What I Wish I Had Known BEFORE I Visited Jamaica!

hi everyone vanessa here and welcome to passport pages and today we're going to talk about things we wish we'd known before we went to jamaica with stunning beaches jaw-dropping waterfalls and incredible resorts it's no surprise that jamaica is such a caribbean favorite for so many travelers but there are many things that visitors are usually completely unaware of or incorrect assumptions that are made that are very important to know beforehand as many of my viewers have found out the hard way so i have some really important things you need to know whether you're new to jamaica if you have been to jamaica before and are going back or even if you're a veteran believe me there will be stuff here for you so let's get started first off transportation is pricey most people never realize this as most visitors and many of my viewers get round-trip transportation to and from the airport included in their all-inclusive resort stay so as a result many guests are caught off guard if they travel anywhere off the resort but taxis cost quite a bit especially if you're not staying at a resort where transportation is included from the airport that 90 minute or two hour drive from the airport to your resort in montego bay orochi rios cerner grill can set you back quite a bit possibly hundreds so factor that in if your resort does not include transportation if you're looking to explore more of the island as opposed to just one or two excursions definitely rent a car you'll save a ton just beware the cars drive on the left side and drivers can be quite aggressive on the island as well the cheapest alternative of course is buses just be sure you stick with reputable companies where you can research reviews and they can be pretty aggressive as well and are known to pass cars on two lane highways i almost screamed the first time i witnessed it but now i'm used to it so bottom line just be careful with transportation in general homophobia is sadly still a thing my husband and i have never personally witnessed it but i know of some travelers who've had issues with this even some of my viewers and i've gotten questions about it as well is it as rampant as it once was no is it still a problem unfortunately yes it is so lgbtq travelers should be extremely cautious gay male couples seem to have more issues than females since it is illegal for men and not women but regardless there are still occasional incidents of violence towards openly gay individuals with numerous documented assaults harassments and even murders and the big question are visitors targeted not nearly as much as citizens and usually it might be an inappropriate comment or subpar service things like that most people advise that if you are an lgbtq visitor to refrain from public displays of affection and expressing sexual orientation to strangers i won't say that i think you should be able to be free to do what you want when visiting just like everyone else so really take this into consideration when planning a trip if you think this might be an issue for you as there are many other caribbean islands where thankfully this is not a problem marijuana is illegal it really makes me laugh when people picture weed smoking all over every jamaican resort and that couldn't be further from the truth marijuana is actually illegal in jamaica and possession was a pretty serious offense until 2015 when possession of small amounts up to 2 ounces or 56.6 grams was reduced to a petty offense if you visit a rastafarian village you might see it being used in religious ceremonies that's one of the few exceptions but the funny thing is you as a visitor can procure it very easily in most cases you don't even have to leave the beach vendors will walk right up to you in front of your resort and offer it but don't worry if you're not interested a simple no thank you always does the trick try the local food this is definitely one of the things i wish i had known the most before i first visited we all get so caught up in our all-inclusive resorts dining options especially at the mega resorts with so many restaurants to choose from that we all myself included forget about the local cuisine and let's be honest most resorts do not serve food that is an accurate reflection of what locals eat at all which is a shame because it's delicious from jerk chicken curried goat and oxtail stew i encourage you to try it all even stop by a jerk shack on the side of the road they have some of the best food with rice and peas or kidney beans fried plantains sauteed callaloo which is like spinach type of greens and bamy or cassava flatbread those are just some typical sides that are incredible and then of course there's the national dish of saltfish and aki which is a fruit and most locals eat that for breakfast and then you can wash it all down with a strong cup of jamaican coffee which is some of the best in the world and a typical local lunch or dinner would be jamaican patties which are pastries made of dough and filled with meats or veggies and a locally brewed red striped beer so branch out and try some of the local food because you're really missing out if you don't everything is laid back including schedules this is one of the most important things to know because most of us visit for six or seven days on average and try to squeeze as much into a short visit as possible and if that includes excursions and some offsite exploration you have to go into your visit realizing that this country operates on island time so you will need to loosen your expectations on wait times and punctuality the yemen spirit isn't just a catchphrase they like to tell tourists it's legit