1st Timer who needs HELP

I am a first time traveler to Jamacia. I have desided to stay at Negril...but that is about all i have desided. This is gonna be a surprise for my wife and i want it to be as close to perfect as i can make it. I do think i want an AI resort so i dont have to worry about much. I am wanting to stay somewhere nice...but dont want to feel like i "don't belong" The thing i like about he Jamacian way of life is the laid back attitude that they have...and i wanna stay somewhere like that. I dont really wanna stay somewhere that feels just like a common hotel. I THINK i have narrowed it down to Couples Negril and Couples Swept Away. Does anyone have any imput on these 2 or wanna stear me somewhere else. One thing i know i wanna do is sucba dive...since there really is nowhere in Illinois where i live that i can do anything like that. Also I am looking for stuff to do off resort also. I am planing on staying 7 nights next April. April is a good time to visit right? I am looking for stuff both exciting and laid back. Wanting to maybe see one of the waterfall places...the blue hole....or whatever its called....and dont know what else. Sorry for all the questions...just wanting to make this as perfect for my wife as i can.

Join the live webcast this evening on RealNegril.com from Seastar Inn! We will be webcasting until 11:30pm! You can see one of the popular non-AI resorts (with a live reggae show on Saturdays) and also chat with many folks who have stayed here in Negril and answer your questions in "real time" as you have them.

Join us at:

http://realnegril.com

I am also sure that many others will be answering you here on your thread - but the webcast and chat is a more immediate way to get some answers!

We honeymooned at Couples Negril and we will definitely go non-AI (at least part of the time) for our next trip. If I were you, I would consider going non-AI and I'm sure that lots of other posters will respond with information about non-AI options. I'll leave that to them, but encourage you to really think about what they say. That said, I'll tell you what I think about Couples Negril (CN) and Couples Swept Away (CSA).

Both are lovely. I've only slept at CN, but I did spend the day at CSA through the trading places program that you get to do if you are a Romance Rewards member. By the way, if you go Couples, definitely join that Romance Rewards program before you go. You will get extra perks and you can do the trading places thing for free which allows you to spend the day at another nearby Couples resort. You take a van over and spend like 10-4 there and get to enjoy all of their facilities. It is really nice. We did it and once we were over at CSA, we got off the resort and walked along 7-mile beach, exploring and eating! It was great. CSA is right on 7-mile beach and is a larger, more spread out resort. It doesn't have a central main space, but has very nice pools and beach area spread throughout the resort. Check out the work out facility on their website - it is supposed to be really nice. We had snacks at a couple of the places open for lunch and enjoyed it. CN is a smaller property, but I thought it was more charming than CSA. It is colorful and really nicely decorated with a great Jamaican vibe. Our room was comfortable and everything worked. We loved the food and thought the restaurants were really nice - especially the one with open air seating on the beach - so romantic. The pool was nice and it had a great lively swim-up pool bar scene. The beach was gorgeous. We loved it so much. The staff was awesome (actually, the staff was great at both places). We walked off the resort in the other direction (away from the 7-mile beach) and walked to the Office of Nature which was an awesome place that sold fresh caught lobster and red stripes. It was very nice and I recommend it highly.

We didn't scuba while we were there, but we did snorkel twice (once during the day and once at night) and we had a great time. The snorkeling wasn't as amazing as some places I have been but that doesn't mean it wasn't awesome. The night snorkeling was really cool (kinda scary though). The night snorkeling was one of the few things that cost extra. It was about 30 bucks I think. We also sailed on a hobie cat, tried water skiing and took the catamaran cruise to the cliffs. Great fun! We paid an off-site vendor to go horseback riding and we took the free trip to Rick's Cafe on the cliffs.

If you are set on an AI, I think Couples is a good option. I would recommend going to the Couples message board (they maintain one on the couples website) and read trip reports and comparisons over there. Some people do a split stay between CN and CSA and their trip reports might be especially helpful. Also, check out videos made by people at both resorts on Youtube and check out guests photographs on tripadvisor. You'll probably get more information about these specific resorts there than here.

Fozzy, I think you will love Negril! If you do stay at one of the couples, do try to get out to see the real negril! CSA would be more conducive for that due to it's location on the main beach area. Do try to make it to some of the live webcasts as Rob mentioned above, especially the Sat night one at the Seastar Inn. All your friends from home can see you there, etc.!

Do check out www.negrilonestop.com for other options and they are Excellent travel agents as well!

My husband and I used to split out trips between hedonism II and coco la palm on the beach as the vibe at both are nice but different. I found it's easy to get "stuck" at Hedo (A/I) and miss the real negril too much!

April is a wonderful time (weather wise) to visit Negril!

Quote:

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I found it's easy to get "stuck" at Hedo

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I think that says it all.

Peace and Guidance

You say you want the real feel of Negril but want AI......Can't have both,it just doesnt mix. If you scuba,which is pricey then go AI....Stayed at both Couples.Couples Negril is more quiet and smaller resort. CSA is great,also you can just walk down the beach if you dare go "over the AI wall"...........CSA is also VERY pricey. Do it right and go non AI........

