CaribbeanSoul

Kristin: Hi! In my opinion Negril is about as laid back of a place we have ever been to. My first trip was with my parents in 1985 when I was 18 years old. My parents go almost every year....sometimes twice. I have been about 10 times myself over the past 15 years, 3 times in the past 2 years. We stay at a place called CocoLaPalm now. It was built in the late '90s and is owned and operated by a family from Minnesota. It is located mid-beach....on probably the nicest stretch of beach Negril has to offer. We are not AI people and this resort does not offer such a plan....if that is a factor in your decision. The rooms are very nice and the grounds are impeccably maintained and very lush. The food is good at the resort....not the best....but there are so many casual dining options within a short stroll on the beach, we don't eat much at the resort. For example there is a patty man that pushes his bike with a cooler on the back of it for cold drinks and has a cardboard box of the some of the best beef and veggie patties you have ever had! And at $50J (75 cents)....a couple make a great lunch! There are jerk chicken stands everywhere with prices ranging from $7-10 USD for a whole chicken! The best thing about Negril is that you never have to put on shoes or even sandals! Everywhere you go on the beach is barefoot and casual! The staff, I forgot to mention, at CLP is amazing! After our 16 day stay last month, they really become friends and it is hard to say goodbye to a few! Negril isn't for everybody. My MIL didn't care for it....but she is used to high dollar, extravaggant places with amenities. Negril is a great alternative for those who want to do nothing. The cliffs of Negril offer a nice contrast of scenery, lodging and dining options as well. Let me know if you'd like more info and I can supply you my email addy!

cartera45

Traveler863 said:

A better question would be where haven't I been, and yes that includes Negril

I did read your post, including the line above which suggested to me that Negril was included in the list of places where you haven't been. My mistake.

Kristen1206

CaribbeanSoul...thanks so much for the info. It sounds like a great place. If you don't mind, could I get your email address?

CaribbeanSoul

Absolutely! [email protected] I look forward to hearing from you!

Traveler863

Hello CS,
I couldn't agree more wrt cruising. The only way to see the real Carib is to pick an island and stay for at least a week. Although as much as I don't like the idea of cruising I did take one...a few summers ago a group of us took the QE2 transatlantic, had a blast and will probably do it again, but now on the QM2.
I hear ya on the air logistics. I'm on the east coast and have had to lay up for the night enroute getting to certain places. But one thing I found, it seems that the harder it is to get to a place the better it is!

golf_guy

So anyway,

RickysRed, did you get an answer to your original request?

benj

We were in Negril in May & loved it. I never felt unsafe when we were out at local shopping spots or eating places. Montego Bay looked more dangerous to me because everything is jammed up on each other along the main road. The people of Negril were wonderful to us. We discussed politics (US & Jamaican) with a Rasta man on the beach & never felt intimidated. Try going to www.negril.com. They have a message board there & also lots of local news.

My advice is to use caution just as you would in any US city. This is not Disneyworld where things are made to look like a foreign place. This is real & sometimes real isn't pretty. You will see some poverty & other things that might not fit the travel brochure image but when you travel you get the whole place, not just the pretty parts.

Have fun wherever you go!

Kristen1206

Benj...where did you stay in negril?

benj

We stayed at Beaches Negril because we wanted an AI & many of them were adult only. Since we had the 17 yr old with us we had to stay at a more family based place. It was fine but now that we are familiar with the area I would be more adventurous.

We checked out the cliff area & it was beautiful but I am still more partial to the beach. Moon Dance Villas is looking like it would be our next pick. You can do AI or not & it is right at the beach.

Try going to www.negril.com & check their message board. They also have a photo gallery there. There are links to live webcasts from local places too. Many trip reports are posted there from people still in Negril.

For the money, I found Negril to be perfect for us.

stbarthsgirl

Check out the villa's in St. Barth's. It's a great island for families and very friendly, despite the fact that it is French! We've rented villas and cottages right on the water there.

http://www.gotostbarths.com/villas/l..._sables_or.htm

This page has a lot of the rental companies for villas in St. Barth's. I am sure one of them could find you a great place!

http://www.gotostbarths.com/where_to...e_agencies.htm