how they live their life which we quickly discovered when we first visited so factor extra time in for everything dinner times excursions and transportation pickup times but especially for your return to the airport because that will likely be off schedule as well and of course you don't want to miss your flight so whatever the ride is estimated to take double the time and plan accordingly you don't want to be uptight on vacation either so just add a lot of cushion time to whatever you're doing that way you can stay on schedule but still stay as relaxed as the locals and trust me knowing this is one of the most important pieces of advice i can give you about visiting jamaica [Music] use us dollars but have both currencies on hand usually when you travel to a foreign country one of the first things you do is either exchange money at a bank beforehand or find a local atm to withdraw the country's currency but in jamaica if you're a visiting american you will not need to do any of the above as us dollars are not only accepted pretty much everywhere but preferred in our visits were always quoted prices in u.s dollars especially at tourist friendly excursions and restaurants or you'll see most prices listed on signs and menus in us dollars as well of course if you're traveling off the beaten path or planning on spending cash at supermarkets or on street vendors in those cases you should definitely have some local currency on you and as a general rule of travel it's wise to have both currencies on hand in case of a poor exchange rate so bottom line while it's not necessary to exchange dollars in jamaica try to have both u.s and jamaican dollars just in case you find yourself wanting to spend money where the american dollar might not be accepted hurricane season is risky this might seem like a duh that's obvious type of statement but hold on because i don't do that on my channel as i've said repeatedly in my videos the worst of the hurricane season is almost always between the end of august and beginning of october although technically it's june through november but since our anniversary is in september and we've had many a trip ruined trust me the worst usually is in that six week period which is also when jamaica gets the heaviest rain now many caribbean islands that are located in the hurricane belt fortunately don't get hurricanes all that often jamaica isn't one of them they always get something whether it's a tropical storm or official hurricane they always seem to be in the bad path and like i said at the very least they get quite a bit of rainfall during these weeks since our honeymoon we've always purchased travel insurance and if you're going to travel during the six week period it's a must you just have to even if you don't get a hurricane if you see that the weather is going to be terrible depending on your insurance you should be able to reschedule for a better time which i've talked about in detail in my travel insurance video now the upside is that these months are the low season in the caribbean so rates are usually at their lowest both for flights but especially for resort room rates but if you're really concerned about the risk even with travel insurance and i don't blame you schedule your jamaica visit between january and may which is peak season yes you'll be paying more but at least you won't have to deal with the worry of your trip being ruined tourist areas are safe i used to get asked this question a lot is jamaica safe it's very irresponsible to just make a blanket statement that a country isn't safe without giving specific details or precautions but unfortunately many people do that which has created a stigma around the country like any country including the u.s there are safe areas in jamaica and unsafe areas as well but if you look up actual statistics most of the violent crime is locals among themselves crime against visitors is extremely low especially in heavy tourist areas because quite frankly this is a huge part of their economy so it really doesn't happen they try to keep tourist experiences as pleasant and safe as possible so you don't have to feel concerned about that now if you start exploring on your own especially areas like downtown kingston or downtown montego bay and you're not with a local guide in a big group that's a different story then you're taking a calculated risk which i don't recommend but the big tourist spots you know them i'm sure dunn's river falls mystic mountain rick's cafe the bob marley museum on and on those places are definitely safe so go out and have a good time and enjoy so for such a popular tourist destination there are a lot of things you should know beforehand that no one really talks about so i really hope this video will help you guys have the best possible jamaican experience if you enjoy this video check some of my other reviews out in my playlist and click the notification bell and select all so you'll know when i upload this is vanessa for passport pages thank you for watching and i hope to see you all very soon bye everyone

Channel: PP: Passport Pages

Views: 817,742

Keywords: All inclusive resort, all-inclusive resort, all inclusive resorts, all-inclusive resorts, 2021, 2021 travel, best all inclusive resorts, top all inclusive resorts, cheap resorts, cheap all inclusive, budget travel, best resort beaches, jamaica, jamaica resorts, negril, riu, riu resorts, montego bay, Montego Bay resorts, jamaica all inclusive, jamaica all inclusive resorts, cheapest resorts, sandals, sandals resorts, sandals jamaica, things to do in jamaica, best jamaica

Id: nzdMe17Q2gU

Length: 11min 34sec (694 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 20 2020