Travel Advice - Jamaica

[Otto-matic]

This will be the first international travel for myself - it'll be a week at the Montego Bay resort for a wedding.

Anyone on CP been to Jamaica and can offer some advice, what I should expect/do/bring.

The furthest I've been is to California ....

[guzzy]

Its actually a great place to travel. The only negative was the amount of people always begging for money. I found it worst there than most other places i have been. Understandable as there is a lot of poverty there.

I highly recommend the Bob Marley tour. Its an 8 hour round trip up to trenchtown from Montego Bay but you get to see his family land and where his tomb exists. Pretty cool experience from start to finish.

[Cheese]

Jamaica is fun mon...dooby doo dooby do...

Go over to Dunns River Falls by Ochos Rios
Dolphin Cove
Go find a naked beach and let it all hang out
White Water Rafting
Appleton Estate RUM Tour...LOL
Cant remember if Margaritaville is close by or not...damned ganja...dont get caught, Jamaican jails are not good.

[Hockeyguy15]

Buy/drink all the Sangsters Coconut Rum Cream you can. You can't get it up here and it is fantastic in your morning coffee.

Eat all the jerk chicken you can.

Blue Mountain coffee is expensive but very good.

[rayne008]

Once you get out of the airport there will be dozens of guys waiting around trying to help you roll your luggage the 50 feet to the bus for tips.

[FireFly]

If it's an all-inclusive resort with a private beach, there's no reason you ever have to leave. Pretty much everyone who works there will sell you weed too. If you're into that sort of thing.

[rain_e]

Take a day trip to Negril. Hangout on the beach. Go back to your resort and say #### why didn't I stay in Negril.

[Northendzone]

go to the boblsed hall of fame and then spend some time jammin', just jammin'......

[rotten42]

Originally Posted by FireFly

If it's an all-inclusive resort with a private beach, there's no reason you ever have to leave. Pretty much everyone who works there will sell you weed too. If you're into that sort of thing.

So what he is saying is why then even visit the country if you aren't actual going to explore any of it. Dumbest advice yet.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by rotten42

So what he is saying is why then even visit the country if you aren't actual going to explore any of it. Dumbest advice yet.

An offering is different advice doesn't equal "dumb" advice.


Who are you to decide/judge how people vacation. If Firefly wants to go to a resort and never leave it, so be it.

[FireFly]

Originally Posted by rotten42

So what he is saying is why then even visit the country if you aren't actual going to explore any of it. Dumbest advice yet.

What SHE was saying is that you don't HAVE to leave the resort if you don't want to. Most all-inclusives have LOTS of things to do; golf, snorkelling, water sports, etc.

Not everyone goes somewhere just to go elsewhere... If I'm spending the money on an all-inclusive, why would I take a day trip elsewhere and have to buy my meals, etc for the day when I could spend a week on the resort doing something different every day? You have already read people in the thread complaining about the beggars. Not everyone wants to deal with that. You don't have to if you don't want to.

Why visit the country if you aren't going to explore? Per the OP, he's going for a wedding. That's why.

[rotten42]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

An offering is different advice doesn't equal "dumb" advice.


Who are you to decide/judge how people vacation. If Firefly wants to go to a resort and never leave it, so be it.

still think its dumb.

[spetch]

Originally Posted by rotten42

still think its dumb.

You could say that "I prefer to explore the country" or "all-inclusive aren't for me, I need to keep busy".

Some people prefer just to relax and disconnect when they go on holidays.

Edit - Jamaica is a great tropical holiday. Water is safe, food is great (mm jerk chicken) and the people are very nice. Where abouts is the wedding+

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Cheese

Jamaica is fun mon...dooby doo dooby do...

Go over to Dunns River Falls by Ochos Rios
Dolphin Cove
Go find a naked beach and let it all hang out
White Water Rafting
Appleton Estate RUM Tour...LOL
Cant remember if Margaritaville is close by or not...damned ganja...dont get caught, Jamaican jails are not good.

So much fun. Best thing we did in Jamaica. It's a little touristy, but the guys doing the tours make it a lot of fun. We even got the DVD with Marley music playing in the background and clips of a crapload of strangers.

I loved Jamaica. The food is also really f'ing good. The only one that was close to it was Puerto Rico.

[Otto-matic]

Originally Posted by spetch

You could say that "I prefer to explore the country" or "all-inclusive aren't for me, I need to keep busy".

Some people prefer just to relax and disconnect when they go on holidays.

Edit - Jamaica is a great tropical holiday. Water is safe, food is great (mm jerk chicken) and the people are very nice. Where abouts is the wedding+

From what I can tell it'll be here at Montego bay

http://www.sunsetresortsjamaica.com/...t-montego-bay/

I'm no Anthony Bourdain but ideally I would like to check out some of the larger hits just to say I've been there. It'll be a week so I think I can fit in one out of resort day.

[spetch]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

From what I can tell it'll be here at Montego bay

http://www.sunsetresortsjamaica.com/...t-montego-bay/

I'm no Anthony Bourdain but ideally I would like to check out some of the larger hits just to say I've been there. It'll be a week so I think I can fit in one out of resort day.

If you want a main Jamaica attraction, per most others in the thread, go for Dunns River. Its super touristy but it is fun to walk up the waterfall. Me and the wife started with the group but ended up doing our own thing all the way up. The downside would be after, you are kinda forced to walk through the "gift" area with a lot of high pressure salespeople. It doesn't both me but I have heard it bother's others. It will be a bit of a drive to get there (hour +) but your hotel will have tours going daily.

I've always missed out on the Appleton rum tour (its priority #1 next Jamaica trip). It's probably not that exciting for everyone but I am a rum drinker.

I've only stayed in Negril and Runaway Bay, so I haven't been exploring MB much so I can't help you there, but it looks like you might be in range of some city exploring. I love jerk chicken so maybe that could be an adventure is finding the best jerk chicken in MB.

[SportsJunky]

We stayed in Montego Bay last year.

I agree with Cheese's post above. Follow that plan and you'll enjoy yourself.

[Otto-matic]

Bump,

What kind of shots should I get for my trip? Also where would the best place to get them at?

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Otto-matic

This will be the first international travel for myself - it'll be a week at the Montego Bay resort for a wedding.

Anyone on CP been to Jamaica and can offer some advice, what I should expect/do/bring.

The furthest I've been is to California ....

which resort? I had a client in Jamaica so used to spend 1/2 my time on the island, so got around quite a bit. it's AWESOME.

Cheese's suggestions are spot on. though i didn't mind just relaxing on the beach/resort also. If you wanna check out the party scene, margarita ville is decent on any night, given that it is a touristy spot. on friday nights, "pier 1" is an awesome outdoor bar/lounge on the docks that is one of my favourite drinking spots on the island.

the green, rum, red stripes, women, beaches of the island are amazing, enjoy (each come with their own risks/disclaimers so be careful).

[bubbsy]

I travel a lot so just have the standard travel boosters/immunizations (i think there's hepatitis and some others in there).