Trip Report - Bringing family and friends to Jamaica!

[Kiknback]

Saturday is now here, and with all of the Negril newbies in town, we just have to do Rick's Cafe. Like it or not, it is the biggest draw in town. When we brought a smaller group last year, we had went early, lunchtime, and really had enjoyed it. Well before the crowds, it was nice to be able to hang out and try the smaller jumps before the crowds got here. This time, however, we spent the day at the beach, came late afternoon, and had the full Rick's sunset experience. Really, it was better than expected, and a lot of fun. We still got there relatively early, so that whoever wanted could try out the jumps before it got too crowded. We also set up in a great spot, near the back by the pool. Not the best view of the divers, but absolutely no hassles at all and a fantastic sunset view. After sunset, join the mass exodus out of Rick's to get cleaned up for the night out.

The plan had been to hit Seastar that evening for the buffet and show. $18 for a tasty all-you-can-eat buffet, including transport there AND back, as well as five hours of excellent entertainment is the best deal in town, if you ask me. However, the group's reaction to the word "buffet" was not quite enthusiastic, so the majority of the group passed on this. My wife and I, and a small group of friends went and enjoyed a great show, while the rest stayed close to the hotel that night. I was a little irritated to learn, when we went to Seastar the following week, that they offer a non-buffet entry for 500J, or about $6. I had never heard about this or seen this advertised anywhere before, but we definately would have had a bigger group there if we knew this was an option. Still, our small group enjoyed ourselves, and the larger group enjoyed their meal at Coco La Palm, so it all worked out.

Sunday was now here, the day we had planned to go out and for everyone to see the country a bit. The original plan was to do YS Falls and the Pelican Bar. We had been previously, loved it, and were ready to go again with the group. However, some people were not so sure about the distance, about 2 1/2 hours each way. Also, while I absolutely LOVED Pelican bar, not so sure everyone is really up for hanging around on essentially a pile of driftwood for a few hours. Because of this, we made the decision that instead of this scheduled trip, we would go to Mayfield Falls instead. This turned out to be a really bad idea. In retrospect, they would have loved YS Falls. Mayfield? Not so much.

The main decision point to go to Mayfield was the distance. I had heard it was close to an hour drive. In reality, about two hours, making the shorter driving time negligible. The big issue was that I had not done my research on Mayfield Falls. Out of our group of 9 people, 4 of the group were over 70, and definitely not the most mobile group. For this group, Mayfield Falls was definitely not a good choice. I had heard about some "walking the falls" but expected some sort of viewing area so that those who were not interested could simply enjoy the view. Well, not so much. Pretty much everyone was climbing, which was simply not going to happen. We all did make it into the river, an accomplishment in itself. However, it was pretty clear at the start that not everyone was going to make it up, particularly my mother-in-law with one knee replacement already and the other in desparate need. After the first set of falls, three decided they were done, while the rest moved on.

Although the idea to go there was a bad one, we really did manage to have a good time there, and would definitely recommend Mayfield Falls, just not for senior citizens or people with mobility issues. The guides were fantastic. When we decided that the three were definitely not going to make it, one of the two guides stayed with them and gave them a tour of the property. When we expressed worry about leaving Mom, the other guide reassured us that she was in good hands. "Have you seen that boy's feet? (They were HUGE) That boy is the Son of Sampson! He will keep them safe." Absolutely true on both parts. He took them on a tour of the property, which was at times very hilly and tough to walk. No problem, several times he simply put her on his back and carried her along! A nice little tour, and we met up with them at the end of our river walk. For those of us who continued up the falls, a very fun time. If you are unfamiliar, you actually walk up the falls. It takes about an hour and a half to make it to the end, and is a nice, different afternoon. The final falls, "The Washing Machine," was where you stand underneath several falls all meeting up. The name is appropriate, and a really fun and unique experience. The people who made it to the end (including my Mom! Yeah!) all seemed to enjoy themselves. Even the people who didn't make it, while certainly not something they would choose to do, seemed to enjoy the day. Everyone survived relatively unscathed, and we certainly gave the seniors a memorable experience.

Having been to both YS Falls and Mayfield Falls, as well as Dunns River near Ocho Rios, there are definitely pros and cons on all of them, so hard to pick a favorite. I would say YS is certainly the most beautiful, as well as the most accessible, with stairways and easy access for people with lower mobility. There are a few places to swim, a rope swing, and some places to explore. However, Mayfield is much more of an active experience rather than simply a beautiful view. A similar experience to Dunns River, where you walk up the actual Falls. Dunns River may also be a bit more beautiful than Mayfield, but that is more than offset by an almost complete lack of crowds. I think there was one other couple at Mayfield while we were there, compared to the cruise ship insanity at Dunns River.

We arrive back in Negril late afternoon. The majority of the guests, the entire Villa crowd, is leaving tomorrow, so we order some Pizza, take out some chicken from Best in the West, and have a final dinner in the Villa before everyone packs for the trip home. After a long day, it is an early evening to bed.