We traveled to Negril Jamaica for our second time in July of 2006 to celebrate my 40th birthday.
The flight in was very interesting because at that time of the year, "the rainy season" can go from sunny and no clouds to a thundering rainstorm within minutes. On the approach to Norman Manley International Airport, we could see out of the right side of the aircraft that the weather was not very welcoming. The clouds were some of the darkest I have ever seen.
We were about 2000 - 3000 feet up when the turbulence started and it seemed as if the aircraft rose up and down about a few hundred feet and the pilot was having problems keeping the aircraft leveled out.
By now, we were into the storm on the final approach and nowhere to go but forward towards the airfield. Out of both windows through the dark clouds you could see heavy rain and some of the nastiest in your face lightning bolts imaginable.
I was certain we would feel the plane start to climb and the pilot would call a missed approach pending better weather, but the pilot pressed forward and the plane moved closer to the ground.
And then, just like someone turned off the switch, the aircraft leveled off and the turbulence was gone. not just a little gone, but all gone and it felt like we were flying on a pillow. We could see the side of the mountain to the south of Montego Bay still glistening from the downpour of rain that had just subsided.
As we entered Norman Manley International Airport property you could feel a weight lifted off of all the passengers and that weight was all but gone when the planes wheels found the runway. Simultaneously, the whole passenger cabin erupted with cheering and clapping probably louder than they ever have in their life. The landing itself was one of the smoothest I have ever had and the pilot definitely earned his paycheck on that day.
Things have changed at Norman Manley International Airport since 1993
One other interesting thing I remember from 1993 was near the end of the runway, there was a area where old broken down, wrecked, or otherwise un-airworthy aircraft of all sorts. One of the aircraft appeared to be an old Grumman Albatross Seaplane much like the seaplane Jimmy Buffett used to fly around on. That Grumman Albatross known as the "Hemisphere Dancer" is currently on display at the Margaritaville Universal Studios location. I can only imagine the stories that old plane could tell.
Back in 1993 when we first traveled to Jamaica and landed at Norman Manley International, things were quite different. There were no sky ramps to join with the aircraft. Instead of some of the more modern airport equipment, Norman Manley International utilized a circa 1970's light blue Ford F150 pickup truck with a set of stairs welded into the bed of the truck!
Simply put, the flight attendant opened the front aircraft doors, the pickup driver backed up the truck and you climb onto the stairway and down you go.
Past that, you would have to walk across the tarmac into the airport customs area. Which at the time consisted of a couple of desks manned by un-interested Jamaican Customs Officers. No air conditioning existed inside the the terminal at the time and there were very little amenities to be had.
But all of this kind of let you know you were in a third world country and in its own way was very exiting and let you also know that you were in for a time that you would remember for the rest of your life.
Back to Jamaica 2006
Juta Tours of Jamaica would supply our transportation to our destination in Negril. Juta Tours is a very professional transportation service in Jamaica and has a long standing reputation for delivering great customer service and I would not hesitate to recommend them.
They also happen to be one of the largest transportation services in the area. Be very cautious about using a local, unlicensed driver, you might not make it to where you want to go!!
The Road To Negril
Basically, you have one road that takes you to Negril and there are several places to pull off and take pictures or get something to eat. It appears that the different tour services contract with stores and outposts along the way and the stops are pre-planned.
If you want to stop elsewhere it can be done with a properly placed $20.00 bill. On the ride back in 1993, I had no idea if I could find Red Stripe Beer back in the states so I was determined to stash a six-pack into my checked luggage. Our driver happily took us well into the heart of Montego Bay to a little side street where I could have been certain the locals had never seen an American before. I knew they had but I am sure they were not used to seeing one in a predominately locals only store.
The ride to Negril takes approximately a hour and a half. You have to travel along the coastline and you will travel through many small villages along the way. We stopped at a small grocery / bar type outpost.
The place was clean and had bathrooms for the travelers but it was kind of expected that you would buy something.
This was not a problem because at that point in the trip we wanted to enjoy several different experiences and they had Pepsi in real old school glass bottles. It has been a long time since I have had soda in glass bottles but that seems to be the standard in third world countries and they also seem to be ahead of the curve in some, but not all areas when it comes to recycling. All the glass bottles are recycled and used over and over.
Arrival at Sandals Negril
Not much had changed on the exterior of Sandals Negril. But much had changed once inside. it seems the Sandals line is always re-inventing itself and does a very good job keeping up with and exceeding the expectations of tropical travelers needs and wants. 
The newest item Sandals has introduced is it's Swim Up River Suites.
The rooms in this category are very nicely appointed and anyone booking one of the Sandals Swim Up River Suites will not be disappointed.
We were greeted with smiles and immediately handed glasses of champaign.
We were then taken to a seating area near the front desk. This was a nice change from the routine stand in line and wait for your turn at the counter deal. From our spots at the seating area we could overlook other vacationers that were congregated around the main pool bar and as it happened they were well into happy hour activities.
It was apparent that the happy hour attendees were well into their vacations and I could not wait to put that same plan into gear.
Our Room For The Week
We had a ground floor garden view room which basically means you don't get a ocean front view, but rather a view of trees and Norman Manley Boulevard in the background. Although the room was close to the road, we barely heard traffic and it didn't bother us too much not to have a ocean view because we were not in the room all that much.
