We have allready booked our trip and paid for it to portie . We are a family of 4 , with 2 kids ages 5 and 8 . I did research before I booked , checking out the official travel safety web sites from U.S. , Canada And England . On those sites Jamaica reads no more dangerous than Mexico ( kingston the exception ) Since then I have checked out chat sites etc. and I am really scared . I thought I had been thourough and actually didnt choose Mexico because of malaria etc. Now I feel like a fool and a bad mom . Port Antonio I did read has a lower rate of crime and also less higglers than the other tourist areas . Please any input !!! Faith , p.s. we are there end feb. early march .

Relax....Port Antonio is not what I'd call a high crime area. West Kingston yes, parts of Montego Bay, yes, Portland, no.

We spent a few days in Portland this past spring and had no problems at all (well we got a flat tire but that's not a criminal event...)

We take our kids to Jamaica every other itme we go...they've been 4 times now and they love it...everyone is really nice to them and we have not had any safety issues at all. Mine are now 9 and 6 but have been going since the youngest was only a yer old.

Where are you staying? Portland is my favorite area of Jamaica, it is SO beautiful!!

Hi Liza , Thanx for responding , feels reassuring to hear positive things and also other parents who have taken their kids . We finally decided on goblin hill villas because its a little closer to the beach than fern hill which actually was our first choice . Also in the villa at fern hill I had to cook and at goblin hill I dont , a little break . We also really liked norse point , and on the owners site it was reasonable , but it was booked . So goblin hill here we come !!! Faith

I know several people who have gone to Port Antonio with absolutely no problem - no pun intended. I took my daughter to Jamaica in Apri and she loved it - never felt threatened and everyone treated her like a little princess. She may have broken a record for keeping her "spring break braids." I am already thinking about our next trip - which will definitely include some time in the mountains this time. I looked at the website and Goblin Hill looks wonderful. No one could consider you a bad mom for taking your kids to such a special place. PLease post a trip report when you return.

My own experiences in Jamaica have convinced me that taking children with you is actually a positive safety measure.

Not only will you not be offered things that are offered to adults traveling without children, I think you're safer overall. It's a very family-oriented culture and people generally don't hassle groups that include young kids.

We toured Goblin Hill and stayed at Fern Hill this spring...if you haven't seen my trip report and pictures you might like to:

http://www.alink.com/personal/liz/negril/2003trip.htm

...we did not have the kids with us that time so didn't want a villa (we had a suite at FH). Both properties are high up with great views, GH was quieter than FH (or so it seened to us that day). We did NOT want a cook, we wanted a restaurant, so FH was better for us.

Are you sure that the main villa at FH doesn't come with a cook though? (not to talk you out of GH...it was fine, but I assumed FH's big villa did have a cook).

cdt makes a good point...when walking the beach in Negril with my kids we're offered hair braiding and jewelry and such but no drugs. Without them we get all sorts of offers.

I really want to take my children to Portladn next...I think they'd love Reich Falls, Long Bay, eating at Boston Bay, Blue Lagoon (my kids LOVE to swim), exploring the mountains some, probably not rafting the Rio Grande but maybe tubing on the White River near Ochi.....so much to do and see over there it's hard to pick. There's an outifit that offers guided hikes to waterfalls and caves and such in the Riop Grande valley too...the hikes were rated by difficulty and there were some interesting "easy" rated ones.

Wish I could get there this spring!

Hi Liza , We were originally booked in a 1 bedroom villa at Fern Hill and with the extra cost above the suite cost I agreed to cook . No it does not come with a cook unfortunately . In the end we became a little concerned about the long walk to the beach for 2 young kids and also I knew I would grudgingly cook !!! Vacation afterall ! Even though I liked the look of Fern Hill a bit better we went with Goblin for proximity ; slightly closer to beach , and also the cooking thing ! I am feeling better conversing with people who have visited allready . I believe my kids will love it , so much natural beauty ! Thank You ! Faith

I'm not sure Goblin Hill is a very easy walk to the beach either...they were both located up on the edge of a mountain.

