4 days in Jamaica - How best used?

[radhak]

We will be in Jamaica the 4 days of Thanksgiving, in/out the airport at Montego.

I want to forego the big splashy resorts and book a Bed & Breakfast, see some waterfalls and maybe take in a trek. We are from Miami so the beaches are not the main draw.

So, if you are familiar with Jamaica,

a. How painful is road travel in Jamaica? I plan to engage some sort of 'tour guide' for a car/driver, but if we stay in areas like Negril, is that 'too far' from the airport? I'll get two clear days in Negril (or wherever), while the first and last days travel to/from Montego. I'm told it's around 90 minutes of drive - but will that be a good drive, with scenic stops, or a please-get-this-over-with?

Another reason for that question is, do we try and target sight-seeing only nearby areas to avoid long drives, or venture out for longer distances?

I don't think too much about driving around 3 or 4 hours to Orlando here - mildly inconvenient but does not stop me from any plans, but dunno about Jamaica

b. We also want to get some local 'cultural experience' - which means some shopping for the wife, some street photography for me, and people watching for the kids. I was thinking Montego, but maybe Negril is good enough too?

 

[cbrunny]

I honeymooned in Negril. Amazing beach & ocean there. 90 mins from Montego Bay Airport sounds about right. For me, it was definitely a "please get this over with" drive. Driving in Jamaica is INSANE. I would never drive on my own, and only ever have a local drive for me.

Negril isn't as nice of a city as Montego, I think. Definitely not as tourist friendly due to cruise ships in and out of Montego, by a wide margin. We didn't do much in the cities in either place, but we did drive through them on the way to the off-resort touristy stuff.

Honestly, if I was going to Jamaica, I would change my trip and go to Mexico instead.

we did a waterfall tour which was awesome and we did the appleton estate tour which was missable. River cruise was cool - lots of gators which is new for us (canada). if memory serves, there's not much within 60 mins of Negril that's worth seeing. All our drives were long.

 

[amdhunter]

Skinout party.

 

[zinfamous]

well, get high af for 4 days, eat lots of Jerk chicken, get back on plane?

 

[KMFJD]

Be prepared for the most aggressive salesmen in the world, avoid any tour where you can buy anything. They drive on the wrong side of the road, if you are comfortable driving in a 3rd world country go ahead and drive, otherwise a taxi is fine, it's not a bad drive, Rick's Cafe is a tourist trap, ask the taxi driver to stop of at a local jerk hut for some excellent chicken/rice and beans. Your wife will hate shopping there unless she's used to 3rd world haggling 'cause it's just horrible there, you'll have 30 shops selling the exact same made in China crap while trying everything to get you to buy something.

 

[radhak]

Negril isn't as nice of a city as Montego, I think. Definitely not as tourist friendly due to cruise ships in and out of Montego, by a wide margin. We didn't do much in the cities in either place, but we did drive through them on the way to the off-resort touristy stuff.

we did a waterfall tour which was awesome and we did the appleton estate tour which was missable. River cruise was cool - lots of gators which is new for us (canada). if memory serves, there's not much within 60 mins of Negril that's worth seeing. All our drives were long.

Good info - I am changing my B&B to something closer to Montego, and plan to spend my last day all at Montego, while the other time for waterfalls and beaches.

Honestly, if I was going to Jamaica, I would change my trip and go to Mexico instead

 

[radhak]

Be prepared for the most aggressive salesmen in the world, avoid any tour where you can buy anything. They drive on the wrong side of the road, if you are comfortable driving in a 3rd world country go ahead and drive, otherwise a taxi is fine, it's not a bad drive, Rick's Cafe is a tourist trap, ask the taxi driver to stop of at a local jerk hut for some excellent chicken/rice and beans. Your wife will hate shopping there unless she's used to 3rd world haggling 'cause it's just horrible there, you'll have 30 shops selling the exact same made in China crap while trying everything to get you to buy something.

Yeah - I'll avoid driving myself - no wish to spend any energy into all that angst.

I hear you about the pushy sell : I am even trying to keep away from all the 'most popular' spots - I have had enough of crowds at Disney and Rapids Water park!

 

[KMFJD]

Good info - I am changing my B&B to something closer to Montego, and plan to spend my last day all at Montego, while the other time for waterfalls and beaches.

I'd stay in Negril if i where going again, it's more relaxed and a much nicer part of Jamaica tbh....Montego Bay is just another big city with lotsa western franchises of all sorts, Ochos Rios is where Dunn's River Falls is located i think that's a 90 min drive from Mo'Bay and is nice to do once, beware of the shops at the end of the tour, just stay away. I found Ochos Rios to be more touristy area and Negril more relaxed and Montego Bay the commercial center of it all.

/when leaving get to the airport early and get past security before the tour buses bring in the hordes of tourists from the resorts, it's island time and things go slowly....better to wait for flight in the airport lounge than in a lineup of angry tourists waiting to go home...the lineups get bad

 

[MrSquished]

 

[Imp]

Appleton. Estate.

