| Sandals Negril All Inclusive Beach Resort Frequently Asked Questions | |
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Should I take the bus trip or fly to Sandals Negril Resort from Montego Bay? |
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Do you know anything about Couples or Grand Lido? Do you have any contact information for Sandals Negril Resort? |
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Should I take the bus trip or fly to Sandals Negril Resort from Montego Bay? This is up to you but I can provide some information which might help. First off the bus trip is free. I just returned to Negril in December 2002 and the road is done. The trip was one hour 25 minutes with a rest stop on the way. Now that the road is done, I don't see why flying would be worth it. The ride is a great chance to see several cities and learn more about Jamaica. Vacationing at a resort can lead to some isolation from your actual destination so unless you have day trips planned you may want to take the bus just so you can say you've seen the "real" Jamaica. They usually stop for a red strip after an hour so it can be a nice break after your plane ride. On our return trip we were lucky enough to have a driver who asked if we'd mind if he told us about what we were seeing. It was great because we learned about each city, they people, their education system and government programs. The flight takes 20 minutes and I think it's about $90.00 per person each way. Several guests took the bus in but then flew back so they could extend their stay at Sandals by a few hours. |
That's a hard question because there so many things that were excellent. I'd have to say that staying at this resort enabled me to access many things that would make me happy. There were so many activities that I could engage in and if I was tired I could just grab a float and a cigar and relax in the ocean or pool. When we were tired of resort life they had day and night trips we could take so we could sight see or just get a break from things.
The staff and citizens of Jamaica are genuinely interested in you returning to Jamaica and telling some friends. They know that tourists are their bread and butter and don't act like it's their job to please you. It makes it easy to relax and unwind from your day to day life. The bar tenders will make you whatever you want and if you want more booze in your drink just ask, they are more than happy to oblige. They are so good that by the end of my trip if I was talking to another guest and had a 1/4 full glass of stripe, the tender would grab it and produce a refill. They even had a stripe on the bar if they saw me walking down the path to the piano bar. The taxi driver we hired took us to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, got an idea from the waitress how long we'd want to stay then returned to pick us up. He wouldn't take payment until our evening out was complete. When in town strangers, even beggers will ask how your trip is going and if your enjoying your stay. Even the drug dealers are courteous. Someone may ask if your interested in "Smoke". If you say no they will thank you and won't bother you again.
Snorkeling and sailing on the Hobie Cat's are my current favorites. Evenings at the Piano bar sucking down Red Stripes would be third and the trips to Ricks Cafe via the Juta Tour bus or the Jolly Mermaid party boat would be fourth. I learned to windsurf but it is too much work for a vacationer. This time i'll learn how to sail the smaller boats so I can take my wife to the island.
Sandals doesn't have their own parasail equipment but there are roving boats that pick up resort guests and take them to a proper boat for this. Just look for a boat going back and forth that says Sky Ride or something and wave them down. It's $40.00 for a single and $70.00 per couple. It's a blast and something you should definitely try. They guys know what they are doing and gave me such a gentle ride I brought my camera up with me. The bonus is that since they take 3-5 people out to the main boat you get a free ride around the Bay so you can look at other resorts etc.
After our second trip to Sandals Negril, I can't think of a thing.
You'd be doing yourself a favor by visiting Ricks Cafe at least once. I would go during the day to watch the cliff divers or take a jump yourself. If you can I'd also go at 5:00pm and stay until the live music is done. We left at 6:00pm just as the live reggae music was starting and I've regretted not going back at night. You can have Sandals arrange for a taxi to take you there if you want to check it out at night. Otherwise there is a shopping trip by bus that goes there and the Jolly Mermaid party boat stops there as well. Some folks from our resort had dinner at the french restaurant at Beaches just down the road, they said it was pretty good so you may want to check that out. There is a night club called the Jungle that I wanted to visit. I didn't get there but plan to check it out next time. We went to Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville restaurant and had dinner. It was nice to have food that tasted like it came from the US but was kind of expensive. The margarita wasn't anything special but the place was cool. It's on the beach and has a neat bar on the beach, swings if your lazy and a bonfire at night. During the day you can swim and they have a huge floating raft in the swimming area.
I'm not sure if I read the brochure wrong or what but when I got to Sandal's I was disappointed to learn that Sandals doesn't have seven miles of beach. There is seven miles of beach you can walk but it's divided between several other resorts and public beach areas. I probably read something wrong but just so you know, Sandal's has a large area of beach and there is some law that anyone can walk the beach but you just can't leave the beach if your not staying at the resort. Alot of the beach is walkable but there are many areas you couldn't unless you brought shoes due to trees and debris in the way.
