Trip Report @ Point Village

[luckystar]

Hi everyone,

Left on Thur 28th of August and got back yesterday. I miss JA already. I went for a wedding at Sandals in Negril and stayed at Point Village. The wedding was awesome. I'll share the details later.


Likkle more.

[Magician]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

Looking forward to your trip report ls.

[Verallo]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

Originally posted by Magic:
[qb] Looking forward to your trip report ls. [/qb]

I think you love trip reports more than everyone else, right Magic?? You are almost always the first one to reply ! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Well, let me be the second then!
Hope you had a great time, luckystar!

[luckystar]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

First and foremost, although i was not born in JA, my parents are Jamaican and during this visit to JA I wanted to just fit in and it just didn't work. I didn't like the idea of being treated like a tourist and i'll tell you why.

DAY 1 --- Me and a friend, left from NY and arrived in Montego Bay in the afternoon. As soon as we walked into the airport -- you could just feel the heat. The custom area was crowded. I only had to bags and it was a breeze to get out. (Oh, the singing ladies and men were out there) We went to a counter for our transportation ride
to the resort. While I was standing there, a skycap grabbed my bag. For some reason he probably thought i was with another group. If I was holding on tight to my bag, it would have been gone. I had to literally yell at him and tell him i wasn't with them. We got on a bus (that wasn't that great) to the resort and made one stop. I wanted to get a red strip but they were selling for $3 US which i thought was a bit high and would wait until i got closer into town. We made one stop. As soon as we (the tourists) got off the bus, the natives came towards us. I went into one shop and three girls came in and as soon as i did a round about, they came out. Overall the ride was great. I almost forgot, there was a young lady behind us while we were at the airport and we overheard her say, this airport is so ****y. The nerve of her.

Jamaica is Paradise and from my past experience, Jamaica has come a long way. Most people walk around with Cell phones and i'm quite sure people have a lot of problems, yet, you always hear jamaicans saying "NO PROBLEM." And since I've gotten back home, I too am saying "NO PROBLEM MON."

We got to Point Village around 4:00 and checked in. We were starving by this time and went downstairs to the grill/bar area. We stood there waiting for about 10 minutes and asked how did the all inclusive work and was told we needed a band on our hand or a card. We had neither. So we had to go back upstairs. At this point i was really annoyed because the person who tended to us at check in forgot to give us bands. We went back to the grill/bar area and got served "Cheeseburger and french fries." I was like, "Where is the yard food?" coming from the States, we eat that often, I wanted to eat pure jamaican food. We sat and ate not for long and wanted to go over to Sandals. That's where the wedding was being kept. Me and my friend, did a lot of talking to the workers to get an idea of how to get around. We walked to Sandals which is approx. a five minute walk from the road. When we got to Sandals, which is awesome -- A couples resort. We sat in the front and talked to the receptionist and got a few tips. We were told that to go downtown Negril it would cost $25 US (which I thought was outrageous) I live in NY and can take a $1 cab (longer the distance). I don't want to sound cheap but i wanted to step out onto the road and see and feel how the other half lives and i'm pretty sure they don't pay $25US to go up and down town. We walked back to Point Village and had dinner which was so/so. Our room was located on the third floor which i did not like walking up and down the stairs. If i was to go back, i would definitely request a room on the ground floor. Our room consisted of two twin beds, a small eating area, table, fridge and stove. A shower, two balconies, one large and small, which faces the beach and entrance/parking area. That night we decided to go to the Jungle which is a night club and has other activities such as pool, casinos and much more which i will get into. We paid $15US roundtrip. Our driver got us there before midnight, ladies night free before 12:00. We went upstairs and sat next to the ledge for approx. two hours. I couldn't figure out why the people were not dancing. All that went on were women picking up men and driving off. So we decided to leave around 2:00 because our driver agreed to meet us outside so we got some jerk chicken to take back and i started to hear music coming from somewhere. So i mentioned to the security i noticed people were at an area dancing but i didn't know where and how to get in. He said that was the nigt club. Can you believe it, we were upstairs for two hours and did not know there was a club downstairs. The security guard suggested we bring our food back to the restaurant so they could hold it so we could go into the club. My friend did not want to go inside and i was skeptical about someone holding my food but I insisted that i wanted to see what it was like, so the security guard escorted me around. It was packed and jumping. Our driver was waiting for us, so we left and went back to POint Village. For anyone who goes to the Jungle. The Club is towards the right on the ground floor, don't do like we did.

