Hi All,
I'm planning a trip to the Caribbean next year but undecided as to where to go?? Everywhere looks so so beautiful it's difficult to decide.
I really love Reggae, Soca and Dancehall music so obviously my first choice would be Jamaica but from what I'm reading it seems like leaving the resorts is not recommended. I don't like the idea of travelling to a country and never really 'seeing' the country and only seeing the inside of a resort, albeit very beautiful.
I'm totally fine with people trying to sell me things on the streets so that wouldn't bother me at all. I'm streetwise and used to big cities but I've never been to the Caribbean so not sure what to expect.
I would like to think i could travel and interact with local people to get a true experience of what the place is like. If you can't do that, then what's the point??
Myself and my girlfriend are white so I can only assume that venturing out to a local bar we would stick out alot will this mean extra hassle for us?
I guess, to summarise, I would like to travel to somewhere that I can mingle with locals. Any advice?
If I don't go to Jamaica i was thinking of prehaps St. Lucia, any thoughts on this location? safety, nightlife etc.
Thanks in advance,
Colin
You should probably look at staying in the north of the island, where there's lots of nightlife around Castries and Rodney Bay. Castries is the capital and it's probably not recommended to be out on your own very late in quiet areas, but Rodney Bay is buzzing and safer. If you find a bar frequented by locals I'm sure they would be very welcoming.
To give you an idea of what's available have a look at this page from the St Lucia Tourist Board's website http://www.stlucia.org/activity/nightlife.asp.
We love Jamiaca a lot. It is the atmosphere that we enjoy and the beautiful beaches in Negril. However, we don't venture out too much. We wouldn't go off shopping without a tour.
St. Lucia is a beautiful island! We enjoyed our trips out exploring the island and felt safer when we were out and about. We stayed near the Casteries. However, the beaches are not as pretty and there was less atmosphere on the resort.
Thanks for the responses.
I'm really quite torn, maybe i'll go on two holidays (wishful thinking)
Asked if you want a taxi/hair braided/come and see my shop etc., Asked if you want some ganja (or more politely, if you have any "bad habits" or "want to party" ). If someone asks if you want them to show you e.g. where the shopping area is, beware as they will ask for a tip for being your "guide".
Having said that, you will get all this in just about any Caribbean country so there's not much difference between them all. It's not constant hassle, but you will get some.
As this would be your first visit, it could feel quite intimidating, but just remember that this is their culture and at the end of the day they are just trying to feed their families. Just go there expecting this to happen and say no politely with a smile and they will leave you alone. The other option is to actually chat to them, they really are very friendly people and love talking to tourists. If you get them on to the subject of Premiership football, you have a friend for life It would be a massive shame to go there and stay in resort all the time. There are so many wonderful people and things to experience but go with an open mind and with the knowledge that you will get hassled at times, and you will love it.
One thing which I cannot stress enough is that the sun in the Caribbean is far, far stronger than the sun in Europe and will seriously fry you if you are not careful. So cream up or cover up ALL the time. I know it sounds like common sense but I see so many people who get absolutely fried and then they say that they go to Spain etc. every year and "are used to the sun". They learn the hard way that they aren't used to the sun at all
Keith
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