I personally didn't golf but here's what I know and what I heard. I live in Minnesota USA where we have more courses per capita than any state in the US. Our courses, even the city ones are in great shape and the grass is always nice. In Jamaica they always have the hot sun beating down on the grass so while it was in good shape it was not how our courses are in Minnesota. They also don't appear to mark the holes or distances or cart paths. You must always have a caddy with you to point the way. It may even be a law in the country but I'm not sure. A guest went and played at a public course down the road. He said that he had fun but by the time he added the greens fee and caddy the experience wasn't worth it because his California courses were nicer.
I can speak from experience that rum and cigars should be purchased at the duty free shop in the Sangster airport before you leave the country. Appleton Rum was about $3-$6 dollars less per bottle vs in town or at Sandals. You also don't have to carry the junk around then. If you need to pack it in your suitcase then buy in town but shop around because prices vary. You should be able to get rum for $6-$9 a bottle.
UPDATE: We took the shopping tour from Sandals on our Dec 2002 trip. There is a new duty free shopping mall in Negril called Town Square. We found Coffee, Cigars, Booze cheapest of all at stores here.
The neighbors across the street went to Couples and had a blast. They didn't have a bad word for the place. They say that you get served by waiters right on the beach which Sandals does not do. I saw the beach from a boat and the place looked very nice, I'm sure it's on par with Sandals. Grand Lido is a top notch place but more expensive then the other resorts. They cater to visitors who may want to dress more formally at meals etc. I'm sure they are great, not my cup of tea but probably worth doing your research. Beaches is basically a Sandals for people who want to bring kids. It's a very nice place with all the amenities that Sandals offers. If your staying at one or the other you can visit both resorts and do whatever you want except occupy a room. Several couples went to eat at their nicer restaurant and were pleased. We just used them for a bar stop when we walked the beach.
Bring more US Cash than you think you might need. (You would be surprised at the off-resort stuff you can buy/do)
Just because it's Cuban, doesn't mean it's a good cigar. (If you are not sure but want a good Cuban, get the Montecristo. I tried others and they were no better then typical cigars you get in the US.
Bring a mini first aid kit. Especially many bandaids. I got cut in the sea on coral or something and got a few bandaids from the nurse. Because you'll be running around in water and sand you'll need to change many times if something like this happens. Don't end up in a chair because you didn't prepare.
If you buy a bracelet or necklace from one of the locals wear it. You will be hassled less if it looks like you already bought something. If you are finding it hard to lose their attention, say you've been to Jamaica before. Act like you already have all the stuff they sell. They move on to first timers quickly and you can then pass uninterrupted.
Having trouble getting the bartender's attention? Introduce yourself, ask them what their nick name is. Many Jamaican's seem to have a name they go by at home. I had many interesting conversations learning how they got various nicknames. Next time you visit the bar your new friend will probably have your drink ready.
(Taken from a post on www.negriltoday.com) OK first off, no way is it $30.00 US (1,465.80 Jamaican) for taxi to the town of Negril. If that is the price RIU is quoting you, then step outside the gates and hale down a red plate taxi and negotiate a price BEFORE getting into the taxi. Be prepared to do some spirited negotiating because you are quite a distance from town. Negotiate a round trip price with the driver waiting for you or returning at a set time. Include the tip in the price and go from there. You are best off negotiating in Jamaican dollars so work in and around the amount of $500 Jamaican dollars. For a quick round trip to the shopping center for two of you should not cost more than $600 to $700 Jamaican dollars (roughly $12.00 US). Of course, if you get another couple to join you, then raise the price and the time alloted, but here is a currency converter link to help you figure it for yourself.
Remember to take only taxis with red license plates, they are insured. Always negotiate the price before getting into the taxi and when traveling at night, have the same taxi return to pick you up and take you back to your hotel. You insure this by paying the taxi once you are returned home and not before. Relax and have fun, taxi drivers are a lot of fun and full of information.
There are floaties for use in the pools and ocean but they get snatched up quickly by the early risers. Many guests use these as cushions so they can be hard to obtain. I would recommend that the first thing you do in the morning is go to the beach and lay out your towels on a chair or two. If you want to grab a floatie do it then and put it by your chair. Hopefully its still there when you return. I always tried to find another guest who was in need once I finished floating. I really didn't care for them being used as chair cushions.
Both times I visited Sandals Negril I saw many topless sunbathers. Most were European but seemed to go undisturbed. The official line from Sandals is that it is not a right so if someone complains you may be asked to move or cover up. I doubt this occurs often. If you want to sunbathe topless I'd suggest doing it on either end of the resort where there is less traffic. That is where I saw most topless tanners..
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