Answers to many common questions:

Plenty of answers to be found on this page and these specific detail pages:

• About Negril
• Fly to Negril
• Negril Travel
• Where to Stay
• Expenses
• Passport

How do I sign up?

We will have information about how to register for CHNY2k9 starting in June 2008. Please stay tuned. We've got more fun and philanthropy in the works!

How do I plan my trip?

• Buy a plane ticket to Montego Bay (MBJ) Jamaica.
• Have a valid official U.S. passport (click here for more info).
• Get a child's backpack and fill it with 2 children's books and school & art supplies.
• Start checking the CHNY message board regularly to get updates, make plans, get travel ideas, and meet fellow Geckos.

When should I arrive and depart Jamaica?

• We will host multiple gatherings, concerts, and excursions to amuse and excite at stunning locations in and around Negril from January 24 - 31 2009.
  
• Gecko Family Package accommodations and airport transportation shuttles run from January 24 -31. 

How do I get from the Montego Bay airport to Negril?

• If you purchased the Gecko Family Package the party starts after you clear customs and step outside. You'll be greeted by our best and trusted drivers and taken to Negril in style.
• If you didn't purchase a package there are several options:
  • check the CHNY Message Board for postings about ride-sharing
  • Contact one of our trusted drivers to arrange a private or group pick-up - Make these arrangements well in advance
  • go to the JUTA Tours bus kiosk as you exit the airport
  • hire a taxi at the airport (buyer beware - see our Negril Travel page)
• If you did not purchase a Gecko Family Package, make sure you schedule your return ride!
• For driver names, numbers and information see our Negril Travel page

Where is everyone staying?

• If you have purchased our Gecko Family Package you'll be staying in the heart of the action at http://negrilescape.com/one of the best resorts in Negril. On site snorkeling, scuba diving in a private swimming cove, cliff diving, jam sessions, sunbathing on the cliffs, spectacular sunsets, swimming pool, full service spa, restaurant/bar, irie vibes and more.
  
• Other CHNY revelers will overflow into hotels on either direction from the resort. We strongly encourage people booking their own accommodations to give their business to Jamaican owned and operated hotels, resorts and community tourism enterprises. We want our tourist dollars to benefit the local Negril community and their families. For information on responsible tourism see our Community page.
  
• The West End of Negril has many types of accommodations for every flavor and budget.  Since February 6th is Bob Marley's Birthday, rooms will fill up fast this year.
  
• Kim de Gecko, Our Director of Guest Relations is a great resource for accommodation tips. She can be found at guestrelations@chny.org  You can also use the message board to ask questions and coordinate with other Geckos.
  

What does my CHNY2K8 registration fee pay for?

• CHNY2K8 is a benefit for Jamaican children.  All proceeds from the event will go towards establishing DeepBlueRipple International, Inc. as a non-profit and supporting its existing and developing service projects.
  
• The CHNY2k8 Chinese New Year Celebration is held on 900 acres of pristine Jamaican tropical paradise.  On site there is a private beach, a private jungle bar and open air restaurant. 
• We build a stage from scratch and rent a state of the art sound system and a team of sound engineers who ensure quality sounding music is jamming all night long
• We bring Jamaican musicians, traditional Nyabinghi drummers, dancers and fire performers to dazzle you.
• We build a giant 20 foot dragon from scratch for the parade
• Our site is elaborately decorated
• We support local farmers by bringing in locally grown fruits & flowers.
• CHNY maintains a website, pays Paypal fees, makes a zillion calls to Jamaica, and spends money on more miscellaneous stuff than can possibly be imagined (laminates, printing, stamps, administrative & office materials).
• We hire a professional team of uniformed security guards to keep our vibe safe.
• We help offset the travel costs of musicians who donate their performances so we can boogie down all night long.
• We hire local artists, drummers, dancers, fire performers to ensure that CHNY is a cross-cultural event.
• We hire local workers of all kinds to make this event possible
• Rental and service fees (storage, artist hospitality, drivers, cabins, etc.)
• Transportation of building tools, art supplies, musical equipment, etc, from the U.S. to Jamaica.

Is CHNY a one night event?

• CHNY is more than a one night event.  We have incredible activities planned all week long.
• We make sure you have plenty of time for individually planned experiences like scuba diving, swimming, fishing, cultural tours, exploring the island
• We also leave lots of time for spontaneous moments, music jams, socializing and just basking in the sun.
• Planned events:
  • CHNY2K8 on Thurs. Feb 7th at private beach.
  • Elvis and Laura's Bingo & Dinner Sunday Feb. 3rd. This is a wonderful opportunity to mix and mingle with the local neighborhood over authentic Jamaican cuisine.
    
