Holiday to Jamaica - what's the point?

[ImJustMadAboutSaffron]

On a call with a friend last night, she mentioned that her sister and her partner are going to Jamaica in April next year. They are staying in a hotel that is one of three similar, and plan to spend all their time around the hotels as they don't feel safe out and about in Jamaica (I'm not sure what resort it is, my friend didn't know).

I don't see the point in this, as it is no experience of a place, culture or anything different to what you would find in any old "fully inclusive" holiday.

Has anyone been to Jamaica and felt unsafe? What do you think?

@ChangedMyNamrButStillMe yes, it's hurricane season throughout the Caribbean at the time we're going, but we did look and it doesn't seem to effect Jamaica as much as, say, the Bahamas...I hope we read right!!

I've been to Jamaica twice.

We went on lots of excursions but apart from that stayed in the hotel complex.

It was truly wonderful both times and much better than my back garden.

It’s the same as people going anywhere touristy isn’t it? Whether it’s Benidorm or Cancun or Luxor or Montego Bay. Some people just want sun, sea & cocktails.

Jamaica isn’t a very safe place, in all fairness. I’ve been before as DH is Jamaican. Depends who you are and where you go, but violent crime is high.

I love the place, beautiful country and people, and so much more than the beaches (the Blue Mountains are stunning) but you have to have your wits about you and preferably know some Jamaicans to watch out for you if you’re going to go wandering.

Sorry op, I realise I didn't answer your question. Tbh I think life is a bit shitty right now for many people, for many different reasons and wherever they chose to go on holiday, whether AI in Jamaica, or wherever they fancy going and doing whatever they fancy doing for whatever reason, is ok!

It depends on what you want from your holiday. Some people like exploring and to experience a bit of the culture, some just go for a bit of sun, the food and the pool.
Each to his own.

I backpacked around Jamaica about 20 years ago and it was ace.
Avoided obvious danger spots ie central Kingston) and we were generally pretty careful. Locals were lovely. Chatted to people in the buses, streets, cafes etc.
I remember a bus driver stopping on the outskirts of Kingston (we'd travelled along way already) and enduring we were safely in a taxi as it wasn't safe for us to go into the centre.
Maybe we were lucky, or maybe things have changed hugely since then. I'm so glad I did it while I could! Sounds like it wouldn't be advisable now.

I understand where you're coming from bc I like to properly explore the places I holiday in. Paying all inclusive and eating in the hotel restaurant every night would be hellish for me.

But some people like just hanging around at the hotel - I guess it's more of a relaxing holiday that way as you don't have to think about anything - just make use of all the facilities.

Id be bored to death, but different strokes and all that!

We went to Jamaica this year.

Stayed in a small hotel room only on Negril beach.
It was heaven.
We wandered up and down the 6 mile beach every day. Had cocktails in beach shack bars, lobster grilled on a beach BBQ, fresh coconut with a straw from sellers on the beach (we declined the weed) swam in turquoise water with no one else around, rum at sunset listening to live reggae in music bars, before dinner out at a different restaurant every night.

It was amazing.

And you are wrong and weird to not want to go on this holiday yourself and I regard you as beneath me for your different choices.

Before this year I'd never been on a holiday where I didn't leave the hotel.

Then we wanted some winter sun in February, ti relax, recharge batteries, etc.

A 5 star all inc holiday to Jamaica was cheaper than a lesser hotel, without the food, in Europe, with guaranteed sun and heat.

At the time you couldn't leave the hotel unless in a guided tour with the travel companies, due to covid.

And you know what? As a one off for winter sun it was actually lovely. Me and dh had some fantastic lazy days, long leisurely breakfast, a little,walk around the resort area watching the sea birds, etc, dip in the sea/pool, cocktails on loungers whilst reading all afternoon, long leisurely dinner and even the odd entertainment show in the evenings, which were actually too a really good standard. Adults only hotel, so really quite chilled. It also wasn't the type of hotel that encouraged loud adults drinking heavily all day, shouting and swearing round the pool (like we'd experienced once before hence avoiding such holidays since) so it really was very nice to just sit in peace and enjoy being outdoors in the sun. I must have read half a dozen books or so, and just completely chilled out.

Not our normal holiday but was actually lovely for a complete break.

You could go on guided tours but in the end we didn't bother - didn't fancy being stuck in a coach for hours each day.

And we're going back next year.

We are also this year going to: Rome, Scottish Highlands, Jordan and Norway.
Do I get your approval now?

It's a lot of money and hassle to be able to say 'oh we were in Jamaica last week/month/year'

For us it was cheaper than the same level of hotel/food/drink in Spain, Italy and Greece for that week. 🤷‍♀️

Why would people choose to go to Jamaica, where it really is not safe at all to leave your hotel unescorted at night when they could go to Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, Grenada etc etc which are as safe as any holiday area in Europe?

It is also cheaper than all inclusive in many places for the same level of service/food/activities. Even taking into account flights

@BeatricePortinari

That's my kind of holiday in Negril - the Capital of Casual as it's officially known.

