One Love Bus Tour in Negril, Jamaica

The One Love Bus Tour in Negril, Jamaica, is an off the beaten path excursion for those looking to venture out beyond the confines of their resort walls. For me, you could say this is where it started– our first travel experience where we ditched the tourist norms. We put down our umbrella drinks and ventured out to see the “real” Jamaica.  

How It Started  

The One Love Bus Tour, founded by Lenbert Williams, began almost a decade ago out of a desire to boost community-based tourism in the resort town of Negril. The purpose is twofold.  First, the pub crawl helps bring in revenue to local businesses that would likely go unnoticed. Secondly, it provides visitors an opportunity to experience authentic Jamaican culture and community.   

By the way, this is not a tour that your resort arranges. I first discovered the One Love Bus Tour on a Tripadvisor forum while searching for the perfect Negril excursion. At the time, there was no Tripadvisor listing for the tour, but the One Love Bus Tour were frequently mentioned. Several reviews mentioned that during the tour you could bring school supplies, candy, etc. to pass out to local children. We loved the idea of giving back.

Booking the tour was not a traditional process but rather an email to Lenbert himself. Today, you can find booking information and details on Facebook and Tripadvisor.

Our One Love Bus Experience  

Showing up promptly at the time scheduled, Lenbert arrived at the resort in the One Love Bus, and we were off on our Negril adventure. The vibe on the bus was lively- with passengers anticipating the fun that was in store. The pub crawl itself was a series of stops at local pubs in Negril’s West End. Not every stop on the pub crawl is the same, but they all end the same way, with a final stop to enjoy an incredible sunset. From cliffside bars to a local pub in a resident’s backyard, where our host served us delicious homemade pizza, the “real” Jamaica experience provided by the One Love Bus tour was a great one, with a gracious host. This excursion opened our eyes to what can happen when you are willing to break free from the norm and try something different.      

To book your experience, visit the One Love Bus tour on Facebook or Tripadvisor.