rethinking trip to jamaica
Jun 13th, 2005, 11:31 AM
#141
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jray..I really want to go to Jamaica,probably Negril.My husband is skeptical about it though.Maybe I will go with a girlfriend.I think that if he went that he just might do something very dumb and get hurt because when he drinks..he loses all street smarts..(like in Aruba..he was following a young kid to get away from a rastafarian who was after him).I am afraid that one day he may not be so lucky.
Jun 13th, 2005, 12:43 PM
#143
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Christie,
You may want to try a place on the cliffs for your first trip. I would suggest you go with a girlfriend or two. Then you can take a trip to Negril beach and see what you think. Some people are bothered by the higglers on the beach - they don't bother me at all but I have learned the art of the decisive but pleasant "no thank you. It would also be great to get a group of friends together and get a villa on Treasure beach with a cook. That would be the ultimate relaxing vacation.
You may want to try a place on the cliffs for your first trip. I would suggest you go with a girlfriend or two. Then you can take a trip to Negril beach and see what you think. Some people are bothered by the higglers on the beach - they don't bother me at all but I have learned the art of the decisive but pleasant "no thank you. It would also be great to get a group of friends together and get a villa on Treasure beach with a cook. That would be the ultimate relaxing vacation.
Jun 13th, 2005, 07:30 PM
#144
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holly,
i know the last thing you need is ANOTHER response, but i was in the same boat as you 3 years ago. It is so hard to think about the perfect destination for such a special occassion. Jamaica is the one island i know of that elicits every response in the book. I am always hesitant to recommend or not recommend it. As everyone says, it truly depends on what you're looking for, and how open minded you are. Here is my experience, for what it's worth....
I took our family of 4 and 10 friends to Jamaica for my 40th birthday. While we travel extensively, it was our first Caribbean trip. I should note i'm a very picky traveler and we are accustomed to extremely nice accommodations. We had kids of all ages along (5-14)and not much knowledge of what to expect. When we first arrived, i was shocked. The poverty we saw on the way to our villa was so very sad. My brain wasn't quite grasping what i was seeing in person compared to what i saw in the magazines! BUT, to make what could be a very long story short, our trip to Jamaica will always be one of the most special trips we've ever taken. Patty said it best: Jamaica has a SOUL! We have since been to St. Thomas, St. John, the Caymans, Puerto Rico, Cabo San Lucas and will leave for Turks and Caicos in july; and while each place has its own special beauty, the people of Jamaica are truly, truly a gift. The absolute best advice from everyone is, GO EXPLORING!!! Find a driver who will show you the Jamaica no one else will ever tell you about. Immerse yourself in THEIR culture. I found I couldn't ask enough questions of the locals we met. To this day, our children think Jamaica is a jewel -- not for the water or the mountains: it was all about the people, who they came to love (for the record, we stayed in a villa on Runaway Bay and the staff lived there also. We still keep in touch with them today). The resorts do such a disservice to visitors of the island. Go with an open mind and an open heart and you will love it. I almost cried on the way TO the villa because i thought we had made a huge mistake. I DID cry on our way HOME from the villa because i had been touched deeply by what i saw, felt and experienced. I always tell people Jamaica is "raw," if you're looking for Hawaii you might be shocked at what you see. But if you REALLY want to feel like you're 'not in Kansas anymore,' this is the place. It isn't paradise because it's perfect in every way...it's paradise because it isn't. I hope this helps, but ultimately, your gut will probably tell you what's best!
i know the last thing you need is ANOTHER response, but i was in the same boat as you 3 years ago. It is so hard to think about the perfect destination for such a special occassion. Jamaica is the one island i know of that elicits every response in the book. I am always hesitant to recommend or not recommend it. As everyone says, it truly depends on what you're looking for, and how open minded you are. Here is my experience, for what it's worth....
