The Big House at Truestay Jamaica

Authentically Jamaican this Canadian family owner operated guest house allows you to truly experience the culture as you enjoy the privacy and security of a family home, only a short walk from the excitement and activity that is Negril! The space FAMILY/GROUP FRIENDLY This is a perfect place for a family getaway or for a group of friends! The Big House is a 3-storey house in a fenced & gated yard with balconies on every level. The back patio is an awesome place to enjoy the stars, have a barbeque or learn how to cook jerk chicken in the classic Jamaican barrel-stove! On the main floor there is a living room, full bath & laundry and a full kitchen. Our caretaker and good friend, Gummy D, lives on the main level, ensuring your security. He will take care of any needs you may have, including giving you the inside scoop on island life and evening entertainment. The second floor has the potential to sleep 6+ with a private entrance for you, open-air bathroom, kitchen and a third floor loft bedroom that opens on to a private balcony TRANSPORT FROM AIRPORT If you wish we will be happy to arrange the airport transfer for you. We tend to stick with a safe, registered and insured driver, who we've used for years. His name is Dougie. The trip from Montego Bay, to our place takes about 1.5 hrs. Dougie will come about a half hour after you land which gives you time to pick up your luggage and clear customs & immigration. He will have a sign with your name on it. If you wish he will stop at the grocery store in Negril or wherever else you'd like to stop to pick up any supplies you might need. He will also stop at a Cambio, the Money Exchange, where you can change your money to Jamaican dollars at a fair rate. We find it is usually easy and cheap to change your money in Jamaica. He will wait for you and watch your luggage while you do your errands. This means you arrive at the house with everything you need for a great holiday. Dougie’s rate is for the carload per trip just like taxi fare at home.This is paid to him directly. If you wish you can arrange your return to the airport with Dougie when you are driving with him. Dougie is also available for touring or any day trips you may want to do. Personally we think Dougie is one of Jamaica's precious gifts. He is kind, honest, helpful, respectful, professional and not in the least pushy. You can also book online with the Knutsford Express, a greyhound style big city bus. If you choose to do that we can arrange for Dougie to pick you up at the bus station in Negril and take you to our place. You can check out Knutsford Express on the internet. You can also rent a car at the airport. There are lots of options for you to choose from. PRIVATE GATED PROPERTY Our house is located in our private secured gated property. PARKING Secured parking is available inside the gated area at no additional cost. WATER AND ELECTRICITY SUPPLY The first time you travel to Jamaica and stay in a private home, you will soon learn that most locations in Jamaica may occasionally have problems with city water pressure and electricity supply. Please, do not expect anything like in Europe or North America, since even 5 star hotels in Negril can sometimes have water and electrical issues. INTERNET ACCESS When we say we have internet - we mean it. Please be aware, most locations in Jamaica have internet, but it may, on any given day, turn out to be slow or non-existent, or it may only work in certain locations. Again, please don’t expect Internet service like you would get in the cities of Europe or North America. There is no telephone in the house. HOUSEKEEPING We do not charge a cleaning fee but we do expect our guests to leave the house as clean as it was when you arrived. We expect you will tidy up after yourselves and treat the house with respect. Please do not move furniture around and damage the floors. Please leave muddy wet or sandy shoes outside the door. If you do wish for us to clean for you that service can be made available for a fee of $25 US a day. This must be pre-arranged. Clean linen will be supplied once a week, if you are booked for longer than a week. LAUNDRY Laundry is available at no extra cost per one wash. If you wish to do more laundry there will be a charge of $10 US per wash. KITCHEN (private) Please view photos. Our place is set up for you to be able to cook all your meals so don't bring anything from home, unless there is a spice or something you can’t live without and may not be able to get in Jamaica. You will have a fully equipped kitchen with a fridge with separate door freezer section on top, 4-burner gas stove with oven, microwave, coffee-maker, toaster, cutlery, plates, wine glasses and tumblers, pots & pans and a double stainless steel sink. We also have a covered outdoor barbecue/jerk pit in the back yard for you to use. If you arrange