As evidence, Jamaica's shores have starred in iconic films like Cocktail, Knight and Day, The Blue Lagoon, GoldenEye (named after Ian Fleming's local beach purchase), and Live and Let Die. A minor caveat from my explorations: the most stunning beaches are often private resort properties with entry fees, waived if you dine at the nearby restaurant or bar. For just a few dollars, bask in Caribbean fine white sand and turquoise waters at spots like Robinson. You can even stay in beachfront cabins, such as those at Half Moon Beach (www.halfmoonbeachjamaica.com). Whether public (like Negril) or private, evenings bring starlit parties.
Violence is largely confined to Kingston's downtown areas, which backpackers should avoid. Organized tours steer clear entirely, making it worry-free. Jamaica is a top pick for American, Canadian, and British honeymooners and spring breakers. In my experience, locals warmly welcomed this French traveler.
Since Errol Flynn popularized rafting on the Rio Grande in the 1950s, adventurers have floated island rivers on bamboo rafts or hiked upstream, like at Dunn's River Falls (accessible by road or sea—wear grippy shoes!). Climbers link arms to scale 200 meters of natural pools, rock slides, and tunnels. Other thrills include mountain biking Blue Mountain plantations, hurtling through rainforest on a Rastarocket bobsleigh, or paddling the Black River amid sugarcane fields, mangroves, and crocodiles.
Reggae was born in Kingston's tough neighborhoods, launching stars like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff. Marley's hits pulse at tourist haunts: Negril's Rick's Café, the stunning Strawberry Hill hotel (www.islandoutpost.com) owned by his producer, or his Nine Mile birthplace—now a museum and mausoleum with live concerts worth the trip alone. Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay draws record crowds yearly. Dancehall (electro-reggae) and jerky daggering dances dominate now, while weekends offer joyful gospel singing in church.
Not talking marijuana—it's strictly illegal to possess, buy, or sell, with jail time penalties. Warnings abound: Jamaica takes drugs seriously. Yet ganja scents waft through markets, beaches, and even Bob Marley's museum. True Rastafarians claim it as religious sacrament. Instead, I savored jerk chicken (spice-marinated), goat curry, and grilled lobster.
With Passions des Iles, from €1,908/pers. 8 days / 7 nights at Secrets St James Montego Bay 5* all-inclusive in a Junior Suite Ocean View departing from Paris, instead of €2,158 thanks to the "Book early Winter" offer (booking before 15/12/14 for a stay between 1/01 and 30/04/15). Information and reservations: www.passiondesiles.com – 04 72 77 31 98. See also Look Voyages, www.look-voyages.fr.
