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We are planning honeymoon in Jamaica (May 31st-June 6th or so). Since neither one of us has been to Jamaica before (or anywhere tropical), we haven't a clue where to go. We'd prefer Sandals, or a similar all-inclusive resort for adults. Although we do want to experience the beach and laid-back atmosphere (for a couple of days), neither one of us is a sun worshiper and we'd like the opportunity to leave the resort and do some sightseeing, etc. Has anyone been to Jamaica before, or planning to visit for their honeymoon? If so, I'd love to hear about your experiences (good and bad). What resort offers the best price? Best rooms? Best service? Best food? Best spa treatments? Best views? Thank you!
I can help a little bit! Me and a bunch of friends went to Jamaica the summer after we graduated from high school.
1) Take bug spray!!! (if you plan on being on the beach) They have these things called sand fleas that no one told us about and they are awful! So make sure you take some because they charge like 15$ for it at the hotel lol
2) We stayed in Negril which was realllllly pretty. They had amazing sunsets! You have to visit Ricks Cafe and watch the sunset from there and also jump off their cliff that they have there! I was so scared to do it, but then I though about it and I was like....Im never gonna have the chance to do this again! so I went for it!
3) Near Negril there are these falls about an hour away. I dont remember what they are called but if you ask the concierge, im sure they will know. DEFINITELY do this! This was the most fun we had and we took some awesome pictures. (just remember, if you do this, make sure you take cash because the tour guides work off of tips)
4) I would def. go all inclusive, we didnt and I regret it! The food in jamaica isnt that good and eating at the hotel was our best option, but it was expensive.
I hope this helps a little, when we went, we didnt do a whole lot of romantic things (a bunc of 18/19 yr old girls lol) BUt we had a blast!
Ohhhhh!!! and make sure you go snorkeling! They have the biggest starfish you have ever seen!
My coworker took her honeymoon at Sandals Whitehouse (off the main drag though) which is where we're going in November. She spoke highly of the experience.
My other friend stayed in Ocho Rios and enjoyed the location, but wished she had gone all-inclusive.
I went for a destination wedding at the RIU Ochos Rios.
It was really nice. It is beside a sandals (which looked really dumpy) There were people switching hotels from the sandals to the RIU.
Definatly do the dunns river falls climb. But don't get a guide or the shoes they try to rent you (as long as you are willing to climb). It was the highlight of our trip!
@HoneyBear: Thanks for the great advice! I wonder if you can travel with bugspray? Were they Dunn's River Falls? I've heard great things about people who have visited them. I think we'll definitely go all inclusive and I can't wait to see those starfish! I may even want to try scuba diving.
@Goldilocks1107: Thanks! I've heard of the Whitehouse, but no specific details. Have fun in November! Most people are saying that all-inclusive is definitely the way to go.
Couples Negril - been twice, would recommend. They have other resorts that are more upscale (but not ridiculous) and adults only. Good for anniversaries and honeymoons. Probably about 4 in the chain..
Sandals - negril i have heard from a close friend was very nice.
Definitely stay in an adults only place. I was at riu ocho rios as well and while it was fun, had a lot of people everywhere. Unless you feel like socializing all week, or camping out for deck chairs, etc, go somewhere smaller.
Definitely make a trip out to Dunn's River Falls - absolutely breathtaking and SO much fun! When my sister and I went, we also went swimming with dolphins at some theme park-ish place really close to there. Don't remember exactly what it was - it was an excursion for a cruise!
I'd definitely recommend going all-inclusive, partly because it's much easier, and partly because it's safer. Jamaica can get pretty sketchy, as I'm sure you know, so I wouldn't recommend going out without a specific plan and place to go.
Jamaica was my favorite place out of the three we went to on our cruise - it's SO gorgeous! You'll have a blast!
@Melissa: Thanks! I'll definitely look into Couples Negril. So far from what I've been hearing, Sandals resorts are adults only and really nice?? No, we definitely DO NOT want to camp out for chairs or socialize with strangers all week. We want to relax and get away from it all. I like the idea of going to a smaller, more intimate place.
I disagree that the food is bad! OMG I love the food outside of the resorts in Jamaica. MMMMM. And while there is crime in Jamaica, it's typically not between visitors and Jamaicans - tourism is big business, and that's something they wouldn't want to jeopardize. I wouldn't worry as much, but do take steps to keep yourself safe always.
