In all my trips to Jamaica, I had never stayed on the cliffs/west end of Negril until now. I love the beach, but I had heard that the cliffs had a different vibe, so I wanted to check it out.
I consider myself somewhat experienced traveling numerous times to Jamaica and I travel there twice yearly. After much research and asking a lot of questions of those more knowledgeable about different hotels and resorts, I chose Banana Shout for my stay.
And I am SO very glad I did!
I am a photography enthusiast and I think my photos will tell part of why I fell in love with this place. There is no shortage of photo opportunities here! The grounds and view are so gorgeous; but my images do not convey the warm welcome I received, the homey atmosphere there and the kind way I was treated during my entire 9 day stay.
I stayed in the cottage called "Dolphin View" which was mere feet from the turquoise waters of the Caribbean sea. The cottage has a kitchenette with fridge, percolator, and two-burner hot plate.
The huge living/sleep area had a king size bed with a mosquito net, and also as a twin in one corner. The louvered windows are screened as well, so I always had the windows open. At first I was a little worried that without air conditioning I would be uncomfortable, but in my research I was reassured that the cliff side breezes were sufficient and they were! And as you may know, July is the height of the hot & humid season in Jamaica. The ceiling fan above the bed has 5 speeds so I was always able to find my comfort zone, even during the hottest days.
I loved having the french doors open during the day, and waking up to the sound of the waves on the rocks each morning.
The bathroom was large as well and the shower/tub enclosure was big enough to soak in.
A few days of my trip were spent laying in the hammock on the veranda reading the book by the original resort owner and named after the resort. That was an interesting read, so ask Milo to borrow the book if you stay there.
There are three different access point into the water; one day I even saw a dolphin swimming by.
Banana Shout is right next to Rick's Cafe, so every day it was fun to watch the various boats pull up to watch the cliff divers and enjoy the sunset. I have to admit I did enjoy being able to enjoy the band playing there and watching the packed crowd at Rick's from the privacy of my veranda. The band usually stopped playing around 9pm, when all the tourists head back to their hotels for the evening., so noise from Rick's was never an issue.
One thing I also really enjoyed was being able to use the wireless internet connection while there and that was one of the things that helped me make my decision to stay there.
A groundsman named "Plug" was always ready to help and keep the grounds immaculate. The sweet Lorna takes care of the house keeping duties.
Milo owns the place and runs it with the help of Shadae, his lovely, beautiful lady. Give them notice the day before and they will cook breakfast or dinner for you. Milo is originally from Italy, he cooks amazingly well and grows fresh herbs among the flowers on site. Shadae would often blend up a fruit smoothie for me without even asking. Honestly I was treated so well; this place is very different from anywhere else I have stayed.
Milo & Shadae also have two sweet natured dogs on the property and are protective of the guests and the resort. Every afternoon it was fun to watch them romp around the grounds chasing eachother; I was glad they were there cuz I was missing my own dogs at home.
I could go on and on about Banana Shout....this was my absolute best vacation in Jamaica ever! I will be returning to this property many more times in the future.
Thanks so much; respect and blessings to Milo & Shadae!















