Back from Coco Lapalm less than 24 hours and I need to pay forward the knowledge I received here. I did much research on this site before going on my first trip to Negril (had been to a Mobay AI previous) and my wife and I made good use of the information. The following are the things I learned here before my trip and by my 7 days on the beach.
Don't fly on Saturdays in March (or Jan, Feb). Got in at 1:30 on 3/21 along with every other flight from everywhere on earth. Unreal lines.
If you do, Club Mobay is worth every penny! I bought the arrival/departure bundle and thanked myself that I did.
Private Transfer is a must. We used Rocky's. Impressed- no wait to fill bus and a personal tour of the route to Negril along with a grocery stop. Clinton took us from the airport to Negril and Leroy brought us back. Great, friendly drivers! When we got to our hotel, I paid Clinton the entire round trip fee in cash and had total confidence a driver would be back in a week to pick me up as promised. 7 days later and 5 minutes early, Leroy was loading us up for our return. Thank you Rocky's for great service.
Ganja is everywhere Many have asked in previous threads about kids being exposed to pot. They will be. It can't be avoided. That's not a judgement, just a fact. If it makes you uncomfortable to see or smell people smoking a joint, you will be uncomfortable. When we stayed at an AI in Mobay, it was much more discreet. Still there, still smelled great, but a bit more hidden. In Negril during our visit it was more common than cigarettes. Again, I mention just to inform.
Food budget is up to you. I read many threads on here about what to budget for food and drinks and the advice was all great. If you want to live like a king and queen (we did) budget $100 per person, per day for food. We ate dinner at Ivan's, Rockhouse, Charela (twice), and Coco Lapalm (twice) and never exceeded $100 even with wine/cocktails. Lunch at Kuyaba, Best in the West, Niah's, Sun Beach and Coco. Breakfast at Coco every day. Didn't miss a meal, ate like Americans on vacation and never exceeded $200 for two in a day. You could also skimp and scrimp and probably get by for under $50 each pretty easily. Drinks at bars are like home $3-$4 for beers and well drinks and up to $8 for fancy mixed drinks. We took a soft cooler for beach beers during the day and drank at bars up and down the beach during walks.
Rick's and Margaritaville are the worst values We went to the Mobay Margaritaville on our last trip and really enjoyed it. Big slide, strong drinks and a party vibe. The Negril version is just an over-priced bar with mediocre food. I did not list it in my restaurant list above but we did eat there for dinner.
Rick's was interesting for about 10 minutes.
Coco Lapalm and Charela look like the best two spots on the beach. Un-scientific but nice beach frontage and good security at both. Charela's food was fantastic.
Smile, "no thanks", "respect" this has been said many times but many forget the smile-works every time. Don'y improvise, don't add anything and don't forget the smile. You will enjoy your beach strolls so much more if you look everybody in the eye, say "good morning!" and if they have something to sell that you don't want- thank them for the offer with a smile.
Tip like you are a little crazy This is the best money you will ever spend. If you can't look around and see how much a few extra bucks could mean to your waitress or bartender you are not being honest with yourself. If you say you don't care, You are not being honest with yourself.
Originally Posted by don+shelley
