The first time I ever needed a passport was when we planned our first trip to Jamaica six years ago. I was 48 years old at that time. So my husband and I had just got our third, and final, child off to college—we were true empty nesters and ready to enjoy ourselves. Problem was… we didn’t have a lot of dough. Did I mention all THREE of our kids were in college at the SAME time?
Even with all the scholarships they earned and even though they had their own student loans, we still had miscellaneous parent loans and we were still recovering from putting them all through high school and all the glorious expenses that come with raising kids.
So when it came time to take our very first vacation alone we needed to do it on a shoestring budget.
If there’s one thing you get good at doing as a parent… it is stretching a buck.
The first year we went for 5 nights and 6 days. That was dumb. You need at minimum an entire week. Ideally, 10 days. The first and last days are pretty well shot because they are travel days.
We stayed at a beautiful hotel right on the cliffs of Jamaica. Like, you could literally walk out of your room and dive off the cliff. Well, it’s not like your room was on the edge, there is an outdoor pool and lounge area between the cliff and the rooms—but you get my drift.
This hotel was called Samsara Cliffs. Gorgeous property, extremely clean rooms, good food, a pool, bar, and very welcoming. Their sister hotel is Legends on the Beach. In fact, you can take a free shuttle between the two places which is very convenient. That way you can get the both of both worlds: quiet on the cliffs; bustle on the beach.
The next year we planned another trip with a few friends, but they were not as accommodating for us as a group so we found a different resort, Traveller’s Beach Resort on Negril’s Seven Mile Beach.
This place gives you a great bang for your buck and most importantly, we all felt safe there. That second year we traveled to Jamaica we brought 13 of our friends with us! Our group, whether the size is 10 or 15 has stayed at Traveller’s Beach Resort every year for the past five years and are booked for next year already.
So what’s so special about Traveller’s?
They have multiple room types to choose from. From elaborate to almost rustic and some really nice basic rooms in between. My husband and I have stayed in almost every type of room over the years.
The prices are reasonable. We love that they have a safe in each room. That gives us peace of mind. They have security in the entrance area and at the beach. They really keep an eye on things. The property and grounds are very well-maintained and much of the same staff has remained over the years.
Although the beach isn’t as wide as some of the other hotels on the beach, over the years we’ve compared amenities and hands down Traveller’s is a great deal. Friends of ours came last trip, but they booked late and our hotel was sold out, so they stayed at Legends (ironically the sister hotel of Samsara, above).
While we were all checked in and at the bar at Travellers, the folks at Legends were given the wrong room, the room wasn’t ready, and they were told if they wanted the room they reserved, they would have to move rooms in a couple of days. They paid more than we did for our rooms and had none of the extras like an in-room safe or fridge.
Travellers has mini-fridges in every room and also, as I mentioned, a safe too. These are two things to enquire about when booking your hotel. I also love Travellers because they support the local schools and school children through a program called N.E.E.T. (Negril Education Environment Trust.)
If your traveling on a budget, you’re going to
want to take all these things into consideration:
- Hotel, hostels, resorts. Air conditioning is a nice thing to have in your room. Some have them, but some only have fans. Fans WILL get you through the night just fine… but if you need a/c you need to make sure upfront that the room has it. I recommend booking your hotel many months in advance.
*Ask how much tax will be added on! You will be paying anywhere from 10-20% additional tax on your room rate.
*If you’re a coffee drinker and like a cuppa when you wake up, make sure you ask if there’s a coffee maker in the room. You will be hard-pressed if you wake up before 8am, to find coffee anywhere. - Airfare. I usually start checking airfare about 8 months in advance. I will key all my travel info (airport, dates) into a site like kayak.com or justfly.com and I will watch, and wait, and watch, and wait. I never make a purchase until I see what Southwest has to offer—because there’s nothing like their bags fly free policy. Your prices (as of the time of this writing in 2019) won’t change much if at all from 7-8 months before your travel date… but you also don’t want to wait till the last minute or you might be left on the tarmac. We normally book our flight 6-7 months in advance.
