Day One: Evil Travel Gods – 2. Me – Well, I totally Gained on Them.
Unfortunately, our budget honeymoon research trip to Paradise began with a mechanical plane “malfunction” that forced us onto a different airline after 3 attempted take offs, put us into Negril 5 hours late, and our bags 30 hours after that. (BOY did I learn my “bring useful stuff in your carry on” lesson!!) But fortunately, one bare foot into the soft, white sand with a cold Red Stripe in our hands, made us quickly forget that our first day in Paradise was essentially robbed from us. (American Airlines you will be getting a nasty gram from me!)
After a harrowing (Jamaicans drive like it’s their last day on earth but I love it!) hour and a halfish ride with a private driver from the airport to the hotel (sans bags), our check in at White Sands was completely painless – practically pleasant – as they literally treat all guests like family. The owners live on the property and bend over backwards to make sure you have everything you need. (Thank you Mike for making sure my bag finally made it to me!)
We were thrilled to discover that our accommodations were exactly as expected. For $57 a night, our room was basic (no TV – but yay for a mini fridge), small but more than adequate, and very clean. We did have to bring our own beach towels as they do not supply them – but that is a very, very small price to pay for a beachfront room on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches for $57 a night.
I will preface this by saying the people of Jamaica are some of the friendliest folks you will ever meet in your life. Doesn’t matter what kind of mood you are in, one “YA MON” spoken with a giant grin and all your worries melt away. That being said, they are soooo laid back - that there isn’t much that is urgent for them. If a Jamaican tells you he will be back in 2 minutes, make yourself comfortable because you will have time for at least 2 Red Stripes before he gets back. So most of the time, you will get friendly, but very “laid back” service. But it’s all good, because you are in Paradise! Relax and have another drink. The type of beach bar you see in movies, we were captivated with Tony's Hut's charm and stunning simplicity. We had a few drinks there and then ventured back to our hotel for a great night's sleep! (NOTE: the 10% “gratuity” or "service charge" auto-added to ALL checks does not go to your server – it goes to the kitchen. So if you do not tip on top of the 10% - your server doesn’t get any gratuity). Budget Honeymoon Research Day 1: Great Success!
and then wandered down the beach looking for a place to eat dinner. I spot Gino’s just a few palm trees down, and had heard that their food is pretty good. I know eating Italian in Negril sounds pretty strange, but it was a charming little place that smelled wonderful so we decided to try it out.
Our food was surprisingly good, and I ended up giving quite a bit of my pasta to a sweet kitty cat sitting at my feet. (Unfortunately, there is poverty among animals as well as people in Jamaica). Our waitress was delightful, and of course our surroundings couldn’t be beat. We happily paid our reasonable bill and traveled another few palm trees down to the cutest beach “bar”. Ever.
Our budget breakdown for the day is as follows:
*2 for 1 drinks at White Sands - Approx. $6.00 plus tip
*Appetizer, 2 dinners and a few drinks at Gino’s Italian - Approx. $30 plus tip
*Drinks at the cutest beach bar/hut ever - Approx. $8 plus tip
**Total for the day – Approx. $44
WOW! Negril is soooooooo stunning – that is unbelievably budget friendly! Can’t wait to hear about rest of trip!!
Great post! Just wanted to let you know you have a new subscriber- me!