 

[Jeeebus]

I've only ever stopped in the cruise ports, but they were a shithole each of the times I went and I am sure they are a shithole today (10+ years later). The last time I was there someone got stabbed/robbed on the main street and the cruise line was like "everyone get the fuck back on the boat." I have never been accosted by so many pushy people trying to sell stuff and by guys trying to give you a tour of the pot plants via their taxis (or, stated in English, to get you in their dilapidated cars and then rob you as soon as you leave town). I'm sure the luxury resorts are lovely, but you couldn't pay me enough to get out and explore.

 

[Elixer]

Very high crime rate there, so don't bring anything that valuable with you.
The state department has a big list of places you should stay away from, and also if you are female, be extra cautious.

 

[Deeko]

Drink red stripe and rum. Eat jerk chicken. Don't go off resort or well-traveled tourist areas. Drive as little as possible because it's terrifying. Its best to pick an area and stay there.

 

[Oyeve]

well, get high af for 4 days, eat lots of Jerk chicken, get back on plane?

Pretty much this. Awesome food, awesome "other" things and beautiful people and beaches.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Ask political asylum?

 

[Iron Woode]

pretend you're James Bond looking for Dr. no.

 

[DigDog]

i spent a month in jamaica, mostly around kingston.
my suggestion is to AVOID THE AIRPORT and the people around it, find somewhere CHEAP to hang out, and get yourself a nice girl to hang out with. and smoke some weed. and drink some red stripe.
and try the amazing jerk chicken, made in a oil drum BBQ, with piccapeppa sauce.
blend in, avoid the touristy stuff .. relax.

if you *really* want to go somewhere, go to the blue mountains.

 

[radhak]

I'd stay in Negril if i where going again, it's more relaxed and a much nicer part of Jamaica tbh....Montego Bay is just another big city with lotsa western franchises of all sorts, Ochos Rios is where Dunn's River Falls is located i think that's a 90 min drive from Mo'Bay and is nice to do once, beware of the shops at the end of the tour, just stay away. I found Ochos Rios to be more touristy area and Negril more relaxed and Montego Bay the commercial center of it all.

Good input, thanks. I have seen enough of tourist spots, so relaxed is what I need, and after looking at all options I went with my original plan, and have rented this nice little spot in Bluefields, and it does look enticing:

Can't wait to call dibs on one of those lounge chairs!

This is closer to Negril, so we'll forego Montego Bay and visit Negril when we can tear ourselves from these waters.

Dunn's River seems to be so well known that I might avoid it, and visit the YS Falls and the Blue Hole swim spot, which should be less trafficked. I have talked with our B&B lady - a doctor from the US who found her second career in this - and she's arranging for a car/driver at much cheaper than I found elsewhere.

/when leaving get to the airport early and get past security before the tour buses bring in the hordes of tourists from the resorts, it's island time and things go slowly....better to wait for flight in the airport lounge than in a lineup of angry tourists waiting to go home...the lineups get bad

Doubly thanks for that info - my wife goes into hear hysterics at airport delays, that's a great heads up!

 

[radhak]

i spent a month in jamaica, mostly around kingston.
my suggestion is to AVOID THE AIRPORT and the people around it, find somewhere CHEAP to hang out, and get yourself a nice girl to hang out with. and smoke some weed. and drink some red stripe.
and try the amazing jerk chicken, made in a oil drum BBQ, with piccapeppa sauce.
blend in, avoid the touristy stuff .. relax.

if you *really* want to go somewhere, go to the blue mountains.

I wish! I'm going with my wife and two teenaged girls. So I'm more like the unpaid concierge forever engaged in making their lives easier ...

But the rest of your advice is good, and I'm following it - getting as far away from the airport as sensible, and enjoying the air and food and anything non-touristy!

 

[purbeast0]

That place looks pretty sweet, enjoy.

Just curious, out of all the places in the Caribbean was there a particular reason you picked Jamaica?

 

[KMFJD]

Looks like an awesome place, get your guide to drop you off early to avoid the resort crowds.

 

[ControlD]

I wish! I'm going with my wife and two teenaged girls. So I'm more like the unpaid concierge forever engaged in making their lives easier ...

But the rest of your advice is good, and I'm following it - getting as far away from the airport as sensible, and enjoying the air and food and anything non-touristy!

Do the two teenaged girls belong to you or are you just planning ahead?

 

[radhak]

Do the two teenaged girls belong to you or are you just planning ahead?

Oye veh - my own daughters maaan!

 

[cbrunny]

Dunn's River seems to be so well known that I might avoid it, and visit the YS Falls and the Blue Hole swim spot, which should be less trafficked.

We went to YS. It was great. Expect tourists by the (small) busload. Enjoy the tractors. They're Massey Fergusons, made in Canada.

We did not do Dunn's River, but this didn't disappoint. It isn't Niagara Falls by any means but they have a rope swing. So there's that.

 

[radhak]

That place looks pretty sweet, enjoy.

Just curious, out of all the places in the Caribbean was there a particular reason you picked Jamaica?

Thanks.

The girls have friends from Jamaica and there has been a long standing demand to visit that island; and when we wanted to do an impulse trip out of town for TG, flights were cheapest to there.
(Wife wanted to do a cruise, but the dates didn't match available cruises).

I hear the warnings about safety and crime, but we have been to other countries like Mexico and Costa Rica also similarly tagged, took reasonable precautions, and enjoyed our time there.