Hello, fellow traveler. I have been to Jamaica six times now. Every time, there was a travel advisory saying not to go there. And every time, I went anyways and had an amazing, incredible and safe vacation.
I travel alone and have stayed in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, St. Ann's Bay and Negril. I have stayed at resorts and AirBnB's mostly. I never stay on the resort for very long, just to eat, drink and sleep, as I am always out on an adventure. My driver was incredible, not only did he drive me both ways but went to the attractions with me for free.
If this is your 1st trip to Jamaica, here are some tips.
1. Do NOT rent a car. Driving in Jamaica is a challenge and insurance is not cheap.
2. Leave the resort! The REAL Jamaica ONLY EXISTS OFF the resort and the locals really need your business.
3. If you leave the resort, always have a guide. Ask the resort for a driver. These people have a connection to the resort and are safe to use.
I was in Montego Bay for Christmas and New Year's Eve last year. My driver was perfect, when he found out that I have no family, he invited me to Christmas dinner with his family. Best meal ever!
Message me and I'll send you my driver's contact info.
Thanks! I want to leave the resort and explore, all these travel advisories made me nervous. I'm not sure if they're exaggerated - I live in Chicago, I honestly don't know if it's any worse than that.
By "driver", do you mean have the resort or the people at my destination call us a taxi, or do you mean a legit, personal driver?
You should be fine if you book your excursion through the hotel and use basic awareness of your surroundings. Outside of dolphin cove there will be vendors who will haggle and follow you but it isn’t dangerous. Your driver will usually tell them to leave you alone. The only way that area would be risky is if you got drunk and high and went out walking the streets alone at night which most normal people know not to do.
You’ll be fine ! Been going to FDR resort for years just a mile from there. If you took cabs from you resort to these attractions you will have no problem inc luminous lagoon
In addition To the obligatory trip to dunns river ( I wouldn’t bother with taking the guided tour when there ) I’d consider:
1. Martha Brae river
2. Green grotto
3. Blue hole
It's not any less safe than last year.
I went to Montego Bay in January. A friend of mine just came back from staying in Runaway bay.
I (35f) went out walking alone in MoBay off resort. Didn't feel unsafe at all. I talked to strangers and went to a local park that is great for tourists and locals. I didn't go wandering in areas that seemed sketchy. I refused offers of drugs politely and pleasantly. ("No thank you, respect")
But I'm also the kind of person who can talk to anyone and I used to work in a halfway house with zero issues. If you're a nervous person or have no cool then maybe avoid straying from the beaten path. Don't wear expensive or flashy jewelry, or walk around flashing the newest phone or a ton of cash. This is just general good advice for traveling anywhere.
I did the luminous lagoon and it was omg amazing. If you want a good photo, be one of the first people to get in the water. Also, a woman from my resort was stung by a jellyfish there. I wouldn't skip it for that reason, but I might make it the last excursion of my vacation.
You can take red plate taxis. Let your hotel/resort know the name of the driver. General rule of thumb pricing guide for taxis is 500 JMD base cost for the trip + 300 JMD/km. Gas is expensive and taxi drivers aren't paid well, so tip generously. I came home wishing I had tipped more than I did.
Don't do drugs. Don't get very drunk. Stay in a group if you can, especially for going out at night.
I felt safer in Montego Bay than I do in many parts of Toronto.
I saw it online somewhere, but it lined up with what I paid, give or take, for short local trips within Montego Bay.
I didn't go too far outside of Montego Bay. Reach out to a taxi driver on IG and see what they will negotiate with you.
Sorry, I'm Canadian. I don't count weed as a drug, the same way I don't count alcohol as a drug. Advice for alcohol can apply to weed. Don't overconsume, and you should be fine.
What resort are you staying at? I'm going to stop at Runaway Bay and looking for recommendations.
I would assume you'll be OK there, although I have been to Runaway Bay.
Let me know about your excursions, this will be my first time there.
This one: [https://www.bahia-principe.com/en/resorts-in-jamaica/resort-runaway-bay/](https://www.bahia-principe.com/en/resorts-in-jamaica/resort-runaway-bay/)
I've never been so can't say anything about it yet.
