Woman Traveling and Staying Alone in Negril. Is it safe? Anyone else do this?

Being new to this site but having read the posts for a couple of years, I guess your advise will be the best. I would like to stay in Negril for a two week holiday for nothing more than a bit of R&R. Is this advisable?

Many women go by themselves there and keep going back..book the trip and enjoy!

I do it all the time......and have met many single female travelers......as long as you use the usual caution that any woman would use in any place she is....it is great. We all have a great time.

If my wife wanted to travel alone to Negril, I would be OK with that because she's the type to sit at the pool or on the beach in one spot and read all day, and she's not really interested in going off the beaten path. If she was more like me (wanting to go everywhere, see everything, talk to everyone) I'd probably worry more.

Don't walk the beach alone at night, if you want to get around at night it helps to have phone numbers for a couple drivers, and watch out for the men who want to be your Jamaican boyfriend.

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Originally Posted by ROBIN

I do it all the time......and have met many single female travelers......as long as you use the usual caution that any woman would use in any place she is....it is great. We all have a great time.

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Great advice. I also go to Negril solo. I have a good time. I use the common sense I use here at home. I don't travel at night alone. You will meet some awesome people in Jamaica. I have some friends in Negril I can always call if I need them. Go and have a good time. :)

lol......der are alot more single foreign ladies than guys in Negril......and dem ladies don't seem to stay single for long.....lol

Cool Runnings, Marko

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Originally Posted by Marko

lol......der are alot more single foreign ladies than guys in Negril......and dem ladies don't seem to stay single for long.....lol

Cool Runnings, Marko

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haha. was gonna say, she wont be alone for long. :p

jellybean,
without knowing where you are staying, or what time of the year, I will give you some general advise .
First off, traveling solo is the best. And Negril, being a small village makes traveling solo a lot easier than other destinations.
You just need to learn the ropes, and the game.

As others mentioned, the men will hound you....
Lots of solo women come to Negril to see the men Lots!!! So the men will assume you are there for them as well.
If you are interested, get your groove on , but if not, be stern but respectful about it.
If you enjoy walking the beach, know that you will be approached not only by higglers trying to sell you there wares but by all men.

They will ask you, where you are from, where are you staying, how long, do you have a man....etc....

Your best bet is to get to know the staff at whatever resort you are staying at, they will be a wealth of knowledge and answer most questions you have.

Leave your Louis Vuitton and any fancy jewels at home,
Do not walk the beach or anywhere alone at night......................and have a blast !!!!

HarryS and jojo p said it best. Don't walk anywhere at night no matter how many people you are with. Have fun and enjoy. Have your hotel set you up with a taxi and experience the night life. If you pay your driver a little extra he will stay with you all night and be your bodyguard.

Thank you for the kind words. I have a man at home and one is ENOUGH already. I like to go to the beach and enjoy the sights and sounds, eat the good food, have the good laughs, soak up the good sun and do it all again tomorrow and the next day.... I just love Jamaica and husband can't go as much as I am wanting. Me thinks I need to get a regular spot and call it home away from home. So, where'm I gonna live when I get home?

I figured you were single....husband cool with you going to Negril for 2 weeks on your own....all right then,
I don't know your budget, but staying for 2 weeks gets spendy, you might check out my fav , White Sands.
They have lots of repeat solo travelers, really fun, social bar....good luck !

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Originally Posted by jojo p

I figured you were single....husband cool with you going to Negril for 2 weeks on your own....all right then,
I don't know your budget, but staying for 2 weeks gets spendy, you might check out my fav , White Sands.
They have lots of repeat solo travelers, really fun, social bar....good luck !

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It seems a bit out of the ordinary, I was really surprised when The Empress was okay with me going down with my brother last December for a week. We had a good time, behaved ourselves, and I came back to a ravenous lady when I walked in my door at 2am back in Michigan. Pleasant memories. Some brief separation can be a good thing.

I am a solo female and have traveled all over the island, usually solo. Most of my stays have been in Negril. Like someone else said, don't walk the beach at nite, if u go out at nite, use a driver. Ask your hotelier for a reliable driver, treat him kindly and respectfully, tip him well and he will likely be your fiercest guard. Jamaican men will hit on you, will call u 'beautiful lady', will ask u why your husband isn't with u, and will insist that u need a Jamaican husband ..... Smile politely, enjoy the flattery, and firmly but kindly assure them that you are not 'that type' of woman, and they will 'get it.' But don't hesitate to engage in conversation with them, they will remember you, and 9 out of 10 of them are genuinely good ppl, and will watch out for you and jump in in a minute if someone starts hassling you.

