MarkSimpson
New Member
Apologies for the excessively long review, but I couldn't leave anything out. Click http://www.bebo.com/PhotoAlbum.jsp?MemberId=467045947&PhotoNbr=1&PhotoAlbumId=4993441498 for photos.
Ibiza trip number six is the first for two years and a record three week stint. We plan to have a fairly relaxing time (the one-week trip in 2005 nearly killed us), with a decent amount of clubbing and a few new experiences. I think we manage to achieve all three aims as well as gorging ourselves stupid on some really amazing food.
We stay in the Sol Bahia apartments on the edge of San Antonio, just along the coast from Calo des Moro, Kanya etc. If you are actually looking to get some sleep while you are there, I can't recommend this place enough - a short walk from Mambo, the town centre and Calo Gracio, nice and quiet, great rooms, a nice pool and fantastic snorkelling from the rocks in front of the hotel. If you are looking to go mad constantly, please stay away, apart from ruining the atmosphere I don't get the impression it would be tolerated.
Other observations - not only were the new dual carriageways unnecessary, they have also resulted in three hills - one each side of Ibiza, one near the airport - being completely obliterated. As Stephen has pointed out elsewhere, several of the roundabouts are too tight, as is the bend on the sliproad at San Rafael where the bus rejoins the main road. Still, to give credit where it is due, some of the other roads are much improved.
16 June: As always, we start the trip with sunset and dinner at Savannah. Now, I have read a few reports that it is quiet out there this year, but every time we went to see the sunset and in virtually every club I got the impression that it was very busy for June. Savannah proves to be a bit of a disappointment - the food is still tasty, but portions are much smaller than I remember. Also, the funky lounge doesn't seem to be opening until 2.00am this year. Consequently, Mambo becomes our bar of choice for most of the holiday.
17 June: Head to Kanya for the Judgement Sundays pre-party, although we have no intention of going on to Eden. Jules is only on for about half an hour, but it's a good set for the situation, with plenty of house and trance classics. Not what I would want to hear in a club, but like his radio show it's good if you are just sitting about having a drink. Kanya's sangria is not recommended, though, it comes with tinned fruit in it!
18 June: Following some rather cryptic posts on Spotlight by McRackin, we have no idea if DC10 is open or not, so we head to Playa d'en Bossa to investigate. We are disappointed, but after some dinner at Moorea (the barbecue restaurant in the Jet complex) we decide to hang about and check out the Bora Bora replacement party at Tahiti. Although the music is fairly loud all afternoon, this doesn't really kick off until much later than Bora Bora, but it is good and we vow to return. Unfortunately, I am then sick all over myself on the bus back to San An, despite only having 3 beers.
19 June: Relax at the pool, then head to Kumharas for sunset. First time we have been here and it proves to be a success - nice surroundings, great atmosphere, big water pipes for those who smoke, a bit of reggae and hip-hop for a change and tasty smoothies and crepes. Restaurant is booked out, but we plan to return.
20 June: Take a trip to Santa Eulalia. By happy coincidence, we arrive at San An bus station about 30 seconds before the last direct bus of the day, shortening the trip considerably. Enjoy a walk and a quiet drink at the seafront - very peaceful. It takes us a long time to find our intended restaurant, the Cardamom Club, but it proves to be well worth the effort. The curry (one dhansak, one jal frezhi) is delicious, really fresh tasting, not like the boiled-for-a-week-and-a-half stuff you get in some British restaurants; the samosas are crispy; the naan is straight out of the oven; the rice (the real test of a good Indian restaurant) is perfect, both the steamed and pilau varieties are good enough to eat on their own. Generous servings and a fantastic setting, surrounded by trees. I can't recommend it enough, one of the nicest curries I have had.
21 June: It's the Cream opening party tonight, but as Amnesia is shut they are doing it for free at Bar M. Unfortunately that means no Paul van Dyk or Mark Knight, but there is a big crowd and an excellent atmosphere, especially during Eddie Halliwell's first set of the night. I am forced to grudgingly admit that he does a very good job, with more of an emphasis on melodic trance than the euphoric stuff you normally hear these days. The next DJ (Adam Sheridan I think) never quite wins over the crowd and prompts something of a rush for the exit, then Halliwell returns with a decent house set. Bar M's new set-up, with the stage and loads of lasers, looks the part too.