In regards to Point Village, to begin i didn't like the food selection, it wasn't that great, especially if you're interested in a larger selection of jamaican food.
I also didn't like the fact that most of the staff change the way they speak around tourist, mostly because the tourist probably would not bea able to understand. At times, they are just overly friendly, so i would let them know that i'm jamaican and they would change the way they spoke and we would rap better. Everyone who we came in contact with was ire.

We inquired about a tour to Dunns River but was advised not to make the trip because there would be road construction and it would take all day. So it was suggested that we did the River Walk, which I will discuss at another time. It was awesome. I've been to Jamaica a couple of times and my experience on the River Walk was the next best thing to sex. If i lived in JA I would go there often, mon.

[mrvax]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

Hey Luckystar, good start. Will be waiting for the rest. I'll be near that area of Negril in Feburary. Can't wait to go back.

[Magician]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

$25US to go from Point Village to the roundabout???? Wow, that 50 times the normal rate!!

I've never heard of River Walk. Where is that? Tell us more. You got pictures???

[goldilocks]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

It is probably Mayfield Falls???

[stargirl911]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

((luckystar)) great start [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] now come on wid some more pleeze

[luckystar]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

It's called "The River Walk" It is a one hour scenic bus tour thru historic cockpit country and sugar cane fields. Crossing the famous bamboo bridge, you follow the nature trail to the bamboo vilage overlooking the Mayfield River. Waterfalls, bubbling Jacuzzi and natural full body massage. The tour ends with a Caribbean feast served under a private bamboo hut overlookin the waterfalls.

Things to bring: Camera, swimwear and towel and tennis shoes. Check it out!!!!!!

[Magician]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

Originally posted by goldilocks:
[qb] It is probably Mayfield Falls??? [/qb]

That's it. Never heard it being referred to as River Walk though. Makes me think of San Antonio for some reason (even though I've never been).

Luckystar, where's the rest of the report. People are waiting! (Impatiently [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] )

[ohliz]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

Magic there are two tour operators at Mayfield, with separate facilities - Riverwalk and "Original Mayfield".

We sat in the front and talked to the receptionist and got a few tips. We were told that to go downtown Negril it would cost $25 US (which I thought was outrageous) I live in NY and can take a $1 cab (longer the distance)

Omigod does Sandals tell this to everyone???? No wonder people don't want to leave the property....

I was in NY last week and it was about $2.50 to step into a cab, plus mileage....Negril is about on par with that even for tourists if you bargain, for route taxis it is less

[sammy]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

liz i'm confused

same falls but two different providers....why would they do that??? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[luckystar]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

what's with the confusion; most of you people seem to know every crack about JA [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] , all i know is i have the brochure right here in front of me and it says "The River Walk" for more info contact the website: www.theriverwalk.netfirms.com

ok -- about the $25US to take us to Time Square and/or downtown by the roundabout, perhaps it was a roundtrip deal, we were just having conversation with the receptionist and everyone we spoke to gave us different prices, which was very conflicting. Being a tourist, how would we know if we were being ripped off. In otherwords, would a local pay $25US? In regards to staying on the property, i know after paying $25US or $10US in taxi or whatever, i bet when most people could easily run out of money, you would have no other choice but to stay on the resort.

Perhaps my next visit, i would arrange for someone to take us around and work out a deal.

In regards to paying $1 in NY (in my neck of the woods) I was talking about a dollar cab, which is about $1.25, i don't really take them but i believe it has gone up. Basically speaking, we got into a taxi with the red plate and he wanted to charge us $5US one way and we told him we would only pay $5US from the supermarket to Point Village if no one else got in and he said, no problem. I would not pay $5 for others to hop in and pay 30 to 50J.

