I am soon leaving for Jamaica and staying at a boutique hotel as o the Sandals or resorts. I love to dive, hike, bike, if you have been there and can share some insight as to fun things to do, I would appreciate your input. I am not into hedonism or drugs.

just be very careful and do not trust anyone.

Make sure you stay on the resorts property. There are several people who claim to be tour guides and once you are out of sight they will rob you.

yeah... have a good time, just be cautious!

When I was there I truly appreciated having a local take me on a tour of the real Jamaica. Their markets, their music, and the poverty they live in. They are a beautiful people who will honestly tell you they survive on tourist money. Be aware of the "colors" the cabbies use, but know the police are vigilant and will keep an eye on you.

Have a Red Stripe or two for me, would ya?

There are true tour guides but just make sure they are hotel sanctioned ones.

yea and another thing i learned down there is the parents will be down by the water and send there little kids up to ask for money.

when buying from the locals, never pay the first or second asking price. avoid shopping when the tour buses come thru. prices are doubled or tripled then. try jerk chicken. there is a place called i think either boston or portland. it is a few miles east of port antonio. just a big covered outdoor pinic area but they have fantastic jerk chicken. be prepared to be propositioned. take a ride on the local buses. the service is not timely but a memory, especially going thru the mountains. just watch it as they go around corners. if you have questions, contact the peace corps office in kingston. they are very helpful. watch out for the overproof rum. it can knock you on your ass. have a blast. if you like coffee, buy some blue mountain. it is super. expensive but great.

YEP

YEP

There are tons of things to do on the resort. There are 2 waterslides (one is salt water and one is freshwater that empties into one of the pools). In the entrance to the waterslides is an area where they have a few video games setup, just incase it rains. There are pools everywhere here, even little hidden coves if you wanted some privacy. The hotel also has 2 outdoor hot tubs which are great to relax in the evening. There are actually 2 beaches on the resort, the larger South side beach and the smaller North beach where all the water sport equipment is. You can go sailing on the four man Hobbie Cats or the single man wind surfers. There are four man paddle boats, two man paddle boats, snorkeling gear as well as two large trampolines anchored in the water farther off the beach. Overall both beaches are OK (not the best I've been to) but are nice. The water does have
seaweed patches though, and on the North beach the ground can be a little uneven once you get into the water. There is also a beach volleyball area and a pool with a volleyball net. There is a games area in the north side of the resort (just off the main outdoor stage area) where they have 2 pool tables, 2 ping-pong tables and you can check-out a variety of board games. They also had one night where local vendors set up shop around the games area to sell their wares.

Jamaica mon, lol, my sister went there and she said she didn't take anything valuable to her and didn't wear any jewelry, have fun!!

Well not much I can tell you since I stayed at Hedo 3 for 9 days. Although I agree that you should DEFINATELY have some jerked chicken. The coffee is AWESOME, the greenary is breathtaking....you will see so many beautiful plants! I have a disc of flower and plant pictures! Oh and try the rum cream in your coffee it is yummy!! I hope you have soooooo much fun I am jealous!!

Jamaica is my FAVORITE island! You will surely love it

There is sooooooo much to do & see... and it all depends on what it is that YOU want ;o) ALL of the resorts have more than enough activities (not to mention sunbathing!), so if you choose to never leave the resort, you will still have a fantastic time.

Shoudl you want to go out & explore.. again, there is so much to do.. and a lot depends on what part of the Island you are on.. or how far youa re willing to travel to see some of the stuff offered at other ends of the Island. Rick's Cafe (OMG! a MUST see at sunseet time).. Rose Hall....Dunn's River Fall's (an absolute blast!)... haggling in the market place (and yes.. I did say HAGGLE! Never go with the first price..they expect you to haggle with them!)... and yes, having a local take you around let's you experience Jamaica in a way that most tourists miss out on.

As for valuables... in all the times I have been to Jamaica, it was never an issue or a problem. So basically take as much care as you would anywhere you would normally travel.

Bring an empty suitcase or carrier.. cause there are so many things there you can get at amazing prices.. and you will nto want to miss out!

Most of all... have a GREAT time.. take LOTS of pics...

Another thing that I noticed was that every local I delt with was REALLY fun. The woman were WAY sassy!

If you have a bus ride after your flight to your resort just sit back enjoy the company READ THE BILLBOARD signs (they cracked me up) and look at the scenery and how they live. DO NOT WATCH THE ROAD you will be scared!! LOL

yes dont look at the way the bus driver is driving you will be going in and out of traffic and off the side of road they make there own lanes.was not at all happy with the way anyone drove lol.

My favorite drink was called a Dirty Banana......but that may have just been a Hedo thing...

I wanna go back to Jamaica right NOW!!!

*falls to the floor sobbing*

Thank you to all for your great advise. I am fortunate I am going with a friend who has been going for 13 years and I am not staying at a resort. Snorkeling, diving, biking, hiking and truly taking in all the local stuff.

I had been warned about jewelry, cash etc so I think I am set. I will let you know how it goes and thank you to all for your great advise.