Never been to Jamaica-- low key travellers who don't like big resorts, more interested in local culture, nature, outdoors & would want to rent a car
 

We are looking for a last minute getaway, and I've found some cheap charter tickets that go into Montego Bay. We have no interest in just a vacation lying on the beach and drinking. Nor are we interested in nightlife. We're in our 50s and enjoy hiking & biking (not mt biking), local flavor, learning more about different cultures, walking on remote beaches and beautiful mountains, gorgeous scenery, nature, eating authentic food, and my husband is an enthusiastic fly fisherman (not that this needs to be part of the equation). We've done a lot of independent travel and would never, ever consider an Americanized AI resort. And our requirements for lodging aren't demanding; we're really looking for good location, interesting place, clean & safe, and budget to moderate price. No pampering required. We've rented cars in places where many don't recommend it, such as the Yucatan and Romania, and we prefer to go to off the beaten path places. If we were to jump on these tickets, what locales would you recommend, and would we be fools to take off on our own in a rental car to go to some more remote places? Yes, I've been reading the travel advisories and do have a few concerns. We prefer more adventure or green travel but not at the price of our safety. We would pass on this trip rather than think the only way we could visit Jamaica would be to confine ourselves to a walled and gated place designed for fearful tourists. Is the vacation type I am referring to possible in Jamaica? Where would I find it? Would it be possible to visit a couple different locales?

Without a doubt, the Treasure Beach area on the south coast and the parish of Portland on the west coast will be ideal for you. Check out www.jamaicaescapes.com for a variety of places to stay. Also read posts from Tivertonhouse, liza, and faithie (and her old moniker of willem) for their trip reports.

My first trip to Jamaica was to the Treasure Beach area last January. We loved how the area wasn't remotely resort driven, but rather community based. We stayed at Mar Blue, a small B&B or auberge style place right on the water with fantastic food. We could walk up or down the beach for swimming coves, explore tidal pools, or stroll along the beach or the road through the community in search of food, drink, or just a chat.

Take a look at www.treasurebeach.net which will give you a much better overview than I could. It's a marvelous place and I long to return there.

Romanian/Bulgarian roads are a good match for Jamaica's, if the latter's are not cobblestoned. Car rentals
from MoBay run about US$375+up/week for a Toyota Corolla 4 dr automatic with a/c. With a security deposit on a credit card and cdw/collision damage waiver insurance mandatory. It's 2.5 hours drive to TB. But one can get
transfers via private driver -- and then
rent a Toyota in Black River for about
US$50/day. Or an Islandcruiser, a jeep-jitney-bugri-like runabout in TB. And there's plenty to explore in the area.
Port Antonio's best reached thru Kingston with a 2 hour drive round the coast. Wonderful place but hard to combine with other areas without a lot of driving. As one guide aptly puts it:driving on Jamaican roads earns a
PHD in pothole avoidance. But then, you're not in a rush like most Jamaicans...

Hey I put in my 2 cents for Treasure Beach too.
I went down there to Jake's last May for the Calabash literary festival and was incredibly impressed with the laid back luxury of the place.
Very different from the Club Med= wannabe places up by Montego Bay. Like you said, most of them have a big wall to keep the local people out.
On the south coast, the people are right there next to you.
The eastern end of JA is also nice with the Blue Mountains (for climbing) and Port Antonio area (I think they have fly fishing).

Err, I apparently got my east and west mixed up again. Portland/Port Antonio is EAST coast. Negril is on the west coast, and while lovely by most accounts, is probably too built up for your tastes.

Definitely take advantage of the cheap charter tickets and go to Jamaica. It's probably the island that has more detractors but more importantly, the most passionate devotees, of any other island discussed on this board.

Hi !! This is Faithie, AKA Willem , sounds definitely like a Treasure Beach or Port Antonio trip to me ! Hi y'all ! Ho ! Ho ! Ho !

Hi ej and Faithie,

I wonder how Marion is getting on? Anyone heard?

I bet she's having too good a time to be bothered chatting to us. Well I really hope she is :-)

Alya, I was thinking of Marion today also. I miss her posts. Maybe she will see this and take pity on us. Owa

Both TB and Portland are not particularly touristy areas (yet have hotels, villas and guesthouses, and neither has anything like a Sandals or large resort of any kind). Both have lots oto do by day and much more mellow nighttime activities...local bars, mainly.

