Deb

We are wanting to go somewhere fun for spring break or Christmas. We were thinking Jamaica, maybe Ocho Rios at an all-inclusive resort. We have a 9 year old we will be traveling with. What do you think of Jamaica, and do you have any better places to go?

Jean E. Bowers

Jamaica is worth visiting yes, but it depends upon what you are looking for. Spring break is a rough time to travel. There is alot to see and do however I advise not staying in Ocho Rias. I would suggest that you try Montego Bay instead. If you insist on an all-inclusive try Sandals. If Montego Bay does not look good to you Negril is also quite nice. Or you might look into Cancun Mexico at Christmas. I do know that Cancun at Spring Break is very, very crowded. You might have a 2 hour waite to eat at Planet Hollywood. There is alot to do with a water park and several sites of ruins plus snorkeling, scuba, and wonderful places to eat.

Barbara Mullin

I agree with the previous post about preferring Montego Bay! My husband and I honeymooned there and went back again a year later. The first year we traveled all over, the second year we went DIRECTLY
to Negril and stayed there the entire visit!

If "Roots Bamboo" is still around ( they got destroyed during the huricane) you can't find a better place. The Jamaican's treat all children as
a precious recourse and will not hesitate to help or protect any child, their's, Jamacan, or yours. I've never been to a more child friendly country.

Good luck.. and give them a try!

karen zinck

Lots to do in Jamaica to keep busy and beautiful scenery. Negril is the nicest beach but far from all the sites. We stayed at Castles outside of Montego Bay but found it easy to get around by tour buses, ie. to Dunns Falls, Martha Brae Rafting, etc., and most restaurants in town had a taxi/mini bus service to their establishments. The resort itself had a daily bus into Montego Bay and made a stop at the grocery store. Didn't need a car. Castles was an all-suite resort.

Lee

Deb, I lived in Jamaica for two years and don't ever plan on returning. I've been to Kingston (capital), Montego Bay, Negril and lived in Ocho Rios. The natural terrain is beautiful, but it otherwise not a pleasant place with crime and such. Good luck.

Charlene O'Donnell

Jamaica is defintely a beautiful, tropical place to visit. In the prior message suggesting Sandals, please be advised that Sandals does not allow any children (couples only). The problem with Jamacia is the crime and large numbers of very, very poor people. Air Jamacia Airlines warned all passengers of the high crime rate against tourists and warned us about leaving the resort. If you pick the right resort that has everything (food, private beach, pool, entertainment) you certainly can have a wonderful time. If you are the adventerous type and want to get out and explore you'd better pick a different destination. Why not go to Hilton Head, SC or the Outer Banks, NC? These spots are frequented mostly by families and offer lots of things to do. I could also suggest Sanibel Island, FL. The beaches here are pristine and offer quality family time.

walt taurins

I don't know what part of the US you come
from...but in Jamaica BE CAREFUL.

suzanne

My husband and I travelled to Jamaica for our honeymoon in November 1996. We stayed in Montego Bay and loved it -- however, we were at a Sandals Resort that did not allow children. I believe there is a new Sandals called Beaches that is in Negril and that caters to families - check it out, Negril is beautiful! I believe it would be better for your family to stay at an all-inclusive resort - much safer and a better value with the kids.

Toni Kihara

We went to Jamaica last year and we loved the Island. We heard all sorts of bad things about Jamaica but did not experience anything bad. Yes, they will ask you if you would like to buy drugs as soon as you arrive at the Airport but all you have to say is No. We stayed at an all inclusive resort (no children allowed)but the SuperClubs chain which we stayed at has a resort for everyone. They have a resort called Boscabal Beach which is an all inclusive reosort catering to families. They even has a restaurant where only children are allowed! The best part of our trip was that the resort which we stayed at had everything, including a beautiful beach. You never had to leave the resort and they even have security guards so that you are totally safe. We did venture out of the resort by ourselves and to our surprise, the neighborhood was nice and we had no problems whatsoever. I am sure there are parts of the Island which you would not want to walk by yourselves. We also hired a driver from the resort who drove us around and he was a very nice person. He took us to the best places to shop. Traveling with a child in Jamaica, I would definitely stay at an all inclusive resort and take tours with the group or hire someone from the resort to drive you around if you wanted to leave the resort. Overall, Jamaica is a beautiful Island and is worth visiting.

Judy Garner

For years I wanted to go to Jamaica but my husband
had heard horror stories and had no desire to go
there. I finally talked him into it after spending
several hours online researching all the properties.
I knew I wanted to stay in Ocho Rios and wanted to
go all-inclusive. It's the first time in a long time
that we vacationed for 8 days and 7 nights. We went
last year in July and had a wonderful time!! We
stayed at the Jamaica Grande. We walked into town
every day (it was very close to the hotel) Police in town keep the Jamaicans from harrassing you trying to sell their wares. Our hotel was very nice and children are welcome. I find that Sandals are a little to rich for me but they may be very well worth what you pay but I have not stayed at one of their properties. We had different nightly entertainment and the hotel had at least 2 resturants to choose from besides eating at the buffets (which alot of all inclusives opt for) If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me.

