notsosure

Hello,
I have been researching Jamaica, the hotels, the activities and am having trouble selecting a resort to stay in. We are a young couple are goal is to snorkel, sail, lay on the beach, and see the town (a little of everything). We don't need to be secluded like the couples resorts, but we don't mind kids. I was going to stay at the RUi Montego but read awful reviews about planes taking off. Negril looks nice, but 40 minutes from the town, right? We are looking for all inclusive as we have never done it before and it sounds advantageous to just go that route.

My second choice was Aruba because of the beaches, but the flights from LA are very long.

Planning to stay 6-7 days. I would appreciate any advise from wise travelers!

Thank you!

suze

Negril IS nice. It's beautiful! It's more like 60-90 mins. (if by "town" you mean Montego Bay, the city/airport you'd fly into). Negril is a town in it's own right, I'd stay there the entire week, except for your trip from and back to the airport. Sorry don't know about the All-Inclusives.

Weadles

Hi,

I don't think there's any reason to do AI in Negril, unless you prefer not to leave the resort. There are plenty of inexpensive places to stay and eat both on the beach and the cliffs. If you post your budget, you'll get plenty of advice.

And yes, the trip from Montego Bay is about an hour+ depending on traffic.

spook

Negril would be awesome for younger people like yourself. Try to not do AI but experience the wonderful vibe that Negril has to offer. Reply to this thread and Weadles, myself and I'm sure a few others will steer you towards a memorable time in Negril.

alya

If your idea of a vacation is spending the majority of the time on the beach then Negril has enough to do that you never need to leave the beach.

Lots of restaurants and bars to break up the day - find a resort to stay in and each day head in one direction along the beach for lunch and another for dinner

We're going back in June and I really can't wait.

Last time we stayed at Idle Awhile, this time we're staying Cocolapalm.

We also last time stayed at Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, they do AI - check it out and see if it fits your budget.

Pragya

I had recently visited Jamaica and stayed at Silver Sands villas and they have their own private beach. You can check out their site www.mysilversands.com. They are located about 30 miles from the airport, midway between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios so you'll be near plenty of attractions.

Weadles

Just some hotel recs, in case you're interested: COCO LA PALM is a middle-range hotel on what I think is the best part of the beach. The nicest rooms there are the upper level jr. suites, which are huge comfortable rooms with sizeable terraces, but try not to pick the one that's almost right over the bar! Standard rooms are very modest,( think motel) although cheaper.

Right next door, is IDLE AWHILE, which is more upscale than COCO, although most of its rooms, except for the one-bedroom suites, are smaller.

And a few doors down from both COCO and IDLE AWHILE, is the CHARELA INN. Many years ago, CHARELA was getting a little run-down, but I've heard from friends who've been recently that it's again a decent place to stay.

All three of these are on a wonderful stretch of beach.

If you don't need beach, and want more seclusion, you can check out ROCKHOUSE, which offers free standing cottages, all with ladders down to the sea. It's located on the cliffs ( AKA The West End) and has gorgeous sunsets, plus a very good restaurant on site.

Have fun!