I took our family of 4 and 10 friends to Jamaica for my 40th birthday. While we travel extensively, it was our first Caribbean trip. I should note i'm a very picky traveler and we are accustomed to extremely nice accommodations. We had kids of all ages along (5-14)and not much knowledge of what to expect. When we first arrived, i was shocked. The poverty we saw on the way to our villa was so very sad. My brain wasn't quite grasping what i was seeing in person compared to what i saw in the magazines! BUT, to make what could be a very long story short, our trip to Jamaica will always be one of the most special trips we've ever taken. Patty said it best: Jamaica has a SOUL! We have since been to St. Thomas, St. John, the Caymans, Puerto Rico, Cabo San Lucas and will leave for Turks and Caicos in july; and while each place has its own special beauty, the people of Jamaica are truly, truly a gift. The absolute best advice from everyone is, GO EXPLORING!!! Find a driver who will show you the Jamaica no one else will ever tell you about. Immerse yourself in THEIR culture. I found I couldn't ask enough questions of the locals we met. To this day, our children think Jamaica is a jewel -- not for the water or the mountains: it was all about the people, who they came to love (for the record, we stayed in a villa on Runaway Bay and the staff lived there also. We still keep in touch with them today). The resorts do such a disservice to visitors of the island. Go with an open mind and an open heart and you will love it. I almost cried on the way TO the villa because i thought we had made a huge mistake. I DID cry on our way HOME from the villa because i had been touched deeply by what i saw, felt and experienced. I always tell people Jamaica is "raw," if you're looking for Hawaii you might be shocked at what you see. But if you REALLY want to feel like you're 'not in Kansas anymore,' this is the place. It isn't paradise because it's perfect in every way...it's paradise because it isn't. I hope this helps, but ultimately, your gut will probably tell you what's best!
Jun 13th, 2005, 07:51 PM
#145
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Wow! I don't think I have ever had it summed up so perfectly, so eloquently. You nailed it on the head and you really get it. What an excellent perception and an even better ability to capture it and put it on paper. Thanks for that contribution. 
Jun 14th, 2005, 03:07 AM
#146
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Indeed , a very sensitive and insightful portrayal , and you will be happy to know she ( Holly ) appreciated and enjoyed it as much as you did ...... You could pull up her actual trip report from about 1.5 yrs. ago . Faith
Jun 14th, 2005, 06:59 AM
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The above is right on the money and evokes a memory of our 1st of 3 trips to Jamaica. I had heard all the stories as well but we decided to go and see for ourselves. I also read that if you are open and kind to the people that you will get that in return with interest. Well we got to our hotel and I struck up a conversation with the receptionist. He looked at our info, looked at me and said "welcome brother Larry." Thats all it took. I felt at home.
Jun 14th, 2005, 10:10 AM
#148
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I never read this thread because of its old posting date, but having read the final few entries, I say "Wow" to Karen. I have always heard terrible things about Jamaica and never really considered it for a destination until I read this thread. We have many Jamaican friends and business associates here and I've always been embarrassed that I didn't feel comfortable in considering their homeland for vacation. While I deeply respect them for their culture, I had always heard that the economic/political conditions were so horrible that there was alot of tourist abuse and even murder. Having read Karen's description, I think I'll start looking into a villa in Jamaica, maybe ask my Jamaican friends to recommend something... after we finish building in St. John, start renting out our place there and I won't feel guilty about going somewhere else in the Caribbean.
Jun 14th, 2005, 12:31 PM
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Due to circumstances beyond my control, I find myself leaving for St. Martin, rather than Jamaica, on Thursday. I am sure we will have a good time but I wish it were Jamaica. As to crime, I am getting a lot of info from www.traveltalkonline.com and there are a lot of warnings about tourists beint robbed and cars being broken in to. I read the Jamaica boards all the time and I never read about numerous tourist robberies. I am more nervous about going to St. martin than I have ever been about Jamaica.
Jun 28th, 2005, 11:35 PM
#151
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Karen, I agree that you said that quite well. I do have one word of advice however. You suggest exploring by getting a driver. Should anyone decide to do this, my only caution from personal experience is to be absolutely sure that if you use a taxi, that it is a "tourist" taxi. There are also taxis used by locals (at least the numerous times I had been there a number of years ago). I ended up having an incident that involved the police and one of the local taxis. I was told to never, ever take a non-tourist taxi and never did again.
