Jamaican Holiday

[seaflo]

We are traveling to Jamaica for the first time later this month and would like some suggestions;

1. where to stay?
2. what to see?
3. great places to eat?
4. where are the hotties?
5. where is the best chronic?
6. where are the cool folks?
7. must bring back souvenirs?
8. great diving locations?
9. is renting a car a good thing?
10. any other info you feel is good?

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP.:rasta:

[upinsmokeuk]

just be careful when you bye weed other there my mate went and said if you bye of locals its cheap and you get loads but its like skunk1 or a male cause its full of seeds althou i think there ll be sum prime bud knocking around,have a good time

[cannabis campbell]

its all up to you where to go and stay

how much is a return ticket there btw?

and if your planning to go you must of already planned where to stay?

[graph]

You can't smoke males.

I'd say look around, and make sure you see the weed first. Don't be scared to walk away. Oh, and while it is generally accepted, it's still illegal, so keep an eye out at all times.

[friendowl]

stay on th e resort property
jamaica is very poor
you might get taxed if you go in the wrong direction

a friend of mine was in jail two days there
and he worked his ass off

[seaflo]

Thanksd for the info. I will be in Negril. I have herard that Orange Hill is the place to go. I plan on tipping my hotel staff well. It's not a weed expedition just want to relax and experience Jamaica:rasta: Thanks for your great help:thumbsup: anymore help would be greatly appreciated too.

[MeatRulz]

Dude i want to go to jaimaca i hope you smoke a lot of bud for me man.

[WhoME]

I was offered fair quality weed by the runner my driver sent to pick me up at customs. Trust me, weed will be offered to you 100 times a day. I bought twice. Once from the runner, and the second time from a beach higgler who seemed to run the zone in front of my resort. I bought a lot to trinkets and toys from the boy who ran the stand inhis zone, he remembered me and gave about 7-10 grams of some nice skunk for 20 bucks.

Food, mmmm mmmm mmmm I love the food there. Go have Christe cook you a real rasta lunch at the new Idle Awhile spot on the cliffs, stop and get patties at Miss Sonias, by far the best I had, or just sit in a beach chair all spliffed out in front of your resort and by food from the higgglers who stroll up and down the beach.

If yu're interesterd, here's a link to a trip report I did, lot's of talk about food, 'erb etc;
http://www.amstermike.blogspot.com/

[jamstigator]

You know, it's quite a bit cheaper to go to Grenada and use that as a base of operations, then travel to Jamaica via boat whenever you want to check out Jamaica. On a clear day you can see Jamaica from the top of the mountains of Grenada. Grenada is much poorer and much more desperate than Jamaica, which translates into good deals for tourists. And really, one Caribbean island with awesome beaches and tons of pot-smoking rastafarians is a whole lot like another. Same language, similar kickass beaches, same pot culture, same culinary offerings...but way cheaper.

Man, I should be a PR guy for Grenada. I love that place. Tried to get some free land there in the 80s, but the guy who would later win an election and become their president turned me down. We met in a bar drinking rum and buying possums for possum stew. Shwaggy (but totally smokeable) pot was $120 per pound, but it's probably gone up.

[Markass]

You can't smoke anything 'male' that involves marijuana unless you want a headache....The male plant doesn't flower and bud. Female plants grown near males will be pollenated and have an annoying number of seeds and be of lower quality, but won't even necessarily be crap weed. But yeah, male plant isn't used for smoking...

[seaflo]

Thanks; this is all great info. I got a deal on an all inclusive fresort so I am going for it (so i don't know what the return trip / flight costs. Does anyone know of good hash on the island. Has anyone gone to Orange Hill? I was planning to take a cab or rent transportation from Negril to Orange Hill; is this a good / bad idea? Just two more weeks then I fly. I will have to try Grenada again; last time I was there, there was a lot of shooting.

[jamstigator]

Oh yeah? I was there for the invasion myself, and for six months afterwards, then another two months a year later. It was wonderful there after the first, oh, two or three weeks after the invasion. Hope you weren't part of 1st SOCOM; drunk 1st SOCOM soldiers are the only people who shot at me. Kinda lost some respect for them after that. Too bad my colonel wouldn't allow me to return fire with our M-60, or I'd have scared the shit out of them.

[ChronicBud]

Whome is right, you will get offered bud there like a million times, i went there about a month ago and it was the most awesome experience ever. But beware of the higglers they will be constantly on ur ass trying to get you to buy stuff. the driving sucks so if u have the money rent a car. Make friends with a rasta, they will show you the ropes. Also for eating you should go to Ricks Cafe and Jenny's Cakes, good eats if i ever saw em. My dad and i smoked with this rasta guy we met there before every meal it was awesome.

[seaflo]

Chronic, thanks. Good info. Some of the best folks in the carib, that I have met, are Rastas. What about any hash? Anyone know if it is available and worthwhile?
Jam; Grenada was a long time ago in a world far far away. Sleeping dogs.

[WhoME]

An overseas acquaintance of mine from an Amsterdam board told me he bought some hand rubbed hash while he was there last year. He sent me pics and I had them posted for awhile but I took them down awhile ago. He scored it from the higgler in his zone. He just told him what he needed.

