We are staying in the last hotel on the original stretch of beach. Above it, the large resorts begin. We departed on March 28 from Frankfurt. The flight from Frankfurt to Montego Bay (MoBay) on Jamaica takes about 10.5 hours. We report on various tours such as Black River Safari, YS Falls, Mayfield Falls, Roaring River, the Appleton Rum Factory, and Rick's Cafe in Negril. Exchange rate 2013: 1 EUR = 1.65 J$

Friday, March 29
Relaxing at the beach and booking the Sunset River Cruise on the Red Stripe Catamaran — easy to remember since the catamaran shares its name with the Jamaican beer ($50 per person, only $30 the second time). The catamaran is a bit smaller than some competitors and first makes a snorkeling stop. Then we head to the West End with the Cliffs of Negril to swim in the caves and watch the cliff jumpers at Rick's Cafe (one of the top ten bars in the world) — a must-see, and the place to be at sunset.
 

Saturday, March 30
Relaxing at the beach, dinner at Norma's — be sure to try the coconut chicken and the jerk chicken... incredible! We then took a long walk along the beach. We had actually wanted to go to the big reggae festival, but we were too tired and the main show didn't start until 11 pm.

Sunday, March 31
Relaxing at the beach. When it starts to rain, we head to Tony's Hut, a bar right on the beach with a special flair. If you like, you can spend the whole day here playing various games (Connect Four, dominoes, etc.).
That's exactly what we did, and we spent an entire afternoon playing dominoes with a local... Germany was the Winner.

Jerked chicken and a fish, delicious from the grill barrel right on the beach.

In the evening we go to Alfredo's Bar — the Negril hotspot for reggae fans (live music) and lonely hearts (no single woman stood alone here for more than 5 minutes).

Unfortunately the rainy season started early this year — normally not until May. It has been raining every day since Friday from 3 pm onward.

Easter Monday, April 1

Party day in Jamaica — the island's biggest holiday

At 10:30 our two friends pick us up for a private tour to Roaring River in the Westmoreland parish.

After about an hour's drive at normal speed, we arrive.
We get a guided tour through a cave with many interesting rock formations resembling faces, an almost endless passage where the locals go to meditate, and a large cave with an altar made of stalactites where the locals pray. There is an underground river where you can dive down, and a deep pool where you can swim. According to our guide, this water has healing properties and helps with all skin conditions, mosquito bites — and after a dip you naturally stay young forever...
You also encounter bats here, and the lack of safety standards makes the visit a real little adventure. (Extra tip: Don't forget a flashlight, as lighting is only available in certain sections of the cave.)

In the evening, dinner at Sea Sand Eco Villas — a small place with a bar and 3 tables right on the road — everything is freshly prepared — absolutely delicious and a very friendly owner!

Afterwards we go to the Cotton Tree Bar, as we do almost every evening — here we met some really nice Jamaicans and became friends with them. They supply us with aloe vera (good for the skin, among other things) and tuna (good for pain and colds).

Tuesday, April 2
The big tour is on:
Stop 1: Black River: We take a boat ride along the river. Many crocodiles live here, lured out for tourists with chicken and fish, and they happily put on a show. Among them is Geoffrey (according to our guide, about 60 years old and certainly one of the largest here). You can also observe the white herons up close and spot eagles.

On the way we stop in Middle Quarters, a town famous for its spicy shrimps sold right on the roadside — delicious, but watch out: they are HOT! But for just 100 Jamaican dollars you're in.

Stop 2: YS Falls: A tractor takes visitors through the beautiful landscape with many trees and horse paddocks. The YS Falls consist of several waterfalls and natural pools where you can swim. If you feel like it, you can also try canopy tours, river tubing, or horseback riding. The grounds below the waterfalls are beautifully designed and definitely worth a stop.

Stop 3: Appleton Rum Factory: After a film and a first "taster" of the world-famous rum, we get a tour of the production facility. We are allowed into the factory floor, one of the "smallest" warehouses, and also get a glimpse into rum production from years past.
By the way: Appleton Rum is available in 50 countries and the most expensive — 50-year-old rum — costs a small fortune.

