Rough Guide to Jamaica (Rough Guide. Jamaica)

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Summary: Everything you need to know
Review: I have been to Jamaica many times since 1972, doing research as an anthropologist, which includes reading everything I can about its people and culture as well as traveling about and living in various communities. I picked up this book shortly before my most recent trip, hoping to get some hints on places to stay as it's been awhile since I've been back. I read it thoroughly as I traveled extensively around the island for 18 days. And I'm quite impressed. It is an extremely informative and accurate guide to the history, culture, things to see and do, places to eat and stay. The hotel reviews are brief but to the point. The advice is sound. The maps are very helpful. The only criticism I can make is that in at least two cases I found the directions to be wrong. I am most impressed with the fact that the book can really get you out of the tourist areas and into the real Jamaica. It is a great guide for those who want to EXPLORE the island and come to know it well. This takes time, a car, and money, though. Finally, I'd like to add that the book is just the right size, easy to carry, and has a very sturdy cover and binding, so it'll survive more than one trip. I suppose the greatest compliment is that a Jamaican friend wanted me to give it to her after she discovered it had information on her own town that she didn't know.

Rating:
Summary: A valuable guide that will help you understand Jamaica
Review: Jamaica has a distinct attitude and unique character unlike any other Caribbean island you are likely to visit. The people of this country are proud of their history, sportsmen, and artistic and musical genius. Yet the inequity of wealth, growing poverty, governmental corruption, and grave social tensions have created an attitude within Jamaicans that can be brash, sassy, rude, and often in-your-face. This is especially true around the big, all-inclusive resorts, which exacerbate the inequity of wealth.

A good guidebook should give you more than just star ratings on hotels and restaurants - it should help the savvy and curious traveler learn about the culture, politics, and people as well as tell you where to find the best beaches and hottest night clubs.

"Jamaica: The Rough Guide" is a good source for travel in Jamaica, although some content is lacking.

The authors have adequately covered all the basic information for visiting Jamaica. The accommodation and restaurant sections are ample enough to help the reader make a decision, but I found the ratings systems in guides such as Fielding to be easier to comprehend and use. A significant shortcoming is the lack of web sites or e-mail address...today, most hotels have e-mail and web sites that make booking a reservation easy and cheap. Since the guide is a 1999 reprint, this information should be included.

There are some very interesting and occasionally fascinating tidbits of information found in sidebars on the pages of this guidebook. For example, "Sexual Stamina Potions ensure a sexual libido in Jamaican men" and "Ackee: the national dish kills up to 10 people a year."

Overall, "Jamaica: The Rough Guide" is a valuable guide and will help you understand this wonderful country. It is an adequate guidebook as it pertains to recommending hotels and restaurants. Recommended >

Rating:
Summary: Best travel guide I've ever read.
Review: My wife and I just returned from a one week trip to Jamaica. It was our first trip there. By luck we had purchased the Rough Guide to Jamaica and we quickly found that it was accurate, thorough, and also entertaining (when the subject merits). It's not afraid to point out problems. We do however think that the book tends to be a little overly kind to the quality of cusine in some restaurants.

Rating:
Summary: The best guidebook option for first-time or repeat visitors
Review: The Rough Guide covers the gamut in no-nonsense, tell it like it is terminology. This is not a guide designed to explain how wonderful Jamaica is -- the reader gets a good sense of the great opportunities for fun and adventure Jamaica provides, as well as enormously valuable tips on how to deal with some of the less pleasant aspects of traveling there. The book makes no bones, for instance, about the constant presence of hawkers and ganja pushers no matter where you are -- and it gives travelers a good idea of how to stay safe and happy on vacation. Where the book lacks is in its profiles of hotels and restaurants -- the Rough Guide favors info on how to get around, local culture, unusual local haunts, etc. The editors do welcome input from readers based on their experiences in Jamaica, though. I highly recommend buying this book well before you go to Jamaica, and be sure to bring it with you!