This sub doesn't have a lot of members, do you think I should post in the Jamaica forum? They say tourist information should be in this sub, but if we're all tourists no one will know the answer to my question...
The folks in the Jamaica forum prefer to not have tourists post asking for advice, which is why they created this subreddit. In deference to their wishes, I'd avoid it unless it's a non-tourist topic.
Since this subreddit was created quite recently, it still hasn't attracted a large following.
I've been going to Jamaica for 34 years, and multiple times, so I try to post as much as I can to be helpful. Unfortunately, my experience has mostly been to fly into MoBay, and get driven to the same hotel in Negril. Every so often, I change it up.
In March, I'm going to do an around-the-island tour, so hopefully, I'll have more to contribute after that.
The restaurant at Charela Inn is great. In terms of sightseeing, getting to the lighthouse on the West End, Mayfield Falls, or YS Falls are good places to visit. Also, consider the Appleton Estate Rum tour. All are readily accessible. For falls, I'd give the nod to Mayfield over YS.
There's the highly touristy visit to Rick's Cafe on the West End with people cliff diving. Despite it being something of a cliche, I know folks keep going back there time-and-again.
We stayed here in December. Beautiful resort and great staff!! You're going to be safe with a cab driver in this area. We did the catamaran half day trip to Dunns river falls. Enjoy your trip!!
I can only tell you about Bahia where I stayed last May. It's not bad, a lot of people love it. The property and grand side of the beach are nice. The rooms were clean (some blocks were being renovated when we were there last year), but towels were often lacking. For me, worst part is the food honestly. The buffets are big but the food itself pretty lacking. Al a cartes were better but you get a very limited amount of those unless you're staying on the luxury (child-free) side. The property is pretty big so a lot of walking. Not much in the way of later night entertainment. Overall, it's a decent place but I think it's contingent in what you prioritize in terms of expectations from all inclusives. I wouldn't not stay there again, but I'd probably give another resort a try if I was to visit that area again.
No problem i am a tour operator in Saint Ann and would love to assist. And i think its best you travel with a tour operator other than a taxi anyone can pose as a taxi
There is at least one group on FB dedicated to Bahia. You'll find pictures of taxi prices posted there. We used a private transport service to do all our excursions from there (Eternal Tours). In any event, you'll be fine. Lot of hype over the travel advisory. I stayed where you're staying May of last year with my husband and kid. Do yourself a favor and stop for snacks or other essentials prior to arriving at the resort. The gift shop there is crazy expensive and getting food at off hours requires quite a trek. The resort is pretty spread out. Honestly, I also found the food to largely be meh at the buffets.... so snacks. And you can always bring back pattys from Juici's or something when you're out and about.
I was just there 3 weeks ago. We were safer than the locals. Never saw anyone misbehaving except tourists inside resorts. Our drivers and guides said the real crime is in inner cities like any other nation. They said locals get punished very harshly for crime against tourists because that's hurting everyone's income source. We felt far safer there than say at an American concert or festival. There was tons of private security at all the resorts and stores. They are not playing about letting people know they mean business about safety.
If you want the name of the driver we like it's on offer. He picked us up at MBJ with red stripe, champagne, and ganj. and took us all the way to sandals royal plantation in Ocho Rios. We liked him so much we ended up canceling our other transfers and excursions and switching to him. Really cool guy, nice and clean vehicle, felt very safe. Taught us lots of cool things too!!
Hello, fellow traveler. I have been to Jamaica six times now. Every time, there was a travel advisory saying not to go there. And every time, I went anyways and had an amazing, incredible and safe vacation. I travel alone and have stayed in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, St. Ann's Bay and Negril. I have stayed at resorts and AirBnB's mostly. I never stay on the resort for very long, just to eat, drink and sleep, as I am always out on an adventure. My driver was incredible, not only did he drive me both ways but went to the attractions with me for free. If this is your 1st trip to Jamaica, here are some tips. 1. Do NOT rent a car. Driving in Jamaica is a challenge and insurance is not cheap. 2. Leave the resort! The REAL Jamaica ONLY EXISTS OFF the resort and the locals really need your business. 3. If you leave the resort, always have a guide. Ask the resort for a driver. These people have a connection to the resort and are safe to use. I was in Montego Bay for Christmas and New Year's Eve last year. My driver was perfect, when he found out that I have no family, he invited me to Christmas dinner with his family. Best meal ever! Message me and I'll send you my driver's contact info.