We drive back in heavy rain through the "Bamboo Avenue", stopping at numerous roadside stalls to enjoy "Festival", a deep-fried specialty similar to our croquettes.

We don't manage our Stop 4 to the Mayfield Falls on this day. We postpone it to Saturday, April 6.

Wednesday, April 3
Diving and relaxing at the beach.
Evening dinner at the Country County restaurant right by the sea — they serve the best beef steak!

Thursday, April 4
An extensive walk along Negril beach, then a beach day.

Friday, April 5
Diving, including a plane wreck dive. In the evening, a visit to the world-famous Rick's Cafe — one of the top ten bars in the world. Here you can watch the cliff jumpers before sunset. Every tourist has the chance to jump from cliffs of various heights. Occasionally you can also witness the "highlight": a Jamaican diver jumping from a high platform... after a show performance, of course.
Afterwards, everyone gathers for sunset watching at overpriced drink prices, and sometimes there is live music afterwards (usually reggae). All in all: Rick's Cafe is worth a stop.
Street food at Best West, where they serve the best jerk chicken (caution: spicy!).

Extra Tip:
US $15 to Rick's Cafe is the tourist price — do negotiate; US $10 should be more than enough. The same ride costs a local 300 J$.

Saturday, April 6
We make up for Stop 4, the Mayfield Falls.


US $15 admission per person.

Saturday, April 6

9:00 meeting point for the rescheduled Mayfield Falls & Mineral Spring Tour. The route passes through stunning landscape, up into the mountains. The drive from Negril takes about an hour.
At the entrance, the guides are already waiting — they make their living from tips for the tour. We are lucky to be the first ones at the river. Over a bamboo bridge, we walk through pristine scenery to the falls. Our guide Obrian leads us at a relaxed pace upstream through the riverbed. There are various spots and pools where we can swim, climb, and wade through the riverbed. The guide tells you exactly where to step and takes numerous photos along the way. Among the highlights are the "Washing Machine", the "Whirlpool"; you can jump from a raised platform, climb behind the waterfall, or dive through a rock tunnel. It all takes place in a wonderful, natural setting.

Normally US $55 all-inclusive, or $30 for the ride (from 4 persons) plus US $15 admission.

Evening: dinner at Norma's — be sure to try the coconut chicken.

Extra Tip: In Jamaica the locals speak "Broken English" — here are some examples: The important terms are: Respect = we respect each other, and Yamon = all good. If they hold you in particularly high esteem, there is also the saying: one love, one heart, one destiny, accompanied by a specific sequence of hand gestures.

Extra Tip: It is usually cheaper to pay locals in Jamaican dollars — we observed that paying in US dollars incurs a roughly 10–15% surcharge.

Extra Tip: Dealing with vendors: During your beach walks you will be approached by all kinds of vendors — fruit, wood carvings, shells, cakes, cigarettes, boat trips, drugs, etc.; the list is long. Just say politely but firmly "No thanks" if you don't want anything. If you want to buy something, bargaining is expected. This goes for market stalls too. Start at about 50% of the asking price and settle in the middle. Always ask the exact price and try to have exact change... the vendors often don't have change :-). If someone puts something in your hand, that doesn't mean it's a gift. You will have to pay... another tactic we frequently observed.

Extra Tip: The Jamaicans we met all generally lived hand to mouth. Knowing this sometimes makes it easier to understand them. Some also have the attitude that everyone in Germany is rich, so we can share some of it. We had some bad experiences with a few Rasta men — but everyone has to make their own experiences. Always keep a few small dollar bills in your pocket; everything costs money here... and change comes at a bad exchange rate in J$, or often not at all.

Extra Tip: Try the freshly squeezed juice at the beach — usually US $5 per bottle.

Extra Tip: Mosquitoes can be a real plague and not all hotels have screens, so we recommend: turn the air conditioning on properly and keep it cool while sleeping (better to use an extra blanket), additionally spray OFF repellent, and light an anti-mosquito coil before going to bed. That should help.