1st trip to Jamaica, suggestions?

[skinssabres1]

My wife and I are leaving in two weeks for our first trip to Jamaica. We are staying at the riu palace tropical bay in Negil. Any suggestions on must do's or see's would be appreciated. Also best food/restaurants (jerk Chicken) . Any items to bring that we may not be thinking of?? When we went to Cuba and Dominicain I brought baseball cards of famous players from the area and they were a huge hit with the staff and the vendors. I am not sure of any famous Jamaican baseball players so am open to other suggestions. Thaks in advance to all who reply.

Gary

[takinitslow]

Hey Gary best advise I could give is just get out and move around. so many good places to eat.

[Dwest]

Hi. If you go back to page three you will see at least three threads that you might find interesting..."what are your must do evening meals" ."best drinks on the beach" and "new to negril." It's fun and informative to poke around as there is a wealth of info and passion for Negril on this site.

[skinssabres1]

Will do and thanks to both of you

[Bossman]

My advise would be to hook up with someone who has been to Negril before and don't feel that you need to do everything. Go to the cliffs on the west end and stop at the Canoe on the way. Go to Redground for their jerk pork. Walk the beach. The biggest thing is to kick back, relax and take in the vibe. It will come to you. You will meet alot of very nice Jamaican people. Choose your friends wisely. If you want to take a day trip or two the best thing you could do would be to get a good driver that can take care of you during your trip. A good driver is a great tour guide. He will show you some sights, take you shopping or escort you to a show if you are into nightlife. You could get many good suggestions for good drivers on this board. I've got two drivers that I have used for many years and both of them are great friends. It's going to be a great experience for you but don't force it, let it come to you. A famous saying in Jamaica..once you go, you know. Have fun.

[rootsie]

well said bossman...agreed!

[Limo Mon]

Do the pub crawl to the west end. Get out let the vibe take you away. Leave the bling at home, packless clothes and take more cash. Enjoy

[POOPER]

The best suggestion is to check in daily until you arrive and read everything. You will learn from both vets as well as newbs on all the chill places to visit. Take in a few webcast on various dates and do not go without asking many questions. If you are more descript of what you are looking for you can get answers better tailored to your liking.

Oh, and when you have a random thought use the search function at the top right of the page. You can find info on pretty much anything.....

[garysteph1018]

^^^^^ What Pooper said! I took my first trip to JA back in July & everything I learned, I learned on this board! I asked a ton of questions got the best answers & the "met" some pretty freaking awesome people! Take it all in & experience the country you are visiting... it definitely has more to offer than a nice resort!

[TandJ]

We're going there as well - not until april though.

Having been to Jamaica 4 times (once to negril) - all I can say is get off the resort and explore!