The first time I went to Negril was on business, and one of the worker men greeted me with a boisterous, "Good Morning beautiful lady." I blushed, cuz I wasn't used to it ..... But it still brings a smile to my face and makes me feel beautiful��

TAH, you are correct, some brief separation can be a good thing.. maybe if my ex would of let me go to Negril for 2 weeks by myself, we would still
be together............hmmmmmmm.....naaaahh !! :)

JAYS HIDEAWAY
www.jayshideaway.com

I have gone to Negril a few times as a solo married traveler. Wonderful place. Great people. If you ever need a female travel companion pm me.

I woke up this morning thinking about soursop and coffee. Hmmm. Fever has hit. Thank you for all the encouraging comments. You have given me the courage to do this alone. But, I am still open to any suggestions you may have. Thank you JAYS for your accommodation suggestion. I had a good look and read last night and your stay looks really appealing. But I'm waiting for a seat sale and can't book yet. Last year AC announced a big seat sale, Nov. 5th. Pays to keep track of that too, eh? lol. The first time I went to Jamaica, I knew I found a home away from home. I was so enthralled, I returned four times in fifteen months. lol. Had the sisters drove nuts to go with me! Now I need to establish a permanent spot to pitch when I go alone or O/H and I go. I suspect when the snow is blowing over the roof tops here in Newfoundland, Canada, this coming 2016 winter, I will hop on that whirlie bird and shoot on down for a little escape. Hubby has work commitments this coming season and has to stay put. He knows what Jamaica does for the soul so he affords me the therapy in spades. Everything here is changing now as we head into the latter part of autumn. We had a change of governing party in the Canadian Federal election here yesterday. The Liberals, with Justin, Pierre Elliot Trudeau's son, will be the reigning party. The Blue Jays won their game last night too. That's Kansas-2, Jays-1 in the finals. The trees have changed to every colour from yellow to scarlet but the ones in many shades of orange are the prettiest. Most of our bounty of fruit, vegetables, fish, game and other resources have been harvested. Some places have had a little snow already. Got a fine batch of orange, grapefruit, lime marmalade on this morning. Now when I gets me moose and wins the lottery, I'll be right on down! Forget the lottery, coming anyway.....coming anyday.

Thanks Liz, I'll definitely keep that in mind. Where do you stay?

Westjet has some pretty good pricing ..out of YYZ -Late Jan- early Feb.

I've traveled solo and had a great time. Once you let the guys know you're not there for that, they will be respectful. Most of them anyways. lol.

You may want to spend your time alone, but if you would like people to hang out I'd recommend going to one of the Webcasts that Rob does. You'll meet really fun people. I went to a webcast my first night on my solo trip and after that I had a bunch of friends to hang out with for my whole stay. So yeah, GO, and have FUN your way!! You seem like you have your wits about you so no worries :)

I'd also consider establishing a relationship with a trusted driver that can be your go-to person for getting around. And a cheap JA cell phone can be really handy as well.

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Originally Posted by Jelly Bean

I woke up this morning thinking about soursop and coffee. Hmmm. Fever has hit. Thank you for all the encouraging comments. You have given me the courage to do this alone. But, I am still open to any suggestions you may have. Thank you JAYS for your accommodation suggestion. I had a good look and read last night and your stay looks really appealing. But I'm waiting for a seat sale and can't book yet. Last year AC announced a big seat sale, Nov. 5th. Pays to keep track of that too, eh? lol. The first time I went to Jamaica, I knew I found a home away from home. I was so enthralled, I returned four times in fifteen months. lol. Had the sisters drove nuts to go with me! Now I need to establish a permanent spot to pitch when I go alone or O/H and I go. I suspect when the snow is blowing over the roof tops here in Newfoundland, Canada, this coming 2016 winter, I will hop on that whirlie bird and shoot on down for a little escape. Hubby has work commitments this coming season and has to stay put. He knows what Jamaica does for the soul so he affords me the therapy in spades. Everything here is changing now as we head into the latter part of autumn. We had a change of governing party in the Canadian Federal election here yesterday. The Liberals, with Justin, Pierre Elliot Trudeau's son, will be the reigning party. The Blue Jays won their game last night too. That's Kansas-2, Jays-1 in the finals. The trees have changed to every colour from yellow to scarlet but the ones in many shades of orange are the prettiest. Most of our bounty of fruit, vegetables, fish, game and other resources have been harvested. Some places have had a little snow already. Got a fine batch of orange, grapefruit, lime marmalade on this morning. Now when I gets me moose and wins the lottery, I'll be right on down! Forget the lottery, coming anyway.....coming anyday.

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I love your writing. This was beautifully written. When you do go to Jamaica, I hope you will write a trip report.