I've solo travelled in Jamaica many times (also with my son, LP) and have always been safe. Made friends there who take care of me. Going to little rum bars (with attached shop) in the countryside, meeting locals. Everyone is so friendly.

Beautiful nature, friendly locals, amazing culture and history - apparently a quarter of Jamaicans have Irish blood - amazing beaches and weather. I love it.

out to sea to a bar in the middle of the ocean
The Pelican Bar! It's amazing!
Dubbed "the best little bar in the Caribbean". Floyd the owner said the idea came to him in a dream.

at least there's no terrorist threat in Jamaica, unlike London and other places in the world

Oh, and if people want to spend 2 weeks AI why not? They might just be taking a break from an incredibly hectic schedule/lifestyle.

Live and let live, I say.

P.S. Don't go to Jamaica if you don't like reggae music. LOL. It's everywhere including blasting out of car stereos. 😍

Budget perhaps? Those Islands you have listed sound fabulous but they are not in JA price range!

I get where you’re coming from. I’ve not been to Jamaica but have been to St Lucia AI. It was for a friends wedding and wasn’t our choice. The resort was miles from anywhere so we barely left. I would never do AI again. My preferred choice is self catering as then you can do as you please, get up when you want, eat where you want etc. To me it’s freedom to explore the area and eat the local food.

I've been several times and didn't feel unsafe. I think it depends where you go as well as how you act. I didn't wear flashy jewellery, not that I have any, or "flash the cash". I did use local drivers a few times to go to various places like Appleton Rum Distillery 🤤 but in Negril, I'd walk the length of the beach on my own. It's called 7 mile but it's not. I'd have people start talking to me, or trying to sell me things, but I'd just stay polite and friendly and nobody ever got nasty.

In Mo'Bay it's a bit different as I stayed in a small AI that was on Doctor's Cave Beach. If your hotel didn't face onto it, you had to pay to go on the beach so that put a lot of locals off. Again, I went out and about but probably wouldn't have explored on my own more than on the strip, whereas in Negril I was comfortable going to the shop or to the waterpark etc.

Most recently I went to Runway Bay and other than prearranged trips, my sister and I only left the complex once. The guards at the gate said to be careful but we carried on. I think we were looking for a supermarket type shop. The hotel was close to a very main road, there weren't many other pedestrians around and the stares, beeps, and catcalls from guys in cars was annoying. Two guys walked towards us at one point and tried to stop us, but I just pretended I thought they were joking with us, so made some light-hearted comment, laughed, and grabbed my sister so we could walk off. Pretty much nothing you wouldn't get in the UK, but I think it's not fully being au fait with how to get help, where to go, etc that makes it more uncomfortable.

Sorry, that was v long!

It's a discussion. Does nobody, ever, talk about anything someone else does as a starting point for a general discussion? Of course they do. We see it all the time. I said this:

I don't see the point in this, as it is no experience of a place, culture or anything different to what you would find in any old "fully inclusive" holiday.

It's hardly being judgemental or ripping someone apart for their holiday choices. That's my feeling on all-inclusive type holidays. They might be a lot of people's ballgame but not mine. Especially with the distance and cost involved. I don't care a fig what someone else does. It's just chatting.

Is that ok? Is this allowed?

It wouldn't be my idea of a good holiday or seem like good value on money or travel time but each to their own.

Cost!

It was a lot cheaper to go to Jamaica in February than Antigua and most other Caribbean islands.

You don’t really understand, do you? If you consider ‘London’ to be unsafe you must have had a very privileged upbringing darling.
Of course there’s danger in all places but it’s impossible to simply wander into a dingy alley in London, there are plenty of clearly marked etc tourist areas. Compared to say my home country (similar to Jamaica) where you won’t know where you’re going.

Anyway you probably won’t get it

@DomPerignon12 I do understand. No I'm not from a privileged background at all far from it. If you noticed I said some parts of London.You need to understand JA is a 3rd world Country incomparaion to UK and London still has a lot of crime... not on the same scale however I'm just pointing out that JA is 3rd world.

We can't live life like that though anything could happen any where!

You have no need to be wondering around you are not in Spain. There's options like people have mentioned for the day granted I can understand people may not want to venture out during the night.

It's really not how your making it out to be... I bet you personally haven't even been...

I went on a guided tour of Cuba and the last two days were spent in an all inclusive resort. Many people there had come to spend their whole holiday in the AI resort. I don't get it either. You miss so much without seeing the country.

I have to say though that swimming in the Caribbean is very different to the North Sea!

I don't understand why you would travel so far to just stay in a hotel either.

Actually I don't understand why you would travel anywhere just to stay in a hotel, I would find it incredibly boring and a waste to go so far and not see anything of the place you are visiting. For me getting out and about is the whole point of travelling.

Haven't read entire thread tbh- just last page as I’m in a meeting- but Jamaica sounds bloody awful- rum, weed, sun and crime! No thanks. You can get that in London!

All of the bad reviews put me right off, and none of the ‘good’ ones entice me to go there. Sounds like a shithole full of horrible men trying to steal my money!