- Walk to the local corner store or supermarket and stock up on drinks and snacks. This will save you a TON of money. And hopefully, you have a room that has a refrigerator in it. I live in Northeast Ohio and I find these stores are about the same prices as back home for most things.
- Pads, tampons, shampoo, pop (or soda), beer, and even staples like peanut butter and bread. (if you book a room with a kitchen you MUST buy fresh eggs and make your own breakfast! YUM!)
- Consider bringing your own booze. You CAN absolutely take alcohol in your checked bags! We always bring a bottle or two to cut down on the amount of alcohol we’re buying. (not drinking, BUYING, lol)
- Go outside of your resort and enjoy the local fare! You’re going to see barrels of jerk chicken cooking E V E R Y W H E R E. Don’t be afraid to eat at them, they are fresh, delicious, authentic Jamaican food! Plus, you are supporting the locals who seriously have to work hard for their money. You can get a great meal for under $10 almost everywhere.
- Sunscreen. You can buy this there but I highly recommend you bring your own and bring an ample amount. Also, pack a can of Solarcaine in case you get burned.
- Fruit and juice. The beach vendors have freshly squeezed juice and amazing fruit for sale. So good! The juice will only keep for a day or two, so be aware of that.
- Exchanging money to Jamaican dollars. Don’t exchange any money at the airport, the exchange rate isn’t that good. Either do it at the hotel or one of the many exchange places in town called a Cambio. There are also ATM’s (Scotiabank) where you can withdraw your funds and get the money back in your own currency or in Jamaican.
**But honestly, if you have U.S. Dollars, you can just pay in those. You will get back your change, most likely, in Jamaican currency.
Note: I believe the hotels follow some type of norm with their exchange rates, but local shops do NOT have to. They could charge whatever they want. Usually, you will see prices in Jamaican and in USD. - Money denomination. It is best NOT to bring large bills as you will have an issue paying for things with them. And, don’t bother bringing any change at all. They do not accept foreign change. If using USD, don’t bring anything higher than a $20. Always have a few $10’s, $5’s, and $1’s on you! (or if you have Jamaican, 1000, 500, and 100’s)
- There are plenty of places to eat that are reasonably priced. Usually, you can see a menu ahead of time. When you order, it might take an hour to be served… so when you think you may be getting hungry, THAT is the time to get to the restaurant!
You can walk into any hotel restaurant and have a great meal. But again, you are on island time and don’t expect fast service anywhere. Buying some beef patties is a great (and spicy) cheap meal! - Taxi Drivers. Official taxies have red license plates with white letters. BEFORE you get in, ask and settle on a price for your ride. You can find a taxi anywhere at any time of the day. Stand on the road for 30 seconds, and you will learn that quickly! I believe they are official because they carry insurance on their vehicle. (good to know!)
Taxi rides are a big learning curve. There are no set rates. One person might charge you 1000 Jamaican while another charges 500. (about $10 USD and $5USD). Don’t be afraid to turn down a taxi and keep walking or waiting. I promise you, another one will be along in a minute! **This is where it’s important to have small bills on you, because drivers might not have change. - Airport transfers. I’m assuming you flew into Sangster in Mo Bay, so you’ll need a taxi to take you the 1.5 hours to Negril. Arrange that ahead of time with your hotel. Also, price a ride from some of the local transportation companies to get the best price.
- Notify your credit card company before you leave or your credit card may not work out of your own country!
- Voltage and outlets. Jamaica uses the same outlets/voltage that the U.S. and Canada do.
- Excursions. Who doesn’t LOVE a day trip? There are a LOT of options in Negril! Over the years we’ve done many, and we’ve also done a few multiple years! Your hotel can help you with tours and can even call for directions, pricing, etc.
For boat tours, you can catch these right on the beach in front of your resort. Most will want a deposit. Don’t be afraid to give a portion down on your excursion to the boat Captain. They will remember you and the date you book. Find out what is included in your tour ahead of time.
More ideas on cool things to do HERE and more tips HERE
