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I visited Jamaica as I went of a cruise round with my family. Elderly people were refusing to get off at Jamaica as the gangs of black people were intimidating everyone, blacks were trying to board the ship. And as my mother tried to get into to Jamaica from the cruise ship they were keeping the blacks and the whites apart, which shocked us so much.
What an experience!
I enjoyed Negril and, like others, found it to be mostly safe and friendly. Do expect to be swindled by cabbies and pestered on the beach over ganja, fruit juice, patties, braids, etc... Buy the patties...they're awesome and make a great and cheap lunch! The West End is beautiful but you're more isolated in your resort and it is dangerous to walk the road at night...not so much b/c of the people but b/c of of the crazy road, blind corners and fast vehicles.
My wife and I rented a scooter one day and rode up into the hills outside of town for some views. I am a seasoned traveller (and find Mexico to be quite safe generally) and I will say that I felt quite uncomfortable. At one point we rode past a small roadside store where a few Jamaican men started yelling, "Hey whitey, come here" and then started gesturing and running toward us. I hit the throttle and got outta there quickly and wasted no time getting back to town in Negril.
The drive from MoBay to Negril was less than savory. The town of Lucea was a dump with people loitering all over the place. Just outside of Lucea we saw a standoff between police and locals with machine guns trained on each other right on the side of the highway.
Given that I prefer to explore when I travel to get to know the place and the people, I found Jamaica to be less than ideal. Negril was beautiful and a great place to vacation, but I would advise not to venture outside of town on your own and expect to see some true third world stuff! Much more than you would be exposed to in any of the resort areas and surrounding areas in Mexico. As such, if I were looking for somewhere with a similar vibe to Negril but safer and with nicer people, I would opt for Tulum in Mexico.
We personally LOVE Jamaica! We love the people and the place! If you stay in a major city (like Montego Bay or Negril), you'll be fine! Just like anywhere you travel, you sould always be aware of your surroundings.
In my own opinion, Mexico had more crime when we were there than Jamaica! I hear FAR more horror stories about Mexico, too! In fact, we choose Jamaica over Mexico all the time due to the horror stories we hear about mexico!
actually your probably safer outside the cities you mentioned. Hustlers hagglers etc go there bc thays where tourists and money go. Dont get me wrong negril my fav spot in the world but go to untouristy areas and its a completely diff and i would say safer experience. On trip advisor some idiot is getting their iphone stolen walking the beach on a weekly basis. That said the violent crime is all in kingston for the most part about 8 hours from negril. Its like saying dont go to chicago hi crime. A tourist is going to mich ave not ebglewood
Most people I know love Jamaica as long as they do not mix with the people and stay in the safety of their all inclusive resort!
ais arent everyines cuo of tea i would sleep on the beach before going to one. I only stay at smaller botique hotels not even expensive ones and have never felt unsafe
I visited Jamaica as I went of a cruise round with my family. Elderly people were refusing to get off at Jamaica as the gangs of black people were intimidating everyone, blacks were trying to board the ship. And as my mother tried to get into to Jamaica from the cruise ship they were keeping the blacks and the whites apart, which shocked us so much.
What an experience!
Jamaica is safe as long as you dont' leave your common sense behind (just like any other vacation, in any other country, including your own) Word to the wise...dont' smoke the ganja, don't buy ganja and don't try and bring some ganja home. It's illegal and the last place you want to be is in a Jcan jail.
Jcan's dont' 'hate' American blacks (they think they're lazy and entitled) ....they 'take issue' with Americans as a whole. American tourists (Not all) come down here and they're rude to the locals, they're ignorant beyond ignorant, and act as if Jamaica is some sort of backwoods amusement park.
I love it when I meet tourists on a beach and take them for a tour around Mo Bay....they think this island is full of huts, donkeys and backward ass people without any sense.
So, please, come to Jamaica....get off your resort...get off your cruise ship and dont' be afraid to spend some time on this beautiful island. Most resorts (and ports) have drivers on hand that will be more than happy to drive you around and show you the sights...(I dont' suggest renting a car unless you're a Nascar driver )
Thinking of taking a Caribbean vacation. I've heard some good and bad things about Jamaica. Is crime too high there? Anyone have bad stories about it?
IF you are thinking "All inclusive" with tour guides for your side trips and the price is right, it is ok, but otherwise, don't do it. Not only is the crime high, their are natives everywhere pushing this and that in your face and they really seem to dislike Americans. I just can't stand the place. it is too bad, because it is a pretty island, even though the snorkeling isn't all that great. I didn't realize this post was so old, I think things have changed and not for the better. Anyway, everyone has their own idea about each island.
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