Customer Reviews

Jamaica Handbook (3rd ed)

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I'm getting ready to go to Jamaica for the fourth time and I (once again) read this book cover to cover and you can bet it'll be in my suitcase too. It's absolutely essential if you aren't planning to hide in an all-inclusive hotel (or even if you are and you plan to get out). The book is sort of geared towards the adventurous traveler, the one that wants to get into the culture and off the beaten path. Still, the coverage of major resort areas is very, very good.

Restaurants, places to stay in EVERY price range (wanna camp for $10 a night? Spend $400 a night in an all-inclusive?), fun things to do, what they cost, history - this book has it all and it has it in great depth. It has details on the waterfalls that aren't overflowing with tourists, where to get a Red Stripe in tiny towns on the south coast, what to bring, what not to bring, and most of all, what to expect. I enjoyed being able to talk with Jamaicans about politics and history with the knowledge base I got from this book.

Can't wait for the next edition, due this month...

I can't say this is the best guide to Jamaica, but it is generally reliable (although the National Museum of Archaeology no longer exists in Port Royal) and more than adequate for most travelers. In fact, it may be suitable particularly for the typical tourist, because it doesn't tell you a lot more than you want to know. It doesn't venture far beyond the usual tourist destinations, but most visitors to Jamaica are probably not into playing anthropologist off the beaten track. I like the type and layout of the book, which make it easy to find things, easy to skim, and easy on the eyes too. But, while it hasn't got as much use as my other guidebooks to Jamaica, the spine is already splitting.