I just got back from Jamaica and I have a lot to tell you about. First, I’ll start off with the obvious: Jamaica and Beaches Negril (Sandals’ family-friendly resort) are simply beautiful. The people of Jamaica are so warm and friendly. And while I was down there, on my birthday of all times, I met up with a wonderful not-for-profit organization (and in another post, I’ll explain how we’re partnering up with them and Sandals and Beaches Resorts to bring dental students, dentists and non-dental volunteers down to Jamaica to provide oral health care to those who desperately need it).
So while I was down in Jamaica, I presented to dentists on tips and traps when purchasing a dental practice. We covered the following topics in our 3-hour program:
- Where to find a dental practice for sale
- Buying assets vs. buying shares
- What to do about the employees
- What to do about the lease / landlord
- The process of buying a dental practice (e.g. appraisal > LOI > Agreement > Due Diligence > Closing > Post Closing)
- Tips and traps
Now, a little about the resort we stayed at… It’s called “Beaches Negril” and it’s one of my new favourite resorts. It’s relatively small (about 1/4 the size of the Beaches in Turks and Caicos) but I kind of like that. It’s easy to get anywhere and you can see everything from your room (e.g. beach, pool, kids area, etc.). Here are some pics of the resort, the pools, the waterpark, the room, and the Sesame Street Parade which happened on my birthday:
What you need to know about this resort:
- Rooms are beautiful and spacious (unlike in Turks)
- Yes, there are sand fleas. And if you’re on the beach, you’ll get eaten alive! So bring off and spray yourself (particularly your lower half) LIBERALLY and I also heard about taking vitamin B12 pills when you get down there (from a nursing student).
- Food was very good (though I’ve had better at Sandals in the Great Exuma in the Bahamas and Beach Palace in Cancun).
- Tips are appreciated (note: the average wage in Jamaica is USD$60 per week!).
- It’s a bit tough to get to the resort (about 4 hour flight + 1.5 hours to get to the resort in Negril from Montego Bay, although you can take a 40 minute helicopter ride for USD$700 cash).
- The entertainment is second to NONE. Yes, other resorts have magic shows, cabarets, and Michael Jackson… but this resort has practically daily sesame street shows and parades, a big beach party, a chocolate buffet night, a reggae night, and TONS of other daily activities.
- The lazy river and slides are AWESOME! The closed off slide is very fast and can be painful if you’re going in head-first.
- Alcohol is plentiful and you never have to wait (Red Stripe beer started to grow on me)…
- Beach was one of the best I’ve ever been to (along with Varadero, Bahamas and the Mayan Riviera). Calm + turquoise + warm + clear waters. You could see your toes. Great for small kids.
Now, in the next post, I’m going to talk about 1,000 Smile, which is a US/Jamaican run not for profit charitable organization that does great work in Jamaica. You’ll definitely want to read the next post, as you might want to take advantage and come down to Jamaica next year (and other parts of the Caribbean in the near future).