And for what it's worth - i've been in the Montego bay area, ocho rios, and Negril, and by far Negril was my favorite. Cliffs, sunsets, and a more chill less touristy vibe.
Check out Coyaba - it is a small luxe resort. That's were we had our wedding, check out some of my posts it you want to see pictures, etc. It was AWESOME! Coyaba isn't like those other monster all-inclusives, which is a plus in my opinion. So, if you're looking for game nights, shows, all you can eat buffets, etc., than this place isn't for you. It is calm, quiet & relaxing :) & the staff will know you by name and are more than accomodating. I can't say enough things about it!!
@amandalynn: Thanks! I can't wait for the breathtaking views. We'll be safe for sure. Good to get another recommendation for the Falls.
@Melissabegins: Although my future husband is a picky eater, I LOVE trying new foods and really would like to sample the local cuisine. What would you recommend? I really would like to leave the resort to get a taste of Jamaican culture. When you go all-inclusive, do they provide a tour guide of sorts for you? What steps would you recommend we take to make sure we stay safe outside of the resort? I heard that Montego Bay Sandals is the closest to the airport, and is probably the nicest/biggest, but I really would like a smaller, more intimate place. Is it a long bus ride to Negril from the airport?
First and foremost, always remember Jamaica is not american, and a VERY poor nation. It's also very dangerous, so don't go exploring on your own, EVER! That goes for your fiance as well, never EVER split up...
Dont - For the beach, stick to your resort, or Doctors Cave in Montego Bay. Do NOT go to a "public" beach. And do not even make eye contact with the peddlers on the beach.... they will not leave you be until you buy something... so do not look at what they sell or look at them.
DO - Try beef patties, jerk chicken, and red stripe beer. mmmmmmmmmmm
Don't - expect american. Unless at a Sandals, Couples, etc that caters to a lot of American's... The food is "jamaican style" even if it sounds familiar. Go into it with an open mind of the fact that your in a different AND 3rd world country and you'll fair better. Even at the best all-inclusive's the Jamaican culture is all around you, so don't forget that.
DO - explore the island, safely. Dunn's River, Ocho Rios, Blue Mountain Coffee (the mountains are AMAZING!) Negril, MoBay, Rick's Cafe in Negril
Don't - explore at night. Homicide/kidnapping is VERY rampant in Jamaica and every day they have a listing of all the murders on the local radio. It's kinda disturbing...
DO - Get your fill of Reggae! The radio stations often play each song twice in a row, it's kinda funny... but Jamaican.
Don't - overly stress if someone stops for gas, leaves you in the car, with the car running while they fill up. Most likely YOU won't encounter that... But, I did, often :-)
Do - Enjoy. It's the most amazing Country and I absolutely adore it. I lived there for a bit in 2006 as a missionary up in the mountains and the people are utterly amazing. DONT talk to a rastafarian. Their minds are seriously SO jacked up that you will spend hours going in circles cause they won't let the covo stop :-) So, there, Dreads = Rastafarian... aka... don't talk :-)
Also, check out the Iberostar Grand in Jamaica... From what I've heard, it's better than "sandals" or other honeymoon factory chains, and also adults only. We're probably staying at the Iberostar Grand in Mexico, but only because since I was a missionary to the poor in Jamaica, I have a hard time being "waited on" by them....
@wagswifetobe - ditto KLP above on the food (and most other things!)- beef patties, jerk chicken, red stripes. But i'd add curry chicken and curry goat to the list, also. So different than the typical curry I've encountered here. Also - brown stew chicken is great, and anything with red snapper. If you are in Negril, I'd recommend the Rockhouse restaurant, Sips and Bites (definitely more local!! wonderful, but not your typical place you'd find in the US), and Hungry lion. All on West End Road, if you stay near there.
@klp - the food at Couples was a mixture - they did a lot of local cuisines, but also put more americanized food out as well. you could just as easily get an omelette as you could ackee and saltfish.
@quiche - dayumm now I want to try Coyaba. We are going back in March (haha, can you believe it) and staying at the Hilton - Rose Hall and i think we pass by, but maybe i'll see if we can poke our heads in!
Oooh, other foods:
Ackee and Saltfish - The National Dish! Ackee grows on tree's and is purely Jamaican! Do not pick it off the tree to eat raw as it is technically poisonous :-) However, when prepared.... OMG, so... SO amazing. I don't even like fish and Ackee and Saltfish is amazing!
