Rachel1975

Never been to Jamaica, but I would love to visit both of these places. What would it be like to fly in to mobay or kingston, then get a taxi to the mountains for a few days, then one to negril?

liza

You'd want to fly into Kingston, do the Blue mtns, then do the drive to Negril and leave from MoBay - unless you want to drive back to Kingston. It's a good 5+ hours even with the new highway.

You might consider doing the Blue Mtns then Portland's beaches (several nice beaches like Frenchman's, Winnifred, Boston, Long Bay, San San plus Blue lagoon, Reich Falls) which are to me much nicer than the one in Negril.

The coast east of Port Antonio is only about 2 hours from Kingston and the mountains are right behind you there.

tivertonhouse

Like Liz, would advise centering on Blue Mountains and Port Antonio area --
and saving Negril for next trip -- unless you've a minimum 10 nights on island, have lots of transport money and/or want to spend lots of time either on the roads or making airport
connections. If you're flying into
Kingston, set up a private driver/car
rental (Derran's, for example) to meet you at airport, drive you/car the 2-2.5
(more if rainy) hours round the coast
to Port Antonio. Or, stay overnight
at a small country inn called Mikuzi/Countryside Inn in Kingston and get a driver to take you up into Blue Mts from different aspect, through THE GAP, for example, since you'll be only
an hour away.... In Porty, Ivanhoe and
Palmer guesthouses are good value/bargains. Goblin Hill and Rio Vista the next pricepoint up. Good diving area. Boston Bay -- where jerk was invented and still served at roadside vendors (maybe stay a night or more in the two-story bamboo treehouse at Great Huts), Winifred Beach (Winifred Beach Cottages), Long Bay
(Cool Runnings bar) are good exploration as are Reitch Falls in the mountains. The landscape here is lush rainforest, no AIs, no heavy tourism,
still has that old Errol Flynn feeling
(the new marina was just renamed after him). If Negril's still on the docket,
it's a good and tiring 6 hour drive
from opposite end of island (or back
to Kingston,fly to MoBay, drive an hour
to Negril. Jamaica's a big island
with few roads and most are hard slogs.
You'll enjoy it more in small pieces --
and Porty is a choice one.

rje

OK, I'll make it three for Port Antonio. Very beautiful, very lush...it's still the tropics as seen in the movies.

But Negril does have a wonderful beach. So we're going to do both on an upcoming trip. I'm planning a vacation that starts with us landing in Kingston, driving to Port Antonio for a week and then staying in the Blue Mountains.

Then back to Kingston for the quick flight to Montego Bay. And on to Negril. We'll fly home from Montego Bay.

I did wonder if it was too much traveling, but we are going for 2 weeks, and in the end I couldn't pick just Port Antonio or Negril!

What makes it especially attractive is that the 3rd leg is only $22 more on Air Jamaica!

tivertonhouse

See if you can hit BATH for its old-fashioned curative waters spa and also
CINCHONA gardens -- a hike, but rewarding, in Blue Mts.