22 June: Dine on tapas at Mambo (not very authentic, but tasty), then, for the first time since 2003, it's Manumission. We have a very good night, but make a slight error of judgement by staying in the main room to watch the whole stage show, which doesn't seem quite as impressive as in previous years. Storyline - Spain's most famous bullfighter, left in a coma after being gored in the ring, is reborn as the Bionic Dictator and sets out to ruin Mike's budding career as a film director by kidnapping Claire, who keeps all her clothes on for once. Music veers from techno to Pink bootlegs to old rave anthems. The real action proves to be in the side rooms - what used to be the Cabaret Room has been reborn as La Chatte Agile, complete with huge golden cat. Tonight it features electro, breaks and old skool hip-hop - over the next couple of weeks, Zane Lowe and Yousef are scheduled to play. The old Candy Bar has become Sleazeville, the only supermarket in the world with topless dancers at the checkouts and deafening techno blasting out. Still the best place to watch the sunrise and our latest night of the trip, which we round off with breakfast at Rita's Cantina, our favourite place to eat in San An.
23 June: Sleep, get up, eat, go back to bed.
24 June: Get the boat over to Kumharas again, taking a detour en route for the staff to attempt (unsuccessfully) to catch some fish, this time booking a table for dinner. The surroundings are great and the food is out of this world, real luxury stuff - I have venison, Nicci has the biggest fillet steak I have ever seen, which comes with potato and truffle cakes yet only costs €19! Definitely recommended, but don't go on a Sunday if you want seafood.
25 June: The clubbing priority of the trip - Circo Loco. After being closed for a week, DC10 is as busy as I have ever seen it and the crowd (as full of freaks as ever) is well up for it - when the police arrive and temporarily cut the music, the entire terrace continues to dance while clapping out a beat. For the first time, we enjoy inside more for most of the day, the music just seems to have a bit more soul than the stripped-down sounds outside - Davide Squillache, completely new to me, plays an absolute blinder. Still, the terrace is the only place to be once Clive Henry comes on. It has taken a long time, but I think I am finally a techno convert. The new chill-out area outside what used to be the entrance is a great innovation too. One gripe - I love DC10, the music is excellent and the atmosphere is better than any other club I have been to, but that doesn't alter the fact that it is a rundown shack with a rather poor sound system. We wouldn't want it any other way, but that doesn't justify jacking up their prices to the same level as the other clubs on the island.
26 June: Defected has been a firm favourite since it was at El Divino. Again, this is the busiest I have ever seen Pacha - even the funky room and roof terrace are rammed and with the lineup, it's no surprise. A lot of people will have been disappointed by Todd Terry's early start, but he plays a fantastic set of chunky, tribal house with a few classics dropped in. Kenny Dope is something of a disappointment - he starts off with that appalling Bodyrox track and doesn't get much better until the last half hour, which admittedly is excellent, before Simon Dunmore takes over for a textbook demonstration of 'the Defected sound'. We don't pay much attention to the Ibiza Rocks afterparty in the global room, but the one spell we do spend in there suggests it is no more deserving of a place in Pacha than Westwood was a few years back.
27 June: Rest day.
28 June: Dinner at Mambo again, tuna steak this time, then follow our mates to the Bull Bar
for some truly toxic 'cocktails'.
29 June: Back to Mambo for Pete Tong with the Essential Selection, but it's too busy to get close and the music isn't really loud enough to hear from the rocks.
30 June: Would love to see Frankie Knuckles at Pacha, but we want to be fresh for Space so we get the bus to San Jose, where we eat some excellent tapas at Destino and enjoy a beer and some live music at the beautiful Raco Verd.
1 July: I have had mixed experiences with We Love Sundays in the past, but when you have a good day it's enough to keep you smiling for the rest of the year. This is one of those days. We arrive at about 3.00pm, the earliest we have ever got there. There is a good crowd on the sunset terrace, but the music is a bit commercial and it will never be anything more than a pale imitation of the terrace of old, so we spend virtually the whole afternoon on the Premier Etage. The music is excellent, covering Cafe del Mar type stuff, jacking house and even a bluegrass version of 'Walk This Way'. The sun is shining, the fans are spinning and we just sit there watching the people pass by and the planes zoom overhead.
A passout and a pizza later, we make our way to the new-look terrace, which was a building site last time we were at Space. Not for the first time, Danny Howells rocks the place, playing tech-house, progressive and a super-extended version of 'Professional Widow', which seems to go on for about 20 minutes and nearly brings the roof down. James Zabiela and Nic Fanciulli round off the night with some proper filth, the place goes suitably mad again, but not as mad as the DJs, who bounce around behind the decks as much as anyone does on the floor.