Rum Raisin Ice Cream - Say's it all :-)
Goat Curry - Ya, I didn't think so either, but it really does taste like chicken :-)
@KLP: Wow, thanks for the insider tips! We'll be sure to be careful. I knew it was a somewhat dangerous place, but I didn't realize just HOW dangerous I guess. I would love to visit the mountains and pick up some Blue Mountain coffee. Any idea where I can get more info about Blue Mountain coffee and general mountain sightseeing? I can't wait for all the food and reggae! I want to leave NOW! Lol...thanks for the tip about the rastafarians! I certainly don't want to spend my whole honeymoon talking in circles! What exactly IS ackee? I LOVE seafood!
@Melissa: Thanks for the dining suggestions!
I definitely can say that my sister and bil would tell you to go to Round Hill which is right outside of Montego Bay. They had the all inclusive plan and all the suites are decorated by Ralph Lauren with lots of clean white beachy colors and just utter relaxation. Food they said was impeccable and they go each year now for their anniversary trip, in fact, we're considering going for our post wedding (we're doing a week at the beach before our wedding) honeymoon there or in St. Lucia.
It's gorgeous. You should have seen the pictures of my sisters' villa there with its own pool. My sis and bil went on excursions to both Negril and also to YS falls and loved it. Little slice of heaven is Round Hill according to them! And they are very well-travelled.
For our honeymoon, we are going to Couples San Souci Resort. I booked it through a travel agent and I was so sold on the whole "Sandals" experience that you see on TV - but she said for the money that Sandals charges a lot of times - it's not really worth it. Some friends of ours recently had their honeymoon in Negril and said the Sandals on that side didn't look as nice as what it claims to be. I am so excited - all inclusive and the pictures look amazing! I have heard nothing but great things from people about Jamaica!
@bellenga: I will definitely check out Round Hill, I hadn't heard of it before. Thanks!
@brittanym: I haven't heard anything bad about Jamaica either. Planning our honeymoom was sort of at the bottom of my list, but now I'm getting way too excited! I wondered about Sandal's prices, thanks for the info!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackee
Jamaica is highly enjoyable, gorgeous, but it is poor and dangerous. Even men should not walk around alone... which is why I say, never spit up.
Most resorts there considered 4 star are more like an american 3 star. It IS a 3rd world poverty stricken nation... over 90% of mothers don't know who their childs father is and by the time a girl is 10, 9 in 10 of them have most likely already been raped by a man they know. It's really truly sad. I was getting so mad when I was in US customs lines listening to people call their travel agent yelling about how "poor quality" their vacation was because it wasn't "american" enough. And we wonder why people think American's are rude? As long as you realize that you are going to a foreign country you should be fine :-) Also, sticking to a quality place like Iberostar, Sandals, etc... you'll get much better and closer to american style accommodations than you will at random "jamaican" resorts.
For the Blue Mountain coffe tours, you will want a tour guide, group, or something of that nature. Your travel agent or hotel concierge should have the best and most reputable tours. I traveled by back of pick-up or horse and cart :-) A great way to drink your blue mountain coffee is to spoon in some good ol evaporated milk. It sounds disgusting, but for people where refrigerators are not the norm, it's cream and sugar in one! and mmmmmmm good!
Another really crazy thing in Jamaica, but not really something you can experience as a tourist, is the German settlement in Seaford Town. It's really amazing. It's history dates back to the abolition of slavery. These days, not many "pure" german's exist, as most married interracially, but, there are a few blond haired, light skinned Germans that have thick Jamaican accents that boggle the mind. But as much as they "stick out" they blend in 110% which is awesome and we american's can probably learn a lot from the complete acceptance of them as "jamaican's" even though they are there mainly because of slavery.
Sorry, I can go on and on about Jamaica. My heart longs to go back so much!
I use the TripAdvisor website all the time to find nice places to stay, which is how I decided to book our honeymoon at Couples Tower Isle (Ocho Rios). They have a lot of excursions that are included in the price of your room booking (it's an adults only, all inclusive resort chain exclusively in Jamaica). They have horseback riding, a trip to Dunn's River Falls, catamaran booze cruise, a trip into town to go shopping, and for honeymooners they throw in a free massage and some other treats. I feel like we're going to get a lot of value for money, and they have rave reviews on the accomodations and customer service.
