First trip To Negril - Not the last one!

Due to the awesome nature of many reports on this forum this feels a little inadequate! I have no writing talent of any kind but I will let you in on a few of the highlights of our trip to SATP in Negril last week.

My wife and I have travelled to many locations and now have a “list” of wants for a vacation property. This includes things like being on the beach, no kids, a la carte dining, being close to the airport..... So when my wife asked where I wanted to go for our 25th anniversary I did a little research and came up with SATP in Negril. She asked if met most of our “wants” and I told her that it was across the road from the beach, it allowed kids, a la carte was twice per week and it could take two hours to get to from the airport but, we would go to Jamaica for the first time to experience the vibe! After much back and forth she agreed to trust me on this one. This is on top of her wanting to go to Europe instead of heading south for this vacation.

I know that Negril has some great little hotels and properties that are non A/I but for what we pay on a package deal from Toronto it still works out cheaper than a fly and stay. We also then have the advantage of being able to get out on our own when we want.

Day 1 – We flew with Westjet and the service was great. We had a small delay due to headwinds. Customs took about 45 minutes, after being admonished sternly by the customs officer for not filling out the address of our hotel – welcome to Jamaica. Our luggage was waiting on the floor by the carousel and we walked out the door. Wrong door, we were in the bus section. I went back into the building and a few guys asked if needed a taxi and I told them I was looking for Alfred. They sent me in the right direction and I went back for my wife. We then hooked up with Alfred and he introduced us to his driver Michael. The sky then opened up and we were in a torrential downpour. Michael went for the car and returned shortly and we were on our way. This was one of the best decisions of the holiday as our package included transfers but we have been stung too many times waiting for “Bob and Dianne” to have one more beer before they get on the bus and then have to stop 5 times to use the washroom because they have had too much to drink.

Thanks to those that have said that the drive is not to be missed. It was a very nice experience and the driver was very informative. It was nice to have a six pack of cold Red Stripe to keep us company. It rained periodically on the way to Negril and we enjoyed seeing Lucea and the country side. Michael offered his services if Alfred was not available and said we were welcome to come and visit him to see where he lived. On a future visit we will take him up on this offer.

We arrived at SATP in no time and checked in with no problem. One of the maintenance staff escorted us to the room as there were no bell boys available. We opened the suitcase, pulled out bathing suits and hit the beach. No comment needed here. We were soon hooked up with drinks and then ordered some jerk chicken from Opal at the beach restaurant. It was very good and she makes her own sauce. We spent a few hours on the beach before heading back to get ready for dinner.

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We had a couple of martinis at the bar before heading over to eat. Dinner was very good with fish and roast turkey topping the list. Afterwards we had coffees and then wandered over to the bar. The Maple Leaf game was on the TV! We had a few more cocktails, watched the band and went to bed happy. At least I did, the noise from the surroundings is quite something when you are not used to it. Mt wife asked if I knew about this and I told her of course I did. She asked me when I had not told her and I said that I was smarter than that because you would not have wanted to come here if you knew in advance. By the second night it was like white noise and we both slept very well.

Day 2 – Up at 7.00 because we can sleep at home or on the beach. We hit breakfast and then went to the beach for a couple of hours. Back to the room for a quick clean up, and then off with Randy from John Wayne Tours to go to church. This is something my wife likes to do and it gave us a chance to meet some local people at the same time. We were early for Mass but were welcomed at the door and took a seat. It was a really nice experience, everyone greeted everyone before the service and there was some great singing. All of this on top of the smell of ganja wafting through the Church and the guy in front of us had obviously “heightened” his church experience before hand. One of the visitors had a little girl that was about a year and half old and it was cool to see her interact with one of the local children that was around the same age. Everyone at the back of the church got some extra value for their dollar watching these two become new friends. At the end of the Mass we found one of the lectors and gave her some pencils, notebooks and school supplies that we had brought down.

After that we walked across the street to Coco La Palm. I figured that since I had been watching their web cam endlessly the least I could do was have lunch there. The grounds are very pretty and the rooms looked very nice from the outside. It is quite a tranquil setting. We changed in the washroom and then had a nice lunch at the beach bar. The staff was very nice and the food was good. After going for a swim and chilling for a bit we headed back to the resort.

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Day 3 – Beach day. For lunch we went to the original Office of Nature. The lobster was awesome and although my wife was a little sceptical about the surroundings but we had a good time. When we were finished the cook came over and lifted our napkins and told us we were not done yet. He placed the napkins on the table and proceeded to bash a few pieces with our beer bottles so that we could get every last piece. You don’t get that kind of service in Toronto.

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One sign on a beach vendors location was unique – “One Stop Shop and Pot”.

We had brought Halloween candy with us to give out during the day. Some of the staff was sceptical about saying “Trick or Treat” as they did not want to get tricked! Adrian, who is one of the crossing guards for the resort, was very appreciative. He has a sister that has a learning disability and he said this would make her day. We made it a point to save a bag of candy for him that we gave to him later in the week.

