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Negril Jamaica

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  1. mitks07 mitks07 is offline

    Johnston, RI
    United States

    Posts: 186
    Joined: Jan 07

    Jul 20th, 2009 (7/20/2009 8:52pm)

    After my last post I've decided to avoid Ocho Rios and Montego Bay.
    Now trying to figure out where to stay in Negril...

    Has anyone been to either of these resorts and have an opinion?

    Riu Palace Tropical Bay All Inclusive
    Grand Lido Negril Resort & Spa All Inclusive-Future Breezes

    Been reading reviews online all day, but they're awfully varied and haven't found anyone who has stayed at both to give a relative comparison.

    Thanks for all your help....
  2. MrPinksTip MrPinksTip is offline

    Aviston, IL
    United States

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    Jul 20th, 2009 (7/20/2009 9:02pm) in reply to mitks07

    Are you going with your wife/gf? My wife and I went to Couples about 5 years ago and it was awesome. Great food. 4 bars. Easy herb access. Live music every night. Good times.
  3. Diggity D Diggity D is offline

    Chicago, IL
    United States

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    Jul 20th, 2009 (7/20/2009 9:03pm) in reply to mitks07

    When are you planning on going? Because my advice is all spring break oriented.

    Negril is basically a 7 mile long beach... I wouldn't want to stay at either end, and would try to stay somewhere in the middle on the beach.

    The cool thing about Negril is cruising the beach and hopping from bar to bar/hotel to hotel... Staying at an all inclusive resort on the far north or south end is going to stop you from really enjoying the place.
  4. mitks07 mitks07 is offline

    Johnston, RI
    United States

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    Jul 20th, 2009 (7/20/2009 9:16pm) in reply to mitks07

    Looking to go around September....

    Yes, going with the girl, but we are both pretty young and looking for a good balance of relaxation and fun.
    Thread Starter
  5. Diggity D Diggity D is offline

    Chicago, IL
    United States

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    Jul 20th, 2009 (7/20/2009 9:17pm) in reply to mitks07

    With your girl in september huh...

    You really cant go wrong in that case, have fun in jamaica mahn.
  6. kidrockin kidrockin is offline cro magnon

    Yeniky
    Turkey

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    Jul 20th, 2009 (7/20/2009 9:19pm) in reply to MrPinksTip

     
    Originally Posted by MrPinksTip View Post

    Are you going with your wife/gf? My wife and I went to Couples about 5 years ago and it was awesome. Great food. 4 bars. Easy herb access. Live music every night. Good times.

    COUPLES NEGRIL OR OCHO RIOS?
     
  7. SusieQue SusieQue is offline

    Algonquin, IL
    United States

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    Jul 20th, 2009 (7/20/2009 9:23pm) in reply to mitks07

    I stayed at the Grand Lido hotel 7 years in a row...The food was amazing, The buffets were actually pretty damn good too. 24/7 room service. Hot tubs that are on all ends of the resort, I think there was 4 all together some very secluded. Nude beach on one side and regular on the other. I prefered getting a room on the regular side due to the fact the beach area is close to the rooms and I didnt enjoy waking up and opening the drapes to see 300lb naked women and men ( enough to make you lose your appetite for the wonderful breakfast buffet)

    Several restaurants to choose from were all excellent. Special friday night party with bands and what not. Nice pool overlooking the beach area and the rooms are better than average. Great snorkeling all around the hotel beach front area.

    I would go back there in a heartbeat. Now the down side....they charge and arm and a leg for a taxi to go anywhere So I suggest finding one and sticking with them. Tthe promise of extra business and possible tours will make them lower there prices.

    Also DO NOT take a cab or bus to negril...I can tell you it will scare the shit out of you. They drive horrible, Fast on tiny roads with children and goats everywhere. I only did it once and took a plane from then on. The flight is only 15 minutes from Mo bay and the airport is right across the street from the hotel.

    I have never stayed at the other hotel..but after 7 trips to Grand Lido...Nothing could compare anyway!
  8. GT_FO_d0nk GT_FO_d0nk is offline

    Atlanta, GA
    United States

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    Jul 20th, 2009 (7/20/2009 10:26pm) in reply to mitks07

    I went to Negril and stayed at the Riu Palace Tropical Bay the first week of May this year and it was a good time for sure. The place was fairly nice, the food was pretty good, and there were a ton of bars to get free drinks at. Also, the specialty restaurants were pretty good even though you have to get up early to get a reservation at them. The beach was beautiful, and there were plenty of jetskiers on the outside of the restricted area to get some really nice green from for really cheap. The location is a little far away from the square, but you can negotiate a good price from the taxis on the street (don't take the ones from the hotel because they are a rip off). In town there's a ton of places to go, make sure to go to Rick's Cafe for sundown and to jump off the cliff thing.
  9. JayAces JayAces is offline

    Frisco, TX
    United States

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    Jul 20th, 2009 (7/20/2009 11:15pm) in reply to mitks07

    You can always go to Hedonism....

