Price Guide/Newbie tips

Back from Coco Lapalm less than 24 hours and I need to pay forward the knowledge I received here. I did much research on this site before going on my first trip to Negril (had been to a Mobay AI previous) and my wife and I made good use of the information. The following are the things I learned here before my trip and by my 7 days on the beach.
Don't fly on Saturdays in March (or Jan, Feb). Got in at 1:30 on 3/21 along with every other flight from everywhere on earth. Unreal lines.
If you do, Club Mobay is worth every penny! I bought the arrival/departure bundle and thanked myself that I did.
Private Transfer is a must. We used Rocky's. Impressed- no wait to fill bus and a personal tour of the route to Negril along with a grocery stop. Clinton took us from the airport to Negril and Leroy brought us back. Great, friendly drivers! When we got to our hotel, I paid Clinton the entire round trip fee in cash and had total confidence a driver would be back in a week to pick me up as promised. 7 days later and 5 minutes early, Leroy was loading us up for our return. Thank you Rocky's for great service.
Ganja is everywhere Many have asked in previous threads about kids being exposed to pot. They will be. It can't be avoided. That's not a judgement, just a fact. If it makes you uncomfortable to see or smell people smoking a joint, you will be uncomfortable. When we stayed at an AI in Mobay, it was much more discreet. Still there, still smelled great, but a bit more hidden. In Negril during our visit it was more common than cigarettes. Again, I mention just to inform.
Food budget is up to you. I read many threads on here about what to budget for food and drinks and the advice was all great. If you want to live like a king and queen (we did) budget $100 per person, per day for food. We ate dinner at Ivan's, Rockhouse, Charela (twice), and Coco Lapalm (twice) and never exceeded $100 even with wine/cocktails. Lunch at Kuyaba, Best in the West, Niah's, Sun Beach and Coco. Breakfast at Coco every day. Didn't miss a meal, ate like Americans on vacation and never exceeded $200 for two in a day. You could also skimp and scrimp and probably get by for under $50 each pretty easily. Drinks at bars are like home $3-$4 for beers and well drinks and up to $8 for fancy mixed drinks. We took a soft cooler for beach beers during the day and drank at bars up and down the beach during walks.
Rick's and Margaritaville are the worst values We went to the Mobay Margaritaville on our last trip and really enjoyed it. Big slide, strong drinks and a party vibe. The Negril version is just an over-priced bar with mediocre food. I did not list it in my restaurant list above but we did eat there for dinner.
Rick's was interesting for about 10 minutes.
Coco Lapalm and Charela look like the best two spots on the beach. Un-scientific but nice beach frontage and good security at both. Charela's food was fantastic.
Smile, "no thanks", "respect" this has been said many times but many forget the smile-works every time. Don'y improvise, don't add anything and don't forget the smile. You will enjoy your beach strolls so much more if you look everybody in the eye, say "good morning!" and if they have something to sell that you don't want- thank them for the offer with a smile.
Tip like you are a little crazy This is the best money you will ever spend. If you can't look around and see how much a few extra bucks could mean to your waitress or bartender you are not being honest with yourself. If you say you don't care, You are not being honest with yourself.

We'll be at Coco next week. Thanks for the info.

Nice job! 21 trips in 16 years and I learn something new each day of each visit. It pays to be alert because some lessons are sweeter than others!
Bless...

Last tip about tipping is priceless, well done.

jamb

Agreed Jamb........Love the line, "You are not being honest with yourself"! They count on and need the money. Don't count on them receiving the service charge on the bill, cause that probably won't happen.

Thank you, Iowa.. Every one of your points was right on target. Will be at Coco this coming Friday for 2 week stretch...

Iowa, outstanding report!

Much appreciated.

VVHT

:Tip like you are a little crazy This is the best money you will ever spend. If you can't look around and see how much a few extra bucks could mean to your waitress or bartender you are not being honest with yourself. If you say you don't care, You are not being honest with yourself."


this. Times a bajillon.

Iowa you nailed it here, on all counts!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by don+shelley

Thank you, Iowa.. Every one of your points was right on target. Will be at Coco this coming Friday for 2 week stretch...

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Please call CrossJamaicaTours if you need assistance. We would be happy to be part of your upcoming trip to Jamaica! We provide for transfers from and to airport, tours all over the Island and taxi services all around Negril. Our taxi are always sitting in Negril and ready for short distance transfers. Anywhere you are in Negril call us and we will reach you in less than ten minutes. All our taxi have red plate

Phone: (876) 362-4906

Website: http://crossjamaicatours.com/

Email: crossjamaicatours@gmail.com

Well said~~ and spot on!

Love the positive Charela review. Our wedding is there in less than 60 days.

Love the last statement. The whole thing is pretty awesome.

Thank you for all the kind words. Respect. I should add one more point- the staff at Coco Lapalm was friendly and fantastic. As many others have said, breakfast can move a bit slow. The coffee was top notch and the wait was filled with soft reggae and sea views. What's the hurry?
Vernon at the bar and Gibson on the beach (security with pointy stick) are true pro's and great guys. The front desk folks cater to your needs with a smile. I will put a review on Tripadvisor with a few small negatives but overall everybody we talked to enjoyed Coco.

Thanks Iowa. Beautifully and intelligently said.

My 10th trip coming up in June and we're again at Idle Awhile.

Will make sure we stop in next door to Coco.

Thanks again. You are so right about the tipping.



