“Every little thing gonna be alright” ~Bob Marley

And it was….. Our January 2019 trip to Negril, Jamaica was once again an amazing adventure filled with good people, good food, good drinks and amazing sunsets that never disappoint.

In this post I will share travel tips, give recommendations and possibly even a bit of Jamaican history. Hope you enjoy!

Our trip started on a Friday evening. There were six of us traveling to Negril and we all had very early flights. Since we all lived quite far from the airport, we met at a hotel near the airport to have dinner and spend the night. This hotel also offered a parking option that allowed us to leave our car parked in their lot. The hotel shuttle then got us back and forth to the airport. This made life so much easier for all of us since we all ended getting up around 3:30 am.

Travel Day 1 started off very early but very easy. The shuttle got us to the airport in plenty of time and our flights were all on time (thank goodness!). We landed in Montego Bay, Jamaica just a little after noon. We were a bit tired but the MBJ airport is always an exciting place. I always feel like I am walking into a friendly chaos. The line for customs always appears long but it never ceases to amaze me how quickly we get through the line. There are people everywhere telling us what to do and where to go. The travelers all look like they are in a bit of a haze, which they probably are! Once we got through customs we headed out to find a restroom to change clothes. The arrival portion of the airport is amazing. There are three locations to exit and they are all just large openings. No doors to walk through, you just walk out into the Jamaican air. One of my favorite things. We walked outside to find our driver. There are a few ways to get to Negril from Montego Bay. You can rent a car and drive (I think this is an option although I have never done this), you can take a bus which most of the resorts provide when you stay with them, you can take a small (very small) airplane through Tim Air or you can hire a private driver. The last time we traveled via Tim Air and I would highly recommend it if you are not afraid of small airplanes. This time we had hired a driver to pick us up and deliver us to our destination in Negril. We walked out and found “Michael” with a small cardboard sign that had “Jim and Ruthie” handwritten on it. It was awesome.

For the next hour and a half Michael drove us through the small little towns between Montego Bay and Negril. The poverty is overwhelming but watching the people as we passed was educating and heartwarming. The homebuilders were pouring one bucket of concrete at a time, the artists were carving wood, the farmers were selling their goods on the streets, the clothing merchants had their goods hanging everywhere trying to make a sale. The culture may be different but the goals are the same. Everyone is trying to make a living.

School is another interesting topic. From what I have seen and what I have read, schooling is taken very seriously and and only those who truly qualify will be allowed into a University. Each school has school colors and the children wear uniforms that symbolize their school. As we drove through each of the towns, we saw children in uniforms everywhere. They were playing and laughing and just being kids. I love to see kids laughing!

As we got closer to Negril our excitement increased. We were staying at Tensing Pen and this was our second time staying there. Tensing Pen is not on the beach, it is on the cliffs. This made me a little hesitant the first time we stayed there. I am a beach walker so not having the beach readily available was a concern. The concern went away quickly during our first visit. When we arrived, I felt like we were pulling into home.

As we walked our luggage to the welcome building we could feel our stress level decrease by about 80%. The ocean air, the light breeze, the beautiful surroundings. We were at our home away from home. While waiting for our room we sat in the comfy chairs in the lobby the overlooked the ocean and had our welcome drink. The drink was some magical fruit punch that is just perfect.

The view from our room…… waking up to this every morning was heaven!

Once our room was ready we carried our bags in and get settled. We stayed in the “Long House” that had 3 bedrooms, a community kitchen and a community living room. Our bedroom was upstairs overlooking…… yes, the ocean. Our friends all arrived a couple hours later (they were on a different flight) and after everyone had settled in, we headed for dinner.

Our dinner table.

Dinner on our first night was to be served out on a point under a gazebo surrounded by the beautiful ocean. They decorated the gazebo beautifully and we felt at peace. Our waiter (Splinter) was so gracious and friendly and quite knowledgable regarding the food and drink. We sat there for hours listening to the waves coming in, telling the kind of stories that only good friends can share, laughing to the point of crying and having one of those memorable evenings never to be forgotten. By the end of the evening we were all exhausted. We headed to be anxious to see what the next day would bring!

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