Day 4 – Spent the day at the beach except we went back to the main restaurant for lunch. Unbeknownst to us lunch did not start until 12.30 and it was only 11.50. One of the waiters, Craig, asked if my wife was hungry and would she like something. He then disappeared into the kitchen and came back out in a couple of minutes with a fruit plate and some sandwiches. When we gave him a tip he insisted on giving it to the girl in the kitchen that made the plate as she would not usually get anything. Needless to say we tipped Craig when we saw him again.

One of the Chef’s was at the coffee bar when we were having our snack and we started to talk. I asked him if the jerk sauce at the resort was made from scratch. He told me it was and that he was making some for dinner at the moment. He asked if I wanted to go and see it. It smelled delicious and it had just been started. The next day he tracked us down and had taken the time to write out the recipe for us.

We went back to the beach to watch the sunset. Great experience but I got chewed. By the end of our trip I had over 100 bites from hanging out at the beach in the early morning and late at night. My wife had a few bites and some people appear to be immune.

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Day 5 – Pool day (for a change of pace). The guy that looks after the pool was kind enough to get us a coconut and open it so that we could have fresh coconut milk. It was really nice and also nice of him to do. We got get dressed and headed out to Ivan’s for dinner. Randy took us again and we had and an excellent meal. The sunset was great and being able to watch the divers from a distance was perfect for us. The people from Hedo II must get chilly riding back from watching the divers after the sun has set!

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Day 6 – Total chill day at the beach. Red snapper was very good and the drinks were flowing nicely.

Day 7 - Get up, eat and go to the beach. We then start the dreaded “last walk” back to the resort at 10.00. We had packed most of our things the night before and were out of the room quickly. Albert was waiting for us in the lobby and we had an uneventful ride and flight home. At the Toronto airport the drug dog was getting quite “excited” when a few guys in dreads walked by. His handler had to keep a tight grip on the leash!

There really is a vibe in Negril and we will be back. The real reason we will be back is the people. We were made to feel welcome wherever we went. SATP is really laid back but the staff is awesome. They will go to great lengths to make your stay a memorable one. We have numerous stories of the going out of their way to make sure people were happy including making meals for a girl that was lactose intolerant and could not eat wheat products.

We will definitely go back to Negril whereas there are many locations that we would not return to for one reason or another.

My only real complaint/concern is with regards to the people that visit this beautiful country. Did your parents not teach you any manners? A simple please and thank you is the very least that you can say. Not - 6 dirty monkeys, put the chairs there ..... I also realize, as do the people that work at the resorts, that this could be the one trip of someone’s lifetime and that they do not have any extra money. That being said, the lack of tipping that we saw at SATP was more apparent than other places that we have been to. I know that it is an all inclusive and tipping is included, and also that in some countries tipping is simple not done. I still like to look at it as a way of rewarding good service. If we go out for a meal in Toronto it is going to cost us $70.00 to $80.00 so I look at it if I skip one meal out and take that money on vacation to use as tips it makes me feel better.

nice report .... always wanted to stay at SATP .....

Personally, I loved your report. Well-written and informative. It is obvious that you do your share of "observing" while life goes by in Jamaica! The pictures were great as well.

The touch about "having manners" is so important that it can't be stressed enough. People have to make a living and in doing so, sometimes get a little too "exhuberant" (rather than pushy!) for most people. Taking some time to chill before answering in a polite but firm voice goes a real long way in making it a fantastic vacation experience!

I think you have been bitten by more than the "sunset bugs"! Respect!

Peace and Guidance

I love that ya'll went to church....that's definately one thing I'd like to do next time I'm there.

I also agree about people and there lack of manners. Atrocious.

Enjoyed your trip report! Thanks

every trip report has it's own style - and i liked yours - thanks for sharing

that picture of ivan's bar has got to be one of the best i've ever seen

Awesome pics! Thanks for taking the time to share.

Loved the report. Thanks! This may sound silly but my wife and I were wondering if Office of Nature had bathrooms? From what I've read you can spend the day there swiming, eating, and drinking. Would you recommend it for a lunch day trip from Coco?

Great report and pics....thanks for sharing.

While SATP was a bit too quiet for us, the staff and food were the best we ever experienced on the island. I do travel with earplugs...lol!

The lack of visible could also mean it's been done disceretly. My tip happens in the form of a handshake or a warm embrace but never in open.

Ti2m - There are no washrooms at the original Office of Nature. It is right on the beach. It is very rustic and it gives you an experience to tell people about. I would think that a cab driver can drop you off pretty close, others may know better. The "new" Office of Nature has a house/building close by but I don't know if you could use the washrooms there. We wanted to support the original group, but that was our choice.

Here are a couple of more pictures to give you a better idea of what it looks like.

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This report makes me miss it more. My wife and I stayed at SATP last year for a week and then moved to the Treehouse on Seven Mile. Both places were just the right mix. We will be back in early Feb. and definitely make the original Office of nature. We had a great time there last reach. Seven Mile and the Cliffs were also a riot. Fun no matter where you go.