ValueMaster and the NCB ATM beside it for J's......
http://negril.com/forum/attachment.p...3&d=1341180292
Cool Runnings, Marko
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ValueMaster and the NCB ATM beside it for J's......
http://negril.com/forum/attachment.p...3&d=1341180292
Cool Runnings, Marko
Maybe someone could link to the Rob post that set out the taxi information.
bj - the taxis outside the front door of HiLo are not "route" taxis they are charter and the price varies and is agreed upon by driver and passenger. You can go out the front of HiLo plaza to the street and hail a taxi (make sure the route is listed on the side of the vehicle as these are insured licensed rides w/red plates) There is a taxi park next to Scotia where you can change to a West End cliffs route taxi (you may have to wait a few minutes for more people to join the ride before taking off). Cliffs to town $100J out to Out of Town pastry approx. - Town to beach $100J per person out to the big hotels apprx....(out to Half Moon Beach is 50-80J more). Rob and others can explain better the licensed charter scenario - I don't ever use them besides day tours - I am just a bit nervous on liability and usually have to budget because I stay longer and often use taxis daily. For a group, etc. maybe a charter ride makes more sense but....coming from cliffs many taxis will be going thru town to the BUS park by the police station but will drop you by Burger King and you can catch a beach taxi by hailing one there. I ask my driver if he is going to the park or can he take me on to the beach.
Melody I never heard of China mon store in the Burger King parking lot exchanging traveller's cheques & cash at a good rate but many here on the board know WAY more than me. There is a Cambio next to Scotia Bank with many services. Have always just called it the China Man store (lol).
Rock had a good suggestion - most hotels have a driver recommended by the property and you can make friends and agree on a fare price for your needs. Usually the answer is NO PROBLEM......
Getting around is easy peezy just make sure you are in licensed insured vehicles. [I hope I said all that right - don't want to give mis-information]
great photos Marko!!!! WOW they must have painted the store and built an entrance.....NICE NICE.......
wow, those photos are wonderful! I see on my map that there is a cambio inbetween the Scotiabank and the Coral Seas Plaza....or is it in the plaza? Is this the cambio you use Marko?
This is a dumb question, but the actual banks (NCB, Scotiabank) are not considered cambios? Are they not places to use to exchange cash, or cash traveller's cheques? Do they charge fees above what cambios do?
I did read elsewhere that the Kone store (China Mon - Thanks for giving the name Marko!) exchanges money at a very good rate - can anyone here confirm? Maybe it's just provided to customers for their purchases and change back. I would like to get my phone @ Digicel first before getting loaded down with supplies, so would prefer to get money & phone on the one side of the street and then cross the street to Value Master, and be done. Value Master has full size liquor bottles and beer? Does anyone know what time Digicel closes on Saturdays?
It looks like the Kone store has a pretty good variety of liquor, and I've read the prices are good, and it's also open on Sunday? But I would prefer to get a couple larger bottles and perhaps more variety as far as other items at Value Master, the day we arrive (Saturday).
BTW Marko, it was a post of yours regarding MegaMart that helped me know exactly what to do for my first trip in February. Thank you!!
Last time I exchanged at the China mon store it was either $83J-$1us or $84J-$1us. Not bad, but not as good as you get at a Cambio. I prefer Banmarc up on the West End as I have yet to have much of a wait. Usually in and out.
Thanks Booger, good to know. When you exchanged at the China mon store, did you purchase something, or only exchange money? While on the Digicel lot, I'd like to get at least enough cash to purchase the phone, but as I plan to cross the street to Value Master right after, I would skip purchasing at China mon, unless I'd need to (to get the cash). I'll have to look into how much my bank at home will ding me for getting a small amount of JMD before leaving, for the phone & incidentals until hitting the cambio. I've read that I'd get a poor exchange rate for JMD at home (Canada). On say, only $100, either way shouldn't be too much of a hit, but I'd still like to determine which is the best way to go. :)
The Cambio is a small self contained building that I have been using over 15 years...Quote:
Originally Posted by Melody
and it right where I was standing when I took the pic of ValueMaster / NCB ATM photo above........
they are banks.........you can exchange cash or travelers checks at NCB or Scotia but the lines are usually longer than a CambioQuote:
Originally Posted by Melody
Kone prices are very hard to beat on what they carry..........Quote:
Originally Posted by Melody
it's not a very large store so they must be fairly limited on how much they can carry........
just think of Kones as your local conveince store without the high prices.........
personally I would shop Kone first and what you can't find at Kones I would purchase at ValueMaster as their selection is large and yes the carry larger bottles......
I wouldn't think Kone was in exchange business but they will give change in J's when you purchase something..........
glad mi was some help for you February reach...........mi always learning too........