@KLP: OMGosh! How can you not fall in love with those kids! Did you meet/work with these kids while you were staying there? Great photos!! I can see why you would be so fond of Jamaica. I am certainly not used to being pampered or living the good life, so I'm thinking the accommodations would be more than good enough. I can't believe they were complaining to their travel agent! If I wanted an American experience, I certainly wouldn't go to a foreign, 3rd World country, I'd stay in the US...some people. So sad to read your stories of young girls being violated. It's been years since I've had Blue Mountain coffe and it sounds delicious with evaporated milk!
@bananafishfever: When are you going to Ocho Rios? I'll check out Trip Advisor, I sort of forgot about that source.
I'll second the Couples recommendation. FI's brother and SIL went to Couples Swept Away for their HM and loved it so much that they convinced us to book with the company. We're going to Couples Tower Isle in Ocho Rios in April and I'm so excited. If you read up on any of the 4 Couples resorts on Trip Advisor most of the reviews pretty much sell the resorts. Good luck with your research and let us know what you decide!
I'll throw a nomination in for Sunset at the Palms in Negril. For us, it was perfection. It's not strictly adults only, but we saw 1 toddler the whole week we were there, and no other kids. It's super small and has a private beach. Also, we were very happy booking thru www.negrilonestop.com
Here are some pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeni_rae/tags/honeymoon/
and videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imxO_Yeu_Zs
@FutureMrsTal: Thanks! I started looking on Trip Advisor some last night. I'll be sure to let you all know what we decide.
@JeniRae: Thanks for all the great sources! The pictures are amazing, it looks like a great time!
@wagswifetobe - check out cheapcaribbean.com...thats where we booked our honeymoon to Couples Sans Souci. It is a much smaller resort and a lot quieter (so says the reviews) and the beach is private so you dont have to worry about any other people on the beach. It is adults only all inclusive and like another poster said you get a free trip to Dunns River Falls, free couples massage in a gazebo on a cliff overlooking the ocean (as long as you show your marriage license), free champagne upon arrival, all watersports, glass bottom boat tour, etc. It is in Ocho Rios. There are a lot of stairs to climb but Ive heard that the grounds are the lushest gardens you can imagine with tons of secret spots to relax in! You should check it out! It was very affordable in comparison to Sandals and it got wonderful reviews! It was voted the #1 best resort in the caribbean for 2009. There is another post titled Sandals vs Couples and Ive written it all out on there about what Im getting!
Hmmm I'll put in my 2 cents here! We were considering all inclusive versus a la carte (if you will) and decided that it wasn't worth all the extra $ for the all inclusive, and that we could get nicer accommodations at a cheaper price if we went a la carte. Mr. B and I aren't huge drinkers, and we are quite sure that we won't necessarily be eating 3 meals a day...and if we went all-inclusive, we would definitely feel like we would need to (get our money's worth!). Also, since we want to do some excursions outside of our resort, like yourself...we knew that that will be an added expense on top of whatever price we are already paying for the resort we choose. We decided on the Rockhouse Hotel in Negril (HoneyBear, KLP2010 and Melissabegins all recommended one of the restaurants there, coincidentally). Their food prices are very reasonable, and they have 3 restaurants on site. It has only 34 rooms/villas, so it is nice and private! I also liked how they have a foundation that gives back to the local community...and they are committed to protecting the environment - their spa uses a new line of completely natural products that are made locally with natural ingredients...pretty neat!
Ok, I'll stop rambling now...
here is their website
eat.jpg (65.4 KB, 36 downloads) 2 years old premiumvilla.jpg (85.5 KB, 32 downloads) 2 years old 
I am going to Sandals Whitehouse. I have stayed at other sandals resorts and have been really happy. They just redid it too so its very new. It is a little further from the airport but I like that it is remote and you can still take tours to the other areas. They have great water sports so I am excited.
@clarebee: Thanks for the tips! I will definitely check out that website. Did you read about anyone having trouble booking the trip themselves? I would rather save money by not going through a travel agent, however, I wonder if it would be better to have the travel agent behind you if anything should go wrong with your flight, etc.?
@msbuttons: Thanks for the great info! Those photos are amazing! I like their eco-conscious approach as well. We'll definitely explore this as an option.
@DVsMom: Thanks for the info, I'm pretty pumped myself!