  • Reggae 'pon Rocks Concert Sat. Feb. 2nd at Negril Escape Resort & Spa. This will be a new CHNY extravaganza open to Jamaicans and the tourist public.  Musicians from both Jamaica and the U.S. will perform Reggae sets on the Cliffs of Negril. 
  • Sunday Jazz Brunch Feb 3rd.  Come meet other CHNY guests and musicians, relax, and eat brunch on the Cliffs of Negril.
  • First Annual Friends of the West End Kids Fair - Feb. 4th Across the street from Negril Escape.  Join us in a festival for the kiddos. It will be a fun, heart expanding day creating art, building dragons, playing music and entertaining the children.  Bring your talents, big & small, and put a smile on many little faces.
  • There will be other private CHNY events that you will find out about after you arrive  
  • For a full list of happenings visit our Calender Page
• We will spend a good part of the day before the party, Feb. 6th, building the stage, the bar, and the Dragon. On Feb. 7th we'll spend the day decorating the property and setting up for the main event. Volunteers are needed and welcome.  It's not all work so bring your bathing suit, towel and good vibes. 
  

I am a VERY cool person, can I come for free?

• No. We are all VERY cool people.  Many talented, energetic, generous people who contribute many months of hard work to make this happen and they pay the registration fee. For many CHNY is a week long event. To the organizers (who also pay registration) it is a year long labor of love.

How does CHNY benefit the local community?

• CHNY is more than a big party. CHNY2k8, our main event, taking place on February 7th will be a benefit concert with proceeds supporting DeepBlueRipple International, Inc., a building nonprofit with service projects committed to bettering the lives of Jamaican children through music, art, and play. CHNY has created a community of people from the United States, Jamaica, and other parts of the world who we call the Gecko Family. Our gatherings promote responsible and sustainable tourism and provide a common ground for authentic cultural exchange. According to the U.S. State Department only $5 out of every $100 spent by a tourist on a vacation package stays in Jamaica. This is because the money spent by conventional tourists is spent mainly in foreign-owned establishments or on imported foreign goods. Due to agreements between the Jamaican government and lending institutions including the IMF and the World Bank, Jamaica faces stiff competition in global markets. For more on this see Life and Debt, a documentary film by Stephanie Black, http://www.lifeanddebt.org/.
• CHNY makes every effort to connect participants with local business owners who can provide safe and often more authentic experiences to our participants than all-inclusive mega resorts.
• Over the past 6 years, CHNY participants have infused the Negril economy with an estimated $1,500,000. This doesn’t take into account all the CHNY participants who have maintained relationships on their own with friends they’ve made during past CHNY events. CHNY money stays in the communities we visit because it’s reinvested in the community through local employment and local purchasing. The change is apparent in improved quality of life, and noticeable in the schools, workplaces, and homes in the Jamaican CHNY community. Through our donation program we have provided much-needed educational materials to three schools in both rural and urban settings in Jamaica. Our donations have inspired at least one school to construct a library to accommodate the books CHNY donates each year.
• This year DeepBlueRipple International has shifted its focus from schools to children's homes, particularly those in rural areas of Jamaica where there is fewer access to resources.
• We contantly evolving.  New DeepBlueRipple International programs this year include hosting a Solar Power Forum in collaboration with Negril Escape, the Friends of the West End Kids Fair, the Rusea's High School Band Instrument Drive, the Tia Mandolin Drive, and more.  See our Service projects page for more details.

What can I expect at the gatherings?

• You can expect to come away with a whole new perspective of what it means to have fun.
• Multiple musical celebrations, dinners, brunches, and events in various beautiful locations in and around Negril.
• We'll build a stage, a dragon, and a bar by the water’s edge on a fantastic private beach front property!
• We'll create an altar to our ancestors.
• CHNY encourages artistic expression. You make it happen!
• Collectively we’ll shed the trials and tribulations of the past year. We'll focus on what we’ve learned in the Year of the Pig and set the tone for the coming Year of the Rat.
• We'll boogie down to a cross-cultural smorgasbord of fantastic live music, marvel at the fire performers, dance in the dragon and soak in the warm turquoise waters of the Caribbean.
• CHNY encourages everyone to take part in the creation of the celebration. We need carpenters, dragon builders, bar tenders, hospitality helpers, medical professionals and more. To volunteer your services Contact Us. We’ll create memories and establish communities that’ll last a lifetime.

How many people are coming to the party and who are they?

• Last year, 120 folks came from the United States and other places. We were joined by an equal number of friends from our Jamaican community.
• We’re expecting a larger crowd this year as CHNY grows every year. We are of all ages and all walks of life. All are welcome. We ask that participants be open minded to new cultures, respectful of others,  and nonviolent.

Can I bring guests?

• Please bring your favorite people to share with CHNY! Great folks in beautiful places doing wonderful things are what CHNY is all about.
• Each year our community grows and this couldn’t happen without good folks bringing more good folks.
• Please help us get the word out Contact Us for all kinds of graphics including, leaflets, web site banners, logos, and html tags that fit nicely onto message boards and myspace and tribe postings.
• Your guests must register and pay fees.

Is the CHNY2k8 site wheelchair accessible?

• The site is accessible to wheelchairs. Most locations in Jamaica are not as advanced as the United States with regard to alter-abled access. However, the site is flat and the bathrooms can be made accessible with minor preparations. If you use a wheelchair and plan on attending, please contact us so we can offer you specific advice and prepare accordingly for your attendance.

What if my question was not answered here?

• Please contact us so we may address your question.