Need your help folks...

A visitor was just injured falling from one of those horses on the beach. We always recommend that you ride In an authorized, insured and legal area (such as Jamwest) and consider riding the horses on the main Negril beach as one those things NOT to do.

We have been creating a list of do's and don't's while visiting Negril. What are some of the things that you think should be on the list?

We have no update on the extent of the injuries the visitor has suffered, but we are hoping for the best outcome.

Do not buy lobster or conch when out of season. Do not but any objects/trinkets made from coral.

Don't jump off the cliffs if you have been drinking.

Ugggh !!! It took a tourist to get killed by a jet ski for those to be banned. I knew it was a matter of time with a horse incident. I always though that a small child would be trampled. Those horses do not belong on the beach, and why they are allowed, I will never understand !!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jojo p

Ugggh !!! It took a tourist to get killed by a jet ski for those to be banned. I knew it was a matter of time with a horse incident. I always though that a small child would be trampled. Those horses do not belong on the beach, and why they are allowed, I will never understand !!!

---

Just the facts Ma'am... The jetski ban was already being tabled in Parliament because a tourist lost control and killed a young Jamaican child on a beach on the other side of the island. The incident in Negril prompted the island wide ban weeks later. The ban has been lifted but the operators in Negril have chosen not to resume operating.

There has been unfortunately many incidents involving those horses. Which is why this will be high on our list of what not to do in Negril.

Soooo... In the meantime, make sure that you let everyone you know coming to Negril not to ride those horses on our main beach. No demand, there will be no supply...

Ok, rants over.lol One safety tip I follow is when I flag down a route taxi, I will only get in if there is the driver only, no one else, that's my safety tip I follow always !!

Yup I saw a glimpse of it as I was lounging at WS it happen in front or close to Charela...

There was a lady riding the horse earlier several times today and the last time I saw her she was advertising telling the folks lounging in front of WS that the horse was safe, obedient & beautiful and that we all should give him a try,, she was even riding the horse without the guy holding tightly to the rope...one thing I notice when she got off the horse she was rubbing the horse face with her face and the horse didn't like that and it was moving it's head back and forth as if to get away...the rider was in a hurry trying to leave while she was still trying to hug the horse, I believe he might have seen the cops as they were on the beach alot in the last few days...

I say all this to say I wonder if it was her because I haven't seen her since the accident. Nonetheless, I pray all goes well for whom ever it was...

Mi girl !!! you know you can't check in without me asking how everything is going.......how do you love the WS.. ...???

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jojo p

Mi girl !!! you know you can't check in without me asking how everything is going.......how do you love the WS.. ...???

---

Hey mi friend I'm missing you badd! I'll email you my full report!

hi rob,

do: research-> maps, activities, restaurants, how to change money, drivers/tour guides and taxis, hotels, approximate pricing
do: learn the art of the respectful "no, thanks"
do: remember you are a guest (aka, don't be THAT guy)
do: know your personal boundaries
do: I strongly agree that people should know and respect off season food restrictions, such as lobster
do: find a balance between safety and safe risks- don't be afraid to try new things, but don't make yourself vulnerable or engage in risky behavior
do: take advantage of opportunities to engage with local folks; domino games, property tours, conversations, etc
do: remember many people are working hard to ear their meager living and respect proper donation channels such as the St Anthony's kitchen or NEET
do: do what you want! many people, in particular long time visitors, have very strong opinions. I respect the knowledge, but also don't want to feel shamed for going to a super touristy place
do: volunteer if you can
do: book activities through vetted and reputable agencies
do: keep your personal business personal, for example your hotel or room number
do: be genuine when you meet new people (goes back to being respectful as a guest)
do: ask for help if you need it
do: recognize people may ask for a few dollars if you accept their help
do: recognize the cultural norms are likely different than at home
do: wear beach clothes on the beach, and street clothes on the street
do: leave your best everything at home
do: have fun, go with the flow, and understand that things might go wrong but you can fix it
do: remember you are in a sea front, tropical location: bugs and wear and tear are a part of life

do: blue hole mineral spring
do: Half Moon Beach and Calico Jack's Pirate Shack
do: check out rick's cafe
do: one love bus
do: seastar saturday night show
do: boat or catamaran cruise
do: west end exploring
do: have a beer at the police station!
do: check out red ground

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LivinInThe603

hi rob,

do: have a beer at the police station!

---

Ok please do tell. Is there a tour available? Besides the obvious FREE tour you can get if you run afoul of the law.