Cool Runnings, Marko
Melody, have your driver stop along the way to the hotel. Are you staying beach or cliffs? There is a cambio in front of Coral Seas Plaza. I used that one and the one next to the HiLo. Our driver was able to walk us past everyone in line at the HiLo one to a side room and we were quickly fixed up.
I have used the China Man store strictly for exchange when the cambios were closed.
Exchange at the cambio in Coral Seas Plaza was $86.50J = $1US Saturday, up from $86.20 when I first arrived. I like using that cambio... nice staff, good location to other places I go in town, etc.
Melody, we have a scotia account just for JA, we use the atm inside scotia bank and there are no fees. Cheers! As far as taxi's go, we have our regular driver Tallman, if i wanted a charter or to stock up at chinaman store. For a trip to west end or beach from our hotel, we split our trip between cliffs and beach, I use a hotel suggested driver, and always determine a price first. Mostly we just grab a route taxi, from west end to town and walk the rest through town across the bridge and down the beach. Or walk the beach, across the bridge and through town, grab more J's Scotia bank, and grab a route taxi, No prob mon. Those walks are what brings us back to Negril, Time with the one you love, in a place that we love, and the people we meet along the way !!! Cheers!
RyanP - sorry for taking your thread off on a bit of a tangent, but thanks to all who have posted to my questions - it has been very informative!!!
Britz - my airport transfer is included with my hotel deal and I won't know until arriving if it will be shared or not - if not shared, it should be no problem, but I want to be prepared for quick action once delivered to the hotel, if I am not able to make my stops along the way. Even if shared, I would hope that the other passengers would also want to stop at a Cambio and for supplies, but they may not want to stop at a Digicel. My biggest concern is getting to a Digicel before it closes on Saturday afternoon (we're scheduled to arrive at MBJ at 1:45 p.m., so won't have much time) - too bad there isn't a Digicel at the airport any more. That first afternoon is what I'm concerned about having everything down pat. After getting my first bit of money, phone & supplies, I have no problems with getting around for additional money & supplies throughout the week.
Thanks Sam I Am for clarifying that Kone (China Mon) will exchange $ without purchase, good to know if ATM is empty/not working and I need $ after cambios are closed. Kone is open evenings and Sundays?
canuk cpl - Thanks for the reassurance about no fee Scotabank withdrawals - I've seen that many times, but when asking at my local Scotiabank, was not given a positive/conclusive answer - was told that there are fees internationally and when I pointed out what I've read here, was told to expect to pay fees, and if there end up not being any, that will be a bonus. (??? I'm not too impressed with my Scotiabank experience so far, hope it improves!). Do you have one of their savings accounts? I've been getting the runaround from them with something as simple as opening a savings account, even though I got one of their credit cards a few months ago (they wouldn't allow me to open an account at that time) - when I stopped in a couple of days ago, they set up an appointment for me to open an account later this week. Like you, I will use the account strictly for Jamaica, so I'm interested to find out what account you have.
Thanks & cheers!
Hi, I use Scotiabank ATM and I believe the fees are included in the withdrawal as I use Scotiabank in Canada too and I did not see anyone additional fees below the transaction when I looked it up on line while I was there. I looked back at previous transactions also, and did not see an additional fees for the withdrawals in JA only the fees I paid monthly. I withdrew $25,000 JA mostly when I went to the bank, and it cost me around $276.00 CDN last summer. When I looked this up now $25 J is $290? I tried to find out about fees here and they connected me to Scotia JA and I got no answer. Scotiabank also has western union on line and you can transfer directly from your account. You can send yourself money while in JA and pick it up with two pieces of photo ID. The fees are about $12.00 or so for $25,000 JA. If you bring travellers cheques and cash them in, is there not a cash-in fee at their end when you do this, as well as a fee to purchase them in your own country? If you open an account in JA, what are the fees for holding an account, withdrawals, etcs. Anyone know ... I thought they had high banking fees in JA including monthly fees even if you don't use the account for a period of time?
Melody-
I believe that I used Kone to exchange on a Sunday (might have been a late afternoon Saturday) because the cambio in front of Bourbon Beach was closed. Not sure how late they are open, but I would guess 8 or 9pm.
Sorry if it's already been answered in this thread, but how far does the West End Taxi go? What is the end of its route?
it goes all the way to the taxi park just past the roundabout!
<ducks>
J/K as far as the other direction - I can't answer
I think the West End route goes to about Out of Town Pastry where there is the fork in the road.... but I could be wrong. Ive only taken a route taxi that far once.
If you need to go further than Out of Town Pastry, talk to your route taxi driver when you get that far - he will probably take you further out for a few hundred J.