A view of the Cotton Tree with Negril Beach in the distance as seen from the base of the Negril Cliffs on West End Jamaica.

Tarrus Riley at Negril Escape Sunset Show is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

Tarrus Riley and Gumption Band put on a great show at Negril Escape for their weekly Sunset Show which features some of Jamaica’s musical history in a live reggae performance every Tuesday as the sun sets.

The Sunset Show at Negril Escape starts as the sun sets and runs through the reggae history timeline and includes performances by local musicians of classic reggae favorites from everyone from Bob Marley and Peter Tosh to Coco Tea and Jimmy Cliff.

Not only do you get to watch the sunset over the beautiful Negril cliffs but you can enjoy some of the best reggae in town while you dine at the all you can eat buffet loaded down with Jamaican food favorites like brown stew and jerked chicken as well as a selection of the islands fresh fruits a baked goodies and treats or you can sip a drink seaside under the stars with a great mix of resort guests and local patrons all enjoying the live music and great atmosphere.

Tarrus had his sax player Dean Fraser and the Gumption Band backing him up and put on an energetic high energy performance in the early morning hours of the last day of the year. Tarrus and Dean had a short harmony shootout with Riley chanting a sweet tune for Fraser to copy on the sax. The battle was fun and got the crowd excited about a show that ran a bit late due to the ever present technical difficulties.

It was a small setting with a limited crowd and Tarrus took the time to pose for dozens of photographs with many of his foreign fans and guests of the West End’s premier seaside resort. Tarrus is coming off the best year in his career after being awarded Top Reggae Performer for 2008 and his album Parables is a local favorite with everyone from the teenage girls to the grandparents singing along word for word to each and every on of his popular songs.

This was my second chance to see Tarrus Riley after his performance at Reggae Sumfest 2008 and it was a much better show with less tension, no rain and a much better vibe then the massive crowds and muddy fields of the Sumfest arena. This show was much smaller and much more personal and Tarrus seems to appreciate the setting. he made a point of touching hands and meeting everyone in the crowd and made it more like a meet and greet experience than another reggae show.

The Sunset Show at Negril Escape runs every Tuesday evening and features some of Negrils favorite local musicians having fun with the history of reggae in Jamaica. Stop by and check them out on your next Tuesday evening in Negril.

If you are in Negril and searching for a great deal on some souvenirs to take back home then look no further than the City Center by the roundabout and Coral Seas Shopping plaza which is located across the street from Burger King in the center of Negril. There on the ground floor beneath the Digicell center you will find Sona Duty Free Shopping Center which offers great prices on everything from tshirts and trinkets to a selection of fine jewelry, liquors and cigars at discount prices and duty free.

Shop keeper Rocky has been in the same location for 15 years providing visitors to Negril a wild selection of Jamaica t-shirts and other clothing items so you can carry your Irie feelings back home with you. Lots of first time Jamaica vacationers find a taste for some of the islands special treats such as fine Blue Mountain Coffee and Jamaica’s Appleton Rum they can’t fill at home so Rocky has a selection of the most popular liquors in the right sizes for international transport so you can just breeze through the airport with your new favorite drink in hand.

For those of you that enjoy a good smoke you can also pick from some of the best cigars in the world with both Jamaican and Cuban cigars for sale. Cuban cigars are of course not legal for sale in the US but they are offered here in Jamaica and they seem to be very popular with many of our guests. You can buy the cuban cigars for smoking here in Jamaica but you CANNOT buy Cuban cigars to take back with you. Save that for the high quality Jamaican cigars which are said to offer the same flavor and smoking experience as the cigars from Cuba.

Whatever you’re looking for Sona is an excellent choice for Jamaican souvenirs and gift shop items located in the center of Negril. Stop by and say hello to Rocky while you do some shopping in Negril.

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The Caribbean is well known as a dive destination with hotspots like the Cayman Islands and Cozumel Mexico just a short distance away. Jamaica’s waters are not quite as nice as many of our neighbors but the diving is considered well worth the effort by those who venture out with a Jamaican dive shop on a proper trip to one of the many scuba dive attractions in the country.

