Please understand these are my personal thoughts. I am not speaking for everyone who has visited Kingston.

If you want to go for the experience, have your places of interest planned ahead of time. I wouldn’t suggest winging a trip there. Make sure the sites you want to see are worth the time and expense to get there. It’s a 2½ hr drive each way and a chartered ride could be $150. easy. Kingston is not particularly designed for entertaining tourist like Negril or Portland where beaches, laid-back bars and souvenir shops/stalls are steps away. However, the fact that it is the country’s heartbeat makes Kingston an interesting cultural venture.

As far as safety…I stayed in New Kingston for 5 nights alone and never felt unsafe. I walked the four blocks and crossed the super busy thoroughfare to and from the megamart undisturbed (13 minutes each way). Only went out once at night but was close to my unit, again no issues. Didn’t visit a local hangout like I wanted because the driver didn’t know of any and wasn’t willing to check out the unfamiliar. Trust me, they won’t go in communities where they either unknown or don’t know anyone there.

Speaking of drivers, I haven’t found a red plate Portland driver willing to take me to Kingston for the day and I’ve asked a lot. They said no basically because of being out of their “territory” even if doing a charter. To and from the airport, yes, but to tour the city, no.

I suggest you block out a day to either go to Kingston or Reach Falls. Share your desires with the Great Huts staff as soon as you get settled. They will be more knowledgeable about the particulars of going to Kingston. Once you’ve gotten answers you couldn’t get while here then make your decision. If you decide to hold off, I highly recommend the day trip to Reach Falls. The scenery along the way is a breathtaking as the intimate falls itself.

I’m not trying to discourage you from going to Kingston, just recommending you do research prior in order to know for sure it’s what you want to do.