Jamaica is a small absolutely wonderful island to travel to. Despite poverty and still a continuously developing island nation, it is very rich in culture and music known to the world, its scenery is magical, and its people are absolutely friendly. If not the biggest, tourism and travel is one of Jamaicans biggest resources for Jamaica with travelers from the US, Europe, Canada, and all over the world. Based on travel stories, YouTube videos, and other internet resources, most people associate or remember Jamaica via Cruise ship stop. Those that fly there, tend to lock themselves away from the island within the boundaries of an all-inclusive resort and tour guides.
I have stayed at an all-inclusive before in the Dominican Republic. It’s a fun amazing vacation experience and certainly a getaway. I respect the many that want to escape life’s everyday realities. But that is exactly what it is, a dream. It is an illusion, at least to me. Everyone deserves a vacation. Even travelers do in ways that do make sense. However for me, nothing excites me more than to surround myself with more reality. The best part of traveling is visiting a foreign land, embracing the culture, and returning home appreciating the things you have that most others don’t.
Not sure how a tab would look like for an all inclusive trip to Jamaica. For me, I left Jamaica with a unique cultural experience that I will never forget. With a price tag next to that, my trip was cheap. Fortunately, I took enough video footage to inspire YouTubers from around the world as well that budget travel, or should I say solo budget travel is possible in Jamaica. If you do consider asking what my tab was, it was approximately $1,100. Broken down that is:
| $460 Flight (ATL-MBJ) |
| $220 Hotel (Ocho Rios) |
| $25 Cabin (Negril) |
| $80 Bus Transportation |
| $85 Dunns River Falls with Mystic Mountain & Bobsled |
| $60 Taxis (Approximately) |
| $80 Food (Approximately) |
| $60 Souvenirs/Money to bring back (Approximately) |
| = Amazing cultural experience in Jamaica |
It certainly took a lot of thorough research through travel forums, Q’s and A’s, and YouTube videos to make my vision of this solo trip possible. Using your typical flight and hotel search engines, I managed to find a safe cheap hotel in Ocho Rios. I also discovered the cheap cost efficiency of hostels, Bed and Breakfasts, and guesthouses by staying in a cabin on Negrils 7 Mile Beach. If had known any better at the time, I would have stayed at a Bed and Breakfast within the Ocho Rios city limits and lowered my costs instead of a hotel. Oh well, It was right on the beach. But any-who, how did I manage to go from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios or Kingston to Negril without a tour accommodation? With a video of my whole trip on YouTube, I am constantly asked how I did it. Even had one person tell me that I had seen more in 5 days than he had in 5 years. When it finally comes down to the main topic of, “Safe travel around Jamaica for cheap”, the answer turned out to be very simple and very useful resource in travel to Jamaica.
“Knutsford Express”
If you are an adventurer like me or simply don’t care for tourist accommodations, ride with the locals in a comfortable, safe, coach bus with local Jamaicans. These buses run daily and frequently around the island in “Style and Comfort” as they put it. They are correct and it was the best low cost investment to make my Jamaica dream possible. They even include a movie to watch during the venture across the island.
Although I may sound like I am advertising a bus company abroad, they truly deserve all my credit and more. My dreams of seeing four major Jamaican cities in less than 5 days were made possible through them. Now, the media displays all acts of violence in Kingston and I’m not denying its existence. However, I would have never known that Jamaica’s capital does have a lot of gorgeous parts and would have never have had that opportunity without this bus company. This is the same for my short yet highly desired one night venture to the rocky cliffs and laid back beaches in Negril.
Now if you are all about the all-inclusive thing and just want to have a nice getaway out of your homeland, you will have no problems doing so and enjoy. But if you want to get off the beaten path and do it YOUR way, whether you are a returning visitor to Jamaica, a new one, or even a native Jamaican going back home after many years, consider getting out of your comfort zone and ride the awesome bus I rode. If you feel even more adventurous, go ride in a traditional Jamaican bus! Get away from the all-inclusive and stay at a guest house or cabin like I did, Jamaica is purely awesome and I guarantee you will return home with great memories, that is if you do decide you return home.