I stayed at Negril Treehouse for 3 days solo, then my cousin met me there for the rest of my stay. Let me tell you, I had the BEST time prior to her arrival! ... Nothing like being on your own time, coming and going as you please without having to make sure your travel mates are "happy" .... I did enjoy Treehouse as it is a prime spot for people watching.-(I caught the living social deal at the time.) Like others stated, the guys will try to keep you company but a firm no thanks or no Im good.. usually works... They "get it" and usually leave you alone. Since this is not your first time to the Island, Im sure you'll be fine as you already know what to expect...Jamaica is my Happy Place cant wait to go back next year for my solo vaca :cool:

Carry personal alarm and whistle Do not walk the beach OR the road at night alone Don't let ANY man linger with you and let hotel know you are alone Bring door stopper alarm and make sure your windows are grilled and have screen on them Link me if you wish....I am alone and if you have questions feel free on my webpage! I provide 24 hour hotel calls if needed since there isn't anything open after hours in Negril!

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Originally Posted by Comforts of Home Nursing

Carry personal alarm and whistle Do not walk the beach OR the road at night alone Don't let ANY man linger with you and let hotel know you are alone Bring door stopper alarm and make sure your windows are grilled and have screen on them Link me if you wish....I am alone and if you have questions feel free on my webpage! I provide 24 hour hotel calls if needed since there isn't anything open after hours in Negril!

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Carry a personal alarm and whistle....are you serious? No disrespect meant but if I had never been to Negril and read your comment, it probably would of scared me away from coming, especially as
a solo traveler. A women usually has a real good intuition ,that's what you have to follow including common sense. Using a door alarm is a fine idea, and making sure your doors are locked at all times, yes...but I'm not gonna feel like I have to barricade myself in all the time.. The day I have to use personal alarms, whistles, mace etc around Negril is the day I stop going....for real...

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Originally Posted by jojo p

Carry a personal alarm and whistle....are you serious? No disrespect meant but if I had never been to Negril and read your comment, it probably would of scared me away from coming, especially as
a solo traveler. A women usually has a real good intuition ,that's what you have to follow including common sense. Using a door alarm is a fine idea, and making sure your doors are locked at all times, yes...but I'm not gonna feel like I have to barricade myself in all the time.. The day I have to use personal alarms, whistles, mace etc around Negril is the day I stop going....for real...

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I second this! It is not that serious... and if I may add don't tell folks you are there alone your there with friends... :)

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Originally Posted by IRIEchic

I second this! It is not that serious... and if I may add don't tell folks you are there alone your there with friends... :)

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And to piggyback on that; don't say when you're leaving the island, or if you feel you must for some reason, add a week. Also, don't share where you're staying with anyone, it's just safer all around that way.

My use of precautionary tools and techniques varies according to where I'm going/what I'm doing, time of day/night, whether I'm going alone or in the company of others as well as the mode of transportation I/we will be using.

I don't want to contradict you Jojo - everyone's comfort level is different regarding personal safety. I feel differently about what constitutes personal safety. To me, you're safe, until that moment you aren't. Which can happen anywhere. So here at home, I carry a very loud whistle. (No spray or personal alarm.) I do the same in Negril. It's different in Negril than when I first started going, just like it's different where I live. Something as easy to carry as a whistle, for me, is a smart thing to do.

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Originally Posted by Nurse Marcia

I don't want to contradict you Jojo - everyone's comfort level is different regarding personal safety. I feel differently about what constitutes personal safety. To me, you're safe, until that moment you aren't. Which can happen anywhere. So here at home, I carry a very loud whistle. (No spray or personal alarm.) I do the same in Negril. It's different in Negril than when I first started going, just like it's different where I live. Something as easy to carry as a whistle, for me, is a smart thing to do.

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I guess I'm going to have to get a BIKINI with bigger pockets !!!!! :)

Those... ahem... pockets are already pretty large there jojo! :p

Agree TAH...And to piggyback again lol...if you really dont want to be bothered from the beginning tell them you have a JA Boo/Husband/Friend and that usually keep them moving instantly always works for me!...Telling them you have a man at home doesn't work because then they say "You need a JA husband let me be em"...and then a list of tings him do for u...lol

We should have a SOLO meet up someday ladies n gents!

We sure will....missy!!!!!!

And TAH, you never cease to make me smile.........and laugh...hehehe....:)

I have met two solo women voyageurs in my Negril travels that I have known with any depth and am in awe of their spirit, humour and positive personalities. I love spending time with them and even though I am a Macho, macho man would become "one of da girls" at that solo meet. Cheers Mom & Jo.

And this year Jojo and I are on the loose together! Always enjoy spending time with you guys Dash!! See you soon!

Momthor, can't wait for our ''road trip'', (poor Linston...heh..heh..! )

Dash, thanks for the kind words, right back at you !!!! Can't wait to see you on the beach this winter! :)

Negril has long been a popular singles destination way before the AI and big hotels arrived on Negril beach. Traveling alone can have many positives but again is a personal choice. I have seen many single women overwhelmed by the unwanted attention they received and others really enjoy it. No right or wrong just is what it is.

As far as Jamaica goes it has seen many changes but so has everywhere else. Stuff happens so just be as careful as possible and hope to be at the right place at the right time.