First Timers to Negril (With A Baby 20-months)

We've just booked our first trip to Negril for December of this year and we are staying at Country Country. Your forum has been quite informative and has helped us to make the decision to visit Negril and stay at Country Country with our child. We will be in Negril with our baby who has flown many times and travelled to Mexico with us on vacation. So we are not concerned with general travel info for babies, but we are interested in general information regarding babies in Negril such as: excursions, restaurants and general spots to hang out.

We live near the beach in the States so our little one loves the beach and has no problem spending all day eating sand and playing in the water. Would there be any concern for us to let him "roam free" (of course in our sight) on the beach? The beaches look pretty busy according to the photos that we have seen. Where we travel to in MX the beaches are pretty private with little to no traffic. It appears that Negril might be a little different.

Please share your experiences with bringing young children to Negril.

Thanks in advance for any info! And if you're going to be in Negril the 9th-15th of December, we hope to see you there!

Just better keep your eyes wide open for horses running on the beach. It happens a lot.

We have traveled to Negril with both of our grandchildren. First time when each was about 18 months old. They are now 9 and 12 and we go every year. The beaches can be very busy. My personal opinion is that a toddler less than 2 should not be roaming free, even if within your eyesight. It only takes a few seconds of distraction for a tragedy to occur. Just my opinion.

My son was just about 2 when he started going. My first thought was the horses as well. THey do come up fast and they are not careful. But overall it is not a good idea to let him roam on the area of the beach close to the sea. However there are loads of places that you will find - on and off the sand - that will work to let him roam and also be able to relax a bit yourselves. Don't worry, it will work out. You could also consider asking the hotel if they know of someone who might want to act as nanny here and there to give you a break.

Thank you for the responses and thanks for sharing your experiences! Our son has actually travelled a lot already for his young age. He's been to six states and Jamaica will be his third country. He's an international travelling baby! ;) We'll be sure to be mindful of the horses and try not to let him run off too far.

Hi Dan,

Our son was around this age when we brought him down with us. We had no problems at all. The locals were so wonderful with helping to keeping an eye out and by the end of the trip I'm pretty sure he had more friends on the beach than we did:D. I would recommend private messaging Bnewb here on the board as she will have some wonderful and trusted information on a possible sitter for an evening or two if you are interested. She lead us to a lady named Beverly who still warms my heart when I think of her. Have a wonderful time.

Wow! Thanks for the post! I'm sure our little guy will make lots of friends too.

Children are treated "like gold " - in Ja. -& yes, the locals will enbrace him & keep a close eye on him..my son was dancing on the bar @ 2 years of age
if you venture to the cliffs -(which btw - you should )...make sure you keep a very close eye on him
On da beach he'll have lotsa room to roam
No worries -Lucky little guy

Cool comment! I'm even more excited about our trip now! He is indeed a lucky little guy!

My twin nephews who are now 8 have gone every year since they were 4 months old. You will find the locals to be wonderful with children. Last year, a jet ski driver would take breaks and come get them and take them to the property next door for ice cream, Gem (the fruit lady) would cut up fruit for them and teach them about the different fruits, the patty man always stops to chat with them, last year they helped Joey (carver at NBCC)...I could go on and on about their experiences.

My other nephew who is now 24 started going when he was 8. He definitely roamed and whenever he was out of eyesight or walked further away, there was always somebody reporting about his whereabouts.

For restaurants and general places to hang out: my nephews went where we went and there were no issues. We did keep a closer eye on them when going to the cliff side.
For excursions: Black River will be a hit and YS Falls, also the glass bottom boats.

Enjoy!!!

This is their 4 month trip
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This is 2011/2012 XMAS & NYE trip
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you will have a blast! just watch for the horses and on occasion 1 or 2 large stingrays migrate along the shallow coast while feeding, not a common occurrence but something to keep an eye on with a little one. country country is great but very meager accommodations, just an fyi in case you are expecting more than what they offer. it is clean and nice but i would say it compares to a 2-3 star hotel in the states. food is great there. thinking about bringing a 1 yr old next june...

Nice! Ya'll are gonna have a great experience with the little dude. Def the only concern I had when I read your post was the horses so just keep an eye out for that.

Country Country would be a great property for a home base con bambino, but there are plenty of other places on the beach that would be super fun and kid friendly...

Margaritaville, throw some water wings on him and let him jump on the trampolines with you. Just don't stay for a meal+drinks lol.

Sunbeach would be a great place for lunch. Good food, Huge beach, and the bar has swings made out of lawn chairs. My kids like chilling out there after playing on the beach. At the time the property next door was clothing optional, made for some pretty stellar reactions from my then 6 & 8 year olds jajaja :p.

There's a water park in Negril, Cool Runnings, but I've never been and have no idea if there is anything there that caters to toddlers...might be worth looking into

I'm sure more people will chime in with suggestions. Oh and that map that was posted earlier in the thread is a MUST HAVE. Print it out, laminate it, use it.

FULLJOY your trip, you're gonna be addicted just like the rest of us lol

At Sunbeach

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Hi Everyone!

I'm DantheMans wife. We can't wait to visit Negril! All these suggestions are awesome! Our little guy is a beach bum so I know he's going to have a blast.

Thanks!!!

the locals will quickly dress the little guy up in all kinds of jamaican bracelets and necklaces... haha

Awesome!! We already ordered him some Ja colored shirts! Plus his name is Bob! Lol

Those boys sure did look happy on the jet ski. so many youngsters are missing that joy right now, the laughter is gone. Maybe soon children from all over the globe will be able to enjoy those incredible machines once again. The fun and laughter can return!

