I hope to come to Jamaica in the fall. Friends say I should do AI in Negril but TB looked good to me. Any opinions? Also I like kind of rustic places & thought Ital Rest. With a place that far out do you need to worry about leaving valuables ($ etc)in your room while you take a day trip? Do the owners live on the property & watch things?

I think a perfect trip is a few days in Negril then on to TB for the grand finale!

Ital Rest is well enough off the beaten track, owners are on site. No worries at all about your valuables. Probably one of the safest places in Jamaica. Because the family that owns Ital Rest is the same family in all the surrounding properties (acres and acres)...you are well secure, well watched over and are treated like family.

We were in Jamaica at the end of April. We spent our first three days in TB (At Jake's)and then 9 days with friends in Negril. We loved TB!!! It was such a wonderful, relaxing place and the people were amazing. We are looking forward to doing it again next year. My advice to you...stay in both TB and Negril. We love Negril too(7 trips later). There is definately more hustle going on in Negril. It's completely different than TB but wonderful in it's own way!

BTW, we loved Jake's!!! The staff was so good to us. Maybe next year we'll stay longer!

Respect
Keri

I agree re safety at Vikings. I stayed there, and felt very safe. In Great Bay you'll be surrounded by good people. Everyone knows each other, and looks out for each other.

I really like Irie Rest in Billy's Bay, too. Very safe also.

My wife and I have stayed in Treasure Beach a number of times. Ital Rest is our favorite. It's very safe...you really don't even need to lock your doors. We sometimes do a few days in Negril first - but the hustle and vendors can be a bit much a times. It's always a relief to arrive at Treasure Beach - no vendors or hassles at all. It seems much more authentic than the heavily touristed parts of the country, and the beaches and hiking are great!