Our first trip to Jamaica - TR

[Winston]

Babe and I enjoyed our first trip to Jamaica (never been to Caribbean). We had 10 nights in Negril, and are looking forward to next time we are able to visit.
Last fall we knew that we wanted to take a vacation to a beach location as winter was going to be busy and long. When my buddy let us know he is celebrating his 50th birthday at Sandals Negril middle of April 2011, we figure that Negril will be the spot for vacation.
Do some research, one of the resources found is the Negril.com message board. So Babe and I plan five nights with them and three other couples at the all inclusive. With tips garnered from boardies, we liked the idea of splitting the trip up, so we plan to head to the cliffs for the last five nights. I’ve never stayed at an AI and am not sure what to expect. With all the positive comments about the west end we really looked forward to our last 5 nights on the rocks!
With six months from booking to departure I had lots of time to make a big list of potential things to do, but understood that ‘sand gravity’ will take over if we let it (we let it). Other than accommodations, the only other preplanning involved contacting Alrick Allen http://yourjamaicantourguide.com/ to arrange a transfer from the AI to the cliffs (with countryside tour) and airport transfer at end of trip.
Thanks to all the board members.
Winston.

[Vince]

Glad your trip went well_Bless!!

[Winston]

Leave Friday April 15th, light snow when leaving YXJ, delayed 20 minutes for deicing.

Two hour wait in YVR for our connection to Montreal, so share a sandwich and watch tail end of Canucks game. Depart Vancouver 11:30pm, had couple hours crappy sleep on plane, arrive Montreal's Trudeau airport 7:15am, bite of breakfast, and then wait for 11:30am departure for Montego Bay.
Arrive Montego Bay Saturday 3pm, must have been last of six planes just arriving, 90 minutes to get through immigration,

5 minutes customs, bit of a wait for shuttle to resort, arrive resort 7pm, check in is smooth and have dinner with the group. Quite tired as only got a few hours sleep in last 36 hours, Head back to room unpack and go to sleep just after 10pm.
Sunday, awake at 6am, claim a couple of beach loungers in front of room, breakfast, read book on lounger, go for swim off beach (sea is nice and warm) go for one hour snorkel trip, lunch, beach loungers, go to pool, lounge, play pool volleyball, shower, take sunset picture from patio.

Go to supper at pasta restaurant, stroll around resort for bit, call it a night. No sunburns yet, keeping hydrated and spf'd.

Up early to claim some loungers, roll out of room 7am, read on beach til 8am, breakfast. Beach loungers til 10am, grab a taxi, go 'downtown' Negril, go to Scotiabank atm, get some Jamaica dollars (J$86 = C$1) and USD. Buy a cel phone, tour the 'duty free' Times square shopping centre, 4 expensive jewelry stores and 8 tacky souvenir stores, no buy anything. Take taxi up west end road past the light house, just me getting 'lay of the land'. Buy some patties at out of town pastry, head back to resort, hang out at pool until 330pm as have to get ready for boat trip for buddy's birthday at 4pm. They arranged resort dive boat for 3 hour tour, made loop around from just north of resort then south to Rick's Cafe, where we watched cliff divers, saw another sunset,

then swim/jump on the margaritaville trampolines. Back to room, showered, and head out to late supper @ 9pm.
Tuesday, walked South down the beach past all the bigger resorts and past bunch of smaller resorts, bars, vendors. Made it down to White Sands, was getting warm by 1130am, White Sands bar not open yet so stop off at Aqua, Andre made us an excellent dirty banana,

Very tasty, and then headed back to Sandals for lunch. Lazed by pool rest of afternoon, cleaned up and had some sunset photos taken by resort staff. Supper at 7pm bed by 930pm.
Claimed our beach loungers at 530am his morning, been checking emails and stuff from lounger since 6am. At 730, breakfast buffet opens and smell bacon, mmm bacon. Just lounge around resort today as last day here, transfer to new hotel tomorrow. Hung out most of morning and early afternoon at the beach just outside our room. Bit of time out at pool with friends til 5pm. Supper at 8pm, off to bed after getting a start on packing up for transfer to our new resort tomorrow. Checking out at 930am, scheduled to be picked up at 10am.

