Great Huts

[gregandkelly63]

I hate that this message board has died out. I have always wanted to go to Port Antonio. I had a cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2021 so we wondered what were we waiting for? Booked Great Huts this week for May of 2022! Can't wait!

[hey_mon]

Can’t wait to hear your take on this place! We have said for years we are going to make our way there, and then we get too comfortable and it becomes a next year thing. We spend our time now in Treasure Beach, but this year is a no go as the vids have us staying in Canada for a glorious minus 40 crisp winter. Pushed out our reservations out to 2023, so might make it up that way then as I may just find myself retired right about then!!!

[gregandkelly63]

hey-mon, We have been to Negril 23 times including 2 weeks in Dec 2021. I hate it for people that can't make it back to our beloved Jamaica. Great Huts in May and we are doing Strawberry Hill for a few nights in December before going on to Negril.

[hey_mon]

Sounds like a great couple of trips ahead for you guys. We have been going to Jamaica since 1981. My husband went first with a couple of buddies and that was it, Negril was a yearly trek for us. We were married at the Twater in 1987 and took a few years off to have kids and such. We were finding Negril a little too hectic of late, so usually stop in for a few nights and move on toTreasure Beach. It’s much more laid back, the vibe is a little more like Negril of the early eighties. We did plan to break away for a few days when we got married in 1987 to go to Port Antonio, but had a large group of family and friends and never did. Seems like 2023 will be the year to start there and then head to Treasure Beach, maybe finish off in Negril! Will see where the wind blows us! Looking forward to your pics and report here!

[gregandkelly63]

We've heard great things about Treasure Beach. We will have to check it out sometime! WE are usually beach people so Great Huts will be different for us.

[Odinson]

We loved Port Antonio - but we were able to still get our Negril fix in on the same trip. Check out GeeJam's website, they've got a nice list of attractions and restaurants in the area - many of which we hit on our trip.

I pretty hopeful that after nearly 4 years, I am finally on the positive side of your health journey. You are not alone!

[gregandkelly63]

We loved Port Antonio - but we were able to still get our Negril fix in on the same trip. Check out GeeJam's website, they've got a nice list of attractions and restaurants in the area - many of which we hit on our trip.

I pretty hopeful that after nearly 4 years, I am finally on the positive side of your health journey. You are not alone!

We debated between GeeJam and Great Huts. I will look at their website again and check thing out. Thanks for the reply and keep fighting!

[Odinson]

GeeJam was nice but a bit posh. They give you a cell phone for calls (which was nice I guess) and to call them for anything. I walked over to the bar to get a drink and they were shocked that I didn't call them. There was no common pool at the time (there is now) which was a bummer as the beach was down I think 120 steps - good workout! We had a hot tub on our deck so we hung out in there. Panic button by our room door, can't imagine needing it, really didn't see any locals and crime is pretty low throughout Port Antonio.

MIA checked out the day we checked in - sorry I didn't get to see her. Pretty cool recording studio set up with one of the rooms, pro-level.

Gorgeous property though. There were some Banksy drawings on site but a workman painted them over thinking they were worthless graffiti! Not a single mosquito, nice breeze even through the lush jungle and cooler temps than Negril - at least on the day we flew from Portland to Negril - fresh in Port Antonio, steamy in Negril.

All in all I would take Negril any day, I like to interact with people, fill up my own water jugs, pour my own morning coffee and you really get left alone here. For a several day super fancy though, it was really top notch.

[gregandkelly63]

When you get a chance please tell me more about flying from Port Antonio. Didn't realize there was an airstrip nearby. We will be paying a lot for our usual driver to transfer us back and forth from MBJ to PA

[Odinson]

When you get a chance please tell me more about flying from Port Antonio. Didn't realize there was an airstrip nearby. We will be paying a lot for our usual driver to transfer us back and forth from MBJ to PA

It was totally a splurge trip, 30th wedding anniversary. We flew TimAir from MBJ to the really small airstrip in Port Antonio (Ken Jones Aerodrome) on a dual prop plane. Pilot, co-pilot and a flight attendant (not attendanting our flight, just sat in the teeny jump seat in the back of the plane). Driver from GeeJam picked us up for the 15 min drive. Flew from Ken Jones to the Negril Aerodrome on a single prop, us, pilot and co-pilot. Then our regular driver picked us up and took us to Catcha.

Both flights were amazing. Jamaica is a really beautiful island and you really get a feel for that flying the length of the island. The rolling lush green hills of Falmouth are burned forever in my memory. So many trees and shades of green! Flew over the Blue Mountains (a little choppy) and the morass then he buzzed us over the length of Negril and landed. Regular driver took us back to MoBay.

TimAir works out of the MBJ departure terminal at the opposite end from security. No waiting area but we did get some Stripes. It was pretty expensive and even more so now I hear. Back when the road to Negril was barely a road, the flight was much more reasonable, probably because they flew more routinely.

There is another flight service out of MBJ besides TimAir, Rob put links to their sites on the Negril page. Treasure Beach has an aerodrome too. We drove through the John Crows in a hella storm over the partial road to get there - flying would have been great for that trip.

Also wonder if there are fast boat water taxis? Might be a decent business out of MBJ to other parts of JA and a neat perspective from the water.