I know someone in the orange hill board talked about the beech weed being bunk. Treat your Higglers well, just make a small score up front say $20 of Ganja, see the goods first before you give the cash, let them know you're a serious smoker back home. They will sort you out and get you what you need.

The Higglesrs are businessmen first they may be hustlers, but they are there to make a living. One of my favorite activities after my morning spliff was to watch my zone get set up. A teenage boy would set up the souvenir stand on the beech, then 3 adult males would show up an hour later and start hawking the wares, and the ganja, then about 8 hrs later there would be a shift change on the beach, very orderly way to get tourists Bob Marley T-shirts and Ganja!!!!!

[SpiritLevel]

Hotel Security or grounds people who do maintainance can often hook up weed. An ounce/28g will be around JA$300-400 which isn't a lot of money. Normal weed WILL have seeds in it; but it is still good shit when you pick the seeds and sticks out. Even if you can get your hands on the top quality sensi it will often have at least a few seeds in it. The BUDD is alright but weed and a dragon stout is just as good.

If you go to any night-time dances in the street, sometimes a man will be walkin around holding some branches where you can go and sniff and see what you will be getting. I dunno if this happens so much in Negril because it is a touristy area. I stayed in Negril for a day when I went some years back and in all honesty it isn't the real Jamaica.

If you can drive then hire a car (not a new air conditioned one cuz you stick out; get a clapped out station wagon) or get a taxi drivers private number and tell him you want a tour guide for the duration of your stay. You can then call this person and get them to take you anywhere and you can also ask them if the recommend places. But you Have To negotiate before shaking hands. If in doubt, walk on. Jamaicans will kill you lol, but so will Bush and Blair - take a chance!!

But if you can hook up with a driver with good knowledge of the place and not too shady then it halps a lot. They can take you to places off the map (if you want an adventure,lol). They can recommend where you can get the best jerk chicked and festivals (ask accomodation staff and confirm with your driver).

Dunns River falls is a tourist thing.. Blue Mountain where there is a huge coffee plantation.. errr there are botanical gardens ..Aligators.. and ...

Bring back pestle and mortar and weed chopping block and carved wooden challice/chillum pipe and Ray & Nephew white rum and Aplleton rum and Mangoes and Ginneps.


Sounds expensive to have a driver but around JA$50 to the £1 gives an advantage for negotiating. Tell us all bout it when u return!!!!!

[seaflo]

Who and Spirit, This is great advise. I have been to a lot of places in the Carib but not Jamaica before. I am getting stoked about going. I love intereacting with new people and I have found good people all over the world; you just have to use your head and be kind and respectful to folks. I am planning that this will be the first of many visits to Jamaica. I have lived in the Bahamas for many years and the Rastas I have met there made the greatest food. I used to make a living out of not sticking out in a crowd so I hope this will serve me well while traveling in the Jam. Thanks for everyone's help and advise. This is what true believer do for one another; help the road smoother for their children, brothers and sisters. I am leaving in a littel over a week and will update you with my experiences

[SpiritLevel]

Bahamas? My uncle lives there.. I been there around 2 decades ago.. NICE!!

[WhoME]

mmmmmm spliffs and Dragon Stout what a combo.

[WhoME]

Where did you stay spirit? I understand that Negril is not quite the real Jamaica, but I was there on holiday. I did stay on the lower half of the 7 mile beach in a small hotel. That got me out, eating and shopping with the locals, and at least gave me a small peek of life on the island. I'm thinking of one of the small villages near treasure beach for my next trip.

[seaflo]

I saw the Idle Awhile resort post and it seemed very cool. Maybe the next time I'll stay there. Any other advice / recommendations from folks would be greatly appreciated. Has anyone been to Orange Hill? How is the best way to get there and what should I expect?

[SpiritLevel]

@ WhoME

Villa in Ocho Rios, friends house in Spanish Town, relatives Maggoty, hotel Negril, few other places with relatives out in country and up in the hills, drove over 750miles round the island over 4weeks often returning to camp (villa in Ocho).

[seaflo]

It was great; great food great people; great deals; great weather; not the Dam for herb but still great.

[WhoME]

Let's hear more. No it's not the Dam, but it's a whole lot cheaper and a whole lot more laid back. Two differant vacations.

Let's here some adventures. I'm 10 months from my last trip and two years from my next.

[LIP]

A friend of mine was chatting to some locals when he was on holiday there and he mentioned weed, and they said, wait wait wait, ran off and came back with a plate with about a half ounce bud on it, and papers, and they rolled him one right infront of him.

Ever since then i've always wanted to go to Jamaica.

[seaflo]

We stayed at a large tourist area; one of those all inclusive. Great food and lots of it. Makes me feel bad though; with all that food and most of the populous very poor. Our conceirge took care of us; he was tipped well as was everyone that worked hard. I asked for more exotics and they were brought to me. I got to meet some locals and they were very cool. Everyone that we met was totally down the US government. Most feel that the current anti-drug "war" that the US and other suppossedly civilized countries are waging, is hurting their people because the govenment receives funds from the US and others but none of that trickles down to the people. I would agree. The island and the people are amazing. They are laid-back but most have a purpose and direction. Evereyone we met was very cool and most showed respect for everyone. We did not leave our hotel except for short littel trips. Next time we will see more of the country and people. It was totally great and we're arranging our next trip now.