Is Jamaica really that bad?

[divezonescuba]

My parents were born in Jamacia. Many of my relatives still live there. I have been there several times, the last one being in 2007. That trip, we were delayed by a riot. There were cars burning in the streets. Everyone was afraid to get out of the van.

The reefs are nowhere like they were in the 1960's.

Outside of the resort compounds, there are problems. That's why the resorts have compounds and bring in venders. There's always security for the same reason.

In Jamacia, all-inclusive must also mean that the dope is included. On the last trip, I could smell dope at the hotel, at the pool, at the beach, even 50 yards off shore in a glass bottom boat.

You can't go to the markets in the cities without being accosted to buy dope.

On the other hand, the jerk chicken is usually pretty good.

 

[BillM777]

I was in Jamaica last month for a family vacation at Beaches in Ocho Rios. The resort sucked... not well maintained and really crappy little man-made beach. The diving was fun, but we saw no fish larger than about 3 inches...except for a few in the many fish traps scattered on the reef.

My two teenage sons went diving with me each day and had a blast. Even without a lot of fish, it sure beats the diving in north Texas!! Clear blue water, great viz, interesting coral formations. We went for a night dive on a wreck. That was pretty cool.

If I were going to the Caribbean to dive I would not go to Jamaica, there are too many better places to dive. Since it was a family vacation, the diving was a nice bonus.

 

[Shasta_man]

Your intent was to offend which is why you said it, Vladmir. You know nothing about people more than the interpretation of a few random facts. Learn that people don't fit into generalizations. Some people just don't like cities or the country.

These discussions are always so funny. It always must be black OR white, never gray somewhere in between.

 

[webjr]

We,ve dove there the last three years on our Carnival cruise. We booked a private boat with these guys http://scuba-jamaica.com/ and had a great time. There's evidently not many restrictions on commercial fishing so we didn't see any large schools of fish but plenty of the usual reef fish + nurse sharks and huge green morays.

Don't forget to try the jerk chicken and especialy the festival bread!
I loved the bread so much I made my wife learn to make it!

 

[Alex777]

Over several decades I have lived (worked) in or travelled in roughly 2/3 of the world's countries. Some of these countries were considered dangerous for foreigners (Iran & Afghanistan come to mind) so I have given a fair bit of thought to the actual risks involved, both before and after the trip. In my view, it is a waste of time and potentially misleading to debate whether an entire country is "dangerous." The level of risk depends entirely on what areas you visit, when you go (risk levels wax & wane), what activities you pursue, and who is accompanying you. Crime statistics are notoriously problematic to interpret. Moreover, as a potential tourist, you don't care about the GENERAL level of crime in a country; what you want to know is "how likely am I to get hurt visiting this area of country X to do Y during the time period of Z."

Almost any country can be visited safely if you fly in to a major airport, take pre-arranged transport to a hotel catering to foreigners, & confine your activities to the hotel area. Certainly, a packaged dive vacation at a major Jamaican resort is about as safe as it would be anywhere else. The level of risk is significantly less than the risk you undertake, for example, by going diving with only modest diving experience.

On the other hand, most countries have specific areas where the risk level is elevated, particularly if you visit at night or during times of political unrest. If you are not accompanied by a trusted person with recent local knowledge of the conditions (sort of like a DM for visitors), the risk increases significantly. Parts of Jamaica, like many other places around the globe, fall in this category. I would not suggest a foray into the heart of Kingston without a local guide and a specific purpose in mind, but there are areas of many cities in N America & Europe where the same could be said.

In this context, it is also useful to distinguish between a risk and a nuisance. People trying aggressively to sell you things, including illegal drugs, almost always present a nuisance not a threat. (If you buy drugs, you have just elevated your risk level by an order of magnitude, but you knew that already.) Aggressive street vendors are a feature of life in many areas of Asia, the Middle East, and some Caribbean countries. Just say No (politely).

Overall, if you are willing to accept the risk in diving, you should have little difficulty taking on the lesser risk of a visit to a Jamaican diving resort.

 

[nipi]

Well put Alex.

 

[seascaper]

I too am looking into a trip to Jamaica next spring. From what I have seen the main resort areas are Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril and Kingston. If you had to rate these areas for things like best diving, most laid back atmosphere, nightlife, things to do, etc. How would it come out?
So far from what I can figure out it seems Negril is the most laidback and either Ocho Rios or Kingston would be the place for excitement.
Am I correct?
Oh, and please feel free to rate them yourselves.

Aigtbootbp,
Nightlife: Kingston. It's a big city with great food, music, night-life etc... but of course it's also more dicey for the same reasons. Get a good driver. #2 would be Negril, as it's got a nice concentrated funky tourist thing going on, so there's always live music on the beach. Personally, Negril bugs me though- too touristy. It's very popular, just not for me.
Diving: Negril seems to have a good product, though I've not been in years. Water's always a knock-out (>100'viz), and they get a lot of dolphins and sharks incl. a resident Hammer.
Montego Bay: IMO, the best on the island, but I think I'm a little bias. Some decent fish-spots and relatively reasonable coral, but walls, swim-throughs, buttresses, caves and structure to knock your socks off. This is in the bay, mind you. Once you get east of the airport it's still nice, but a little less dramatic.
Kingston: apparently a stunner. Wrecks aplenty, turtles, big fish, dolphins and proper sharks (reefs, bulls etc...) I don't know if there are tourist/guest operators out there any more- might be worth a Google-search.
Lady G Diver may disagree with this, but the lives in paradise
A

 

[nusspli]

I am going to Jamiaca soon for a vacation with my fiance. He is a non-diver. I will have to go alone and inquire with the dive center at my resort, as I can't see myself going some where tropical and NOT diving. Although the reviews are mixed I am encouraged that the diving wont be so bad. (I went with him to Aruba several years ago and the diving there was really bad.) Does anyone have any advice for a 'single' female diver?

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I am going to Jamiaca soon for a vacation with my fiance. He is a non-diver. I will have to go alone and inquire with the dive center at my resort, as I can't see myself going some where tropical and NOT diving. Although the reviews are mixed I am encouraged that the diving wont be so bad. (I went with him to Aruba several years ago and the diving there was really bad.) Does anyone have any advice for a 'single' female diver?

Take me along. I'm cheap, can be easy, and will dive until you say "No More"!:shocked2: he can get drunk on the beach.

 

[divezonescuba]

If you thought the diving in Aruba was really bad, Jamacia will set a new standard for you.

The last two times I was there, I didn't even bother diving. I'll be going again in June. I won't be diving again unless its included in the resort price.

Consider staying on the beach and eating jerk chicken.