I lived in Jamaica in the Peace Corps, and the country definitely has it's positives and negatives... the country has such a complex past with colonization, pirates, slavery, racism, and now mass tourism... definitely a place where you don't want to end up in the wrong neighborhood. To address Chantelle's post, marijuana is illegal to Jamaicans as well, and not that much of the country actually smokes it - but the Jamaicans who tend to hang around touristy areas and all-inclusives are more likely to be shady characters, druggies, fake, etc. because many of the tourists drive those stereotypes and expect them. If you travel off the beaten path, you'll experience the real Jamaica (far from resorts!) and absorb a bit of the culture...

It is lush & beautiful, yet extremely impoverished.

i HATE jamaica. i got married there 7mths ago. had i known what i know now, we would've picked elsewhere to get married. the bugs are ridiculous! u dont ever see them, but every morning u wake up covered in itchy bites. also, all the locals are high cuz marijuana is only illegal for tourists. we needed the assistance of a cop while there, he was so high he didnt even know his name! and everyone is a panhandler and wants a damn tip for EVERYTHING! u could go broke just tipping. if ur looking to go to the caribbean, definately pick a different island. Barbados is wonderful - its not a 3rd world country, so no panhandlers, its clean, english speaking, great shipwreck diving, and u can snorkel with the green sea turtles.

I know someone who goes every year, and loves it!

I was just wondering cause people i know is tryin 2talk me out of ever goin there in the near future!Why,are u goin or were u their?

Why?