it with Gummy,our caretaker, for a small fee and the supply of the food, he'd be happy to make you a meal like Jerk Chicken. If you can’t find something just ask Gummy as sometimes stuff drifts downstairs with guests when they are using the barbeque pit or eating on the back patio and it gets left down there. If you don't find something you need - let us know. If you forgot to buy something, again, let us know and we will try to help you out. LIVING ROOM (private) Please view photos. The living room has a smart television with cable for your entertainment. BEDROOM 1 (private) Please view photos. There is one double bed in this bedroom. Bed linen is provided. BEDROOM 2 Loft (private) Please view photos. There is one double bed in this bedroom. Bed linen is provided. BATHROOM (private) Please view photos. This bathroom is a very private open-air unit .The toilet stall is private and covered. Our guests love the outdoor shower - whether they use it during the day, or at night under the stars. There is a full standard Jamaican bathroom on the main level - with a bath tub which we can make available to you if necessary, like if you have a baby you wanted to put in the tub for some reason.Lots of Jamaican homes only have solar-heated hot water but we do have 24/7 hot water supply. Towels, toilet paper and soap are provided. Please bring a beach towel as we prefer the house towels not go with you to the beach. VERANDAH / BALCONY (private) Please view photos. The veranda wraps around most of the house on both floors. You can access it directly from your living room, bedroom and kitchen. The third floor loft has its own balcony. Most guests tend to spend very little time indoors and enjoy their meals and just relaxing on the verandahs. You can enjoy the gardens, birds and the sounds of the neighbourhood. We plan to hang a hammock or two this year! GARDEN Our walled and gated property includes many native fruit trees that you can pick the fruit from when it is in season. You can enjoy gorgeous exotic flowering plants and fruit trees like mango, sweetsop, ackee, lime and grapefruit trees. Imagine picking a lime to put in your drink from right outside your door! AIR CONDITIONER Please note, we do not feel the need for air-conditioning because the property is so close to the sea. We always enjoy the sea breezes called the Trade Winds. That's why it is rarely hot enough inside the house to feel the need for a/c, apart from a few days in July or August. There are overhead fans as well as portable fans in each room. DESTINATION WEDDINGS (accommodations for wedding guests) Jamaica is the perfect spot for your dream wedding. We would be happy to host your wedding in our beautiful gardens. Many of the all-inclusive resorts nearby have great wedding packages for the bride and groom. TrueStay is a wonderful and less expensive alternative for accommodations for the rest of the bridal party and guests for the duration of the festivities. Guest access There are many activities to keep active people busy a short walk or inexpensive cab ride away from TrueStay. From resort hopping to waterfall exploration, you’re sure to find many activities to fill your days (and nights!). The staff at TrueStay will be happy to provide information on all local activities. There are restaurants, beaches, live entertainment, jungle adventures, water-sports like swimming, snorkeling, scuba-diving, kayaking, sea-doos, waterpark and so much more! The famous 7 mile beach is a short cab ride and the Caribbean cliffs and caves are only 6 minutes walk away. If you are brave enough you can dive off the cliffs. There are miles of country roads available for biking, hiking and running. Bikes and scooters are easy to rent. World class golf courses are a short drive away! You can arrange to spend the day at an all-inclusive resort only minutes away. Other things to note This is Jamaica. This means that you should be ready for the following things: 1. Music (Everywhere in Jamaica). Music at varying decibel levels is everywhere in Jamaica! The music is one of the reasons we love it here, part of the joy ! 2. Mosquitoes, ants, cockroaches, little lizards, mice, bees (Everywhere in Jamaica) Just like in your home country the bugs come and go with the seasons…mosquitoes and ants are usually at their worst in the summer and after it rains. So Jamaica is the same. We don’t really talk about them too much at home or on vacation but every country has them. They are annoying but not really harmful. If you are allergic bring your antidote and if mosquitoes bother you bring your favourite bug spray. You can also buy it at the grocery stores here just like at home. We do our best to keep pests out of our house by keeping it clean, keeping screens on the windows and asking our guests to keep the doors closed in the evening. Compared to Canada there are hardly any bugs but still :)