Jamaica
 

Thinking of going to Jamaica, wondering if it’s a fairly safe destination. Also, any suggestions to which area or city is the nicest to stay at? Would I need to get a rental car or are taxis common? Thank you for your help and any suggestions.

I have enjoyed my trips to Jamaica. Been three time and spread out over many years. Always flew into Montego Bay, then arranged a driver/shuttle out to Negril (about 90 minutes). I like to stay on "the Cliffs" but there is also the "7-Mile Beach".
If this sounds interesting here if the best website I know of for that destination: https://www.negrilonestop.com/

I would not want to rent a car and drive yourself around as a first time visitor. I consider it "safe" for what I have done, but I didn't do anything crazy, or go out around the island getting lost in places I didn't belong :-)

For a first time trip, I’d recommend a prebooked transfer. That’s what we did but after we arrived we wanted to rent a car locally for a couple of days but the cars were very expensive as not prebooked. Some of the restaurants had shuttle service from the beach to their place on the cliffs and then you could share a taxi back with other tourists.

Jamaica isn’t known for being the safest place but Negril felt ok, we didn’t go to Kingston for example.

I agree "safety" depends where you are going, what you are doing, how you get there. I have friends who rent vehicles but they have spent a lot of time in Jamaica (former PeaceCorp workers there). I personally would not drive myself, I don't know if it is "dangerous" but it is VERY crazy driving on the island. I also would not stay in the larger cities, Kingston or Montego Bay.

I have only heard negative things about Kingston. Everywhere else seems very safe to me. I spent time in Falmouth and Port Antonio. Depending on where you are coming from, driving on the 'wrong side of the road' can be problematic as is people and animals walking in the road while vehicles are honking their horn as they pass around them.

I went on a guided hike with the Southern Trelawny Environmental Agency, and it was one of the very best travel experiences of my life. Get a taxi to take you to Albert Town. Also near Falmouth is a bio-luminescent bay, one of only three (I think) in the world. An amazing nighttime experience to go out on a boat and swim in the waters.

Another favorite experience was going to Reach Falls near Port Antonio. The water in the falls are a wonder for swimming, and then you can hike right up and in the river (there will be someone there you can hire to guide you.) This is like out of some kind of marvelous sweet dream of a tropical wonderland.

Agree with every syllable that Shelemm posted above. Port Antonio offers a nice balance of authenticity without being overwhelmed by commercial tourism. The 'Roof Club' there is the real deal, mon. Reach Falls doubles as both a swimming wonderland plus the starting point for another must-do: the bamboo rafting down the river, one of the most relaxing activities in the Caribbean.

*I am currently labelling the recently-digitized audio collage that we once recorded across Jamaica.
** My Jamaican childhood friend's mom just died at age 101. Ten kids, four of whom she buried in decades past. Several great-grand-children.

I am done. the Rose