[Island Girl]

Great report Winston, and the pics are superior- so colorful! Can't wait to see how you like the cliffs...IRIE! *IG

[Winston]

Check out of Sandals Thursday, and Alrick is there as scheduled. Drove through countryside, through the hills, saw lots of goats,

Dogs, chickens, some cows, and a skinny horse,
Homers Cove?

Stopped off at a blue hole mineral springs, had a beer and a swim,

Cute outfits, eh?
Drove past lots of sugar cane fields, asked to go to Sweet Spice so could try their curried goat for lunch,

Went through local craft market (bought a carved giraffe), went to HiLo to stock up on room supplies. The HiLo cambio changed my Canadian money (J$87 = C$1). Checked into Catcha Falling Star, Libra cottage, nice place, simple, nice, ac, satellite tv, fridge, micro, as rustic as we want! Have a great dinner at Ivans Thursday night, orange snapper and Babe had pimento chicken.

[Winston]

Friday, up at 630am, got Babe coffee from the table set up in front of Ivans, our masseuse Oya showed up at 8am, me, then M at 9am.

Then breakfast... pineapple pancakes and fried eggs this morning.

lounge & pool dips most rest of day. Supper at Ivans.
Sunset & Libra cottage

We didn’t spend too much time off the resort property, didn’t venture very far, down to Ras Rody’s (1/2 block north) for take out Ital, Leroy’s (50m north) for takeout jerk chicken, Market (100m north) for additional supplies (contribute to jar for a local’s medical care). Liked the vibe at Catcha and with the loungers just out front of the Libra cottage, short walk to pool or jump in cove, excellent food and drink at Ivans, clean, outstanding service, we really don’t want to go anywhere else.
Here's a tour of the property...


Saturday was hot, lounger time by the cottage, pool to cool off, went down the cliffs for lunch at Canoe, taxi ride back, lounger time, pool to cool off, friends came to supper. Another excellent meal at Ivans.
Sunset with wildthing in foreground

[Nurse Marcia]

Great report. Catcha is such a great place!

[Winston]

Sunday is hot, lounger time by the cottage, massages for me and M at 10am-12pm, jerk chicken from local vendor, lounger time, pool to cool off, supper at bar, met an interesting couple from Kingston. Beautiful sunset from Ivans.

Supper was chicken alfredo and was yummy!

Monday, last full day in JA, so must continue with the program. Snorkel with Famous Vincent after breakfast. Excellent snorkel tour, Vincent swam with us and showed us lots of fish, some sea turtles, and a ray.

More massages, lounger, pool, food & drink. Start packing up. Not happy to be leaving. Another suberb supper at Ivans.

Tuesday... sad. Going home today. Breakfast, some sun, pool, check out at 930am. Alrick picks us up at 930am, stop at roundabout craft market and Babe picks up a purse. Do some shopping in Montego Bay, grab some takeout jerk chicken at the pork pit.

Thank Alrick for the awesome service, great country side tour and airport transfer. Check in for afternoon flight, smooth trip home.
Envy of fellow passengers with my inflight meal.

Canuck’s continue on their quest for the cup.
Arrive home 10am Wednesday.
Loved our vacation in Jamaica and plan at to come back.
People were great.
I enjoyed the food and drink, gained 10lbs in 10days, I blame the mangoes and other fruit in the morning.
Chocolate Monkey

Really liked the AI, really loved Catcha.

[Honey518]

Nice report-Glad you and "Babe" had a great first trip! Now, the million dollar question is... Which to do you prefer Cliffs or Beach?

[Clarity]

Great trip report and awesome pictures! Thank you for sharing this!

I particularly loved the footage of Catcha. We're planning on splitting our next stay between the cliffs and the beach next time we go to Negril. It looks so beautiful! What a view from the Libra cottage!

We didn't get to Margaritaville on our last trip. You mentioned swim/jumping on a trampoline. I didn't know they had trampolines there! Are the trampolines over the water? I'll have to check that out!
and that chocolate monkey looks so delicious!