Don't : Scrub a Dub topless nightclub

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kold Ass Mofo

Ok please do tell. Is there a tour available? Besides the obvious FREE tour you can get if you run afoul of the law.

---

It's honestly not that impressive other than to say you can and have... and the fact that there is a bar at the police station. Walk to the roundabout and bear left toward the taxi park. The police station is on the right side of the road past the health center. Nampariel road, I believe. It's something to tell your friends back home about!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mick

Don't : Scrub a Dub topless nightclub

---

haha, that was on my personal Do list, went once and never need to go again. What an experience!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kold Ass Mofo

Ok please do tell. Is there a tour available? Besides the obvious FREE tour you can get if you run afoul of the law.

---

i went and had a drink there for my birthday this year!

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/267/3...fb6faab7_c.jpg

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3776/...da2622c0_c.jpg

i learned about it here!

DO
Enjoy everything Negril has to offer.
Relax, relax and relax some more.
Treat everyone with respect – you will hear “respect” everywhere
Eat the local food – it is unbelievable.
Take Vitamin B one week before and during entire trip (Helps repel bugs and reduce hangovers) doesn’t work for me but some say it is the best.
Bring insect repellent and use it – especially on the beach at sunset
Bring half the clothes and twice the money you plan on.

DON"T
Do not tell people this is your first time - tell them you have been here 5 times.
Do not tell people you just arrived – tell them you have been here for awhile.
Do not brag about what you do or how much money you have.
Do not pay the asking price for anything unless the price is on a menu.
Do not take a taxi or tour unless you have an agreed upon price.
Do not tell where you are staying or room number to anyone.
Do not allow new “friends’ into your room.
Do not help create a society of beggars – just say NO.
Do not give handouts to people just to make them leave you alone.
Do not accept ‘help’ unless you are ready to pay for it.
Do not let someone put aloe on you unless you expect to pay for it.
Do not bring big bills – no one will have change. If they have no change they will go get it – relax and have another cold one.
Do not mistake truly friendly people for scam artists - the vast, vast majority of Jamaicans are honest as the beach is beautiful.

Pet peeve # 1 is the horses running at full gallop on the beach..pet peeve # 2 i s when they take the horses into the water to do their number two so they don't have to pick it up..rant over...

I do have a copy of the Negril 101 post - aka Negril Guide 2007 - by Rizla from the old message board. While the specific listings are obsolete, much of the general information and the glossary of terms are still valid. Here are the points that lead off that post:

1. Common sense prevails.
2. Negotiate a price with a red plate taxi before you get in the car. If a driver waits for you at the supermarket, you’ll be paying for his time, unless you’ve negotiated that into the price beforehand. (I would add that this means do NOT take white plate illegal "taxis".)
3. When dealing with beach vendors, a polite No, thank you and a smile is better than saying that’ll you’ll see them on the way back; they’ll expect it.
4. Carry a pocket calculator and take the time to do the conversion. It’s very easy to get confused in a deal and pay more for something than you should have. Negotiate it down to a reasonable price and take the time to do the math.
5. Ganja is not legal (note: this now requires some elaboration). If you get too high, eat sugar and it’ll bring you back down. Taking a few tokes off a spliff is not the same as having a few bites of ganja cake. The same goes for mushrooms. That’s a day trip you’ll want to avoid.
6. Hydrate, sun block, hydrate, sun block, hydrate, sun block, hydrate. Repeat.
7. Braids hurt; you're better off spending that money on a nice massage.
8. Don't expect things on your time, especially dinner. Most food is cooked to order with fresh ingredients. Yard food tends to be ready to pick up ‘n go.
9. Watch for bones when eating fish. Give your extra chicken bones to the dogs.
10. Not everyone wants their photo taken. Ask first; many will say yes.
11. Assume nothing. Everything has a price.
12. Tip your servers and housekeeping well. They earn very little. Feel free to leave things behind for housekeeping that you don’t want to carry back.
13. Walking barefoot on soil may give you parasites. Be careful of broken glass in the sand.
14. Carry wipes to use after eating jerk chicken or for places out of toilet paper.
15. Don’t tell a Jamaican man where you’re staying unless you want him to stop by later to let you buy him a drink. (Always refer back to Rule #1.)
16. Change your money at The Cambio or bank. Restaurants are notorious for using a much lower rate. You’re better off paying in J’s (Jamaican dollars) to avoid this. (I would add that this means do NOT change your money with the guys hanging out near the cambios or banks.)
17. Be careful walking down/crossing the street. Cars drive fast, on the left, and are constantly passing one another. Pedestrians, animals, and bikes lose out.
18. Don’t fret over the afternoon rain. It’ll cool things off and be finished by sunset. This is a great time to nap, if you can sleep through the THUNDER.
19. If you smoke cigarettes, pay more for American. There are no regulations on Jamaican cigarettes and they should change the name Craven A to Cracken A. Don’t be surprised if you’re up all night after smoking them.
20. Restaurants operate by the whim of the owner and the only thing consistent is inconsistency. They may be open (but out of food), closed, no longer in business, or having a bad night. No problem.
21. No problem is said often, especially when there’s a problem.
22. Last, but not least, “Never leave a fellow crasher behind.” – Vince Vaughn