Tony Espeseth

My wife, four friends, and I go to Jamaica every year...Don't waste your time anywhere but Negril...Ocho Rios is the place to shop, but stick with Negril. Yes there are drug dealers, but Negril is still very quaint and quiet. The beach is great and they still have a lot of respect for Americans. In Negril we have yet to see any crime at all in five years. Mo' Bay and Kingston though is much tougher. I have had a pen pal there for three years. He take care of everything form tours to picking us up in a clean bus at the airport. He is clean, drugfree, and does not ever ask for money. We tip him well and he takes care that our vacation is the best each year. If you go try to make a friend that doesn't harass you to come to the States or sells drugs. They like t-shirts, Nike shoes, and Pro sports caps for trading and tips. I strongly recommend Negril for anyone going to Jamaica the first time. No Problem, Mon!

Michel

If you travel with a child, I suggest Point Village (about ten minutes east of Negril). The resort is on 17 lush acres and has a wonderful private beach (great for swimming, snorkeling...). We had a one-bedroom apartment with full kitchen and two balconies. Although Point Village is near "couples only" resorts, it is very private... and the people are great. I highly recommend it.

Kevin J.

Jamaica is definitly worth visiting!! My family and I had one of our best vacations there this past July. For any family with children I would highly recommend Super-Clubs Boscobel Beach All-Inclusive Resort in Ocho Rios. My kids are 9 and 12 years old and they had a fantastic time there. Boscobel Beach caters to families with children. There are lots of activities for kids and adults. All of the water sports, entertainment, and food were included in our package. We felt totally safe at the resort and in downtown Ocho Rios. There is still poverty there, but it isnt as bad as I had heard. We didnt experience any crime or drug dealing there either. We had an absolutely great time and did not want to leave! Jamaica is a beautiful place to visit.

Lori

We spent a day in Jamaica on a Western Caribbean cruise. The island is definitely one of the most beautiful, very tropical. Our children were 10 and 12 at the time. We climbed Dunn's river falls, and all enjoyed that. We did not feel overly safe in Jamaica, and people were coming up to our tour vans trying to sell drugs. If I went to Jamaica I would probably stay at an all inclusive resort and not venture out on my own. We have been to many islands that we have felt much safer on, St John, and St Maarten. I would suggest a cruise for your family, very economical, safe, and a lot of entertainment for children. Lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean have wonderful kids programs, this is our kids favorite kind of vacation. We're going on our third one over Thanksgiving.

Sarah

Anyone who would avoid Jamaica just because of things that they have heard is crazy. Like everyone else, I heard bad things about Jamaica's crime and drugs. Luckily I did not let that stop me from enjoying a wonderful 7-day vacation there. My boyfriend and I booked our vacation through Air Jamaica vacations and stayed at the Point Village Resort in Negril. You have to understand that Jamaica is a poor country and selling crafts (and drugs) is how they make their money. And remember, they wouldn't attempt to sell drugs to you if some travelers didn't actually purchase them. All you have to do is say no. They will not be offended. <BR>But why don't you take a look at their crafts. It's amazing what they can do and hey, you NEED a souvineer don't you?A bit of advice that the flight attendants told us, whatever they say the price is for the item, offer them half automatically. Never pay full price!!!! <BR>Also, make sure you take the time to visit YS Falls, you won't be disappointed! <BR> <BR> <BR>

Scott

I Sept '99, my wife and I stayed at the Poincianna Negril(which is now part of the Sandals chain). We too heard all the bad news about JA but decided to give it a try. We loved it. The Poin did accept children and had a childrens' program. <BR>If we could afford it, we would go back <BR>every year.

Curious

Are there any hotels that are not all inclusive? Is Jamacia popular because no one leaves the resorts?

Mesha

Deb, <BR> <BR>For detailed info. on my stay just this month at an all inclusive resort in Montego Bay, JA, see the post: "Back from Sunset Beach". I posted my comments on 8/18/00 under caribbean islands. <BR> <BR>BTW I traveled with my family, including two children ages 9 & 12 and it was our first visit to JA too. <BR> <BR>Any further questions, don't hesitate to email me.

Meg

Curious - there are a lot of reasonably priced hotels and cottages that are not all-inclusive. I've been twice - once to MoBay at Sandals and once to Negril in a cottage on the cliffs. Enjoyed both trips very much. I will go back to Negril and continue to stay on the cliffs. It's a beautiful place that is much more laid back than MoBay.

Trey

Ocho Rios is a great place to visit. Very beautiful and the people in Jamaica are great no matter what any of these other posters say. I would advise against going out alone at night, but other that that don't be afraid. I made some cool Jamaican friends while we were there. I prefer Ocho Rios over Montego Bay, but you do cut out the 2.5 hour bus ride if you stay in Montego Bay. The worst part of your trip will be the airport. To put it simple it SUCKS.