Day 2 -- The River Walk Tour - we missed the tour bus so someone had to drive us to the tour bus. Of course there was a seat right next to the driver and i took it. I believe i was the only jamaican/american on the bus, yes, i was and on our way to the River Walk we made a stop and the driver purchased sugar cane and explained to the group how to eat it. He passed the sugar cane around and they enjoyed it and he got a few other items so they could taste and in turn people started purchasing items. After everyone left the bus, indicated to him it was a nice plow to get everyone to buy things from the lady. He laughed. At first no one wanted to purchase anything but I asked and purchased a for a few things and we were on a roll. I liked the fact that the store(a small one located outside of a home which was probably the lady's home) was quiet, no one was around to ambush us. I would have preferred to get out of the bus and look in her store and purchase a few other things. I needed to bring back some nutmeg for my mom. I love to purchase things from Jamaicans. I prefer to patronize jamaicans.

On our way, there was a one car accident and there was a mob of people in the road. Our driver started to talk patwah and no one could understand him. Of course i had to translate. We made our way thru and got to The River Walk and walked down to the bamboo hut overlooking the falls. I hope what i'm about to say doesn't gross anyone out but especially for the ladies, i had my period and prior to leaving i never used a tampon in all my life,and you bet i used a tampon for the very time and luckily i did because there would have been no way i could have gotten into that water. I would have had to turn back. Anyway, we got into the water, and i was concerned about the depth of the water because i cannot swim. So the first thing i did was tell the tour guide. However, he didn't belive me and played around quite a bit, by splashing water on me and wetting my hair, which i didn't want to get wet because of the wedding the next day. Eventually he realized that i couldn't swim and backed off with the horseplaying. There was a point when the water got up to my neck and i'm really short (5') and i two tour guides held me up by the hands, at one point i realized my legs were not touching the bottom. Overall, it was fun. My friend tried out the bubbling jacuzzi and the force of the water started taking her bathing suit off. Towards the end, i laid out on a rock and sat there for quite a while and meditated on being in what i call "Paradise." At that point i got my hair wet and just let it all hang out. We then walked back up and had lunch. The lunch was fabulous. I must comment on the rice and peas -- there are those who can cook rice and peas like my mom, you don't need any meat when you're eating my mom rice and peas. However, I usually pick out the peas because i don't like to eat peas but i must say the peas and rice that they served i ate everything on my plate. I had such a good time, I gave all three guys a tip. ($30US) They treated us real good. On our way back to the bus there was a storm. Actually it rained each day after midday.
While we were on the bus, I asked a few people how much was the tour and one couple stated they couldn't remember and another couple wasn't sure. I was like, how can you take a tour and not know. I on the otherhand was just getting a feel for what the others were paying. I was quoted two prices which I not going to mention and we paid the lesser price. I was also told by a local taxi driver, he wanted us to pay him $160 or $130 i can't remember but when we got to the River Walk we would have to pay a fee to gain entrance. However, he said if you tell them you're jamaican, you won't have to pay that much. I get the impression because there are so many Jamaican experts on this board, i have to be careful but i would really would like to tell it like it is because so many people go to Jamaica and get ripped off and that is not right. So the best thing to do is talk to as many people and see how the other half live.

On our way back me and my friend became more aquainted with the driver and he offered to take us into town on Sunday.

The food started to get a little bit better, which was on Friday night. I believe they served currygoat, amongst a lot of other things. Yankee food, mostly. The drinks were so/so. The cups a Sandals were much bigger. Point Village had little cups.

Day 3 - Saturday - The wedding. We decided to go to Sandals as suggested in the morning to have breakfast; but it didn't work out the way we planned because we ate at our resort. When we got there a whole lot was going on but like i said it's a couple resort and being that we were two single ladies, we didn't feel like we would fit in. Most of the activities were catered to coupls. The staff was very respectable especially the men. I noticed at our resort, the men occassionaly would be more (how can i say) not as if they were coming on to you but it was different at Sandals, the men don't even look your way, strickly business.

