Rockhouse or Idle Awhile in Negril..
 

I was pretty set on IA until someone recommended the Rockhouse.I went to the website and wow...it looks like a beautiful place.:)

My question is we love to snorkel and know that Rockhouse would offer very good snorkeling.BUT we also would love to have beach time.If we stay at the Rockhouse...how far is 7 mile beach?And is the beach public..or do you have to be staying at a hotel on the beach?

This is really confusing now..we love good snorkeling and relaxing on the beach.Please help!!What would you suggest?Thanks for any advice in advance!:)

You do not have to be staying there to use the beach. It's very public.

It's not walking distance really.. and that road can be a bit hairy!

Taxi rides (prices) are a bit of a pain for the newcomer. They will try to get the best deal for them! It can be pricey back and forth BUT Rockhouse MAY have a shuttle. BUt if you dont mind spending the money

I have to say- I LOVE splitting a vaca there. I travel light- enjoy 4 days on the beach and 4 on the cliffs.

favs.

Just Natural for breakfast
3 dives for jerk
a day trip to YS falls

http://www.jamaicans.com/destination...pNotes-2.shtml


A great guide to Negril- might give you some ideas

This was kinda of a spontaneous trip.We were going in November..but when I found that Jamaica can be done pretty cheap (compared to STJ)we decided to go mid Sept. for 5days/4nights.

If we like Negril..I will definately want to do a future trip with time being split between the cliffs and the beach.;)

BTW..I will confirm the taxi rates with the cab driver BEFORE he takes us anywhere!Have heard to always do that.

Thanks for your information.:)

Anyone else?

Idle Awhile....hands down. Easy choice Miss Christie.

I stayed at the rockhouse in the mid 1980's and loved it until someone violated my room while I was out and stole all of my money and my possessions. This was a very beautiful place to stay but let me warn you it can be DANGEROUS. I've never returned since. Let me warn you many other guests were robbed while I stayed at the rock house. The beach is a mile or 2 down the road.
My recommendation is stay in a well guarded hotel on the beach or stay away from Negril.
It is a Mecca for Criminals who prey on innocent tourists.
Jamaica is one of the most dangerous islands in the Caribbean if staying outside of well guarded all inclusive resorts.

Christie

Don't let ronandlane's post worry you.

It's his/her first post. Personally I'd listen to regular posters. They are the people who are positive and negative when needs be.

Jamaica is a safe place to visit if you take care but thats the same within the US and the rest of the world.

It would be nice to know if ronandlane has any positive travel experiences :-)

Christie, I usually just lurk, but had to join this site to reply to the post by Ronandlane. Idle is a great beach property. The Rockhouse 20 years ago was a completely different property than it is today. There were just the original villas with limited security (same as most properties back then). We stayed there as well as other cliff properties back in the old days and never had any problems. I am not saying that burglaries don't ever happen, but an experience from so long ago is not relevant. We still stay there and while we appreciate the "new" features such as the pool, bar and restaurant & electricity, we miss the remote feel the property had. To put your mind at ease, they have 24 hour security guards who patrol the grounds, security cameras, a manned front desk as you enter the gate and in-room safes. The security is not intrusive. We still feel very comfortable walking the cliff road to restaurants, etc (watch out for traffic!). Just don't do anything you wouldn't do at home. The view is beautiful and the snorkeling is pretty good. Cab ride to beach about 10 min to the Idle Awhile area. Most properties will let you hang out (except all inclusives) if you buy a drink or lunch at their beach bar, and there are public areas. Also Margaritaville has trampolines in the water and lots of lounge chairs. It won't be crowded in Sept. We love staying on the cliffs and watching the sunset from the veranda. If you have any questions, just ask & have a great time!!!

Christie,
I was in Negril in January for four nights/five days and we stayed at the Rockhouse. It is a beautiful place, and I had a lot of fun snorkeling. My only real complaint was that the service was not very good. I felt completely safe in our villa and walking the grounds.

For our one day at the beach, we took a cab to Idle Awhile. I think it was $10? Maybe a little less? The beaches are public, and we felt completely comfortable using the lounge chairs at IA, of course tipping the person who watched our stuff and ordering our food and drink from the IA beach restaurant.

Some of the bigger places on the beach will send shuttles to pick you up in the cliffs, and I don't think you are obligated to stay at those resorts the entire day.

If I were to do my trip again, I would probably stay in the cliffs for two nights and on the beach for two nights. It'll just be you and your husband, right? You shouldn't have much luggage at all, so it would be a pretty easy travel. That way you can explore the cliffs (3 Dives, etc.) and also have the wonderful pleasure of waking up on the beach.

Enjoy!
Kym

We stayed at Idle Awhile, and had dinner at Rockhouse.

I could not decide either between the Rockhouse and IA, and am glad we chose IA.