I didn't read through the others but we too wanted a Jamaican Sandals. Our travel agent is a platinum rep for Sandals so he basically figured us out and what would be best for us. The one near the airport, Montego Bay, he said is more of a party resort and less relaxing. Also- it's RIGHT next to the airport... so you hear the planes. Whitehouse is the opposite- middle of nowhere, gorgeous... but basically all you have to do there is relax and sunbathe. We were in the middle and he reccomended either of the ones in Ocho Rios (Sandals Grande Ocho Rios or Dunn's River Villaggio) We chose Villaggio because it was slightly less expensive and smaller - but we get free transportation to the other resorts so we can go to Grande O. R. if we want. I also loved the Italian Villa theme and 24 hour pizza oven!!!!
I don't remember why but Negril was not on our list. Villaggio just grabbed us from the start.
My suggestion would ALWAYS be to talk to a travel agent or Sandals person so you can get the feel of which resort is right for you.
@wagswifetobe ... through cheapcaribbean you dont actually have a travel agent. Its just that the website has GREAT deals! We just booked it directly through the website. We get hurricane insurance (full refund if there is a hurricane) and sunshine guarantee (free night at Couples for every day it rains)
@clarebee: Sorry, that's what I meant. If you go to a site like cheapcaribbean or the actual resort website, I wondered if you had the piece of mind of anyone standing behind you if things go wrong (such as you do when you go through a travel agent). I'm all about saving money, I've just heard stories of people's flights or reservations getting messed up, then they are on their own trying to fix the problem. It may be a risk we are willing to take though if it means saving some cash! The hurricane insurance and sunshine guarantee sound great! What time of year are you going?
Were going at the end of August so its a concern of mine. My boss has gone to Jamaica 8 times all booked through cheap caribbean and he said he has never had a problem!
@clarbee: Thanks! Eight times, wow! We'll definitely look into it tonight.
If you go to Jamaica, I would highly recommend taking a day trip with Barrett Adventures. They took us to a private waterfall, where we were able to swim in the water all by ourselves. And then we stopped for lunch at Scotchies, which serves amazing jerk chicken. You can read the reviews here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147311-d951463-Reviews-Barrett_Adventures-Montego_Bay_Jamaica.html (mine is under kitkat343, with pictures of us in the waterfall). It is a private tour, so they will take you anywhere you want to go on the island. Have a great trip!
I stayed at Couples Swept Away in Negril and it was amazing. Highly recommend it.
@professorbee: Thanks for the tip! I checked out tripadvisor and your pictures are great! It seems as though many other couples also had a great experience with Barrett Adventures, we'll definitely check them out. Thanks, we can't wait to leave!
@Kittyachi: Thanks, we've gotten plenty of good reviews from people that have stayed there. I'll add yours to the list!
I second Dunns River Falls, it was so beautiful!
It was a port stop for our cruise. But ... from our day there I would say the only part that annoyed me was how everyone was pushing pushing it to buy stuff. Just vendors walking next to you trying to get you to buy stuff then getting irritated when you didn't. Peddlers using obscene scenarios to try and get you to give them money. That part really ruined it for us but we'll always have the Dunns River Falls climb!
I third Dunns River Falls, we loved it! It was beautiful yet an adventure at the same time! There is also some restaurant where all of the locals hang out - I'm sure someone mentioned it in here... I think it starts with an R. lol. People jump off the cliffs into the ocean there - I saw it on the travel channel and just remember thinking it looks amazing. Also, as a rule of thumb, I think the crime in Jamaica increases as you get further away from the beach... so stay near the beaches!
We are booking Couples Swept Away as well, the reviews for all Couples resorts are amazing. I counted CSA out originally because it is the most expensive one, but it definitely calls to me the most and after comparing it to some nice ones in Mexico and seeing it's cheaper, we will definitely be going there.
@clarebee, can you sign up for Romance Rewards if you book through cheap carribean? And I thought cheapcarribean's prices were amazing too...until I priced out our trip on the Couples website last night out of curiousity and the prices were EXACTLY the same!
@Gerbera: Thanks to all the recommendations for Dunn's River Falls, we will most definitely make the trip there, thanks! I've heard that the vendors can be a bit bothersome. I hope I'm able to stare straight ahead without feeling too guilty.
@LegallyBlondeBride: Thanks for the tip. Was it the Rockhouse?
@noopnoop: I think we're definitely leaning towards Couples instead of Sandals after weighing all the pros and cons. The deciding factor will probably be cost. So, the prices were same on cheapcaribbean as they were on the couples website? Could you explain the Romance Rewards thing to me? I've heard people talking about it, but I'm not sure exactly what it is. Thanks!
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