Haha.....yeah I guess some people are paranoid. I posed this question about visiting Jamaica on another forum and these are the responses I got.
Quote:
Originally Posted by explosivo
Yeah I've been there. I wouldnt go wondering around outside of the touristy spots. Doesnt matter if you are black, you could walk onto someones turf and then get jacked or worse. The people for the most part are very poor. You will see these little shed creations (which i guess they live in) made out of sheet metal and other random materials all over the country side. So yeah if you wanna hang out with these people you should probably wear some really old clothes, drench yourself in olive oil, and develop an accent. Montego Bay is ok, Negril is cool, Ocho Rios is cool, but I would stay outta Kingston. Its all gangs and ****. You only go there if you lose your passport.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lone_Gunman
eh..i've worked with jamaicans for several years, and talked alot with them about their home. That said, I would not visit the country without someone who knew the island right there with me...some of the stories I here are ****ed up...it's not something you want to mess around with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 31337
I'm Jamaican born in the US and visit semi-frequently and get to hear quite a bit about it from family/friends and I agree with this statement 100%. If you want to leave the tourist area you will need a Jamaican you can trust to take you around, otherwise you may get yourself into serious ****. If you can make that happen it's a great place to vacation. The foods great and the night life is some of the best in the world if you like island women
LOL......so this is what some other people are saying and it looks like pretty much information spread through bad word of mouth. I think the only think I should be afraid of is a hurricane since that's a threat for the time I want to go.
I'm pretty excited to see what the Hip Strip in Montego Bay is all about. Also does anyone have information on visiting Spanish Town and May Pen? There probably isn't much for a tourist to see but I want to see Jamaica, not an American style resort in Jamaica if you know what I mean.
Well.. it's true that you don't go walkin' around on people's property without an express invitation...but that's no different than every other place in this world!
I would say this...since you are traveling alone... stay in a resort...find a few locals to befriend...ask them and they will probably be glad to help you find your way... safely.
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I'm planning to go late August. I've already called hotels in Montego Bay and Kingston so I'm still doing my research. The price for the flight seems reasonable. Right now I'm getting $498 to fly in to MBJ and out of KIN back to Austin so we'll see.
I think finding some locals to befriend will be a great idea. We can share fun stories and I know if I go to Jamaica I'm going to love it. My main concern at the moment is making sure I don't spend too much money on this trip. I'm not a rich guy but do have some money saved up since I tend to live modestly.
Haha.....yeah I guess some people are paranoid. I posed this question about visiting Jamaica on another forum and these are the responses I got.
LOL......so this is what some other people are saying and it looks like pretty much information spread through bad word of mouth. I think the only think I should be afraid of is a hurricane since that's a threat for the time I want to go.
I'm pretty excited to see what the Hip Strip in Montego Bay is all about. Also does anyone have information on visiting Spanish Town and May Pen? There probably isn't much for a tourist to see but I want to see Jamaica, not an American style resort in Jamaica if you know what I mean.
ive never stayed in Mobay for a particular length of time but what ive seen i didnt like. the hip strip isnt so 'hip'. it seems like a conrete hell hole to me with a few patches of beach. i like the open space of negril. just my personal opinion but u got to see for yourself.
ive never stayed in Mobay for a particular length of time but what ive seen i didnt like. the hip strip isnt so 'hip'. it seems like a conrete hell hole to me with a few patches of beach. i like the open space of negril. just my personal opinion but u got to see for yourself.
I'll take your word for it. It seems like everyone mentions how nice of a place Negril is so it would be a shame not to see it. Thanks for the tip.
From what I've gathered from this thread it would also be a shame not to go and visit Jamaica. With so many people down there I doubt the "violence" down there will affect me at all.
I'm still trying to get some information about visiting Spanish Town and May Pen. Maybe Kingston will be enough but I'm still curious about Jamaica's other big cities.
dunno what country you are in now but I found 'The Rough Guide to Jamaica' useful when i went for the first time. alternatively click on the thread below for a light-hearted but realistic take on it.
dunno what country you are in now but I found 'The Rough Guide to Jamaica' useful when i went for the first time. alternatively click on the thread below for a light-hearted but realistic take on it.
Thanks alot for that information and I love the guide you wrote up. Very helpful. I might even print that up and take it with me if I go.
I'm a black guy from the United States(Texas) and my dad is Nigerian, mom is black American so people have told me that I look like I'm from the Caribbean so maybe that will help me fit in. I'll just tell people hassling me I'm from May Pen or Portmore and that will get me off my back.
It's funny to think that 3 weeks ago I had no idea where Kingston or Montego Bay were in relation to other places in the island. I'm so glad Jamaica is well documented on Google maps.
What would be the cheapest way to get from MoBay to Negril and back?
How much would a person expect to pay each way for a coaster bus from MoBay to Negril or from Kingston to May Pen? Do they have prices posted somewhere or does the bus driver just look at you and give you a price?
Sadly in the US we rarely ever negotiate the price for anything so the skill of bargaining well is lost on most of us.
Again I want to say thanks to everyone who has replied so far. This thread has been extremely helpful.
i know for a fact that before recent price hikes over there (May) from Sav la Mar to MoBay was $150 Ja by bus and Sav la Mar to Negril was $100 Ja by taxi. so i guess going straight from Mobay to Negril would be slightly cheaper.
They're NEVER cheaper.
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