We split up 10 days between Negril and Jamaica Inn at Ocho Rios. (Great place.)

IA is so much easier to get to bars and restaurants from.

Rockhouse is gorgeous, and I would like to go back and stay there sometime, but we really enjoyed our stay at IA.

I prefer the beach but love to visit the cliffs. The beach is so vibrant and fun that it's always interesting. I love to watch the comings and goings of the locals and tourists. The beach is a sort of expressway with folks heading back and forth all day. You can be as much a part of this dynamic place as you want as I'm sure IA has good security to ensure your privacy.

The cliffs are dramatic in their beauty but there is much less interaction with the locals. There is no path connecting cliff hotels but rather the west side road which is busy and tight and twisty. Not the best place for walking.

I'd eat dinner at least once at 3-dives and have lunch at Xtabi. Before or after lunch you can jump off the platforms built into the cliffs there, snorkle or just relax with a ice cold Red Stripe.

Sunset from each place is magical.

mm

Thanks everyone.:)

mm,
That sounds like a good idea..I guess that we will stay at Idle Awhile and visit the cliffs.

BTW..I looked at 3 Dives menu and a Red Stripe is only $1.29 USD..that is great!The curry lobster sounds good as well.;)

Diana,
I have heard alot of good things about the Jamaica Inn in OR..maybe that will be a future trip.:)

Christie, you'll love IA. That section of the beach is beautiful. Take one of the boats out to the reef for snorkeling for a few hours.

Also, when we stay on the beach we usually take a cab one morning to Xtabi for breakfast and bring our snorkel masks. Xtabi has caves and some decent snorkeling.

You can walk along the cliff from Xtabi to 3Dives, Pirate's Cave & Rockhouse very easily. Check out the little shops along the road also.

Have a great time!

Jandk,
thanks..I printed this thread to have while in Negril..to help me.I have a bad memory.;)

Christie

You should try what I do: When I read a post and it has a useful piece of info, I cut and paste the 'useful piece' into a word document which I keep on my desktop.

This way it's nice and easy to find the 'useful stuff' without scanning through information that really isn't relevant.

When you go to Jamaica keep the document handy to re-read on the plane. Once you get there things will begin to fall into place

It's also a good way to research future trips :-)

Alya,
Good idea..thanks!:)

Though the Rockhouse is a VERY pretty and unique place, I'd suggest staying on the beach (Idle) and dining at least two nights at RH. That we you get the best of both. There's so many great places to walk to for breakfast, lunch and drinks on the beach, I personally would rather have it all at my easy disposal(private bathrooms as well) during the day and look forward to RH in the evenings. We actually took a small motor boat from our beach hotel to RH for dinner one night. Felt much like a James Bond scene climbing the stairway to the restaurant. (then take a cab home) I forget what it cost but it was a VERY memorable and romantic thing for my wife and I. Good luck and please take the Ronandland post with a grain of salt at this point. Just be aware of your surroundings just like you might in Chicago, Detroit or LA. Have fun!!

Ayla..........That's just what I do too. Makes for so much fun dreaming and planning a trip over the winter months! :)

Thanks Michael..we will definately do dinner at the RH one night!:)

Michaelpl,

Too true, I had plenty of time over the winter months to plan our Idle Awhile/Jamaica Inn trip in April and make sure it was the right vacation for us, but at the same time I thought Provo in T&C would also fit our criteria - so I had plenty of information on both places.

Well, wouldn't you know it we decided at the last minute to take our 16yr old on a vacation and he wants 'Chill out beach vacation' so now we're going to T&C.

All that information is going to find a good use next weekend :-)

Alya,
You are going next weekend to T&C?Well have a nice trip and don't forget to do a trip report when you return.;)

the rockhouse has changed dramatically since the mid 80's. It was purchased by a couple of Ausltrailian guys about 5 or 6 years ago and they have done wonders with the place. all rooms have safes for safety. but I can't imagine any of the current staff violating anyone's room. I have walked to the beach, but then again I like to walk. there are always taxis on the property ready to take you where you want to go.
If you do go to the beach I'll wager you'll want to get back to the Rockhouse ASAP. The first few times I went to Negril I stayed on the beach and rented a scooter to get my wife and me to a place that was right next door to the rockhouse call the pickled parrot, that property was bought by the owners of the rockhouse about a year and a half ago they used it to add a few more cottages an a spa. GO you won't regret it and I promise you will go back.
corey

taxi fare is $10 each way, but as I implied in the above message, you'll probably only wnat to go to the beach once, the only thing it has that you won't find at the cliffs is lots of sand and people.
corey

Fearlessranger, you vastly understate the allure of the beach in Negril. It is beautiful, vibrant, full of great restaurants and locals doing their thing.