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Originally Posted by Jaherring

Those boys sure did look happy on the jet ski. so many youngsters are missing that joy right now, the laughter is gone. Maybe soon children from all over the globe will be able to enjoy those incredible machines once again. The fun and laughter can return!

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While I hate the jet skis and very happy they are gone, my nephews really did enjoy it. They didn't go far out at all and just went in circles but to them it was the best thing ever. They have found other things to laugh about so the lack of jet skis won't stifle their laugh or their joy or their fun.

Hey there, does anyone have any information about any babysitting services? We have a three year old and are considering taking him to Negril. We do occasionally like to go out for dinner. I have heard of some of the properties providing babysitting services for a fee. I'm curious - anyone ever have someone look after the kids while you go out and enjoy a little Negril nightlife?

jamerican 71......you have beautiful children ..full joy on the beach !!!

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Originally Posted by jojo p

jamerican 71......you have beautiful children ..full joy on the beach !!!

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Thank you!! I claim them all the time but the twins are my nephews.

This picture is from their 2013/2014 trip. About two months later the jet skis were banned.

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Originally Posted by Jaherring

Those boys sure did look happy on the jet ski. so many youngsters are missing that joy right now, the laughter is gone. Maybe soon children from all over the globe will be able to enjoy those incredible machines once again. The fun and laughter can return!

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Spoken like a true poet.

Wow!!! I've been working crazy long hours and haven't been able to log on in several days and I come back to 3 pages of responses. Thanks for all of your input! Ya'll are awesome!!!

Since the thread is all about Bob, I might as well post a couple of pics of him in Mexico ...

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He's too cool look at him <3

Ya'll are gonna have a great trip, please consider coming back and gracing us with a trip report.

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Originally Posted by coolhandluke

Hey there, does anyone have any information about any babysitting services? We have a three year old and are considering taking him to Negril. We do occasionally like to go out for dinner. I have heard of some of the properties providing babysitting services for a fee. I'm curious - anyone ever have someone look after the kids while you go out and enjoy a little Negril nightlife?

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When we stayed at Llantrisant a couple years ago, one of the housekeeping ladies kept the kids while we went out. We cooked dinner for her before we left and paid her adequately. She was wonderful and the kids loved her. You could wait and talk to somone on the property you're staying at for suggestions

or maybe shoot a PM to Bnewb or Rob since they could probably point you in the right direction.

I would ask your hotel first...most if not all will have a connection to a babysitter...if they somehow don't...you can always send Rob or I a message here and we can easily find you someone great!

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Originally Posted by DANtheMAN

Since the thread is all about Bob, I might as well post a couple of pics of him in Mexico ...

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He's adorable!!

Just to give you a heads up -
the milk is a little different in Ja... than what we are used to ..in the US or Canada
Someone else may want to chime in on - with a little more insight
BTW - I see him rockin' a rasta necklace - big time

Thanks for the heads up on the milk! We're pretty crunchy when it comes to food. So he doesn't drink the pasteurized cow's milk that most people drink in America. We normally give him almond milk. If they have raw cow's milk in Ja, we'll give him that. Does anybody know what the difference in the milk is?

That's a Baltic amber necklace. It is supposed to help with pain from teething ... and it looks pretty cool too! :)

We do have a similar cow's milk as the US/Canada but most tend to buy the slightly different tasting cow's milk. This is found on the shelves (not yet refrigerated) as it's more sustainable in the heat of the Caribbean. This milk is not refrigerated until after opening. It's available in skim, 1% and whole.

Dan...you can get almond and soy milk at most larger grocery stores in Jamaica.

Thanks for the info on the milk!

Yeah, I enjoy regular milk in my coffee (when I don't use rum cream), and usually pick-up the "cows milk" in the box that can be found on the shelf at any small market. This milk is very similar to the Parmalat milk that we have back home. When at a restaurant, they usually give you a little carafe of milk that may very well be goat's milk. This always tastes good to me, as well.


eta:
http://www.tmtpeoplesolutions.com/up...0_i1_w532.jpeg

I saw the "UHT Processed" label at the bottom left corner of your image and was curious. A quick search revealed that UHT stands for Ultra High Temp. and that this milk (if unopened) has a shelf life of 6 to 9 months with no refrigeration. Also, the heating process can change the smell and taste of the milk. Very Interesting!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-...ure_processing

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Originally Posted by Mike_D

When at a restaurant, they usually give you a little carafe of milk that may very well be goat's milk. This always tastes good to me, as well.

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Mike...I'm not sure if you're saying they serve goat's milk where you live or you mean they may serve it in Jamaica...but if you think they may be serving it here...they do not.
Anything other than using the meat from the goat is still relatively new (slowly being practised) to Jamaicans. :)

Great pics. Awesome that he's not freaking out being submerged so young...thumbs up!

I took my 10 month old to Jamaica and she loved it...especially the beach and ocean!!! I took her to a few restaurants and all had high chairs (if that is a concern for you), but I also had a foldable booster seat just in case. I don't remember many having a children's menu but she ate off of my plate most of the time. She wasn't walking without holding on to something, so of course I didn't let her roam around to much, but there were about 5 or 6 other children in the area and they ran freely around with no problem, but I do have to agree with the others about the horses.

Oh,
& watch the jerk sauce..I'll always remember the look on my sons face (@3 years of age )
after dipping his fingers and tasting the sauce @ Bourbon
needless to say the hard dough & milk ..hit the table ..real quick

Haha! I can't wait for the jerk sauce but we'll be careful with the little guy. He does already like some spicy foods though. So as long as the jerk is not too spicy, he might just like it.