    I stayed at Sam Sahara (something like that) all-inclusive and it was perfect. Just make sure you are on the beach and it is a resort. Hotels off the beach are asking for trouble.

    Have Fun, Jamaica is the greatest and you will realize that the second you get off the plane. FYI, the airport is in Montego Bay, you will see what a dump it is.
  10. mitks07 mitks07 is offline

    Johnston, RI
    United States

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    Jul 21st, 2009 (7/21/2009 2:22pm) in reply to JayAces

    Susie, is it generally an older crowd at Gran Lido?

    And is Hedonism as risque as they say it is? We considered it, but fear large numbers of old people running around naked. If its actually a whole group of young people, it sounds like the potential to be a good time.

    We're pretty much down to the two couples resorts (couples negril, and couples swept away) and grand lido. Hedonism could come back in the mix if there were rave reviews, but it sounds like the place is pretty dilapidated.

    Any additional info/opinions would be great.

    Thanks for all your help guys....
    Thread Starter
  11. above_films above_films is offline

    Hollywood, CA
    United States

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    Jul 22nd, 2009 (7/22/2009 9:53am) in reply to mitks07

    why not montego bay? i loved it there!
  12. Fox Fox is offline

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    Jul 22nd, 2009 (7/22/2009 7:22pm) in reply to mitks07

    All inclusive stuff is boring, get to know the locals and actually be in Jamaica, not in a compound that is just like a Howard Johnson. Try the Heartbeat Motel, any cab driver will know where it is. Ask for Leon, and tell him you know Fox. He will hook you up with a nice little thatched hut on the beach and whatever else you need. Leon is a solid dude. If he's not around, whoever is in charge at the Heartbeat will be cool. Be nice to the dogs, they run the place.

    Walk out of the heartbeat, turn right and go down a few hundred yards to the Pickled Parrot on the right, great drinks and food. On your left will be a little bakery. Ask them for Cake, and if they give you some bullshit premade fancy cake it's not the real deal. Tell em you want the cake for Leon and they'll give you the homemade stuff. Use with caution, a little goes a long way.

    Take a walk down to the lighthouse on the right side, a ways past the Pickled Parrot. The lighthouse is probably still closed, but everyone goes past he fence anyway. If you go down the path to the ocean you can (very carefully) hop down the rocks to the water and find a little underground cave with tidal waters in it. It's very pretty, but DO NOT swim in to the cave. The floor will look red, which is because of sea anomenes that are black and red, and if you put your feet down on them you'll end up with very painful spines broken off in the bottoms of your feet and your vacation is shot. The cave is beautiful, but don't go in, just sit on the rock and enjoy the solitude.

    Buy some jerk chicken from anyone cooking it in a half barrel on the street, it's awesome, way better than the stuff they'll serve you at a resort. Around 10 or 11 the locals will party at one or two of the bars. Impossible to miss, the music is incredibly loud. Go in, get some rum punch and dance with some pretty Jamaican girls. Don't get so drunk that you get robbed.

    Good times! Negril is awesome. All-inclusive resorts are bullshit. Why do people want to go places and then stay in the compound like a prison and never see the local culture or meet the people? Get out and enjoy your surroundings, Negril is pretty safe if you have half a brain and don't go in to alleyways to buy weed from shady fools in Bob Marley One Love shirts who say they are Rastas like a dumb tourist. Get what you need from your hotel or a waiter in a restaurant, not someone you can never find again. And be careful with the ganja, it is NOT legal and your ass will go to jail if you get caught by the local police. Avoid it altogether if it's not important to you.

    That's my rant on all-inclusive resorts... Adventure travel for the win!
  13. Fox Fox is offline

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    Jul 22nd, 2009 (7/22/2009 7:23pm) in reply to Fox

    Oh, and Hedonism sucks Just a bunch of guys oggling your wife and a few old hags, probably also haggling your wife and trying to fight off the nasty guys who are crowded around them.
  14. DAWS DAWS is offline OT's Youngest Grandpa

    Southington, CT
    United States

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    Jul 22nd, 2009 (7/22/2009 8:24pm) in reply to mitks07

    if you're not looking to pay a ton for the high end all inclusive's I would recommend CocoLapalm.... stayed there multiple times and will stay again the next time I go back.

    http://cocolapalm.com/
  15. whaler55 whaler55 is offline

    Alpharetta, GA
    United States

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    Jul 22nd, 2009 (7/22/2009 9:23pm) in reply to Fox

    ahhh, fuck that. I went to Grand Lido Braco 2X. all inclusive. nothing better than playing nude volleyball in the pool while Merle the waitress brings tray after tray of frozen drinks. Yeah, some of the people were old and fat, but you need those people to look at to kill your boner.
    maybe I'm a snob, but I had no interest in meeting the locals, unless they were waiting on me...
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