Planning First Trip to Treasure Beach

[M&G Montreal]

We are two couples, Negrilaholics, branching out yet again. This time we want to go to Treasure Beach (TB) in Feb. 2019. Looking for any tips/advice/suggestions. We know we are looking at a totally different vibe from Negril (and the Port Antonio (PA) Adventure of 2016 was an awesome departure). We are all well-seasoned travelers; not fussy; looking for good basic (Seastar, Pure Garden, Coral Seas Cliffs ... you get our drift - not your RIU/Couples clan). Have been traveling to Jamaica in general for many, many years!!

So any tips/advice/suggestions would be welcome. When we did PA, the "don't expect taxis as plentiful as Negril" tip was the best ever! We would have been Class A Screwed if we had gone with our Negril Taxis brain cells engaged. That's the sort of info we would like to be armed with. Hate to be the "stupid" tourist!

ARE taxis Ã* la Port Antonio or Ã* la Negril?
Where is the "town centre" - most hotel booking sites tell you the hotel is x.x km. from the town centre - where exactly would that be so we can get our bearings vis-Ã*-vis the distance from our hotel to other activities - beaches, restos, bars, other (suggestions???) - ..
Is it a 6 mile beach?
Would you recommend a villa for 2 couples, or hotel rooms (4 nights max)?
What villa and why (approx cost and when you last stayed there)
What hotel and why? (approx cost and when you last stayed there)
Is 3-4 nights adequate to get a feel for the place (we sure wished we had spent longer in PA, mais c'est la vie, eh?) (reading the posts, one of our esteemed number mentioned that frankly, after 9 days, he was getting a bit bored .... can you expand?) We don't need to be entertained 24/7 - just want to know what to expect.
Are there any jerk barrel guys on the street in TB?
Are there plenty of little convenience stores about?
There is mention of the Scotia Bank ATM near Jake's - is that functional? (we'll check that closer to our trip ,,, but ...?)
Your general over-all impression and any suggestions on what to do, where to go, what to see, what we need to know about locals,"don't expect" surprises you may have had ..... etc.

As always, thanks to you all for any of your input. We really appreciate it. This is the place to get real time, real people input!

Merci!

[bigbamboo]

ARE taxis Ã* la Port Antonio or Ã* la Negril?

We rented a scooter while we were there. We drove around quite a bit and there weren't a lot of taxis that I saw. In Portland we took route taxis to Boston Bay, PA, etc. and they were fairly frequent. In TB we didn't see a whole lot.

Where is the "town centre" - most hotel booking sites tell you the hotel is x.x km. from the town centre - where exactly would that be so we can get our bearings vis-Ã*-vis the distance from our hotel to other activities - beaches, restos, bars, other (suggestions???) - ..

For us "town centre" would have been Frenchmans Reef. Park there have a drink at the bar then walk the beach. Eggy's is a good time on that beach. It's a small bar to the left, if your facing the water, from Frenchmans. You may however be asked to help push a boat in for a fisherman.

Is it a 6 mile beach?

It is not anything like Negril. A couple of smaller beaches that may extend a couple of miles. When we were there in Jan. there were very few people. That's kind of how me and the Mrs.'s like it. Higglers were minimal and NOWHERE near the level of pressure as Negril. Not a judgement, just an observation.

Would you recommend a villa for 2 couples, or hotel rooms (4 nights max)?

Depends on your preference. You want a bar, restaraunt, chilling with fellow travelers you'd probably want a hotel. If you want a home base, more room,full kitchen and usually a cook and landskeeper/security a villa is definately the route.

We did a villa for 8 days for the two of us. It was perfect. Our House lady was amazing. Her sister grew the Ackee we had (delicious). Her fruit person got us the best mangoes, coconuts, pineapple etc. She had a lot of local connections and St. Elizebeth is the "Breadbasket" of Jamaica and there was a ton of fresh fruits and veggies.

What villa and why (approx cost and when you last stayed there)

We stayed at Villa Arcadia. Reasons:
Clean.
Safe.
Remote.
Pool.
Private Beach 5 minute walk. And by private I mean we never saw anyone there. Ever.

We paid approx 170 us per night plus extra for House lady and Groundskeeper. We were there in Jan.

What hotel and why? (approx cost and when you last stayed there)

Never stayed in a hotel there.

Is 3-4 nights adequate to get a feel for the place (we sure wished we had spent longer in PA, mais c'est la vie, eh?) (reading the posts, one of our esteemed number mentioned that frankly, after 9 days, he was getting a bit bored .... can you expand?) We don't need to be entertained 24/7 - just want to know what to expect.

