a visit to paradise

We left Thanksgiving day for our first trip to the Caribbean. I was so excited! I had been reading a lot about Negril with its laid back attitude and style. We opted to stay on the cliffs so that we could have our own private access to the ocean. At night the stars feel like they are in your lap. Sunset viewing is a nightly must. A trip on a glass bottom boat ride to snorkel was a blast. Although the fish aren't exactly plentiful there is enough to enjoy if you persist. The jerk chicken was fabulous, freshest chicken I ever ate. Nothing is a problem in Negril -- as the saying goes "no problem mon". The temperature was in the high 70's - low 80's. We never felt hot/sweaty. Many an excellent dining spot in Negril with low-moderate prices. Bloody bay north of the beach is a local beach that is al natural with trees and bushes. Although there are hagglers, a simple word "respect" spoken to them with give you your space. Plant life is abundant and beautiful.

Quick Tips:

Visit both the beach and cliffs. Eat jerk chicken, callahoo (similar to greens/spinach) and do not miss Jamaica's fruit--it is out of this world! Sweet grapefruit, limes. Drink a sangister's rum punch and some red stripe. Never pay more than 1-2 US each for a trip to beach/cliffs each way. Remember this is a 3rd world country and they make their living off the tourists. Visit www.jamaicans.com tourist board for Q&A, etc. Get a real feel for Jamaica by staying at a smaller property instead of an all inclusive and sampling the smaller restaurants/road stands. Don't feel threatened or pressured to purchase anything you don't want and definitely don't tell anyone that this is your first trip as the pressure is put on a little harder. Relax and enjoy life as it was meant to be--slow paced!

Best Way To Get Around:

Taxis are a must from the beach to cliffs and back. They don't have sidewalks on the cliffs but you can make it to some of the closer restaurants. Some will even pick you up and return you for an evening meal.

I stayed in Cottage #1 which had a wrap-around deck and stairs down to a concrete deck with private access to the ocean. The cottage had a large living/kitchen area with a bathroom downstairs and a bedroom loft. An added plus was the open air shower outside. This is a lush property with the security going the extra mile to insure guests comfort and security. The maids did a wonderful job cleaning with fresh flowers daily. A perfect reserved seat for the nightly sunset is found on your own deck.

Just Natural is located next door to Xtbai. It is a small family owned/outdoor restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our first trip to Just Natural was for breakfast. We had french toast--wonderful thick wheat bread with honey and butter and an omelette that was out of this planet--cheese, callahoo, ackee. I exclaimed: I'm gonna have to come back again for one of these! Fresh fruit and fresh fruit smoothies at prices that won't begin to dent your wallet.

Our next trip was for dinner. I had the stuffed eggplant--stuffed with fresh vegetables and marinara sauce. Your meal comes with a salad, bread and dessert. Teresa the daughter of the owner waited on us for breakfast and her sister took care of us for dinner. Their father did the landscape for the seating area. It was so beautiful in the daylight and then so romantic at night by candlelight. My husband reminded me that it was our first candlelight dinner ever! Although we made our way to the grocery store many times we just didn't feel like going the last few days and asked Teresa if she could sell us some of her wonderful grapefruit and pineapple. Of course, her reply was "yeah, no problem mon". Just Natural goes above and beyond serving you healthy food that is delicious!

This outdoor eating establishment is located next door to Xtabi. Lloydie, the owner, fixes a mean jerk that is cooked sooo good it falls off the bone. He also cooks some of the best lobster I have ever eaten. His wife Paula prepares red beans/rice and callaloo to perfection. The vibes are the best at 3 Dives. Paula and Lloydie sit and share time with you. This has to be the most relaxing restaurant in all the world. You can even just stop by to chat.

The flavors of LTU have a European twist. With the owners being from America, Canada, Europe. I had the best stuffed chicken in my life. It was stuffed with callahoo, fresh mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese then lightly breaded and fried--but you would swear that it wasn't fried. Homemade rolls that my husband would die to eat again. A wide variety of freshly prepared meals at a reasonable price. We had rice with fresh carrots and peas -- something I wouldn't normally like but prepared in a way that I would eat this side dish every day of the week.

Vincent is a very friendly/outgoing Jamaican. He would wave at me in the morning while cruising by our deck. He stopped one day to see if I was interested in a glass bottom boat ride. I wasn't, but as soon as he pulled away I remember that I had read that the glass bottom boat guides can take you snorkeling so the next time I saw him I waved him over and inquired. Sure enough!, he could take us.

We made arrangements for the next more and Vincent was right on time. He had several other people in the boat. A few that he had taken out deep sea fishing. They caught a huge tuna and we dropped them off at their hotel and 2 additional couples that would be joining my husband and I on the snorkeling trip. Basically, you get the snorkeling trip plus the glass boat boat ride for the same as it costs just for the boat ride. I had my head glued to the glass as soon as I boarded and boy did I see some spectacular sights--colorful fish and marine life.

When we arrived to our snorkel site, Vincent made sure that we all knew how to snorkel and had equipment. One gal had never been before. Vincent was very detailed at explaining the basics to her. Vincent is a great guide, he takes care of Jamaica's reef by making sure that everyone knows what area is deep/shallow and the "look don't touch" method of snorkeling/scuba. Vincent even went with us and guided us around pointing out fish, eels, etc. He mentioned that if there was anything that we wanted to touch, let him know and if it was possible he would tell us. He brought some bread along and we all feed a school of stripped fish. When we swam through a shallow area, Vincent made sure that everyone checked their mask in the deeper water so that no one would accidentally damage coral/underwater life. We had such a good time snorkeling and talking with Vincent that the next day my husband went out with him just to hang out and talk to him.