2 July: We contemplate Mn2S at El Divino, but are put off by reports from mates who went a week previously and the presence of Bodyrox and elect to check out Dusted at Eden. BIG mistake. Hoxton Whores are playing as we enter and it is the worst set I have heard in years. I can only describe it as house music for people who don't like house music - too commercial, too cheerful, they even manage to find a bad mix of 'Finally', which I hadn't thought possible. The crowd is almost entirely English and drunk, not to mention overwhelmingly male. Girls are getting harassed, blokes are shooting killer looks at each other, it feels like there could be a fight any minute. Norman Jay comes on, there's a slight improvement in the music, but it's still very cheerful, camp and vocal-heavy, music to listen to before going out (or on Sunday night with Dave Pearce) rather than when you are out. We have come mainly to see Tim Sheridan, but we leave before he comes on (and only 75 minutes after our arrival) - it's obvious that if he plays anything remotely resembling a Nasty Dirty Sex Music set he will die a thousand deaths and the thought of hearing him play a set this crowd will enjoy is too horrible to contemplate. We know we have made the right decision when we see free passes being dished out to every pissed-up punter who comes staggering out of the West End.
3 July: Don't leave the hotel all day.
4 July: Another lazy day. Eat at an excellent beachside restaurant at Calo Gracioneta, do some snorkelling, have a drink at Sunsea and have an early night.
5 July: Do some packing then head over to Ibiza, have a walk around Dalt Vila and stop for dinner at a place called (if I remember correctly) La Torreta. I have beef carpaccio followed by lamb, Nicci has asparagus then duck and both meals are reasonably priced and delicious. Walk down to the port for a drink, see a few of the club parades, most of which aren't terribly imaginative, head back at a reasonable hour.
6 July: Our last night and we are determined to make it a good one. We start off at Tahiti - this time we don't arrive until about 10.00pm and the place is absolutely rocking, with much darker music than our last visit (or any previous visit to Bora Bora). We receive free armbands for La Comunidad, but stick to the original plan of Club Azuli. Initially we question the logic behind splitting Space into two venues, but it works well and the terrace is more than capable of functioning as a club in its own right. We don't stay for Slam because we want to get some sleep before checking out, but Jo Mills, Dave Piccioni and John Dahlback are all excellent, really dark, moody house and tech-house, with a great crowd and good entertainment. The salon is a haven from the madness, playing jazz, reggae, soul and chilled out house. The best night out of the three weeks and we even treat ourselves to a beer in Space as admission is so cheap.
Ibiza trip number six is the first for two years and a record three week stint. We plan to have a fairly relaxing time (the one-week trip in 2005 nearly killed us), with a decent amount of clubbing and a few new experiences. I think we manage to achieve all three aims as well as gorging ourselves stupid on some really amazing food.
We stay in the Sol Bahia apartments on the edge of San Antonio, just along the coast from Calo des Moro, Kanya etc. If you are actually looking to get some sleep while you are there, I can't recommend this place enough - a short walk from Mambo, the town centre and Calo Gracio, nice and quiet, great rooms, a nice pool and fantastic snorkelling from the rocks in front of the hotel. If you are looking to go mad constantly, please stay away, apart from ruining the atmosphere I don't get the impression it would be tolerated.
Other observations - not only were the new dual carriageways unnecessary, they have also resulted in three hills - one each side of Ibiza, one near the airport - being completely obliterated. As Stephen has pointed out elsewhere, several of the roundabouts are too tight, as is the bend on the sliproad at San Rafael where the bus rejoins the main road. Still, to give credit where it is due, some of the other roads are much improved.
16 June: As always, we start the trip with sunset and dinner at Savannah. Now, I have read a few reports that it is quiet out there this year, but every time we went to see the sunset and in virtually every club I got the impression that it was very busy for June. Savannah proves to be a bit of a disappointment - the food is still tasty, but portions are much smaller than I remember. Also, the funky lounge doesn't seem to be opening until 2.00am this year. Consequently, Mambo becomes our bar of choice for most of the holiday.
17 June: Head to Kanya for the Judgement Sundays pre-party, although we have no intention of going on to Eden. Jules is only on for about half an hour, but it's a good set for the situation, with plenty of house and trance classics. Not what I would want to hear in a club, but like his radio show it's good if you are just sitting about having a drink. Kanya's sangria is not recommended, though, it comes with tinned fruit in it!
