Sunsets
by toonsarah
Negril is situated at the westernmost point of Jamaica, and has justifiably become famous for its spectacular sunsets. Of course these aren’t guaranteed every evening (we had two evenings when it was raining at sun down time), but you’ll get one most evenings and they do all seem to be pretty special. If like me you can’t resist reaching for your camera when the sky starts to turn red, make sure you have lots of memory space or bring plenty of film!
Among my favourite memories of Negril are the early evenings spent sipping a cocktail and watching the sun go down over the sea. We got probably our best photos from our own hotel, the Negril Escape, where the cliff-top seats and mock lighthouse provide interesting silhouettes, but the best views and cocktails were at the LTU Bar further up the road. You could also go to Rick’s Bar, the sunset spot if you believe all the hype, but we chose to give that a miss once we saw all the tour buses parked outside.
Y's Falls day trip
by dustmon
My friend Tony Vassel takes visitors to all sorts of day trips from Negril, and my son and I went to Y's Falls with him for about $50 for the trip. You enter a kind of a park-like area and walk through the jungle until you get to the small river that flows from the falls. You walk up the path marvelling at the birds, the trees and the sparkling water next to you, jumping in if you want at certain places for a cooling off, until you get to the many falls coming down the mountain. Our guide, Rasta Tom, showed us all kinds of local flora and fauna, including something I had never seen a soap tree, where you can pull off a couple of leaves and with a little water and a little rubbing, a lather emerges which you can wash with! He picked fresh mangoes for us off the trees and pointed out other Jamaican bushes and trees by name. Please give these guides a tip, as they depend on tourists for their livelhood, and are very knowledgeable and friendly.
The drive to the falls takes about an hour from Negril.
Bamboo Avenue
by toonsarah
Bamboo grows wild all over Jamaica, though not with the proliferation it once did. Near the Black River, between Middle Quarters and Lacovia, is a 2.5 mile stretch of the main A2 road known as Bamboo Avenue. This was planted by the owners of Holland Estate in the early 20th century to shade its sugarcane workers as they travelled between the plantation and home. Here the bamboo grows uninterrupted for several miles on both sides of the road, and for most of its length forms a pretty arch above your head as you drive through.
Previously the arch was unbroken, but the devastation caused by Hurricane Gilbert uprooted some of the bamboo and it is yet to grow back fully – although at the speed this plant grows, that shouldn’t take too long! There are a number of places along the road where you can pull over to buy a cold drink and take photos. I had to stand in the middle of the road to get this shot, so make sure you have someone with you who can watch out for traffic if you want to do the same!
Jerk Chicken with all the trimmins
by dustmon about Leroy's Chicken
Leroy has one of those half an oil barrel grills on the side of the road directly across the street from CatchaFalling Star on Lighthouse Road in Negril, almost to Ricks Cafe. I have known Leroy for over 30 years and he has had this stand generally in the same place. The house directly behind his grill belongs to my "Jamaican Mother" Daisy, who we used to stay with back in the 70's in a cottage in back of her house. Leroy cooks incredible jerk, and serves it with callaloo ( a spinach-like leaf) and his version of rice and peas, all for about $8. If you are staying nearby, bring your own plate and he will pile it high, or just take some along in some paper and napkins...MMMMMM! jerk chicken, Mon!
Rhino Safaris are a gas!
by american_tourister
Rhino safaris offers you a chance to take a really fun semi-inflatable high powered boat on an at sea ride for over 3 hours. You ride about 45 minutes on open ocean and then cut up the Black River into the Mangrove swamps before heading back and stopping for a snorkeling session. It was the most fun tour we took in Negril. It is not for children but for adults it is a blast.
They will pick you up and drop you off from your hotel. Don't bring anything that can't get wet.
Hungry Lion
Bill (manager) and friends at the bar
jumping from the trees at Ricks
West End
