Enjoyed Negril

[Baloo ji]

Hi Everyone,
Have been lurking on this board for years and thought it was about time to give my two pence worth. We are a couple of Brits who just love to travel. The bug got to us back in 72 when we travelled across land to India with little money. Having children obviously cut back our wanderlust but we managed to travel around Morocco for a month before they started school.
When they were all grown up we resumed travels to India, Thailand and Australia. We started to think about the Caribbean so we took trips to Costa Rica, Yucatan, the Dominican Republic and eventually Jamaica.
We generally wing it, look for cheap flights and book a hotel for a few nights, check a few others out and then decide. On our first trip we stayed at Bar B Barn and with Norm’s great hospitality we stayed 10 days.
Our second trip was a little different; we found this all inclusive deal at Rui Tropical at £850 including flights from London Gatwick. Normally we shun A.I's but at this price we decided to take our son who loves all things Jamaican. On our previous trip we used to cab up to Bloody Bay to relax on the public beach. Must have been wonderful before all the development. We had a good time, I had unfortunately become teetotal, my wife was not drinking too much either but my son made up for us both. Too much food but we got about quite a bit, just a matter of heading for the road and taking it from there.
Our last trip in April was sheer fluke, we had to use our Airmiles or be transferred to Avios (airport taxes and all) First we were thinking of Goa, but with Visas flying from Heathrow and transfers it was working out a lot of dosh (money) so we decided on Negril again, it turned out to be one of our best. We spent 5 days at Catcha falling star Gardens for 5 days and fell in love with the cliffs, then another 5 at Sea Wind Resort for a bit of the beach, (what happen to the beach?) but all in all it was a cool and friendly small resort. The buffet and show was really good, even better than the Seastar (ouch!)
Sorry to rant on, you are probably thinking who is this Limey. By the way have any of you read The Dead Yard by Ian Thomson, a very English take on modern and historic Jamaica.
Bye for now. Baloo

[Jim-Donna]

By the way have any of you read The Dead Yard by Ian Thomson, a very English take on modern and historic Jamaica.
Bye for now. Baloo[/QUOTE]
I am reading it now~ Nice report! You and the wife are WORLD TRAVLERS. Happy Trails to you~~~

[Baloo ji]

Thanks Jim and Donna for the thumbs up,always enjoyed your posts.At first i found The Dead Yard a bit warts and all, but after the rose coloured glasses came off it was a very informative read.
Love and Happiness to you both.
Baloo

[ROBIN]

" Must have been wonderful before all the development"

It was paradise......My nude beach.....perfect sand cresent with tourquoise sea.....no hotels....no people....maybe saw one person /day...........LOVED IT!!!!

[Seveen]

nice! jamaica can be much cheaper too . . . .

[rjonsun]

Our story goes a little like your story. Took a 10 week honeymoon to South America and traveled until the kids came. Once the youngest got to high school we started hitting the road again but instead of SE Asia, we headed to Central and South America and Mexico. We normally don't book hotels in advance (Jamaica is one exception as you can often find unbelievable deals on the internet) and recently returned from 18 days in Peru without any reservations except air fare. We have only ever done one All Inclusive to Mexico and that becasue the price was so cheap we couldn't have stayed in a hovel any cheaper. We go to Jamaica for "easy" vacations where you don't need much planning. Before I met my wife i had traveled down to Negril a couple of times in the early 70's. Here is a link to a story that started back then.

http://www.negril.com/discus/message...41/276001.html

Regards,

Bob

[Baloo ji]

I love your stories Bob, we shared a few threads on Thorn Tree a few years ago under my wifes name Tejassi.Your posts 2 or 3 years ago on this forum where very good, that was the time you had an old pal with you from your early visits,his posts where very entertaining.
Thanks everyone for all your responces,
Baloo.

[Guirigay]

Sorry to rant on, you are probably thinking who is this Limey.

Exactly, except you forgot to add - Blimey he's been around, and also - Why do I hear SpottyCatz voice?

[marley9808]

GG- I thought the same thing! lol

[Baloo ji]

Gol Blimey i aint no SpottyCatz,more like a spotty Bear!