#13... 99 % of the reason I go to Negril,...to walk all day, everyday barefoot in the sand...... :)
# 22...lol..

When you go to a restaurant, do ask what they have or what's good tonight. Ordering something from the menu that is not on hand and prepped can result in a VERY long wait.

Don't sweat modest amounts of money - we all want good deals, but if on your vacation you spend $10/day more than you would have if you completely knew how much everything should cost, don't obsess over that and let it spoil things for you. Overpaying by a dollar for orange juice or by three dollars for a pineapple is not a catastrophe.

Do be generous with the cab drivers, especially on longer trips such as to MBJ and back. How much does a 50 mile cab ride cost where you live? Cars, tires and gas are not cheaper in Jamaica.

Do eat what is produced locally. Insisting on a steak is probably a mistake - think about where it was shipped from, how long it was en route, and how long it sat in the kitchen waiting for someone to order it. Food poisoning really messes up your vacation.

wrtiii

Re: Need your help folks...
I do have a copy of the Negril 101 post - aka Negril Guide 2007 - by Rizla from the old message board. While the specific listings are obsolete, much of the general information and the glossary of terms are still valid. Here are the points that lead off that post:

9. Watch for bones when eating fish. Give your extra chicken bones to the dogs.


DO NOT give chicken bones to the dogs.

https://www.cuteness.com/article/chicken-bones-bad-dogs

Negotiate, but allow these people to make a living. A dollar here and there means little to us, and much more to them. I like to negotiate hard so I know I'm getting the very best deal, then pay a little extra by choice. I don't mind being generous, but do not like being taken advantage of. I don't give hand outs, but always tip well.
There's a young guy, 16 or 17 and very hard working, who busses tables and helps the waitress at Coco. I always slip him a $5 in case the wait staff aren't as generous with him.

Use common sense. Don’t do anything in Ja that you wouldn’t do at home.

Do ask any restaurant before you order if they do the 16% rip off tax thing and if so say you wont pay it. Many will then say "no tax". One restaurant will have no tax,another will say 10%. Don't pay it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kold Ass Mofo

Ok please do tell. Is there a tour available? Besides the obvious FREE tour you can get if you run afoul of the law.

---

Here is the bar. We were the only ones there, had a couple cold RS and then left. We rolled up on our scooter and just walked right in. No one bats an eye.

Attachment 49850

Agree on taxi amount before you get in. Have change, know the exchange rate, be polite.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Whynot

Do ask any restaurant before you order if they do the 16% rip off tax thing and if so say you wont pay it. Many will then say "no tax". One restaurant will have no tax,another will say 10%. Don't pay it.

---

There is much misinformation out there about the sales tax and service charges in Jamaica. As Benjamin Franklin said there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes.

You can ask for "no tax", but you willl be paying the tax anyway. The government sees to that. The tax is a sales tax, called GCT here. And every Jamaican business is required to pay it.

Some businesses break the tax out of their prices and it is added to the bill, others include them in the price and subtract it out to pay the government. Either way, you are paying the tax.

Because of the business incentives of the past, some long running businesses are allowed to pay a reduced GCT. The two present tiers are 10% and 16.5%.

The incentive 10% only applies to older businesses and that waiver cannot be passed on to new owners. For all newer businesses, the rate is 16.5%. If you check your machine printed receipt at HiLo or most places for that matter, you will notice the GCT as a line item on the receipt.

The only optional charge a restaurant can have is the service charge. This is a charge added to the bill that is split between all hourly employees. This can be thought of as a general tip for all the employees, and you can add what you want for the server on top of that charge.

Do not confuse the service charge with the usual tip you may want the server to get. They will only receive a percentage of that charge based on the number of hours they worked versus the total number of hours worked by all employees.

