I liked that it was only a few choices each night. I found the service to be great - prompt and unintrusive - my water glass was always full. I found the entire staff to be very polite and helpful. The food arrived faster than I am used to in the Caribbean. The soups were amazing. The price very reasonable. Breakfast was fine, tons of beautiful fresh fruit, granola, cereal, scrambled eggs, toast, muffins (umm.. no flies) what more do you need? This is the tropics... the idea of eating a heavy omelette or pancakes does nothing for me. coffee and tea were available at all times. It was nice to walk up there early and grab some tea to bring back before my husband was even awake. We ate lunch there once. It was good as well.

The ocean is crystal clear. It is quite deep - even as soon as you get in (either by jumping or via ladder). They have floats which are fun to use. The ocean was calmly rolling but did get a little choppy on one of the days. The pool was perfect in the meantime. Our days consisted of swimming, exploring a little, sunning, reading, drinking a bit and relaxing.

We fell in love with Tensing Pen, low-key lux, it was so intimate. The attention to detail, all of the carved out seating and lounge areas, the bridge, the openness of everything, the pool, the ocean, the funky little bar. The staff was constantanly landscaping, cleaning to make sure that everything was in tiptop shape. This is not a place for kids, leave them home for everyones sake (we didnt see any while we were there).

If you want someone to make a big fuss about your presense - stay somewhere else. This is real Caribbean, the resort looks like it belongs there - it's for people who hate the white gloved snobby version of lux. If the vibe of all-inclusives are your thing, 12 different restaurants, swimup bars and water skis... I don't think Tensing is the place for you. I think photos tell the story better. All we did was relax and recharge.

I should also add that I felt extremely safe at Tensing. Security was always in the background, we came to know most of the staff. We only locked the door at night or if we were gone for an extended period time. I felt like it was OK to do that.. but use

your own judgment and gut feeling.

It was hard to leave, Clives showed up ontime and we were off, the drive back to the airport well.. it was a little hairy. The driver cut in front of all vehicles in front of us on the road, if he wasnt able to do that he tailgating like crazy. We actually got pulled over. I guess he was given a warning to slow down. The line for AA checkin looked long it went very quickly. The departure gates are very new, a big change from the "mall area" downstairs.

We will definately be back next year.

If anyone wants to see photos, I can send my flickr link!