# Montego Bay vs. Cancun



## mishpat (Jun 10, 2014)

Have the  offer of four nights in  brand new Hyatt  soon to open in Montego Bay versus  four nights in fairly new Hyatt in Cancun.  Both are all inclusive but the food  does not matter. Will enjoy only the fruits and vegetables.  Should  safety in either place be of concern?  Appreciate  all your comments.


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## siesta (Jun 11, 2014)

mishpat said:


> Have the  offer of four nights in  brand new Hyatt  soon to open in Montego Bay versus  four nights in fairly new Hyatt in Cancun.  Both are all inclusive but the food  does not matter. Will enjoy only the fruits and vegetables.  Should  safety in either place be of concern?  Appreciate  all your comments.


take this with a grain of salt as I travel all over the world. (Was just in Colombia a few months ago taking in the sights).  While I enjoy Jamaica, there are some differences in safety. The difference is, in Cancun you can travel outside of your resort without concern, its a resort town true and true. Locals are extremely hospitable, and so happy to have you there. The golden zone will be bustling with tourists, and you will truly feel Mexican hospitality wherever you go.

On the other hand its important to understand the history of Jamaica before you travel there.  During the slave trade, the most "unruly slaves" were sent to Jamaica and Haiti. Also, Jamaica's slave owners were notoriously cruel to the slaves, since not only these were the most "unruly" but because the slaves outnumbered the white man and they saw it best to rule with an iron fist. (e.g., Derby's dose).  

All this is in the past, and the Jamaican people are wonderful people. But it is important to understand that out of all the Caribbean islands that you would actually visit, there is the most racial tension and animosity on this particular island.  Many black locals genuinely despise the tourists (although like I said there are some wonderful ones there, I have many local friends that I've had for years that when I return we hang out my whole trip).  Add to the fact that there is a good amount of poverty on the island, as well as low levels of education, it is not surprising that surrounding areas do have crime. (although mexico has its fair share of crime, its different. Its organized crime, mainly on the drug routes and the border towns. The tourist zones are heavily policed, and quite frankly, just like our US mafia, they are in it for the big picture, and making waves in tourist zones is not good for business.  Whereas in Jamaica, it will be petty, opportunistic crime).

I'm definitely not discouraging you from visiting either place. We love both, albeit Mexico much more (better food in Mexico, and caribbean hospitality pretty much sucks in general, they call it "island time" but really its just "laziness and inexperienced service time")  But for reference, I was last in Cancun May 2012 (Westin Lagunamar), and I was last in Negril, Jamaica (staying at a friends vacation home) this past Summer 2013.


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## tschwa2 (Jun 11, 2014)

*For me it would come down to the price and the convenience of the flights and if you prefer or dislike Caribbean or Mexican food more.*

I like both.  My DH doesn;t like Mexican food.  It's been a few year since I have been to Mexico.  During the day I felt perfectly safe walking but I did feel a little uncomfortable at night walking.  I would probably be more comfortable taking a cab at night.

I would definitely take a cab at night in Jamaica and would probably do day trips as part of a group or with a recommended local driver instead of going it alone.

In Cancun you have to be more careful about what you eat and drink in terms of getting sick.  On almost every trip I have been on at least one person ended up with something (from very mild to a little more severe) either during the trip or immediately upon returning home.


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