I don't think people think he is lying due to disagreements about Jamaica. Its because his story seems full of inconsistencies and stereotypes. In any event Jamaican tourism IMHO will not suffer from this story. There are too many other reports that ring true. I simply don't believe his does. JM2C.

Wow "amaclise"! You must carry yourself a bit different from myself and others I know who travel to Jamaica. I have never felt so wanted! And there truly isn't a more beautiful isle. Must be a negative energy sort of thing. Sorry. :(

I dont have a problem with other people not liking Jamaica. Infact I want to hear about all experiences in Jamaica. My birthplace has a lot of problems, and I dont beleive we can deny that. The problem I have with the poster is that I do not beleive the story. How often just about every negative stereotype about anyplace is experienced by a single traveller? Also the story was too general for me to really believe it.

Also, its not the first time its happened on this board. I have met a few people who will never return to Jamaica and thats ok as again not everyone will like everyplace. Just dont smear any place just for the sake of doing so.

Sputnik hasn't been back since the original post four days ago >)

and one final comment...in any hotel I have stayed in regardless of country, and mostly Marriott hotels, there are allmost 3 lock mechanism so this is not a Jamaica thing. As the poster have travelled all over the world, I am sure he has seen the same. There is almost allways a deadbolt, a chain lock and also the regular lock on the door.

Final comment....

jray: I agree. The OP posted this on lonely planet and I think it was his first post there too. He got hammered there as well. Well traveled folks can smell a phony rather easily. This was a hit and run.
CS; Well said! It reminds me of our first trip to Jamaica. I read B4 going that if you are friendly to the Jamaicans initially you will get that back with interest and I found to be very true. Yah mon. :-)

Wow CaribbeanSoul talk about negative energy. I would never post such a personally directed attack about someone on a post like this. Not a very classy move.

Sorry...no directive intended. Sorry if my post was impulsive and offending to you. The heat of the moment and a couple glasses of wine...but I feel, so often, that I must defend this fine island. I do get carried away, ocassionally. Best of luck.

CaribbeanSoul, Thanks for your "sorry" post to amaclise. I too thought your answer was a little harsh as others have been. Even if the original post wasn't "on the level", we all don't have to love the same island. I do not think it necessary to slam people and their experience. Thanks again CS. Owa

Apology accepted. I may have been a bit hard on Jamaica too...I was there when I was much younger and didn't have the "worldly" travel experience I have now. ;-)

I have been reading this thread with interest. I am thinking ahead, considering vacation destinations for a celebratory trip when I finish graduate school. Jamaica is on the list of possibilities - specifically Treasure Beach. Despite some negative reviews, Jamaica sounds like a really interesting place to visit.

The love it or hate it phenomenon reminds me of New Orleans - my husband and I spent our honeymoon there and we heard from all sorts of people who hated New Orleans. They said it was crowded, dirty, smelly, and crime-ridden. My husband and I noticed all that stuff too, but the positives definitely outweighed the negatives.

Fortunately, TB is the antithesis of
everything sputnik found repelling.

It's funny how this person has not been back to comment on others replies.

When I post a trip report..I am always interested in what others have to say.

My guess...this person did not really go to Jamaica.

Christie

Just saw this post and related thread and had to reply.

My wife and I (mid 40's) visited Jamaica for the first time in 2004. One of the best vacations of our entire life.

We also spent 8 days there, as did sputnik_1970. I have serious issues/reservations with the original post, also qestioning the legitimacy.

Assuming it is legit, however, the traveller did almost no homework before his trip. 8 days and he stayed in Negril and Ochos Rios and wanted to spend a day on a bus travelling to and from Kingston? Jamaica is a HUGE island. He named 3 locations just about as far from each other as possible.

That reminded me of a Dutch foreign exchange student I once hosted who, being used to travelling from country to country in Europe, wanted to see the Grand Canyon, Disneyland, Niagara Falls and New Orleans in the final week of her stay in the US.

We stayed 4 nights on the cliffs in Negril and 4 nights on the beach in Negril. Seemed to make more sense than spending all our vacation time runing around trying to see the "Top 10" sights of the island.

Taxis: to and from the airport booked through the hotel at an agreed upon price. That advice is sprinkled throughout this forum. Taxis around Negril required a bit of haggling, but we always agreed upon the price before we got in the car. In every major US city there are legit and gypsy taxis. In Jamaica the legit ones have JUTA licenses. Read the forums.

Prices for food are almost always posted so you can decide the price range of your meal. We ate at 3 Dives for jerk chicken (heaven!) at very reasonable rates. In fact, I just checked the photo in our den of us standing in 3 Dives beside the menu chalkboard: 1/2 chicken with rice and vegetable was $450 JSD. Huge meal! Of course, you had to add in the cost of a number of Red Stripes, but that's a variable cost, right?! Maybe 3 Dives has raised their prices, but at today's exchange rate, that's $6.83 US.

We ate meals all over Negril and were never once surprised at the prices and people were unfailingly nice. We ate food and fruit from beach vendors (although I don't recall pineapple at all) and it never cost $6-8 for "one small piece".

Caveats? Yes. We were there in November 2004, shortly after Hurricane Ivan. Jamaica is a poor country and Ivan really hurt their economy. We encountered aggressive vendors all over. The beaches had food, fruit, hair braiding, massages and yes, ganga vendors trying to sell you their goods/services. "No, thanks" and "Thanks, I'm not interested," worked most of the time.

It did wear, but given their relative poverty and my relative wealth, I figured they were being ultra polite.

We walked around "downtown" Negril and into the area set aside for arts/crafts booths and encountered more of the aggressive vendors/panhandlers. No one was threatening but it was overwhelming at times. The way we handled it was to put ourselves in their position: very poor with wealthy Americans with money to spend walking towards them. My wife and I spend more money getting our hair cut each month than most of them make all month. I would be trying to get me to buy some food or trinkets, too.

Back to the taxis: We had our "hotel" taxi guy take us to one of the falls for an all day outing. On the way back (through some gorgeous countryside), he stopped to talk to some guys he knew. They offered to sell us one of the biggest "spliffs" I've seen since junior year in college. We politely declined and headed on back. No problem, mon!

I recommend buying all the coffee you can and buying none of the ganga.

If you go to Jamaica and safety is your biggest fear/concern go the AI route. You can always venture out of the compound a few times.

I wouldn't recommend it, though. Stay at some independent places and ask the front clerk to get you a taxi for wherever you want to go. They'll call their cousin and it will cost a bit more than haggling with the first guy who drives by, but it will be a known quantity. Same thing on the return trip from your chosen restaurant: have them get you a taxi. Cuz gives the doorman a cut, but you get a reliable, known individual.

I still question sputnik. That was quite a bomb to drop and then disappear.

Jamaica was a wonderful experience for my wife and I. We get warm fuzzys everytime it comes up in conversation.

If you are thinking of going, do some planning, read the forums, use commone sense, then go out and have the vacation of your life.

Mark; You sound like someone who as actually been there. :S-

Jamaica is one of the most beautiful islands with spectacular vistas, colorful culture, music, art and food and generally warm people. I have been there twice -Negril and Ocho Rios area. It has a unique personality. It can provide a fascinating experience. For those who like something beyond a strictly "resort" experience, it offers much, however... A good experience requires something beyond the common courtesy which evokes return friendliness on most islands.
A good experience in Jamaica requires lots of planning, second-guessing, face-watching, tipping and judgment,judgment,judgment.
This is an awful lot like what many people do when not on vacation. It bears consideration when choosing an island. (An AI avoids this but also may miss the unique flavor of Jamaica.)