There are many good options beyond the Couples compounds. Treehouse, Coco La Palm, Charela Inn. My personal fave is Charela, classy and elegant with out being stuffy or pretentious. They offer an A/I food option if you so desire, but there is so much variety to be had in Negril I can't imagine eating every meal at the same place. The money you save will easily pay for scuba diving a la carte.

We visited friends staying at beachcomber club. It is located on our favorite part of the beach. The suites are very nice, and they do AI, but i don't think they were very impressed with the AI part of things, but they still go back every year. I am considering Beachcomber club myself for this feb.-march, but won't be doing the AI, the vibe and beach there were great. Cheers!

Fozzy,

Welcome to the board. April is a wonderful month to visit Negril. I have stayed at both Couples Negril and Couples Swept Away, but that was back in the 90's. Back then I preferred Couples Swept Away on Long Bay. Couples Negril is on Bloody Bay and that is far more developed today then it was back in the 90's.

If you aren't certified for Scuba diving you will have to take the resort course at Couples. Plan on 1/2 day for the resort course before you can scuba. It is a wonderful experience.

As Rob stated, please join the LIVE webcasts on www.realnegril.com to ask any questions.

My adventures in Negril started at the All Inclusives and this board convinced me to leave the All Inclusives and stay at Non AI places.

Negril is basically two sections. The Beach and the Cliffs. The Couples resorts are on the beach section and Seastar Inn is on the Cliffs.

I spent 14 years on the beach and tried Seastar Inn on the cliffs in 2006. I loved Seastar and don't plan on going back to the beach.

Mayfield Falls is my personal favorite for a 1/2 day trip from Negril.

Enjoy,

VVHT

Congrats on picking Negril as your first visit in Jamaica....My wife and I visited Montego Bay as our first visit, and while we had a great time, our second visit to Jamaica (and every other visit after that) was to Negril - and was 10x better.

We too liked the 'no worry' style of all inclusive, but wanted to also experience the local vibe. We like to stay at Couples Swept Away for 3-4 nights and then spend 3-4 nights at a non-AI, preferably Catcha. CSA - while expensive, is great for location but we also enjoyed the food, swim-up bar, staff, etc...Haven't been to any other AI's in Negril, but we loved CSA. Ask anybody about Catcha and they'll tell you your wife will be in love as soon as you get there.

Our next trip (November) will be completely non-AI this time...looking forward to it, 4 nights on the beach at Country Country and 3 nights at Catcha. While it's easy to get used to the 'no worry' style of AI's, we're confident that we'll enjoy the 'NO PROBLEM' part of non-AI...

Thanks everyone for your responses. I will def. have to check out this Catcha that you all are talking about. I am just choosing AI to get my feet wet and to get a feel for where we are at. If we like Negril as much as we think we will...next time i will prob be looking for another experience. Where does everyone think i should go check out away from the resort?

Check out the schedule at realnegril.com and go to at least one of the web casts. The buffet and show at Seastar on Saturday nights is not to be missed. Canoe and 3 Dives also have great vibes and food. Ivan's at Catcha Falling Star and Kuyaba are both excellent for fine dining. Meet some people and make some friends for there are beaches and sunsets many places but it's the people that make Jamaica truly magical!

You said you want it to be as close to perfect as possible. Well, you're 90% there by picking Negril! I am not an AI person, so cannot comment on any of the AI's, but go for it! Do what you feel comfortable with ... I guarantee there will be other trips after - Once you go, you know! The boardies here are a great guide. Better than any travel agents.
If you do stay at an AI, get in touch with the One Love Bus Pub Crawl, and do that. It takes you up to the cliffs to see what is up there, and aside from a spectacular view, there are great bars, awesome restos and the nicest people on the planet to chill with. OUr fearless leader and great guru of all things Negril, Rob, can point you in the right directions for this! And more. It can be crowded, but that's half the fun! AI or not, I would heartily recommend a dinner at Rockhouse or Catcha Falling Star Cliffs (Ivan's). She will love you forever after one of those! (Coconut chicken at Rockhouse is to die for!). Blue Hole at Roaring River is an awesome trip. There are so many "not to be missed places" that you really need to start planning trips 4, 5 & 6 to get it all in.

Oh. You need to send us all a trip report! There is nothing more uplifting than reading a new visitor's take on our beloved Negril! Watching somebody fall in love! Please do.
Just one word of advice. RELAX. Enjoy. There's no hurry. No problem, mon. And BTW - Jamaican 101. "Soon come" has very little to do with "soon"! :) But hey, who cares!
You're in Negril. Take it slow!

Cool Runnings, Fozzy and the soon-to-be-surprised Mrs. Fozzy!

