Questions from "Newbies"

We are getting ready for our very first visit to Negril, arriving Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012 and staying at Coco la Palm.

I'd like to know if anyone has done the Love Bus Pub or Shopping Crawl. What does it entail and what is the cost?
Where does one shop for trinkets to bring back?
We have some things in mind that we want to do, certain restaurants, etc; but plan to do a fair amount of enjoying cocktails and sunning our Minnesota bodies! However, we'd love to hear from you if there's something you feel we must do!

The one love bus activities are free except for tipping the driver. You'll find trinkets everywhere, vendors walk the beach and vendors are everywhere. Here is a link to a great newbie list by Marko http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...st-for-newbies . I hope you all have a great trip. Negril is a special place.

plans have a way of not going the way you plan 'em...lol
I would not pay for nothing too far ahead, as your mind might be elsewhere when its time......
if you did nothing at all, you will still wish you had longer....:)

Be smart, be aware be safe and have a TON of FUN!.......

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Originally Posted by Cat & Chief

We are getting ready for our very first visit to Negril, arriving Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012 and staying at Coco la Palm.

I'd like to know if anyone has done the Love Bus Pub or Shopping Crawl. What does it entail and what is the cost?
Where does one shop for trinkets to bring back?
We have some things in mind that we want to do, certain restaurants, etc; but plan to do a fair amount of enjoying cocktails and sunning our Minnesota bodies! However, we'd love to hear from you if there's something you feel we must do!

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2 things you can do which are pretty cool, 3 I guess, are:

1. go to travellers and buy blocks- you paint your name or slogan or what have you on the blocks, they are 100J each, and the blocks and money go to local schools all throughout jamaica to build libraries or rec rooms etc.

2. set up a real proper home made home style dinner- you can go ital/rasta or traditional jamaican. I like to go old school which means recipes and preparations that go back a generation or two, so I usually recommend miss sonia which is no secret lol- pardon the pun. there are different ways folks season things and her recipes all come down from granny and further. ital is something different, maroon cooking is also something different so if you want to eat like march style food like stinkin toe and such, go maroon. it's interesting stuff, and you can always go eat again lol if it doesn't suit you. either which way you negotiate the menu and costs in advance for what you want.

3. go check out paradise park for some horseback riding and virgin white sand beach, river swimming, and food too if you want it prepared.

Walk the beach up and down. Stop when something interests you and get used to the vendors. Talk to the locals and when you are hot go for a swim. Take a day and go to Just Natural for breakfast then cross the street and go to Xtabi for sunbathing and snorkelling for the cost of a few drinks or lunch. Taxi is about 800 j for two. Thats a fair price. Listen to Rambo and go with the flow. Remember Seastar for a great night for 18$ each. Includes transport dinner buffet and a great show with great people. Gotta stop now, I'm hurtin'.

Definitely walk the beach! Great idea...be prepared to say "no" but have a smile on your face. Just because you are friendly doesn't mean you nee to buy anything....have fun with it.

One thing I'd be sure to do if I were you is to see the West End as soon as possible...meaning don't wait 'til Trip#2. The Bus Crawl is a REALLY cool and safe chance to do so. The Negril.com experts are on board most of the time, so it's a great place to learn. I waited to long to see the West End...now I'm sorry I hadn't checked it out earlier. Lots of people I know feel this way.

The West End is SUCH a different vibe; look at going there as collecting data about your next trip. It is a place you may want to end up staying sometime. Immerse yourself in some local bars there...meet some of the yardis...and you'll see why....I'd reccommend staying there from lunch til sunset and really soaking a half-day or more in.

Barnesville!!!! We are neighbors practically. Ottertailians here. You will have a great time coco is a nice place. Since its your first trip you should go to Ricks and check out the divers have a drink and then go next door to LTU to watch the sunset and have dinner. Great food and good prices, vibe. Ricks is touristy but you will enjoy it. Definatly walk the beach and stop at places for a cool one. Good breakfast at firefly which is really close to you and cheap redstripe. Although some nudity involved sometimes usually older gentlemen but they stay to themselves. A cab to Ricks and back usually around 1500J they will wait or come back for you about the time you will be done with dinner at LTU. Have a great trip message me if you have any questions.

Thanks everyone for your advice. I've taken notes and will make comments when we return. We leave for Minneapolis tomorrow afternoon, so if anyone has time to reply before regarding snorkeling, I'd appreciate it. Where will we find the best snorkeling? That will be my husband's first concern. Also, we don't have a laptop (I know, crazy right?). Is there somewhere we can access a computer?

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since you are staying on the beach, there are plenty of boats near you that will take you from the beach to the reef for about 20 dollars a person. There are some favorite captains, but I have never heard of a bad experience with any of the boats. The reef is a ways off of the beach/bay, not much to see swimming off shore. My favorite way to get to the reef is on a small hobie catamaran (same price as the boats) I love the silent ride without the engine of the boat. Plus you are that much closer to the water and it is easy access for in and out of the water. Here is cp't Tony (I think that is his name, it has been a while) steering with his toes and a couple of other shots. Very nice trip.

As far as internet cafes, there is easy rock on the westend road and I am sure there are some in the beach area as well. I usually bring my laptop and use wifi. Ask at the desk at coco, I am sure they can help you out and point you in the right direction. Some places like Seastar and Ivans at Catcha have computers their guests can use--maybe if you go for dinner or a show at one of those places you could hop on. Havea great trip!

Too bad about no laptop, several places have free WiFi. I used to go to Blue Water Ice Cream and Internet Cafe - good ice cream, fairly good internet access with multiple computers in a properly cooled room. Tt's run by a personable ex-pat. Ask @ Coco LaPalm if there is anything closer, I am sure there is but I usually have a laptop or access to a friend's computer so I can't say where.

ENJOY!!

BTW - if you are looking to snorkel, let me plug my FAVORITE person on the 7 mile beach - Capt. Mike's Glass Bottom Boat. Mike & his brother Ricky are two of the nicest, standup guys I have ever met. They are very straight forward and really look out for people.

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You'll find them moored by White Sands, just a short walk down from Coco LaPalm... come out of your room, head towards the water and go left....:)

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A view of the cliffs @ Ricks from Mikey's boat.....we went snorkeling in the caves, he dropped us off at Rick's for drinks and to watch the sunset. Awesome day!!

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