Negril is a tourist town on the NW of the island of Jamaica. Numerous hotels of all sizes and budgets are located along this, essentially one street town. You'll also find a never ending assortment of bars, cafes and restaurants, many located right on the beach.
Getting Here
Chances are if you fly into Jamaica, you'll land in Montego Bay. Negril is located about and hour and a half to the West. Your choices are transport are light aircraft, taxi or hire car. You can also get a bus but it doesn't go directly from the airport. A one way 15 minute flight with TimAir will cost you around $70 each. A private taxi can be bargained with, it'll probably cost you $50 or so. The journey by road is somewhat hair-raising, by comparison the flight is pretty tranquil if slightly cramped.
Getting Around
Once you're here, you'll need to get around. Although Negril is reasonably compact, it stretches for some 10 miles or so from one end to the other and in the 80 - 90 degree heat you'll not be comfortable walking far. Chances are as soon as you start walking, you'll be approached by a taxi wanting to take you wherever you are going - a private cab is negotiable. Don't pay more than $10 US for any journey within Negril. You can negotiate a daily rate $50 - $70 is probably a fair price, ask the driver to take you to his favourite spots, or choose you own itinery. We did this on two occasions, once going to some familar tourist spots, and once right out into the countryside, where we met locals, and went to places where few tourists had tread - probably the best memories of the entire holiday. A route cab is cheaper than a normal cab, although you'll probably be sharing with someone else. For just a few dollars, you can get easily from A to B. Renting a scooter, Motorbike or car is a possibility, but judging by the way everyone drives, combined with the generally poor roads and inadequate signs, it's not something I'd want to do myself. If you do choose a scooter or bike, insist on helmets and make sure you are adequately insured - and don't drink and drive.
Accommodation
No matter how much you've got to spend, you should be able to find somewhere suitable. For those with unlimited funds, $300+ per night, many of the large chains, mostly all inclusive are here including Couples, Sandals, Beaches & Superclubs Hedonism. The top hotel (at least in money terms) is the Grand Lido ($500+ per night). We stayed in the RIU Tropical Bay, the RIU Negril is also here. At the other end of the scale, you will find many small hotels, guesthouses and private villas. If even this stretches your budget, you will find very basic rooms available for under $50 a night. You'll find a lot more of the reasonbly priced places on the cliffs, although you'll not then be directly on the beach. Even at the 5 star resorts, don't expect 5 star (by US standard) treatment, this is Jamaica and everything works at a different pace.
Attractions
To be honest, there isn't a whole lot of things to see or do in Negril. The main attraction is of course the beach, stretching for approx 7 miles, and it's certainly among the top beaches we've been to. It's not possible to walk the entire stretch, without going inland but some long walks are possible. You may get stopped by guards at some of the hotels, and obviously you can't walk through a nudist beach fully clothed! The water is crystal clear, warm and inviting - reason enough to simply relax and let the days pass you by. The town itself is a typical mish mash of sometimes rickety stores, mixed with shopping arcade, the markets, street vendors, bars and clubs all hustling for some of your hard earned dollars. You'll find all the usual souvenirs, but there is nothing here that you can't find elsewhere in Jamaica. Hungry? Just follow your nose to the nearest Jerk Chicken hangout for a cheap fill up. Wash down with a red stripe beer or two. Escape the hustlers for a while, and make a stop at the Negril Lighthouse. When we visited there was just one old guy trying to sell his carvings, it made a change from the constant bombardment when walking the streets. You can walk the steps to the top of the lighthouse if you are feeling fit. Visit at sundown, the sky looks fantastic. If watersports are more your thing, there are plenty of places to hire jetskis, go parasailing, dive centres and so on. There are also plenty of boat trips available, for fishing or just sightseeing.
Evening Entertainment
Negril by night is a contrast to it's somewhat lazy day image. Norman Manley Boulevard - Negrils main street is lined with clubs, bars and beaches pumping out reggae until breakfast time. Big names are common, whilst we were there we saw Yellowman live - any reggae fan will know who he is. Lots of Bob Marley wannabes chant out all the classics to appreciative audiences. Many gigs are free, and generally no more than $10. The beers flow, the drug dealers deal and the vendors plague you to sell you CD's. Although we didn't got to any "night clubs" there are a handful in Negril many with special offers and catering to all tastes. You'll find out about whos playing where form any local or from posters or announcements on the beaches.
Annoyances
It would be so nice, to walk the streets or markets and not be bothered by EVERY shop owner, EVERY vendor on the street and EVERY drug dealer! It really did become tiring, and I became short with many people. Most of these people are really nice enough, but when you put them all together it just becomes annoying. You can choose to ignore them - they may well follow you down the street, or say no (several times), and they'll get the message. This really is a shame as it makes shopping and browsing unpleasant. Don't let people put items on you, or say they have a gift for you - they'll demand payment for sure afterwards.
Summary
No trip to Jamaica would be complete without visiting Negril. The laid back beach life is something you could get used to and never want to leave. Prices aren't too bad, most people are friendly enough, you are never far from a bar, taxi or place to eat. It goes without saying that the weather is always nice, and it's the best place on the island to watch the sun go down.
There are many sites with information and links relating to Negril - just use google to find them.
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