We came away from Montego Bay with very mixed experiences and feelings. We discovered Jamacia is not really for the independent traveller, but wholly and solely set up for the packaged, all inclusive tourists who love to throw their money around.

After enjoying our time in Cuba, we flew into Montego Bay with an expectation of a laid back time of reggae music,and beautiful beaches . From the moment we arrived it was hassle, hassle, hassle! Our entire time in Montego Bay we were swooped on, tooted at, pushed, shoved, hassled and scammed. This improved somewhat when we moved location to a beach resort in Negril. Nevertheless it left us feeling so disappointed at Jamaica that Avan wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper to say they are missing out on the independent traveller who spends with the locals in favour of the rich tourist who stays in multi-national resorts. 

There are hardly any backpackers - they obviously have heeded warnings. One of the most popular approaches is ¨remember me? I'm the security guard at your hotel¨ as they grab hold of you. This was offered by at least 5 men individually, yet our security guard was female! We would walk past 5 taxis in a row and they all hear you say no to the first, but they hassle you anyway. Alas my imagined reggae playing on the streets and beautiful people (we got that later in Negril) but in Montego Bay was replaced with the reality of boom box techno music and people who saw us as walking banks needing to be separated from our dollars.

The biggest scam was a day tour. A local tour guide had struck up a conversation, each time we passed, in a more genuine way. Avan and he discussed the state of the cricket and we felt maybe we could trust booking a tour with him. He showed us a brochure outlining the trip - the brochure offered each way transport, a tour on the Black river, lunch then a visit to a waterfall. We negotiated a price in US$ which was the same as we had paid in Cuba for all day with lunch and 2 tourist spots.

Our driver arrived and we set off for the first item of the day a cruise on the Black River. However when we arrived we were taken to the cashier to pay for the boat ride. It was all a bit rushed as the boat was ready to go, but at the conclusion of the tour we tackled the driver - he advised the boat trip wasn't included in the deal. After angry words he reluctantly agreed we could be refunded the boat cost. He then asked where we wanted to go next? We said lunch and the waterfall as per the brochure - "ah no, the waterfall closes soon and it is not included, nor is lunch". (He was in earshot when other passengers on the boat trip were discussing they were going to the waterfall next). Our tourist guide insisted that we were only paying for the transport down to the river. Disillusioned we asked him to take us somewhere nice for a fish lunch. He headed back towards Montego Bay and stopped at a roadside stall, beside a river. We were immediately surrounded by many vendors pushing their faces into the windows of the van trying to sell, what appeared to us, to be the same food products. It was so frantic and crazy we could't even get out of the car and asked to be taken back to our guest house.

Next day, we found the cricket loving tout who had sold us the tour. "No Mon" he said. "The brochure was an indication". Turns out the brochure he had sold the tour to us on was not his at all! 

In most places in the world we have been to, if there are touts and hassling, it reduces as the locals get to know you, but this was not the case in Montego Bay.