We had a rental car when we were there so we drove ourselves but if we hadn't, we might have walked TO the beach but not back up - definitely not with kids.

FH did have 3 swimming pools, we visited each one when we were there. Goblin Hill has one also, I assume?

Hi ! I hope Goblin Hill is closer , As I said we were actually booked originally at F.H. which I liked better and was a bit less expensive villa to villa . We were told by the Jamaican tourism board that it was closer and also the booking agents who handle both places said it was a bit closer. We are not renting a car so a bit closer is important ! I think G.H. is definitely closer to san san beach and equal distance from both hotels to frenchmans cove beach . G.H. does have a nice little pool , although not a semi private one like the villas at F.H. Funny thing , I actually read your trip report somewhere a few weeks ago and tried in vain to find the pics , I did tonite , check them out people !!Faith , And if I switched again they would think I was really a fruitloop !!! Your report was helpful and probably helped me choose F.H. originally , But transporting kids on our backs after a long day at the beach .... Oh Yeah , G.H. supposedly has a little bar that opens from 5 to 10 . Basically with the kids besides the tours of the falls , rio grande , town , etc it will be pool , beach ,pool , eat , sleep etc . Love the info. Faith

I'm glad you liked the report and pics!

Getting a taxi back up to the hotel should be easy in any case...if it's really hot I'd plan on that

oops !! uncharted outposts ... check out as well mexico boutique resorts /hotels

To Willem: I don't know where you are staying but I do recomend lunching at the Bonnie View hotel. What a view! And the French fried sweet popatoes weren't bad either. Irie mon!

Thanx Jacketwatch ! we will try it out . We are staying at Goblin Hill Villas , and by the way I live in Montreal ! Thank you for sticking up for Jamaica , I am feeling more comfortable . Do you know much about St .Lucia or St. Kitts .... P.A. is with kids next month and another island at a later date with my husband . I like hilly , lush , tropical , do not need shopping ,casinos etc. , etc. Faith , Merci !!!

I've been to St. Lucia, though it was a long time ago...maybe 1987 or so.

Much smaller than JA but very lush, the volcanoes were cool.

We stayed on the southern end of the island (at Club Med, now closed I think) and I did not care for the beach - waves, seaweed, too windy.

But we spent a day further north at Anse Chastenet and their beach had great clear, calm water (but the sand is black, making the water look kind of dark blue).

To Willem: If you like hilly, lush etc. also consider Martinique one day. I have not been to St. Lucia but both are volcanic in nature which IMHO adds lushness to the terrain. Mar. also has a rain forest and honestly I was very surprised at how beautiful it is. We were there on a cruise last summer. And they speak French as you do I assume. Actually Mar. is part of France. I haven't been to St. Kitts either but I do hear good things about it. Another one to consider is Puerto Rico. It too has a rain forest, is lush, very lush in fact and has alot of culture and history. I hope to get to Montreal one day. I have a coworker who hails from there and it sounds like a bit of Europe just up the border. We are in a suburb of Chicago. Cheers and adieu, Larry

Hi ! Martinique was in fact the other island I was drawn to , I do speak french so I guess it is a bonus . Parts of Montreal are very much like parts of Paris , but Quebec City MUCH more so . It looks like the Montmarte . Really . P.R. does look nice but my husband has been there a few times allready , we thought a new place would be interesting . So many beautiful islands and in fact simply from photos and info. I would have to say that Jamaica has a lot of the criteria of what people want in an island . It also seems to inspire tremendous passion in people !! Faith

Hello Faith: I think you'll enjoy Jamaica. Port A is not too far from Ocho Rios which is where we have stayed. If you get there you can climb Dunns river falls and explore the town. And if you like coffee some of the best coffee in the world is Jamaican Blue Mountain. Here it is about $50.00 per pound. There you can Get it for less that half that if you are so inclined. Again, have a nice trip! Larry. And I'll keep Quebec city in mind. Cheers.

http://bahia-las-ballenas.net/english/index.html

Sorry, lol!!!
wrong post......