18 June: Following some rather cryptic posts on Spotlight by McRackin, we have no idea if DC10 is open or not, so we head to Playa d'en Bossa to investigate. We are disappointed, but after some dinner at Moorea (the barbecue restaurant in the Jet complex) we decide to hang about and check out the Bora Bora replacement party at Tahiti. Although the music is fairly loud all afternoon, this doesn't really kick off until much later than Bora Bora, but it is good and we vow to return. Unfortunately, I am then sick all over myself on the bus back to San An, despite only having 3 beers.
19 June: Relax at the pool, then head to Kumharas for sunset. First time we have been here and it proves to be a success - nice surroundings, great atmosphere, big water pipes for those who smoke, a bit of reggae and hip-hop for a change and tasty smoothies and crepes. Restaurant is booked out, but we plan to return.
20 June: Take a trip to Santa Eulalia. By happy coincidence, we arrive at San An bus station about 30 seconds before the last direct bus of the day, shortening the trip considerably. Enjoy a walk and a quiet drink at the seafront - very peaceful. It takes us a long time to find our intended restaurant, the Cardamom Club, but it proves to be well worth the effort. The curry (one dhansak, one jal frezhi) is delicious, really fresh tasting, not like the boiled-for-a-week-and-a-half stuff you get in some British restaurants; the samosas are crispy; the naan is straight out of the oven; the rice (the real test of a good Indian restaurant) is perfect, both the steamed and pilau varieties are good enough to eat on their own. Generous servings and a fantastic setting, surrounded by trees. I can't recommend it enough, one of the nicest curries I have had.
21 June: It's the Cream opening party tonight, but as Amnesia is shut they are doing it for free at Bar M. Unfortunately that means no Paul van Dyk or Mark Knight, but there is a big crowd and an excellent atmosphere, especially during Eddie Halliwell's first set of the night. I am forced to grudgingly admit that he does a very good job, with more of an emphasis on melodic trance than the euphoric stuff you normally hear these days. The next DJ (Adam Sheridan I think) never quite wins over the crowd and prompts something of a rush for the exit, then Halliwell returns with a decent house set. Bar M's new set-up, with the stage and loads of lasers, looks the part too.
22 June: Dine on tapas at Mambo (not very authentic, but tasty), then, for the first time since 2003, it's Manumission. We have a very good night, but make a slight error of judgement by staying in the main room to watch the whole stage show, which doesn't seem quite as impressive as in previous years. Storyline - Spain's most famous bullfighter, left in a coma after being gored in the ring, is reborn as the Bionic Dictator and sets out to ruin Mike's budding career as a film director by kidnapping Claire, who keeps all her clothes on for once. Music veers from techno to Pink bootlegs to old rave anthems. The real action proves to be in the side rooms - what used to be the Cabaret Room has been reborn as La Chatte Agile, complete with huge golden cat. Tonight it features electro, breaks and old skool hip-hop - over the next couple of weeks, Zane Lowe and Yousef are scheduled to play. The old Candy Bar has become Sleazeville, the only supermarket in the world with topless dancers at the checkouts and deafening techno blasting out. Still the best place to watch the sunrise and our latest night of the trip, which we round off with breakfast at Rita's Cantina, our favourite place to eat in San An.
23 June: Sleep, get up, eat, go back to bed.
24 June: Get the boat over to Kumharas again, taking a detour en route for the staff to attempt (unsuccessfully) to catch some fish, this time booking a table for dinner. The surroundings are great and the food is out of this world, real luxury stuff - I have venison, Nicci has the biggest fillet steak I have ever seen, which comes with potato and truffle cakes yet only costs €19! Definitely recommended, but don't go on a Sunday if you want seafood.
25 June: The clubbing priority of the trip - Circo Loco. After being closed for a week, DC10 is as busy as I have ever seen it and the crowd (as full of freaks as ever) is well up for it - when the police arrive and temporarily cut the music, the entire terrace continues to dance while clapping out a beat. For the first time, we enjoy inside more for most of the day, the music just seems to have a bit more soul than the stripped-down sounds outside - Davide Squillache, completely new to me, plays an absolute blinder. Still, the terrace is the only place to be once Clive Henry comes on. It has taken a long time, but I think I am finally a techno convert. The new chill-out area outside what used to be the entrance is a great innovation too. One gripe - I love DC10, the music is excellent and the atmosphere is better than any other club I have been to, but that doesn't alter the fact that it is a rundown shack with a rather poor sound system. We wouldn't want it any other way, but that doesn't justify jacking up their prices to the same level as the other clubs on the island.
