Do you want to report "Family trip to Negril"
So my family and I are planning a trip to Jamaica this summer and being completely new to the country and knowing very little other than jerk chicken and Bob Marley we are looking for some advice one the best things to see and do while in Negril. We really want to learn more about the culture, the local people, the food etc. We are likely going to stay at a resort and will be flying in from the USA. It looks like Negril is around an hour drive from the airport, does this sound right? How are things priced compared to the US if you have experience? It looks like the USD is 1vs130ish Jamaican dollar but that doesn’t tell me much about for example a cab ride or what things in shops cost. What are good things to do to safely experience the best the country has to offer? We aren’t against touristy stuff but we really like to learn about the place we travel to. I think it’s important that we and our children are able to see how others live and we enjoy teaching them acceptance and understanding of people of all kinds. We have unfortunately heard horror stories of crime from friends, is it e really as prevalent as people are telling us? Any tips for a pasty white group of tourists to stay safe and experience the area? 😁 Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.
Jamaican here. Its about 2 hrs from the airport. Go to ricks cafe and jump off the cliffs and see the sunset. Cool runnings adventure park is good too for family. Walk the 7 mile beach nite or day. Negril is one of my favourite places in Jamaica cultural hotspot. Around independence Aug 1 -6 is a really good time to be there
Should we have any issues with crime? I know that no place is truly 100% safe but I’m just saying in general?
Also, how are prices of things? I’m not crazy cost sensitive but again, I’m traveling with family so I’d like an idea of what things cost outside of the all inclusive resort.
What kind of things are there to do at the adventure park?
I responded up above as well, but I’d also like to reiterate all the other comments about crime not being directed at tourists. Jamaica is like anywhere else, use common sense, trust your instincts, and be polite but firm and you’ll be 100% fine.
I travel to Jamaica often with the same group (three Americans, one Jamaican who is white so everyone assumes he’s American lol) and we’ve never had any problems. The last time we stayed in Negril, we stayed in a condo on Seven Mile beach, walked it at night to get to restaurants/bars/clubs and had zero issue. Over time people even stopped trying to sell us stuff because we were out so often we befriended everyone who was working on the beach.
And don’t tell them your name lol. They’ll straight up start carving it in a wooden trinket 🤣 Learned that tactic the first time I went. Wasn’t mad, respected the hustle, didn’t want said trinket but made for a good life story 😂😂. This was at Dunn River Falls in the parking lot 10 years ago. TBH Dunn River Falls was cool but a real shit show. Soooo many people there. I’d recommend going zip lining if you can, along with tubing down the river.
My first time to Jamaica was interesting. I’m fairly well traveled but it was different.
I never felt unsafe for the most part, the only parts I didn’t feel great was getting to Jamaica around midnight, loading into a “taxi”. The taxi looked like VW van basically. I don’t think the driver was wearing a formal uniform but I can’t really remember. We were the only ones on the taxi for about an hour but stopped at another resort to pickup others. Then I felt alright lol.
The other time was when we went on a group trip from the resort and they took us to like a flea market type of place. Nobody wanted to get off on the bus. My wife and I did. All the (buildings? huts? not sure what they’re called) we’re crammed together selling items like coffee, photo albums, etc. The sales pressure was strong and they all wanted you to buy from their shop. I didn’t dig it tbh. I bought some of their amazing coffee though! Love that stuff!!
Stopped at a shopping center that had a bar on the top. We went there and mingled with some locals. That was great.
I’ll be back in late July, can’t wait.
u/radicldreamer if you have any specific questions that haven’t been answered about your first time there, you can DM me and I’ll try to answer them.
I have the exact same story at Dunn’s River Falls. I panicked because I thought the guy was hitting on me so I gave him my middle name and my ex’s name (was already my ex at the time.) By the time I realized what was happening, I’d paid like $65 USD for the two wooden trinkets… but honestly they’re my favourite souvenirs of any trip I’ve ever taken just because of how absurd they are.
There is a negril uncensored Facebook group that will have More info scattered about than this sub.Exch is closer to 1-150. Cab ride, and many places, will wuite you in USD. Ride from MBJ could be 100-150 us
Definitely go to Ricks Cafe and 7 Mile Beach, I’ve always used the 1vs100 for easy USD conversion. However, prices depend on location. If you stop someplace on the side of the road, you’ll get drinks and snacks for cheap. Full establishments are of course going to be pricier, and don’t think they wont try to overcharge if you look foreign
Hi There,
I just put together a video covering travel tips for visiting Jamaica. It’s primarily focused on the first time visitor. Check it out if you’d like and let me know if you have any questions. Best tips for traveling to Jamaica (the do’s and don’ts)
Just returned from Jamaica. We didn’t go to Negril. We went to Ochos Rios, Boston Bay, and Runaway Bay. Jamaica isn’t cheap. Gas is more expensive there than here at the moment. Food and lodging are comparable to US prices. We didn’t take taxises but rented a car and car rental was also comparable in price to US. Don’t expect it to be cheaper.