I have been all over the island and stayed in tourist and non-tourist areas. I would recommend areas like Negril, Port Antonio and maybe Montego Bay. I would not necessarily recommend Ocho Rios or Kingston for a tourist trip, unless you are content to never leave your resort.
Good luck to anyone making a decision or who will be going, and most importantly wherever you decide to go, may you enjoy your trip.
I have been all over the island and stayed in tourist and non-tourist areas. I would recommend areas like Negril, Port Antonio and maybe Montego Bay. I would not necessarily recommend Ocho Rios or Kingston for a tourist trip, unless you are content to never leave your resort.
Good luck to anyone making a decision or who will be going, and most importantly wherever you decide to go, may you enjoy your trip.
Jun 30th, 2005, 08:42 AM
#152
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Wow, I havn't been in here in a very long time. We discontinued our internet at home, and work uses dial-up which makes it very hard...Hello to everyone who helped me in the past.
I was so suprized to see this post active again. Jamiaca certainly gets people riled up!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love Jamaica!! I still think about it often and find myself flipping through photo's every now and again. We plan on visiting again for an anniversary in the future. We'll probably end up in Port Antonio or the Blue mountains, but it would be tough to choose one place!
Cheers!!
I was so suprized to see this post active again. Jamiaca certainly gets people riled up!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love Jamaica!! I still think about it often and find myself flipping through photo's every now and again. We plan on visiting again for an anniversary in the future. We'll probably end up in Port Antonio or the Blue mountains, but it would be tough to choose one place!
Cheers!!
Jun 30th, 2005, 09:19 AM
#153
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Hi Holly,
Everytime I see this thread appear, I groan and think isn't it time for an editorial decision to eliminate threads this long.
But here you are, after all this time, and how nice to hear from you about your positive experience.
NOW maybe it's time to start a new thread ;-)
Marion
Everytime I see this thread appear, I groan and think isn't it time for an editorial decision to eliminate threads this long.
But here you are, after all this time, and how nice to hear from you about your positive experience.
NOW maybe it's time to start a new thread ;-)
Marion
Jul 3rd, 2005, 02:16 PM
#156
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I personally love Jamaica and its people. However because you are in your honeymoon and don't need any stress I will recommend St John, Barbados, or St. Lucia. If you wanted to drive around for 2 weeks and explore a beautiful island with a more developed infrastructure, I would recommend Puerto Rico and its small inns (Paradores).
Jul 3rd, 2005, 02:26 PM
#157
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Ummm...did you notice the date of the original post ?
Honeymoon is long over and Holly did have a good time in Jamaica ;-)
Editors: You might want to think about deleting this LONG thread.
Just an ever so polite suggestion.
Marion
Honeymoon is long over and Holly did have a good time in Jamaica ;-)
Editors: You might want to think about deleting this LONG thread.
Just an ever so polite suggestion.
Marion
Jul 3rd, 2005, 10:57 PM
#158
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Hi Marion,
I agree it's getting old but some people are scared by news reports and some people research the facts.
They are the people who visit Jamaica, instead of listening to some news report or listening to the reaction of the best friend of their uncle's, doctors, co-workers parrot
Is Jamaica a bad place to visit? Not from my point of view but then I'm willing to take a risk and accept if I keep a lookout and am careful that I'll be fine!
We didn't feel threatened at all while in Jamaica even while walking on the beach late at night during low season. Hopefully this post has educated some travellers.
I agree it's getting old but some people are scared by news reports and some people research the facts.
They are the people who visit Jamaica, instead of listening to some news report or listening to the reaction of the best friend of their uncle's, doctors, co-workers parrot
Is Jamaica a bad place to visit? Not from my point of view but then I'm willing to take a risk and accept if I keep a lookout and am careful that I'll be fine!
We didn't feel threatened at all while in Jamaica even while walking on the beach late at night during low season. Hopefully this post has educated some travellers.
Jul 4th, 2005, 12:22 AM
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To cartera - don't worry too much about St. Martin! We have been there at least 6 times (going back again this week, in fact!) and nothing has EVER happened to us! (knock wood!) I know there's a lot rumours, but just use your common sense (don't go driving around in isolated areas at night, leave valuables in your car, park in isolated places, etc.) and you'll be fine!
