We are taking our first trip to Negril from 5/15 - 5/30 for our honeymoon. Both of us have traveled our fair share, but this will be a first for both of us to Jamaica.
I finished school last week, but she still has work, so while I don’t have a distraction I am obsessively reading through past trip reports and other good threads here.
I thought it would be interesting to ask the good folks here, what do you wish you knew before you went to Negril for the first time?
To go to the beach and get your free bracelet right at the start of your trip.
What TAH is saying is to watch out for the hustlers on the beach. Those bracelets aren't quite free.
If you see someone cooking and there's lots of locals around, it will be cheap and delicious.
half the clothes and twice the money
You can stock up on grocery items at HiLo (booze included) and other items at all the little stores which also carry booze, BTW
You can get fresh fruit daily along the beach or cliffs
You can use other (most) properties' if you eat and drink there
If you're staying on the beach, which properties or restos offer free shuttle service to their establishments on the cliffs (I only know of Seastar and Ciao Jamaica .. but I know there are more
Pack less. A lot less. Seriously? A LOT less ...
Most make up melts off your face
A leave in conditioner is great to have
The water is drinkable from the taps
If you're staying at an AI, bring a Bubba mug
Power (referred to as current) goes down regularly - a pocket flash light is quite handy
Link up with some boardies (follow the web casts ... )
Coffee is much better with rum cream in it
Soon come really doesn't mean that
Last edited by M&G Montreal; 05-10-2015 at 06:20 PM. Reason: Made a few boo-boos!
K&A,
Congratulations and welcome! And, really soon come to Negril!
Although I first visited Negril in 1985, living here and talking daily with tourists still keeps me up to date on what are the most common things that come up.
If you are staying at an All-Inclusive hotel, my advice would be to take a day or two to just explore the main Seven Mile Beach and the cliffs of the West End.
Transportation is a common question, but there are many affordable options. Many restaurants offer a free one-way ride when you call and make reservations. They can also help you with the ride back to your resort. If you are arriving in Negril by using a private driver like the ones listed in our Transport section, most of them will give you a free cellphone to use while in Negril. You will have their number available at any time. You can also take down the numbers of any of the drivers listed here and keep them handy. You can walk most places during the day, but it is advisable to have a ride available at night. And only use a car that has a red license plate, they are legal taxis. A white plate is just a person driving a car and they are not legally allowed to transport you.
Have a great time and hope to see you soon!
Negril.com - For the vacation that never ends!
Definitely echo the less packing and more money!
The One Love Bus Bar Crawl is a great way to spend an afternoon and see some of the places on the west end.
If you see the jerk pork guy walking the beach, be sure to get some (sadly we did not see him when we were there in April).
Lobster is out of season till June 30th.
Don't get too hung up on making a lot of plans. There's a thing called "beach gravity" that happens in Negril.
Last edited by luvmylabs; 05-11-2015 at 08:38 AM.
Lobster is out of season until July 1st, not June.
Looking back to way back when,(1988) coming to Jamaica for the first time, the excitement of the unknown and experiencing Negril without any prior knowledge was as big as a rush as I could ever imagine. There is really nothing that I wish I already knew, some things you just have to find out for yourself. Of course, there was no internet or message boards to scan for information either then, so the only info came from travel brochures or maybe a friend who had already been there. My advice is to blaze your own trail, have fun, find out for yourself the do"s and dont's, be smart, be safe, don't do anything stupid that you wouldn't do in any other town you are not familiar with.
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