razzmatazz's Jamaica Travelogue / Travel Journal

[ edit profile ] Handle: razzmatazz Real Name: brenda Email: Send User an Email Lives in: Not Available Birth Date: Not Available Member since: 2011-04-01 13:54:09 Last Login: 2011-04-01 Web Page: Not Available Places razzmatazz has visited: > Jamaica razzmatazz's Jamaica Travelogue:      Introduction | Travel Tips 0 | Travel Journals 0 Date of Last Jamaica Visit: December 2004 Jamiaca: Ocho Rios Page Last Updated: Fri April 01, 2011 Jamaica > first time Recently (Canadian March Break) took my mom who is 83 there. Booked the Riu at Ocho Rios. I DO NOT RECOMMEND TAKING ELDERLY PEOPLE TO THIS PLACE! The trip from Winnipeg was 5 hours on a crowded plane. The airport in Montego Bay was a nightmare...a very long and fast walk to get to customs, etc. and LONG LINE UPS both coming and going. This was a very exhausting trip for my mom who is active and in shape. The tour buses that take folks to and from resorts are high up with tall skinny steps. The trip is long from the airport to Ocho Rios. You stop along the way at a place that will try to charge you a lot for drinks etc.. Ask prices before ordering! *If you do take an older person try to get a wheelchair. Also wear comfortable things as you will be in long tedious line ups if you are travelling at high times. We did not find the people very friendly at all ... in fact they seemed irritaed at times with tourists. The whole time we were harassed for money and to buy things like sea doo rides, spa treatments, etc. This was CONSTANT and draining. It was from employees and also from illegal people cruising the beach front and even in the water. Hotel security does nothing to stop this nonsense. Hotel front desk people were rude at times..cocky and inattentive, disinterested... We wer told no tipping but it is very much tipping. If you want the better service you have to tip a lot! I think our room was broken into as our patio door was open when we returned and our cash was taken. We were asked a lot by different employees when we were leaving, what was our room number, our names, etc.?! Do they have some scam going on?? We had to move rooms three times as our ocean view was not there and we were next to LOUD party people. We were also put far away from the main places the hotel which meant a very long walk to adn from our room. We did not get a proper orientation. Nightly entertainement was very bad..not even worth going to see. The one night it was 'Grease" which was mostly bad lip syncing". Good points: -beach and water were spectaular -pools were nice > one was quiet and one was for partying -snorkeling was really quite good ... just at our own beach -the hotel was beautiful and well kept -the whole island is intersting and simply gorgeous -perfect weather I would go back to Jamaica with my friend who knows the place and we would not stay in an all inclusive. I hear from many Jamaica lovers that it is a bad idea to do the all inclusive thing as you are hearded around like cattle and treated very differently than you would be if you were on your own and I believe it now! Jamaica is beautiful but you do have to be smart when travelling there as you will get harassed and robbed ... as we did. We were newbies though and two women.... Do your reserach and be prepared! Jamaica Insights razzmatazz's Jamaica Travel Submissions Here are razzmatazz's Jamaica travel submissions. These tips, reviews, messages and galleries are the heart of CaribbeanMag.com's member community. Jamaica Travel Tips Nightlife Tips (0) Restaurant Tips (0) Beach Tips (0)   Scuba Diving Tips (0) Activities Tips (0) Transportation Tips (0)   Tourist Trap Tips (0) Shopping Tips (0) General Tips (0)   Accommodation Tips (0) Snorkeling Tips (0) Jamaica Forum Messages, Hotel Reviews & Photo Galleries Hotel Reviews (0) Posted Jamaica Comments Hotel Review Comments (0) Restaurant Comments (0)

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