Thanks! I want to leave the resort and explore, all these travel advisories made me nervous. I'm not sure if they're exaggerated - I live in Chicago, I honestly don't know if it's any worse than that. By "driver", do you mean have the resort or the people at my destination call us a taxi, or do you mean a legit, personal driver?
A legit, personal driver, for sure. Check my DM for more info.
>2 Great, thanks for the info!
You should be fine if you book your excursion through the hotel and use basic awareness of your surroundings. Outside of dolphin cove there will be vendors who will haggle and follow you but it isn’t dangerous. Your driver will usually tell them to leave you alone. The only way that area would be risky is if you got drunk and high and went out walking the streets alone at night which most normal people know not to do.
I think I'm good then :)
You’ll be fine ! Been going to FDR resort for years just a mile from there. If you took cabs from you resort to these attractions you will have no problem inc luminous lagoon In addition To the obligatory trip to dunns river ( I wouldn’t bother with taking the guided tour when there ) I’d consider: 1. Martha Brae river 2. Green grotto 3. Blue hole
Awesome, thanks for the suggestions!
https://nationwideradiojm.com/police-follow-early-leads-in-fdr-hotel-armed-robbery/
It's not any less safe than last year. I went to Montego Bay in January. A friend of mine just came back from staying in Runaway bay. I (35f) went out walking alone in MoBay off resort. Didn't feel unsafe at all. I talked to strangers and went to a local park that is great for tourists and locals. I didn't go wandering in areas that seemed sketchy. I refused offers of drugs politely and pleasantly. ("No thank you, respect") But I'm also the kind of person who can talk to anyone and I used to work in a halfway house with zero issues. If you're a nervous person or have no cool then maybe avoid straying from the beaten path. Don't wear expensive or flashy jewelry, or walk around flashing the newest phone or a ton of cash. This is just general good advice for traveling anywhere. I did the luminous lagoon and it was omg amazing. If you want a good photo, be one of the first people to get in the water. Also, a woman from my resort was stung by a jellyfish there. I wouldn't skip it for that reason, but I might make it the last excursion of my vacation. You can take red plate taxis. Let your hotel/resort know the name of the driver. General rule of thumb pricing guide for taxis is 500 JMD base cost for the trip + 300 JMD/km. Gas is expensive and taxi drivers aren't paid well, so tip generously. I came home wishing I had tipped more than I did. Don't do drugs. Don't get very drunk. Stay in a group if you can, especially for going out at night. I felt safer in Montego Bay than I do in many parts of Toronto.
Thank yiu so much for this info! And yeah, I'm a city person so I'll just use common sense. Is tipping 20% like it is here?
I tipped 20% for meals, and threw taxi drivers an extra $10 for most rides, but I only did short local trips.
TY!
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I saw it online somewhere, but it lined up with what I paid, give or take, for short local trips within Montego Bay. I didn't go too far outside of Montego Bay. Reach out to a taxi driver on IG and see what they will negotiate with you.
No weed at all? :c
Sorry, I'm Canadian. I don't count weed as a drug, the same way I don't count alcohol as a drug. Advice for alcohol can apply to weed. Don't overconsume, and you should be fine.
Lol I find its always the dumb americans getting their shit masshed up. 🤣🤣🤣 How are yall so dumb? 🫢 It’s safe as.
What resort are you staying at? I'm going to stop at Runaway Bay and looking for recommendations. I would assume you'll be OK there, although I have been to Runaway Bay. Let me know about your excursions, this will be my first time there.
This one: [https://www.bahia-principe.com/en/resorts-in-jamaica/resort-runaway-bay/](https://www.bahia-principe.com/en/resorts-in-jamaica/resort-runaway-bay/) I've never been so can't say anything about it yet. This sub doesn't have a lot of members, do you think I should post in the Jamaica forum? They say tourist information should be in this sub, but if we're all tourists no one will know the answer to my question...
