Daytime advice traveling with teen son.

Ok guys I need some help. I know Negril pretty well since I've been coming down for about 24 years now but I've never traveled with a teen and have usually been hosting large groups of adults looking to party. It's been several years since I last brought my son to Negril with me but we will be staying at NBCC next month. He'll be 17 in August and is a good kid. He's an athlete and doesn't drink or smoke. His grandparents live up towards McField and Ramble so we will travel there one day for lunch up at Border Jerk but other than that I'm looking for some PG-13 activities to do in the daytime specifically in Negril. I don't plan on taking him to any late night events but I do want him to be able to enjoy some live reggae throughout the week. This is an extra reward trip this year since he made the state meet in track so I wasn't really budgeting for it. I'm trying to keep things on a reasonable budget so I don't want to go too many places that require steep fees to enter. He's a water kid and has always kept himself busy at the pool and beach when we used to stay in Mo Bay so I'm sure we'll do a lot of that but this trip is special because it's just he and I. Any advice or ideas on cheap nearby fun for a teen is welcome.

Plans so far are as follows:

-Ricks Cafe to jump and swim then dinner at LTU or Ivans
-Snorkeling one day on glass bottom boat
-Quality Seabreeze for dinner and music
-Boat Bar for daytime reggae
-Lunch in Orange Bay
-Blue Hole Mineral Springs
-Benta River Falls

Corey — nice of you to take him! Looks like a fun list but I don’t believe the Boat Bar will have daytime music next month. He might enjoy exploring the caves and jumping at Xtabi one day as well.

I double Xtabi.
Not too cheap, but a catamaran ride (usually $60 - $70) includes snorkeling, Ricks for sunset, and a great meal. It's a few hours, so money well spent.
My son ran track and cross country all through HS and into college. Great sport. He should love an early morning run along the waters edge!!
Thursdays & Saturdays Charela has live music and a laid back vibe. If he's a healthy eater, check out Rasta Ade next to Sunnyside bar on the beach.

Pleasant morning, happy you've discovered Jamaica as your second home. He will totally enjoy himself . If he is an outdoor activity lover you can also try Atv , zip line and horse back riding at Jam west , they have a lot of activities there that you both can enjoy. Both blue hole and jam west can be done one in the same , as they are in close proximity or if you want to flip it ,Benta and jam west . A good kid deserves great adventures ... Do enjoy your trip . Be safe . One love from Dbrown tours Jamaica ��

Triple Xtabi: You can see Rick's from there. It has a nice jumping area and is a fraction of the cost.

Xtabi is in the plans too. I've always enjoyed myself there. Also as mentioned above I saw a post on Facebook that Boat Bar is closing for the summer so daytime music is out there. Thanks for the suggestions so far. Keep them coming.

We are in Negril now and will be joined by grandkids in a couple days. Would Xtabi be OK for a 7 and 9 year old???

What an amazing vacation experience for a young child. As far as Xtabi I think it depends on how long you will be there. I’m afraid they could get bored. They will love the caves but they are too young to swim off the cliffs. They do have a pool across the street. 7 and 9 year olds never seem to get bored on the beach and they are able to access the ocean. Enjoy your stay!!

Thanks Rumlover…
We’re staying on beach and wanted to give them a taste of the cliffs, maybe lunch and snorkeling, but they are are just too young for that experience.

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Originally Posted by Corey K

Ok guys I need some help. I know Negril pretty well since I've been coming down for about 24 years now but I've never traveled with a teen and have usually been hosting large groups of adults looking to party. It's been several years since I last brought my son to Negril with me but we will be staying at NBCC next month. He'll be 17 in August and is a good kid. He's an athlete and doesn't drink or smoke. His grandparents live up towards McField and Ramble so we will travel there one day for lunch up at Border Jerk but other than that I'm looking for some PG-13 activities to do in the daytime specifically in Negril. I don't plan on taking him to any late night events but I do want him to be able to enjoy some live reggae throughout the week. This is an extra reward trip this year since he made the state meet in track so I wasn't really budgeting for it. I'm trying to keep things on a reasonable budget so I don't want to go too many places that require steep fees to enter. He's a water kid and has always kept himself busy at the pool and beach when we used to stay in Mo Bay so I'm sure we'll do a lot of that but this trip is special because it's just he and I. Any advice or ideas on cheap nearby fun for a teen is welcome.

Plans so far are as follows:

-Ricks Cafe to jump and swim then dinner at LTU or Ivans
-Snorkeling one day on glass bottom boat
-Quality Seabreeze for dinner and music
-Boat Bar for daytime reggae
-Lunch in Orange Bay
-Blue Hole Mineral Springs
-Benta River Falls

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Rent a couple paddle boards early in the morning when the sea is calm and paddle out to the reef to do some snorkeling. Great exercise and what you see on the way out there and back is pretty cool.

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Originally Posted by Tommy

Rent a couple paddle boards early in the morning when the sea is calm and paddle out to the reef to do some snorkeling. Great exercise and what you see on the way out there and back is pretty cool.

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There is a Pirate era cannon and anchor on the reef from and old shipwreck. They should love finding those.
Bring a small jar of fish flakes and attract the reef fish.

Be sure to check the weather forecast before you do this. It's a mile out and a mile back. If rain moves in with any wind it can get very choppy, especially in the shallows around the reef.
We always call Famous Vincent. He knows the reef like the back of his hand and will lead you around to see lots of great stuff. We use frozen peas from Hi-Lo to attract fish.

Corey, how was the trip? I saw a few pics on FB. Did you find lots of fun stuff for your son to do?

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Originally Posted by gregandkelly63

Corey, how was the trip? I saw a few pics on FB. Did you find lots of fun stuff for your son to do?

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Hi and thanks for asking. Yes we had a great trip. Took him to Margaritaville and Ricks so he could say he went. We didn't stay long at either but Ricks had a nice afternoon vibe going on. Took him snorkeling out by Booby Cay with Captain Billy and we enjoyed. We went to Blue Hole and he jumped several times as well as met some Jamaican and American teens his age that he hung out with for the day. That was probably his favorite spot. Then we also went up to Ramble to Border Jerk and to his grand parents home nearby. Met Rob one day downtown at Rockies and also took my son to a reggae show one evening at Roots Bamboo. Tish Brown and Crystal Axe were the main performers that night and they always put on a good show. The rest of the week we pretty much just hung at the pool and beach. He liked the pool at Travellers Hotel a lot. We enjoyed ourselves.