As one who has stayed in both areas over a 20 year period I have to say that while the cliffs are lovely the beach is tops.

Either way you win!

mm

I love the cliffs and beach but prefer the cliffs for privacy and fewer tourists. When we stay up there and go to the beach I always find the beach a little tiring.

BUT going to the beach and having a "home" on the beach are different, it's a lot nicer to have a base down there.

You can get a taxi for $5 each way (beach to cliffs or vice versa) if you offer that, are prepared to walk away if they say no, and have exact change. When you find a driver you like, get his cell phone # and then you can call them whenever you want to go somewhere.

Liza -
Is that $5 negotiated rate for a "private" taxi?

What's a realistic offer for a "route taxi" that picks up multiple passengers?
I've seen some very low numbers mentioned but I don't want to overdo my cheapness (though certainly I've been known to in the past).

Everyone..will decided to stay at Idle Awhile and do dinner at the Rockhouse one night and 3 Dives..the next.We will atleast get to visit both the cliffs and the beach that way.
Who knows...if we like the cliffs better..next time we will stay there.;)

Liza,
Thanks for the cab information.I have heard that the cab rates for a newby can be ridiculous.:)

Christie,

don't forget to get Jerk Chicken from the 'Best of the West' over the road from IA.

We also liked Norma's and the appetizers at Kyuaba (walk through and talkto the parrots) but avoid anything with potatoes if you eat at Margaritaville, they served me packet mashed potatoes X(

Alya,
Do you mean mash potatoes that come in a box?If so, yuck!!Sounds like KFC's mashed potatoes..fake!

YUP!!!!! Exactly, from a box, yuk!

It was revolting, although the coconut shrimp was nice enough.

BTW, totally off topic, it was a suprise to me when we moved to the US to find that KFC serves potato, In the UK they serve fries and you only get a choice of beans and coleslaw. Cultural differences are so interesting :-)

www.kfc.co.uk
click on the yellow 'family feast' link on the left to see what mean

alya,
where in the UK are you from?Just curious.;)

Have you tried the potato wedges at KFC??I like them with Texas Pete..hot sauce on them.:)

The rate for a route taxi (the shared ones Jamaican people generally use) is about $40J from beach to town and $40J from town to cliffs, per person. So $80J pp from beach to cliffs, by day. At night it's $50 or $60 per leg, per person.

If my husband and I are taking a private taxi during the day from beach to cliffs, $160J would be the route rate.

We don't really take route taxis, we take charters, so doubling the route rate (since we are getting the whole car to ourselves, not sharing) is $320 - about $5-6US.

"Newbie" doesn't apply to those who do lots of research prior to going, if you offer $5, have exact change, and are prepared to say "no thanks, I'll wait for another cab", 90% of the time they'll say OK.

Many drivers (not all) will start negotiating with amounts like $20-30 but that's just an effort to get what they can (hey, many tourists will pay it), you're in a bargaining situation.

I feel doubling the route rate for a charter taxi is fair, and I never have a problem getting a driver to take it. Once or twice we've left a cab and taken another, but it's rare.

PS: if you don't care to negotiate, offer more than $6....no cab will walk away from $10.

Personally I won't haggle over a dollar on vacation, if the cab counteroffers near my price, I'll take it.

Liza,
Thanks for the taxi rates..I copied and pasted them to a Word sheet that I will print before we go.;)

Hi Christie,

Born in West Yorkshire - not far from a couple of the London Bombers :-(

Moved south in '85 when I was in my early 20's - lived a couple of miles from Heathrow airport and then moved to Hampshire.

We still own a house there, It's funny you should ask because I was looking at pictures of the house earlier tonight - well, earlier last night actually!

We moved here on 11/15/01, we had family members questioning our decision afer 9/11, but we're now living in MA and having a ball.

Glad you liked my suggestion of pasting 'useful info' into a Word doc :-)

Hi Alya,
Glad to hear that you like it in Mass.Have you ever visited down South in the US?Nothing like our Southern hospitality.;)I was born at Virginia Beach,VA.My parents moved to Raleigh NC when I was 1 year old.Now I live 30 minutes South of Raleigh.

I would love to visit London oneday..probably when I have retired and the kids are out of the house.:) Sorry to hear that were you are from..is near where the bombings were.:( I don't know what this world is coming too. At some point..things can only get better.:)

I also would like to visit Ireland being that my ancestors are Irish,English,and Cherokee Indian.I would love to learn more about those backgrounds.;)

By the way..thanks for the Word Doc suggestion..it will definately come in handy.

Take care
Christie :)

Thanks, Liza, for the taxi info. - I had been getting a bit confused about route, private, charter, etc.

We've tentatively scheduled a Negril trip for Jan. 13-22 but now we're waiting for airfares to come down. Have assembled a list of four or five lower-priced hotels on the beach. Can't wait!