Staying at the RIU Tropical Bay in May 2005. Never been to Jamaica. Any suggestions for things to see/do. We're a couple in our late 40's. I read that Rick's cafe was damaged by hurricanes..any info on that? How's the shopping?

We were in Negril in May & had a great time. Luckily, we got to Rick's before the storm. I found it VERY touristy & crowded but to see a cliff diver from the trees was unreal. I have heard that the storm destroyed it & rebuilding is slow. Go to Pirate's Cave to see people jump or jump yourself. Don't miss 3 Dives to eat & watch the sunset. Both are great. Lobster is out of season then but some places may have frozen some to use later. We lucked into that & couldn't tell the difference.

We went shopping with our guide, Soloman Kerr of Talk of the Town Tours. He was excellent & gave us a lot of insight into the local area. We got coffee & souveniers at a gift shop in the shopping center with the HiLo grocery (Countryside?). They took credit cadrs which made it nice. I was also given the name & contact info for an excellent local artist. Didn't get to hook up with him but plan to next trip. His name is Michael & he is in the old Irie Vibes next to Sandals. You might ask around about him if you'd like a gorgeous painting to bring home.

Have a great time!

Had some updated info- supposedly Rick's is going to reopen April 15. You might want to go to www.negril.com & post on the message board to get more accurate info. That's also a good place to post any Negril area questions. Our 1st trip was this past May & we were really glad for the advice.

Isn't May in Jamaica the rainy season? Last time I was there in May and it was raining buckets of water, everyone kept telling me it was because it was rainy season. I'm not sure if that's the truth, or that we were just unlucky...

Heading to Idle Awhile then to Villa Sur Mar May 18th. This will be our 3rd May trip, and yes it does rain at times. No problem though...usually in the afternoon, and not for that long. It's actually quite enjoyable. Cools things down for a while, new aromas...ahhhhh

I was in Jamaica last April. It rained a lot, but it's the tropics--10 min after the downpour, the sun was out. We were in Runaway Bay and it was pretty windy the whole time with rough seas--couldn't do many water activities. We were told that this was unusual, though ... Overall I loved the Jamaican people I met, except in the open-air craft markets--they were hostile and scary. Unfortunately, I don't think Jamaica is a safe place to wander off the beaten path. Stay where the tourists are.

Isn't a craft market "where the tourists are"?

I like going off the beaten path, people are going about their business and their business isn't me Away from the tourist areas the majority of people seem surprised and pleased to see me, want to chat, are quite friendly (and are not trying to sell me anything).

PS: Wanted to add, I avoid craft markets too, they make me feel drained, everyone wants to make a sale so badly that they can be quite aggressive and I always wish I could afford to make everyone's day for them

If you are staying for ahile a raft down the Martha Brae is a fun diversion for a day. If you are staying in a private home they usually have a friend or house worker that will accompany you places. We always rented a car and drove ourselves into town to the market, to grocery shop, go to the bank, etc. And the houskeepers keep the vendors from bothering you at the house.
There's always a waterfall to climb, a snorkeling trip, or sunning and reading a book...

Have a wonderful time!
C.

The 'Mango Festival' takes place later this month in Westmoreland surprisingly, given the fact that many groundcrops and tree like mango, banana, plantain, pawpaw and lime were ravaged by last fall's hurricanes. Hire a guide/Sala/Kerr at Talk of Town tours in Negril or Carolyn Barrett, this summer's manager up at Horizon in Bluefields Bay/Belmont (see www.barrettadventures.com) -- and explore the countryside, puportedly on a mango search, with many adventures en route.
No.11, Julie, East Indian --there are many cultivars never seen/imported to the States.

thanks to all.