[link=http://www.caribbeanmag.com/cd/vc/][image noborder]http://www.caribbeanmag.com/cd/Jamaica/Back_to_Negril/201506131100_37.gif[/image][/link]

Great advice all around. We also love Charela and the staff is unbeatable -- many of them have been there 20 plus years. And your recommendation on over-tipping is spot on. For the housekeepers, waiters, beach guys etc, a few extra dollars can make a big difference. At the end of our stay, I leave an envelope at the front desk to be passed around among the staff to tip the people you don't see (in the kitchen and the grounds keepers). And we can see directly how pleased and appreciative they all are -- and helps get everyone through the slow times in the summer.

Great thread and wonderful information.

Nice review, written by someone who loves Negril :)
Spot on about booking MoBay (early) if you plan on traveling in March on the weekend. Upon arrival we sped through the 2-3 hour long passport control line. Had to wait for our bags to come out, then had refreshments at the arrival lounge before meeting up with our driver, Breezy. Check Sangster FlightStats for their arrival schedule--I saw there were planes arriving every few minutes on a Saturday afternoon and knew there would be hundreds of people arriving around the same time. Departing on a Wednesday evening in March we didn't need fast track through security, but we filled up on food and dirty bananas in the Club MoBay lounge, and didn't have to think about food on the plane.
On the beach...
Make sure you order Kuyaba's peanut butter ice cream pie with chocolate sauce--sooo yummy!
On the beach in the same area as Coco and Charela, I would add eating dinner at Chill Awhile--the restaurant at Idle Awhile. It isn't inexpensive and the menu is small, but the service and food are good, their rum punch is tasty and the atmo is quiet and peaceful.
For lunch we ordered lunch to go from the grill adjacent to the bar at White Sands--the fish sandwiches with jerk mayo and fries were very good.
Best and the West on the road near Coco for chicken and cole slaw (eat there to take out).
Niah's patties (near Lazy Days) are great and the experience is pure Jamaican local! If you want lobster patties, bring your own lobster or give Niah the money the day before and he will buy the lobster and make your lobster patties. While you are waiting, shop at the craft market or wander over to Tony's bar to get out of the sun and pass the time.
On the cliffs...
if you go to Ivan's for dinner, get your table and order before sunset. They get a surge of diners leaving Rick's Cafe after the sun sets. Ivans can handle the crowd, but I am in JA to escape crowds, especially bus loads of groups. The food is great at Ivan's, we always take the leftover's home to microwave and eat for lunch the next day.
Rockhouse is one of my faves too. The smaller local places--all wonderful.
We stay on the beach and whenever we dine on the cliffs, we ask our driver Breezy to stop at Quality, to shop for groceries. They are open late, 10 or 11? The store carries restaurant supplies and basic foods, veggies, booze, sunscreen, etc. Breezy always helps us pick out some local treat to try. Shopping at night after dinner means we don't waste precious time during the day.
A reminder to newbies--drop by the bank before you travel. Stock up on ones and fives for tipping and buying things from beach vendors.
So many more places to try! Look forward to the next trip.

This is one of the best posts I've seen, and I've seen some really good ones. All very useful tips, I really love the reminder about tipping like you're a little crazy. We'll be headed to Negril for a week and then on to Mo Bay after that for 4 days in February. Our first trip to Jamaica and I can't wait.

BaileysMom I agree this was a great review/tips. We leave in 2 days and helps out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Crossjamaicatours

Please call CrossJamaicaTours if you need assistance. We would be happy to be part of your upcoming trip to Jamaica! We provide for transfers from and to airport, tours all over the Island and taxi services all around Negril. Our taxi are always sitting in Negril and ready for short distance transfers. Anywhere you are in Negril call us and we will reach you in less than ten minutes. All our taxi have red plate

Phone: (876) 362-4906

Website: http://crossjamaicatours.com/

Email: crossjamaicatours@gmail.com

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Big up! Email Owen - you won't regret it!


Great tips @Iowa.

"Food budget is up to you" - a good one, and also very subjective. Personally, my wife an I ate like kings (some days) for about $50 per person. In Jamaica, eating like a king isn't defined by the price of the meal but rather the quality of the food and cook. One day we got a lobster dinner for 2 for less than $40 at 3 dives (there was a special) and it was one of our favorite meals. Ask around. There are great deals everywhere. The side of the road jerk places are my favorite. I can't get decent jerk here, so $5-10 for a good jerk dinner is eating like a king for me. :)

"Rick's and Margaritaville are the worst values" - I didn't dare venture to Margaritaville. I did try Ricks and, out of 28 days in Negril, it was the worst experience and a complete waste of money. If you want to "see" Ricks, catch a catamaran and view the tourist trap from a distance. Otherwise, expect to eat a TGI Friday's or Chilli's style dinner for 25-50% more than a comparable meal in the USA.

"Tip like you are a little crazy" - yes, I couldn't agree more! Don't forget about the hotel staff and taxi drivers. If you are in Negril in the off season, tip even better than you normally would (when deserved).

Thanks for the great tips!

Great information! Kind of like home. Bring one's and fives for tips. I like out of the way places. Treat you better and the bigger places get plenty of biz. If you know of places like this, please post. I will be there in February

Try the Corner Bar on west end road as you first turn to the cliffs, its on trip adviser great food Jamaicans eat there all the time

Many resorts have a 10% "Resort Service Charge" listed in their rates. At most resorts including CoCoLaPalm this is split among the "backroom" people who keep things running smoothly but never see tips ............. dishwashers, gardeners, laundry personnel, maintenance personnel etc....

The Corner Bar is the best buy in Negril