I liked that, very professional. We didn't stick around for long. Once you've been on a resort, they're basically the same; some on a smaller scale of service and others on a larger scale. I don't know if i mentioned before, the food at Sandals was nothing compared to Point Village, much more of a selection of food at Sandals.

So we went back to Point Village because i had a hair appointment and i'm a bit hesitant about mentioning certain things because i don't want anyone to loose their jobs because whose to say that the people from the Resort don't read these boards and i was kinda of taken back when someone mentioned:

===============================================
" Omigod does Sandals tell this to everyone????
===============================================

I'm pretty sure Sandals don't mention this to everyone. Like i said the receptionist was rapping to us because she felt comfortable talking to us. Most of the staff we came in contact with were down to earth. I'm not giving a trip report so anyone can get in troubl, sein.

-- anyway. I had a hair appointment with a young lady who was stationed at The Grand Lido. In any event the price list was at our hotel and to just do a wash and set was $65.00, There was no way i was going to pay $65.00 to wash my hair. now i won't say how much it cost because all i wanted was to have her set it, roll it and have y it dried under the dryer. She was sooo nice. I never made it to the Grand Lido and the young lady at Point Village did my hair. In addition, while i was gettin my hair done, it was raining, so you know i wasn't going to pay $65 for my hair to get wet. The hairdresser stated Point Village doesn't charge $65.00 but like i said i won't mention how much i paid because i don't want her to loose her job. Ohh, almost forgot, we also went to Times Square. We took the local taxi with the red plates, paid 50J and walked around and found the items to be a bit pricy. So we purchased nothing. I told my friend "let's go to the supermarket and buy our liquor." Which we did. I bought Wincarnis wine, white rum, rum cream 3 for about a $1.50 the small ones, Red label wine, appleton wine, a rum cake and paid about $70US. I could not have gotten all of that in those overpriced stores. I also picked up another tip from reading the boards about the converter sheet. I printed out a copy and brought it along with me. It came in handy. A few people were amazed at how prepared we were. We did however, find a lot of good deals downtown, but we didn't have enough time so we decided we would go back on Sunday. Talking about amazed, on our way back to the airport, when we got on the bus, everyone noticed me and my friends with our liquor and i said, next time ya go to the supermarket!

I'll let you know about the wedding. I don't mean to keep you hanging but school just started and i just don't have much time.

Likkle more. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[MissMention]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

Hey Lucky, nice trip report [img]/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Right need to clear up some things here lol!!

The reason why the poster said 'OMG do they tell everyone that?' was to say they can't believe the hotels allow their visitors to get ripped off like that, what now makes it worse is that the receptionist and you were 'rapping' in which case you would have thought she'd tell you a better way to get around cheaply.

I totally agree that as a tourist you wouldn't know whether you were getting ripped off, UNLESS you knew about Jamaicans.com before [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

How I avoided paying through my nose, when I went Negril Beach Condos, I knew there must be a cheaper way so I asked Jean (Thanks Jean!!!) how much a route taxi charged.
She told me and then I just got the correct change.

See, again if you had known to come here before you went, we could have recommended a driver to take you around for cheaper than the hotel's tours and you would have been able to structure the trip to your liking.
What I suppose saddens us is that these big all-inclusives like making it hard for guests to get off the property, or at best want them to use the services of the hotel taxis from who they charge a fee for being there.
See, if you think it's $25 to go into town, and you then see the hotel shopping trip for $15, chances are you'll think you've got a bargain, and more profit for them.
Again, if the hotel made it easy for you to get out and explore, those of you who might not have known there were much cheaper ways of seeing Jamaica might find out, lessening the possibility of you going somewhere else next time.

[luckystar]

Re: Trip Report @ Point Village

Hi Miss Mention,
i wish i had gotten to these boards sooner. You guys have been great [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] with all tips i picked up, i could have stayed away from the resort and hotel taxi and saved enough money to go back to JA.

It's what ya call, "Live and Learn."