AnnaZ Loc: SW Wis.

We did the Dunns River falls thing. Nice side trip.

blue-ultra Loc: New Hampshire

Love Jamaica. Took several trips there. While staying in Montego Bay my wife and I hired a local guy to give us a look at what the tourist do not normally see. We had a rental car and this fellow took us to Dunn River Falls but then after that we ventured up into the hills and we saw the real beauty of the island. I took some photos of school children that probably have never seen white people. This photo has won me several awards.

Be careful with talking photos in the public market in Montego Bay. I was shooting a lady who was carrying a load of bananas on her head and she came over to me and demanded $$ as she told me I was going to make a lot of money with those photos. She obviously does not understand vacation photos vs commercial photos. But never the less just be careful.

A trip to Negril is almost mandatory, The sand there is almost like sugar. The people are friendly and the coast line is awesome. Rent a boat with a local and they will take you around to the caves the pirates use back in the day. Ricks Café is a local bar and grill that host the cliff divers and the best sunset on the island.

Take a lot of photos and share with us on the return...

royden Loc: Decatur, GA

jvangorp Loc: Stickney, SD

Thanks for the great advice. Always a good reminder of the possible crime that can occur. I love light houses, i'll have to see if we can get there.
Again, thanks for the great suggestions!!

crafterwantabe Loc: Mn

My daughter was married in Jamaica a few years ago. Several of the people in our group did the fishing. They had a great time and caught fish. Which was cleaned and cooked up for them. We did some golfing. A boat tour . We saw a place where a movie was filmed. James Bond I believe. Some of the younger people went on several of the short trips. My hubby wasn't into spending the money on those extras. Only what he wanted to do. It would have been a great experience for our son to see and do some of the trips.. enjoy!

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

We found a huge difference in price between the excursions offered by the resort we stayed in, and the cars/vans/minibuses waiting on the road just outside the resort. Just asked the driver what we should see, also what we wanted to see, and for CAD$20. he spent 6 1/2 hours with us! I think there were 26 of us, maybe 28. Good day for him, good day for us.
We had thought to take him for lunch, but obviously he's got contacts on the island. He took us to a reasonably priced restaurant, lunch was less than $10/person, and because he brought us there, he got his lunch for free!

We stayed in a resort near Fallmouth, but I'm sure drivers with vehicles will be found just outside most, if not all, resort in Jamaica.

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

You've received some good input. Dunn's River Falls would be at the top of my list, BUT the water is chilly and the rocks are slippery. If you like history, Rose Hall Great House (reputedly haunted) is nice. Rafting on one of the rivers might be enjoyable, while a visit to a coffee plantation or Appleton's Rum to see the production process may interest.

We've been to Jamaica twice and are heading back in the near future. The people seem to be the happiest we have encountered on our travels, but the cautionary note about the crime potential should not be ignored. I ran into the same issue of wanting to be paid for taking a photo of an individual, but honestly I can't fault those folks since their standard of living is so much lower than ours.

jvangorp Loc: Stickney, SD

Thanks! You gave me lots of great information! I'm really looking forward to the trip!

jvangorp Loc: Stickney, SD

Thank you for all the advice!! I'll have to run all the options by my husband to see which ones we want to do. We both like history, so maybe the plantations will make the list!

jvangorp Loc: Stickney, SD

Good advice! We'll see what we can get accomplished while there!

jvangorp Loc: Stickney, SD

Thanks for your input!! I'll let me husband know how the fishing went!

jvangorp Loc: Stickney, SD

Most of the time...HA!

PhotosBySteve

Make sure you keep your camera and lenses in an airtight bag when going to/from climate controlled areas. It is almost always very humid there. Let you gear warm to the ambient before removing from bag.

jvangorp Loc: Stickney, SD

Thanks, I hadn't thought of that. I plan on my camera bag being my carryon and not letting it out of my sight!!

HertzSone Loc: West of the Cascades

If you like coffee, there are few beans better than Blue Mountain Coffee of Jamaica. Rich flavor and smooth. If I remember correctly, the Blue Mountains are over near the Ocho Rios side of the island. It is very expensive over here, but you may be able to find it there and bring it back in your luggage. Check the grocery stores. Good luck.