26 June: Defected has been a firm favourite since it was at El Divino. Again, this is the busiest I have ever seen Pacha - even the funky room and roof terrace are rammed and with the lineup, it's no surprise. A lot of people will have been disappointed by Todd Terry's early start, but he plays a fantastic set of chunky, tribal house with a few classics dropped in. Kenny Dope is something of a disappointment - he starts off with that appalling Bodyrox track and doesn't get much better until the last half hour, which admittedly is excellent, before Simon Dunmore takes over for a textbook demonstration of 'the Defected sound'. We don't pay much attention to the Ibiza Rocks afterparty in the global room, but the one spell we do spend in there suggests it is no more deserving of a place in Pacha than Westwood was a few years back.
27 June: Rest day.
28 June: Dinner at Mambo again, tuna steak this time, then follow our mates to the Bull Bar
for some truly toxic 'cocktails'.29 June: Back to Mambo for Pete Tong with the Essential Selection, but it's too busy to get close and the music isn't really loud enough to hear from the rocks.
30 June: Would love to see Frankie Knuckles at Pacha, but we want to be fresh for Space so we get the bus to San Jose, where we eat some excellent tapas at Destino and enjoy a beer and some live music at the beautiful Raco Verd.
1 July: I have had mixed experiences with We Love Sundays in the past, but when you have a good day it's enough to keep you smiling for the rest of the year. This is one of those days. We arrive at about 3.00pm, the earliest we have ever got there. There is a good crowd on the sunset terrace, but the music is a bit commercial and it will never be anything more than a pale imitation of the terrace of old, so we spend virtually the whole afternoon on the Premier Etage. The music is excellent, covering Cafe del Mar type stuff, jacking house and even a bluegrass version of 'Walk This Way'. The sun is shining, the fans are spinning and we just sit there watching the people pass by and the planes zoom overhead.
A passout and a pizza later, we make our way to the new-look terrace, which was a building site last time we were at Space. Not for the first time, Danny Howells rocks the place, playing tech-house, progressive and a super-extended version of 'Professional Widow', which seems to go on for about 20 minutes and nearly brings the roof down. James Zabiela and Nic Fanciulli round off the night with some proper filth, the place goes suitably mad again, but not as mad as the DJs, who bounce around behind the decks as much as anyone does on the floor.
2 July: We contemplate Mn2S at El Divino, but are put off by reports from mates who went a week previously and the presence of Bodyrox and elect to check out Dusted at Eden. BIG mistake. Hoxton Whores are playing as we enter and it is the worst set I have heard in years. I can only describe it as house music for people who don't like house music - too commercial, too cheerful, they even manage to find a bad mix of 'Finally', which I hadn't thought possible. The crowd is almost entirely English and drunk, not to mention overwhelmingly male. Girls are getting harassed, blokes are shooting killer looks at each other, it feels like there could be a fight any minute. Norman Jay comes on, there's a slight improvement in the music, but it's still very cheerful, camp and vocal-heavy, music to listen to before going out (or on Sunday night with Dave Pearce) rather than when you are out. We have come mainly to see Tim Sheridan, but we leave before he comes on (and only 75 minutes after our arrival) - it's obvious that if he plays anything remotely resembling a Nasty Dirty Sex Music set he will die a thousand deaths and the thought of hearing him play a set this crowd will enjoy is too horrible to contemplate. We know we have made the right decision when we see free passes being dished out to every pissed-up punter who comes staggering out of the West End.
3 July: Don't leave the hotel all day.
4 July: Another lazy day. Eat at an excellent beachside restaurant at Calo Gracioneta, do some snorkelling, have a drink at Sunsea and have an early night.
5 July: Do some packing then head over to Ibiza, have a walk around Dalt Vila and stop for dinner at a place called (if I remember correctly) La Torreta. I have beef carpaccio followed by lamb, Nicci has asparagus then duck and both meals are reasonably priced and delicious. Walk down to the port for a drink, see a few of the club parades, most of which aren't terribly imaginative, head back at a reasonable hour.
6 July: Our last night and we are determined to make it a good one. We start off at Tahiti - this time we don't arrive until about 10.00pm and the place is absolutely rocking, with much darker music than our last visit (or any previous visit to Bora Bora). We receive free armbands for La Comunidad, but stick to the original plan of Club Azuli. Initially we question the logic behind splitting Space into two venues, but it works well and the terrace is more than capable of functioning as a club in its own right. We don't stay for Slam because we want to get some sleep before checking out, but Jo Mills, Dave Piccioni and John Dahlback are all excellent, really dark, moody house and tech-house, with a great crowd and good entertainment. The salon is a haven from the madness, playing jazz, reggae, soul and chilled out house. The best night out of the three weeks and we even treat ourselves to a beer in Space as admission is so cheap.
