Airport Transfers:

I would definately recommend that you book airport transfers in advance. It is definately nice to clear customs and head out of the airport and see someone waiting with a sign to take you on your way. If not, there will be plenty of people willing to take you, but you will most likely be swarmed by drivers wanting your business, and would need to bargain with them to get a decent rate. There are several choices for airport transfers, I will list a few good choices.

Clives Transport Service : http://www.clivestransportservicejamaica.com/ This should be your choice if there is less than 3 people in your party. They charge $20 each way per person. There is a possibility that you will be sharing a ride, although when we have used them in the past we have had our own private taxi. Either way, I have heard nothing but good things and have never heard of anyone having to wait before heading to Negril. Includes a welcome drink.

If you have more than 2 people, it would be better to arrange a private taxi.

The cheapest would be with Alfred. http://alfredstaxi.dpi-hq.com/ Alfredstaxi@aol.com - For $50 each way, he offers transportation for up to 3 people, and includes a free cell phone for the duration of the trip. This really comes in handy, as calls from your home phone is ridiculously expensive. You may have to add minutes to the phone, but this can be done easily for about $5, the front desk at White Sands can easily add minutes for you. It is really nice to have a cell phone in order to call restaurants for free pick ups and the like. For more than 3 people, it may be a bit more, you will have to ask about this. We have not used Alfred, but have heard good things.

Our last trip we arranged transfers with Kenny. kennyjamaica@gmail.com Quick response, good service, we were very happy with him. Same deal as Alfred, with a free cell phone and welcome drink, although slightly more expensive at $60 each way. We became friends last trip with Chucky, who regularly parked outside of White Sands. conroymyers@yahoo.com I am not sure if he will offer the same deal or not, with a free cell phone, but I plan on sending him an email and will use him if he can match the offers of the other drivers.


After you arrive:

Getting around:

Taxis are everywhere, and fairly reasonably priced. As with everything in Jamaica, prices are negotiable. In general, however, for a private taxi it will be $5 dollars to take you anywhere along the beach, and $10 to take you to the cliffs. I would not pay any more than that. You can bargain and get better deals, but not by much, and usually not worth the trouble. They may quote you a higher price if you ask. I really don't like to bargain, so I have found that it is easiest to simply tell the driver the price you plan to pay. Simply ask "$10 to take us to the cliffs?" and most likely the driver will agree and you will be on your way. For trips such as going to the grocery store in town, the driver will usually wait for you. It has generally been about $10 to go into town, do some shopping, and take you back to the hotel. Be sure to look for the red license plates. White plates are for private vehicles, and while they may offer you a ride, it is better to avoid this, as they are not insured to take passengers.

The cheaper alternative, especially with small groups, is the route taxi. These are the equilivent of the local bus system, a very easy way to get around. They look like regular taxis, and you will see them constantly driving by. When they see someone waiting by the side of the road, they will give a quick honk of their horn. If interested, signal them, and they will stop. Be sure to tell them you want a route taxi, or they may assume you want a private taxi and try to charge you extra. For 100 Jamaican dollars, just over $1, a route taxi will take you anywhere along the beach. If you are going to the cliffs, the driver will either stop at the roundabout in the center of town, where you can easily find another route taxi up the cliffs road, or he will take you all the way for another 100J. Tipping is not necessary, although always appreciated, especially if the driver takes you both legs of the trip.

The nicer restaurants in town will offer free transportation if you plan on eating there. Give them a call, and they will send a driver for you. You will have to get a taxi or route taxi to get home, however.


Food:

I absolutely love the food in Negril, although, as someone who could live off of Jerk Chicken and Beef Patties, I may be a bit biased. However, most others seem to agree with me, that the food is fantastic, with much more to eat than jerk chicken(or pork).

For breakfast, the traditional Jamaican dish is Ackee and Saltfish. Ackee is a a fruit that, when cooked, resembles in looks and taste to scrambled eggs. I am not a very adventurous eater, so we have never ordered it, but have been curious. Hopefully this trip I can at least get a taste. Aside from that there are the usual breakfast choices. If you are staying at White Sands, they have a decent breakfast, although slow and a bit expensive compared to other choices. If you are willing to walk a bit up or down the beach, you may have better luck. We have usually slept in past breakfast but I'm sure a short walk down the beach in either direction you can find a good choice. I've heard good things about Firefly and Alfred's, both reasonable walks down the beach in either direction. Just Natural or Choices have been recommended as nice breakfast's on the cliffs. We usually go to Xtabi for brunch at least once during the trip. Good food - The Lobster Benedict was what caught our eyes, although I think we prefered the bacon eggs benedict. The nice thing here was that they are fine with non-guests hanging out and using the facilities, and we spend a nice day on the cliffs. Assuming the sea is relatively calm, it is a great place to hang out and do some snorkling offshore. Beautiful, as well, with some really neat caves throughout the property. Call them for a free taxi ride there with a meal.

Lunch is more of the same. Most of the time, it seems, we get by with the vendors walking the beach. In the morning, there are the vendors selling fresh juice and fruits, banana bread, and the like. As it approaches lunchtime, the patty guys come around. These are small pastries filled with beef, chicken, or veggies. I prefer the beef, although the veggie were surprisingly good, especially for someone who does not like veggies. Look for the guy with a large cardboard box on a bicycle. A good snack/small meal for just about a dollar each. Someone will come around selling fresh Lobster - caught and cooked up that morning. I was a little nervous with vendor seafood, but have never heard of anyone who had any issues with health or taste. $7 each, or 2 for $12, Georgia was happy with it. Cooked in butter, although Georgia thought that without the drawn butter to dip in, Lobster is just not the same. The holy grail for me, however, is the Jerk Pork guy. He didn't seem to come around every day, or we just missed him often, but look for a guy carrying a large aluminum box. $6 for a small portion, $10 for a large, and quite possible the most delicious food on earth, as far as I am concerned. Highly recommended.

There are also plenty of restaurants all over the beach and cliffs. Just take a short walk and see what you will find. White Sands is ok... I wasn't impressed with the burger I had, but other choices seem better. Again, you can probably find better choices a short walk away. Best in the West, a small Jerk Chicken stand nearby, is a great choice. Aside from that, wander around and I'm sure you can find a good lunch.

Many people seem to love the patty's at Niah's, just south of White Sands hidden away near the woodcarvers market. These are different from the smaller patty's sold on the beach and in most shops around town. They are much larger, easily a full meal, and are cooked to order. They usually have Chicken, Veggie, or Italian. Lobster occasionally, but you may have to let them know a day in advance if you want that. I ordered the chicken, which is a curry chicken, which I did not like so much. Still, many people love these, and its a filling meal for about $4. For standard patty's, there is also a small stand just up the road, next to Best in the West, which was my favorite of the trip. The beef and cheese patty was delicious!

Jerk Pork is obviously a favorite of mine, and for that, I would recommend a visit to Red Dragon for lunch. Definately a locals kind of place, it is located in town away from the beach or cliffs. Take a taxi for about $5 to get there. The pork is ready about 12:30 in the afternoon, and is usually gone by about 3:30. Fantastic! A little different than the beach guy, I'm still not sure which I prefer, but both are wonderful! Red Dragon is very spicy, so if you don't like that, you may want to pass. Avoid the peppers! I mistakenly ate one, and was out of commission for 20 minutes until my mouth cooled down! Aside from a few pastries, this is the only food they serve there. This is also a great place to hang out and have a beer or two, and chat with the locals. They talk about having the coldest Red Stripe in town, and I would back that up. Every beer we had had icicles on it!