There was all sorts of shit going on in Boston Bay- pretty sure we witnessed drug running boats at night and people frequently tried to sell my boyfriend cocaine. A taxis backed into our car, blamed my boyfriend for it, and then insinuated that they were in bed with the police in the area when he told them to call the police. They got the other passengers to agree it was my boyfriend’s fault and basically blackmailed him into giving $200 to go away. I feel like it could have been worse. Tbf, my boyfriend made the mistake of driving after dark.
I think you can be safe about it, just screen who you are interfacing with (reputable hotels can help coordinate outings). Hotels and hotel staff was top notch. Country is beautiful and the tour operators we booked with were great. Just keep a really sharp awareness of your surroundings and be critical and wary of people. Everyone is trying to hustle something on you. Absolutely negotiate and don’t buy something for the first price you are offered.
I would not ever go there as a single woman, FYI.
> A taxis backed into our car, blamed my boyfriend for it, and then insinuated that they were in bed with the police in the area when he told them to call the police.
Bf should have called the police himself or drive down to the station. You’re required to report an accident within 24hrs. The police station is about a mile away from Boston Bay.
Why would you hand over $200? That’s crazy.
It wasn’t a good situation because the taxis driver got passengers to agree with him and basically a group of people claiming something different happened than what actually happened. A man whom my boyfriend had gone out fishing with just before this incident happened had come back up to the scene and was also initially saying to call the police until there was this whole discussion and insinuation of “well…. You know how this driver is with the police” as in they were all friends.
Frankly…. I don’t trust the police a bit there. I’m lgbtq and state department has said that it is known police have been involved in harassment and mistreatment of lgbtq people. Granted, I present as straight passing and my boyfriend is straight. Still don’t trust them at all.
I was not there at the time so it may be easy for me to say what my boyfriend should have done but he did what he did and I understand he felt backed into a corner and blackmailed. I think he did feel physically threatened for his safety as well.
Fair enough where the lgbtq concerns come in.
It’s surprising that the rental company wouldn’t have a dashcam on their rentals. What happened with the rental? Did you guys have to shell out additional money for the damage or had you paid for insurance?
I wish we had a dashcam but we did not. Yes, our deductible was taken. I may be able to recoup with insurance but we’ll see.
Maybe this situation could have gone differently, I’m not sure. He did what he did and I can’t change that 🤷🏽♀️ I do think there were a number of other things in the area leading up to this that probably made him fear for his safety. It looked like cocaine boat running was happening in relatively plain view if you cared to look at all.
Jamaican woman here. If you keep your kids with you everything will be fine. If your daughter is teenage then she should already know about stranger danger and that kind of thing.
If your daughter or any other woman in your party goes out alone, expect them to be catcalled to within an inch of their lives. Some men here view any American/British/European woman as a potential chance for a green card or whatever so they’re veeeeeery persistent. Overall, Jamaican men are just catcallers. It’s annoying to me, but if you’re not familiar with how ✨dramatic✨ Jamaicans can be, it can easily seem alarming instead of just annoying. It’s 99.9% harmless though.
Also they’re convinced in Negril that all white people MUST have a hidden coke addiction lmao
State department has said sexual assaults are commonly reported, even at all inclusive resorts. I wanted to walk down the street to a restaurant after dark one night that was literally probably a 3 block walk. I got flagged down pretty much the second I got out of my hotel with a guy saying “where you going walking so fast? Can I walk with you?”. I was evasive and basically went back to my hotel as fast as possible. As a white woman, you just stand out SO much in some areas.
I wasn’t too concerned when I was with my boyfriend.
Hey there, what did you think about Runaway Bay? I’m headed to Jamaica in April and trying to think about some alternative places to Negril or those top 3 resort towns. Not got anything against them, but I’d be interested if there’s anywhere a bit quieter you experienced and enjoyed?
I think I probably used ‘quiet’ in the wrong way. Thinking more about avoiding big-ticket tourist activity areas rather than music or locals or people :) I live in a crazy tourist town full of resorts, so just thinking if there’s another way to experience Jamaica and a vacation. Thank you for your advice!