The room was adequately stocked with all the things you would need and the bed was comfortable so all in all, it was a good room.
However back in 1993 we did have a ocean front room and it was nice to listen to the ocean in the morning or evening.
Given the choice, ocean front is a much better experience. On our next trip to Sandals Negril, we plan to reserve the room we had back in 1993.
That particular room is the last one on the ground floor and sits on the west end of the property and has been recently refurbished to include a swim up suite accommodation. Sandals Negril faces west and as you can see, the sunsets are spectacular.
Rob in Negril
I have wrote about Rob before and I have known him since 1993 but his story bears repeating. What an interesting person he is. Rob lives the life some people only dream about. Rob in Negril, as some of his friends know him - is an American Ex-Pat that decided a while back to sell all his stuff and head down to the Caribbean to find a new life.
Back in 1993, the internet was in its infancy and basically no one in Jamaica even knew it existed. But Rob, armed with basic internet and web site knowledge set up camp in Negril and started a site called Beingee's Internet Negril. Keep in mind this was also the time when the dial up internet speed was very low and connections took forever.
Graphics on a web site!! forget that too. It was a basic message board and that was how he communicated his passion for the Negril Jamaica area to the rest of the listening world.
And he kept at it through good times, bad times, hurricanes and all other sorts of problems that come with living in the tropics. Today, Rob hosts live web casts and chats from several of his sponsors locations.
Some of the locations are local popular bars, ocean front snack stands, and coffee shops like Selina's Coffee Bar and Eatery. Recently, Rob held the webcast at the Barabuv Wine Bar live from high above Negril featuring one of the best views in all of Jamaica. You can always count on a few of the locals to stop by and give you a personal invitation to come down and check out the scene. If you choose to travel to Negril, Jamaica, and I highly recommend it, for unbiased information make sure www.realnegril.com is one of your research resources.
Red Lane Spa
The Red Lane Spa is Sandals signature spa service provider. From manicures to pedicures, couples massage and more. The staff at the Red Lane Spa are certified to perform services for you and the spa is set up very well. Its easy to spend time at this establishment and you will leave feeling refreshed and relaxed. I highly recommend using Sandals Red Lane Spa on your next visit.
Sandals Returning Guests Dinner
On repeat visits to the Sandals / Beaches resorts, returning guests are treated to a VIP style dinner consisting of a several course meal with top supervision of Sandal's negril in attendance.
At the returning guests dinner, attendees are awarded their "Sandals" necklace. Its a locally made leather necklace and its a nice keepsake from the trip.
At our returning guests dinner, we were treated to a quartet serenade and man could they sing. From island tunes to Motown classics, these guys were outstanding.
At one point, the staff came in singing and the head chef had a flaming crem brulee balanced on top of his head. And not just some little flame, it was at least a foot high bond fire resting on his melon - I thought we were going to have a problem but clearly, this was not his first wearable head torch!! The food and the entertainment were great and we cant wait to go back and collect another set of sandals!!
Nightly Entertainment at Sandals Negril
The entertainment team puts on shows nightly at the main stage. Music ranges from motown to reggae, rock and country classics. Guests are encouraged to participate in several arranged adult style games.
The Beach Snack Shack - Jamaican Patties
Again, one of my favorite memories from 1993 was the beach side snack shack.
The beach side snack shack sits in the middle of the property and its a favorite for most vacationers.
Although its gone through a bit of transformation since 1993, it still serves up some of the best Jamaican Patties you can get anywhere.
Another favorite that we took home with us was the grilled chicken tortilla roll ups. A little jerk chicken, a bit of cheese, fry it up, roll it up and eat it. Simply put, food tastes better with your toes in the sand.
Sandals Negril Restaurants
Sandals Negril has a very nice selection of restaurants offering many different choices for their customers.
From large scale buffets to a private dinner for two on the beach, everyone that stays at Sandals Negril is certain to find something that pleases them.
One of our favorites was Sandals Barefoot By The Sea.
Margaritaville in Negril
Jimmy Buffett certainly has to be proud of his place in Negril. Kind of interesting that Jimmy Buffett, while on approach to the Negril airport, was shot at by local law enforcement thinking he was a drug smuggler. He even wrote a song about it called "Jamaica Mistaka".
My wife had the lobster and according to her it was the "best lobster ever". I stuck with the cheeseburger in paradise which was also very good. After dinner, the party made its way to the beach and I entered a adult version scavenger hunt. I lost at the point where I had to talk someone out of their bra.
But we also had a celebrity sighting while at Margaritaville Negril.
From American Idol Season 4 in 2005 - we met Scott Savol.
Mr. Savol proved to be a good competitor in the adult scavenger hunt and he was able to stay in the game several more rounds than me.
My wife and I enjoyed spending a few minutes chatting with Scott Savol and we wish him well in his future endeavors.
Pools at Sandals Negril
Sandals Negril has 2 good sized pools and one with a swim up pool bar. At the Swim up pool bar, their are daily activities such as volleyball and drinking games led by the bartender.
All things said, this was a fantastic trip to Jamaica. Once you go, you know........