Fozzy don't even waste your time with an AI. My husband & I had our first trip week before last and I was damned determined not to go to an AI bc I wanted to experience Negril! You know how I did it... this board! I went and never batted an eye! The only thing I didn't do was learn how to GET HOME! May have been a Freudian thing... I don't know, but Gary would ask me "How do we...." and I could answer... except the day we had to leave and he said "How do we get back thru the airport?" I didn't know... but we did it! And now I'm home.... blah blah blah! Seriously, if you are on this board you're one step closer to non-AI! The best way to go!!! I'll be happy to help! Oh & Catcha Falling Star..... definitely one of the most beautiful places on earth... and a spectacular place to be with the one you love!!!

swept away would be a great choice. have stayed many times as well as many times non ai. both great. don't let them scare you about getting off property. go to a show one night (if you can stay up that late). prob want to book thru negril one stop . won't cost any more for you and they can assist on a room. ensure you are not next to the road or right by the dining area.. my only complaint about swept away is you have to wear hard soled shoes to get into a couple of the restaurants.

I totally agree with Ras Walleye, there are many great options beyond the Couples compound. One of which is the Charela Inn where I have been visiting for the past two years. Great ambiance, excellent food and friendly staff who after checking in by day 2 they know your name. They make you feel right at home. They offer different meal plans to suit your needs, i always take the map which includes breakfast and a 5 course dinner giving me the chance to eat out for lunch. Am not much of a drinker so the AI wouldn't be an option for me.

Their rooms are nicely decorated and affordable. The front desk team can assist with the arrangements of scuba diving.

Hope you will have a wonderful vacation.

Hi Everyone,
This is the first time I've posted here but I've been reading your comments for a few weeks.
Fozzy, if you want an AI then CSA is your best choice. Book an Atrium or if it's in the budget look at at the Beachfront Suites. There are 3 different types of Beachfront suites so I suggest you check out their website. My favorite is the Premium Beachfront Suites because of the large veranda's. CSA is in a good location to check out the other places to stay along the beach. They also do a shuttle to the Sands one evening so you can get a look at the cliffs too but it wont be long enough to look at the place you might want to stay in the future. I say that with full confidence because once you've been to Jamaica and IMO Negril, you have to go back.

Having said all of that about CSA, I have to tell you the reason I joined this MB is to try to break my CSA addiction and move on to a non-AI. I have a 15 trip habit and I need to give it up. I am quite comfortable in Negril and know many of the local people because even though I stay at an AI, I go off the property every day. We eat at least 1 meal a day at a the local restaurants or bars. I love the people and vibe in Negril. It's like going home when ever we are there. When I get the courage to step out of my comfort zone I will be posting on the MB to also ask help on where to stay.

BTW, the diving from CSA is wonderful. They have very knowledgeable dive masters and Anthony Morris is a great Scuba Instructor. I got certified while at CSA in April. I can't wait to get back to Jamaica so I can dive again.

Your wife is a lucky woman!
KK

Thanks KK. Well i did it moday. Booked my trip for April 13th. As much as everyone is telling me not to...I desided on CSA. I got the Beachfront Verranda Suite. Tried to get the Premium Suite but they were all booked already. I am gonna be there for 8 days 7 nights so i should have time to go off resort for a few trips. Pretty sure i wanna go see the Blue Hole. My question is how do you get there. Is there someone that the resort can refer. Or how does that work. I am excited to see what Negril had to offer. Now just the LONG wait till April 13th.

The resort can recommend a driver at a very high price. There are many excellent drivers in Negril that will take you there for less than resort prices. Remember to ONLY use red plate taxi's as they are insured to carry passengers. My favorite driver is Kenny. He can be contacted at kennyjamaica@gmail.com or 876-384-1371

OK...thanks Ras. I will prob go a route like that then. I will def check into that then when time gets closer. How do the drivers do things down there? Do they want a flat rate as to where you are going? Do they charge by distance? Then what happens while you are there? Do they drop you off then come back as a certain time or what?

For day trips like blue hole or Mayfield Falls or YS Falls or Black River or Pelican Bar it will be a flat rate. They will wait while you do your thing, stop if you see something you like, take you to cool stops they know if you ask, find whatever kind of food you're looking for, etc. You'll make a friend in the bargain, usually. I always recommend tipping them well in addition to your negotiated fare.

Ok. This sounds good. So other than the driver that Ras had spoke of...how or where do you find the drivers like this. Is it best to just ask people on here or ??

Don't have the numbers with me Fozzy, love the name by the way, but can get you a few I've liked and used. Chicken, Percy and his brother Chris are my favorites. I think you can reach them through this website, I believe they are on the drivers page here. Chickens Magic Bus and Percy's Garden Retreat. Chris, an EXCELLENT driver, is Percy's brother and usually works out of Home Sweet Home.

Percy -
http://negril.com/things/percys.htm

Chicken -
http://negril.com/transport/chicken.htm

Great suggestions on drivers. Congratz on booking your April trip Fozzy....I hope to be there in April as well. :)