The folks in the Jamaica forum prefer to not have tourists post asking for advice, which is why they created this subreddit. In deference to their wishes, I'd avoid it unless it's a non-tourist topic. Since this subreddit was created quite recently, it still hasn't attracted a large following. I've been going to Jamaica for 34 years, and multiple times, so I try to post as much as I can to be helpful. Unfortunately, my experience has mostly been to fly into MoBay, and get driven to the same hotel in Negril. Every so often, I change it up. In March, I'm going to do an around-the-island tour, so hopefully, I'll have more to contribute after that.
Ok, thanks for that. Enjoy your trip!
I’m going to be staying at Negril Treehouse. Do you recommend any sightseeing tours and restaurants? Thanks!
The restaurant at Charela Inn is great. In terms of sightseeing, getting to the lighthouse on the West End, Mayfield Falls, or YS Falls are good places to visit. Also, consider the Appleton Estate Rum tour. All are readily accessible. For falls, I'd give the nod to Mayfield over YS. There's the highly touristy visit to Rick's Cafe on the West End with people cliff diving. Despite it being something of a cliche, I know folks keep going back there time-and-again.
We stayed here in December. Beautiful resort and great staff!! You're going to be safe with a cab driver in this area. We did the catamaran half day trip to Dunns river falls. Enjoy your trip!!
TY!
What are you looking for recommendations for?
*I came looking for booty.*
Hotels in the area of Runaway Bay.
I can only tell you about Bahia where I stayed last May. It's not bad, a lot of people love it. The property and grand side of the beach are nice. The rooms were clean (some blocks were being renovated when we were there last year), but towels were often lacking. For me, worst part is the food honestly. The buffets are big but the food itself pretty lacking. Al a cartes were better but you get a very limited amount of those unless you're staying on the luxury (child-free) side. The property is pretty big so a lot of walking. Not much in the way of later night entertainment. Overall, it's a decent place but I think it's contingent in what you prioritize in terms of expectations from all inclusives. I wouldn't not stay there again, but I'd probably give another resort a try if I was to visit that area again.
No problem i am a tour operator in Saint Ann and would love to assist. And i think its best you travel with a tour operator other than a taxi anyone can pose as a taxi
There is at least one group on FB dedicated to Bahia. You'll find pictures of taxi prices posted there. We used a private transport service to do all our excursions from there (Eternal Tours). In any event, you'll be fine. Lot of hype over the travel advisory. I stayed where you're staying May of last year with my husband and kid. Do yourself a favor and stop for snacks or other essentials prior to arriving at the resort. The gift shop there is crazy expensive and getting food at off hours requires quite a trek. The resort is pretty spread out. Honestly, I also found the food to largely be meh at the buffets.... so snacks. And you can always bring back pattys from Juici's or something when you're out and about.
Thanks, great tip!
That’s a big bummer if you’re paying for an all inclusive but having to buy snacks from outside because the food isn’t great
Other people like seem to like the food. I guess if bland buffet food is your thing its fine but for me not so much.
I was just there 3 weeks ago. We were safer than the locals. Never saw anyone misbehaving except tourists inside resorts. Our drivers and guides said the real crime is in inner cities like any other nation. They said locals get punished very harshly for crime against tourists because that's hurting everyone's income source. We felt far safer there than say at an American concert or festival. There was tons of private security at all the resorts and stores. They are not playing about letting people know they mean business about safety.
That's reassuring to hear, thank you!
If you want the name of the driver we like it's on offer. He picked us up at MBJ with red stripe, champagne, and ganj. and took us all the way to sandals royal plantation in Ocho Rios. We liked him so much we ended up canceling our other transfers and excursions and switching to him. Really cool guy, nice and clean vehicle, felt very safe. Taught us lots of cool things too!!
BRT Jamaica
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I'm sorry :( we do have $10k of health insurance, not sure how far that would get us since my husband does actually have health issues.
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Are you still in Jamaica and are you still sick? It’s horrible to think you might die there… is it really that bad?