Jamaica - Montego Bay? Oches Rios?

Snappy · #1 09-23-2006, 01:17 AM

I have been to Ocho Rios and it is very beautiful, however it wouldn't be my first choice as a "return to" holiday destination. I found the people obnoxious, very pushy and got quite mad when we wouldn't buy the tourist wares they were peddling. I personally would think twice about visiting Jamaica again with so many other great destinations so close that are much safer and tourist friendly. I recommend St. Thomas, St. Marten, Cozumel / Playa del Carmen or the Cayman's. All have fabulous diving and I found the people were far less rude.

Tarolisol · #2 09-23-2006, 05:31 AM

Latly i have heard nothing but horror stories about jamaica. You dont want to leave the resort and go wandering. It can be a very dangerous place latly for tourists.

Delphinus · #3 09-23-2006, 05:37 AM

The stories I've heard from friends and family .. I have no plans to ever visit Jamaica. Quite a different world outside the resorts.

Places in the Carribean I want to see: Caymans, BVI, maybe USVI (but I'd prefer BVI), ... oh shoot the list goes on and on.

Like Snappy mentioned, Playa Del Carmen and Cozumel in Mexico are great, the diving is great too. We stayed at Barcelo Maya shortly after they opened (the place the Canadian tourists were murdered at

), it's not far from Cozumel, and the diving was AWESOME. In fact the places you go to pay for the snorkeling (Xcaret, Xel-ha, etc.) didn't even compare to the reef that was off the beach at the resort. Unfortunately I'm torn, I'd love to go back there but don't know if I would given what happened.

muck · #4 09-23-2006, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

We stayed at Barcelo Maya shortly after they opened

Cool. We did too. We went there on our Honeymoon 5 years ago. When were you there Tony? Maybe you were the guy next to me at the bar..??

We thought it was a great resort and the people were awesome!!

Delphinus · #5 09-23-2006, 05:46 AM

LOL, so YOU were that guy!!!

We were there in Feb 2000. Paid for by working a 24 hour shift on Y2K New Year's!

It is a fabulous resort. I recommended it to several others who also enjoyed it, and kid friendly too. Would love to go back, but then again, there are so many other places I want to go to in my lifetime.

I'm really smitten with the South Pacific, but it's a hard sell to the family for all the flights and kids and so on. Maybe we need to form a Canreef Dive Club where the really nutso folks can go to Palau, Fiji, New Guinea, etc.etc. while their family members go to the places you can get to without a transfer or two.

muck · #6 09-23-2006, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

We were there in Feb 2000. Paid for by working a 24 hour shift on Y2K New Year's!

Not me then as we were there in Sept. 2001.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

I'm really smitten with the South Pacific, but it's a hard sell to the family for all the flights and kids and so on. Maybe we need to form a Canreef Dive Club where the really nutso folks can go to Palau, Fiji, New Guinea, etc.etc. while their family members go to the places you can get to without a transfer or two.

Im down with that. Were do we sign up?

Ruth · #7 09-23-2006, 02:29 PM

Diving and snorkeling is supposed to be very good in Belize if you are bent on the Caribean - at least that is the place I was told to go and would have except that I was going by myself and for most places in that part of the world if you want to go by yourself you still have to pay for 2 people. That is why I opted to go to Thailand - and am so glad that I did. I would still like to go to Belize and perhaps that will be my next destination as I would like to dive there - I'll just have to find someone that I want to share a couple of weeks with - or that wants to spend a couple of weeks in Belize. OTOH I was totally smitten with SE Asia and would love to see and dive in more places there.