Jamaica has a number of popular dive locations on the North Coast with both Montego Bay and Ocho Rios offering a wide range of great dive vacations. The Widows Maker Cave is the most popular dive in Mobay. The cave starts in about 35 feet of water and goes down to about 80 feet. Most people enter the cave at 80 feet and slowly rise through the cave to exit through a chimney 10 feet wide at the 35 foot mark and you can also go in the opposite direction by entering through the chimney and swimming down to the 80 foot depth. Ocho Rios has the wreck of the Kathryn which is a 140 foot Canadian mine sweeper from World War II which was sunk in 1991 by a Jamaican dive company as an artificial reef and dive attraction. Its a popular dive spot for first time wreck dives and intermediate divers looking for a new adventure.

Negril is the laid back side of the island but don’t let the image of beaches and bars fool you, there are a number of extreme adventures in and around Negril which is known for the best diving in Jamaica. Scuba diving is a dangerous activity which requires certification on specialized equipment before any reputable dive operation will take you out. There are different types of certification and even different organizations and standards that you can be certified with. PADI is one of the most popular diving certification programs and the standard here in Jamaica. Much of the diving in Negril is run from scuba shops at local resorts but the best diving in Negril is with a professional dive shop that caters to certified divers.

If you already have your dive certification you won’t want to tag along with the resort divers because they usually spend their time on easy dives. You’ll appreciate contacting an independent scuba dive operator like Negril Scuba which will be able to build a custom itinerary around your certification level and personalize your dive vacation.

Negril Scuba began as a small resort shop but has grown into a professional dive shop with three locations in Negril offering the best scuba diving in Jamaica. Owner David Wallace started running dives from his fathers resort, known in those days as Mariners Inn, after a guest told him that the diving in front of the property was “better than sex”. Today the property is known as Negril Escape but David still has his dive shop and they still run daily dives from the convenience of the resort for guests who book dive vacations.

Negril Scuba also offers two beach locations with boats taking dive trips to the best dive spots off Negril Beach including reef diving and night dives. Advanced divers usually opt for dives at locations such as “The Arches” and “The Throne Room” or one of the many wrecks in the area including an airplane and shipwreck. You can visit their website for a list of all the dive sites in Negril or just give them a call and book a dive vacation in Negril for your next adventure.

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Cliff Divers enjoy the crystal blue waters of the Ricks Cafe Cove

A view of the Negril Lighthouse as seen from Ricks Cafe on West End Jamaica

There is a yellow boa in the mango tree outside and the locals are having a fit. Jamaicans DO NOT like snakes and this one was almost dead if I had not told them they could be fined up to $100,000 jamaican dollars for killing it. They want it out of the mango tree and I sent an email to SOS Wildlife Jamaica and they called me back to say they had no one in Negril that could come and catch the snake but they might have a person here on Wednesday. If they do then they will send him over and he will assist us in relocating the snake to a safer place.

The Jamaican Yello Boa is endemic to Jamaica and a Protected Species. The yellow boa in the tree outside looks to be about 6 feet long and 4 inches in diameter. The snake guy I spoke with said it was probably a female and she had eaten some rats in the tree and was sunning to digest them. This guy may make a trip all the way from Mobay to make sure the snake is unharmed and he said its vital we save all the females we can.

Anyone live in Negril want to climb this tree and catch a 6 foot snake?

It should be more of the standard Jamaican concert with lots of loud DJ music in between performers. The show will most likely start very late and end very early the next morning and there will be lots of vendors offering just about anything you want for a concert and more.

There are lots of other spring break shows, events and activities planned for Negril. I will take a spin through town and collect some photos of the spring break party hot spots and banners advertising things to do in Negril for Spring Break 2008.

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Here are some of the flowers in bloom in the yard this week. Of course there are always some flowers in bloom here in Jamaica and even today in the month of January we have some lovely blooms.

The 16th Annual Bob Marley Birthday Bash is being held on February 5th-6th at MXIII in Negril. Anyone going? I know I’ll be there for sure. Anyone need a ride or place to stay in Negril for the event? Contact me and we’ll find something for you.