It is illegal for a business not to pay GCT, which is based on their sales. If you mistakenly think that you are able to pay "no tax" just by asking, you are simply encouraging the restaurant to include the GCT in the price of their meal, increasing the cost by 16.5%.

And this is the reason why the above suggestion will not be added to the do's and dont's list.

Do slow down, sip a cold Red Stripe and enjoy the sights and scenery! One of my favorite things is to people watch on the beach. Chat up some of the vendors, and buy fresh fruit as often as you can.

I get the price of the food before I ask about the fake tax....How ? Is the so called "tax" that we pay recorded when you mostly pay in cash with no receipt? I'm not trying to change any laws but ,ya know,many so called "laws" are ignored in Negril. I am not mistakenly thinking I wont pay it because I wont pay it. How come the cab driver doesn't charge 16% or the chicken stand or the small restaurants in the cliffs?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Whynot

I get the price of the food before I ask about the fake tax....How ? Is the so called "tax" that we pay recorded when you mostly pay in cash with no receipt? I'm not trying to change any laws but ,ya know,many so called "laws" are ignored in Negril. I am not mistakenly thinking I wont pay it because I wont pay it. How come the cab driver doesn't charge 16% or the chicken stand or the small restaurants in the cliffs?

---

Whynot,

Taxi and tour operators pay a completely different set of taxes. They have their own regulatory government offices to deal with, and the General Consumption Tax doesn't apply.

As I have explained to you before, these "so called laws" are actually what are known as "real laws", even in Negril.

The jerk chicken vendors were all pulled off the road a few years ago and they became regulated. This includes paying GCT on their sales. They now enjoy all the joys of business operations including audits, surprise inspections and general governmental procedures.

This applies to all businesses, bars, restaurants, hotels, stores, etc that are not subject to their own regulatory agencies.

So the jerk chicken guy on the road has an electric cash register that records all transactions and he gives the govt the 16% tax I paid on my meal,honor system,right? Joke

One of the exceptions to the GCT (general consumption tax) is taxi fares.

However, we pay income tax and are required to report income.

Cap

This JA Observer story came across my feed yesterday. I've witnessed close calls before, but this one was bad and could have been worse. Please spread the word... don't patronize these guys!

Also it happened (again) during our reach at the end of October... hay burner took a dump at the water line right in front of us.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...=MobileArticle

Yes we saw this go down, from the deck at white sands. :-(

I like the 'Do' list ;-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LivinInThe603

hi rob,

do: research-> maps, activities, restaurants, how to change money, drivers/tour guides and taxis, hotels, approximate pricing
do: learn the art of the respectful "no, thanks"
do: remember you are a guest (aka, don't be THAT guy)
do: know your personal boundaries
do: I strongly agree that people should know and respect off season food restrictions, such as lobster
do: find a balance between safety and safe risks- don't be afraid to try new things, but don't make yourself vulnerable or engage in risky behavior
do: take advantage of opportunities to engage with local folks; domino games, property tours, conversations, etc
do: remember many people are working hard to ear their meager living and respect proper donation channels such as the St Anthony's kitchen or NEET
do: do what you want! many people, in particular long time visitors, have very strong opinions. I respect the knowledge, but also don't want to feel shamed for going to a super touristy place
do: volunteer if you can
do: book activities through vetted and reputable agencies
do: keep your personal business personal, for example your hotel or room number
do: be genuine when you meet new people (goes back to being respectful as a guest)
do: ask for help if you need it
do: recognize people may ask for a few dollars if you accept their help
do: recognize the cultural norms are likely different than at home
do: wear beach clothes on the beach, and street clothes on the street
do: leave your best everything at home
do: have fun, go with the flow, and understand that things might go wrong but you can fix it
do: remember you are in a sea front, tropical location: bugs and wear and tear are a part of life

do: blue hole mineral spring
do: Half Moon Beach and Calico Jack's Pirate Shack
do: check out rick's cafe
do: one love bus
do: seastar saturday night show
do: boat or catamaran cruise
do: west end exploring
do: have a beer at the police station!
do: check out red ground

---

Do stop at a tiny off the beaten path bar, and by a local a beer. Start a conversation, and make a new friend.
I've had some of these friends for years. One even flew to New York, and I was able to show him the sights the same way he showed me in his home town. Respect Kumar!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jojo p

Ok, rants over.lol One safety tip I follow is when I flag down a route taxi, I will only get in if there is the driver only, no one else, that's my safety tip I follow always !!

---

Defeats the purpose of the route taxi...just saying. We like chatting up the locals and they us - always fun.