When I had heard that TB was much like Negril 30 years ago I figured it was worth a look. We found a super deal on the internet for Treasure Beach Hotel at $75 a night including taxes and booked for 3 nights. We did some investigation on the TB area, but nothing compares to being there and looking around for yourself. We planned it so we would be in Negril for a few days head to TB and then return back to Negril for a few more days. We had some quotes of $120 for a taxi from Negril to TB. Being a cheapskate at heart we decided to take route taxis and combis to get there. It took 3 hours and 15 minutes to get there (just under 3 hours to return) for a cost of $16 for 2 people. We were traveling light with only one bag between us. As we came into town one of the locals pointed out Dawn's which was the best place to get coffee in the morning. We checked in to TB Hotel and I think we were the only people there. Beautiful place with 2 pools, lovely grounds, and a nice view of Frenchman's Bay and the sunset. We really didn't have a good lay of the land and had no clue where Billy's Bay or Calabash Bay were located or how to get there. But we were very happy on Frenchman's Bay with great surf and a few restaurants. Our first night we ate at Wikikii Restaurant at the far end and watched a fantastic sunset, then a huge bonfire on the beach. We stayed till way after dark and should have brought a flashlight, not considering how dark it got there at night with no moon. The next day we met a young US couple that had been to TB before. They were staying at Jake's but had walked up to use our pool! He kept talking about Little Ochi, so we made plans to go with then the next day.....blah blah blah, it will be much cheaper, blah, blah blah. The next day at 1:30 we meet our travel guide "Flash" and a second couple from Germany but the couple from the US didn't show up till about 2:15. Finally at 2:30 our ride arrives. Our plan was to eat at Little Ochi then stop at Lover's Leap for the sunset. We were already an hour behind schedule. "Flash" has arranged a van and driver for the six of us and has apparently told us each a different price. So he gets each couple alone to get paid without letting the other know how much. Our price was 6000 for the 2 of us which I thought was a bit pricey, but hey, lets go for it. Little Ochi was fantastic. The food was outstanding, fresh and cooked to order. It wasn't as cheap as I was led to belive, but well worth it, notwithstanding the 6000J just to get there!. Well, the food was a little slow getting there and the young US couple dawdled a bit at the table. so we were gonig to see a Little Ochi sunset, not a Lover's Leap sunset. We got to Lover Leap well after dark, about 15 minutes before it closed. We didn't go in as they still wanted to charge us each an admission to view darkness! On the way back to TB I was explaining to the German couple how we took route taxis to get there. "Flash" pipes in that it was not a smart move, what would you do if it rained, it takes too long, you will get too hot waiting blah blah blah. So who hops in our combi the day we are leaving, Flash, and he didn't have a word to say to us. One day he was the hot shot with the wheels, the day after just a poor schmuck like us!
We had a nice time in TB and will probably go back for a week for our next visit to the area. The good news is that because it is not easy or cheap to get there a lot less people go. And from what I read on the Negril board, this is not a place that many of regulars would want to spend time becasue as far as I could tell there were no bar crawls, music venues or beach huckster.
Regards,
Bob