For biking (not mtn) the edge goes to TB. For hiking and pure lush beauty, I'd say Portland.

Both are quite different.

I know people say not to rent a car, but we did and loved having it. Driving is on the left, and challenging due to potholes, no edge lines, shoulders are rare, roads are narrow, did I mention potholes, and the odd goat or cow. But if you are not in a rush you can let others pass you and just enjoy. Getting directions and such is very easy, espeically outside the tourist areas where people are a lot friendlier and real, in my opinion anyway.

I have some pictures of those areas:

http://gallery.hookahheads.com/gallery/album61

See the March 2003 trip especially.

Hi Guys ..... Yes , I was wondering about Marion as well , perhaps no news is good news ..? !! We will all be happy to hear from her .

Thanks to all of you.

jules

I found ejcrowes trip report!

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...rowe&fid=5

hope this helps

Hmm.. not sure why that didn't work if you click on ejcrowes name in this post and then select Jamaica in the countries search box.

You should get a post called Trip Report Mar Blue dated 1/22/05 - I can see it I don't seem able to post it.

It sounds wounderful!

With Percy as her driver, Marion left Noble House, a luxury North Coast estate villa, and arrived this past Wednesday at Coquina, a small villa on the beach at Great Bay/
Treasure Beach on the South Coast--2.5 hours away. She's looking forward to
reading 'The Night Before Christmas' as well as 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' to local kids at the Children's Christmas party, tree lighting and live gospel performances
next week. See Blue Marlin/Coquina on
jamaicaescapes.com for a look at the
views she's waking up to every morning...

I was wondering when Marion was going to be returning as well. I bet she we will be so cute reading the Christmas books to the children. When I was a kid those types of holiday traditions were always my favorite.

I bet she is having a fabulous time!

I just looked at Coquina. It looks amazing. It says that a live out cook is included in the rates. Does that mean that you give the cook funds to buy the groceries and they cook whatever you like?

That is definitely a great way to vacation, and not as expensive as I thought it would be considering the cook, groundskeeper, and housekeeper are included.

Most villas on island do an advance paid food/drinks kitty based on an average expenditure of about US$30-35 per person/per day, with 'luxury' goods like wine, shellfish and large liquor orders upping the tab. Food is oddly not inexpensive in Jamaica. Your food needs/preferences are profiled in advance for cooks. Marketing is done largely in Black River and Junction, each about a half hour's drive in opposite directions from Treasure Beach by your cooks -- with special things
also sourced from both Kingston and MoBay. Overages/underages to food kitty are settled with cook day before departure. This gives you flexibility to have cook do 3 meals day or more or less, depending on your mood/touring
plans/dining out plans. There are a lot of 'likkle cook shop' in area serving cheap and delcious conch soup, jerk and steamfish. But invariably the local cooks at villas are very good.

I did not realize that it would be that easy. I thought having a cook everyday would be extremely cost prohibitive.

This is going to sound like a stupid question, but I'm assuming there is no difficulty getting poultry or beef? As much as I'm embarrassed to admit it, I don't like any type of seafood, including lobster (I'm not a picky eater and I consider myself a foodie otherwise). I know that chicken would be easily obtained due to the prevalence of jerk chicken. I don't know about beef though.

Regarding Jamaica, there was a good Tour of Jamaica on the Travel Channel last night. It was with the Prime Minister of Jamaica (who was a very lively fellow), and they went to Negril (they showed cliff diving), Montego Bay, and all of the major destinations.

Tiv, if you are in touch with Marion, will you please send her greetings from all of us here at Fodor's? I was thinking of the Pelican Bar just yesterday and was wondering if Marion had negotiated its steps yet.

Ejcrowe:Before she left, Marion expressed she'd do her damndest to make sure she did Pelican Bar. Will send regards along.
Mah: TB is a a collection of 5 fishing
villages so lots of fish/seafood. However, chicken, pork, goat readily available. Beef is not a big item in
Jamaican cooking aside from oxtail soup,
pepperpot soup -- Jamaicans excel at soups -- and patties/like Cornish pastry with spiced veg or beef or other fillings (Jamaican fast food). Most beef on island is imported from Australia, but we can get beef and lamb to better standards by sourcing Kingston
about 3.5 hours away or MoBay, 2.5 hours as long as we know guests want steaks, a roast or chops. Beef US style is considered a luxury on island.