Again, it depends on what your looking for. For us a vacation is swimming and snorkeling together, day trips, a couple of nice dinners. Light Bar time and cocktails in the evening together. If that's your thing then it will be perfect for you. If you prefer a night scene and larger groups of people you may want to stick to 4 days. We were there 8 days and could have stayed there forever. Having a scooter was a definite plus because there are so many cool little places to check out.

Are there any jerk barrel guys on the street in TB?

I really didn't see any. It wasn't until we rode to Lovers Leap one day that we saw one on the way.

Are there plenty of little convenience stores about?

There are a couple but not alot.

There is mention of the Scotia Bank ATM near Jake's - is that functional? (we'll check that closer to our trip ,,, but ...?)

Check out the pic I sent in the other thread concerning Cambio's

Your general over-all impression and any suggestions on what to do, where to go, what to see, what we need to know about locals,"don't expect" surprises you may have had ..... etc.

Overall, and I know people say this all the time, but this place is special. The people. The food. The vibe. It was all good. I went to Negril for the first time in the late 80's and the way the locals described "Old Negril" is exactly how Treasure Beach felt to me. Let me know if you have any interest ands I'll post some more pics.

[M&G Montreal]

WOW! Thanks, BBB! This is just the information we were looking for. Thank you so much. Need to re-read and digest. Will likely have some other questions for you. This is great information!

[hey_mon]

We have been going to jamaica since 81 and have officially left negril this year and only do treasure beach. We travel with another couple and have stayed at the Treasure Beach Hotel, dated but clean, lovely beach, swimable out front, but also has two pools that we used and only a few other people on the property. Stayed at Katamah, very lovely boho feel to it. Simon and Moni have it done up lovely, but no restaurant, only a common kitchen, swimming out front was great. Last few years we have rented villas as night time there is not too much to do through the week, so sitting on our patio, playing music, dominoes and having some drinks in the comfort of your own place is priceless. Hard to do at a hotel imo. We have stayed at Villa Optima, Villa de la Sable, Villa Elia, and Lyric Villa. All beachfront with a pool so that everyone is happy. Love the villa life, and from a financial point of view, I find more affordable when you break down the food and beverages. The beach is no negril, much wavier and some spots are definitely off limits, but the locals are great at letting you know where and when is safe to swim. Town area is smaller, but great restaurants as well and very very reasonable. Only a couple of “salesmen”around, very friendly and truly will probably not go back to negril. Taxis are far nd few but the locals are great, and you can usually arrange a ride if you need to. Highly recommend you try it out, but once you go and are hooked......shhhh, don’t let this little beauty of a secret out!!!

[johng]

M&G Montreal,

Sunset Resort is another hotel to consider. It is located centrally and although there is no beach directly in front of the property there is safe swimming within 5 minute walk. There is a nice pool that is very enjoyable. It is owned by an American man and his Jamaican wife and they have considerable experience making sure their guests are safe and comfortable. Many Canadians from all different provinces frequent Sunset Resort so there is always a mix of accents. If anyone in your party is into Deep Sea Fishing Sunset Resort is your place. The Owner Kory goes out often and usually always brings back some Kingfish, Wahoo and Mahi Mahi which is cooked up for dinner. Their included breakfast is great and the restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes but specializes in seafood. The Hotel offers a great view of the sea and the sunsets there are beautiful. Rooms are spacious and clean and have recently been updated with all new mattresses.

I can't speak for other hotels or Villas but you can't go wrong with Sunset Resort. Check out their website http://www.sunsetresort.com/

Hope this helps!!

[Rumghoul]

There are no jerk barrel guys on the street but on Saturdays - I think his name is Norville - cooks jerk pork outside the store near the entrance to the sports park - good stuff for sure. We always rent bikes so we make it a stop on Saturday for lunch.

[Rumghoul]

My husband and I have been going to Jamaica for about 20 years - Used to stay in Negril, then split the time between Negril and Treasure Beach - for the last 8 or 9 years we have stayed only in Treasure Beach. Like Hey_Mon we are hooked on the villa life there. There is something to be said about having your own pool!!! Love looking at the stars at night and listening to the waves crashing in while having a rum and ting - ahhhh. There are many villas there to choose from - we use Treasure Tours for everything (transport, villa, excursions) and they are great to deal with. Their site lists the villas they manage and the cost.

[TennesseeJed]

I can't tell you anything more than these folks have! We stayed in TB (at Sunset, loved it) for the first time in January. Like most commenters here, we have done Negril
10+ times. Now that we found Treasure Beach, we have totally talked ourselves out of spending any more time Negril than necessary to see our friends. My best advice is to talk to and hang out with the locals. Unlike Negril, you're not seen as a walking ATM. Hands down the coolest place I've ever been in my life. You won't regret going!