Very good advice Craig & so true....when you ask a Jamaican if he wants something & he says "thanks". it means yes....if he doesn't want it, he will just say "no", point blank. We have been programmed to say "no, thanks" out of politeness in our culture, but that is often misunderstood & confusing to Jamaicans (especially those wanting to make a sale)
No offence, Craig & NorthCoast...but where is this information coming from about the difference between "No" and "No, thanks"?
Someone made these same comments on Trip Advisor and I was stunned and embarrassed by them along with my Jamaican friends that read the same comment.
Here's a bit of what I posted in TA...
"I would stick to being polite by saying "No, thank you".
There's no reason not to be polite....Jamaica in under the British Commonwealth & the Queen's English is taught in schools...Jamaican's know manners.
Just for interest sake...you'll often hear the phrase.... "where's my manners" and correct themselves. A "no, thank you" is completely understood by Jamaicans."
And to add...the Jamaicans wanting to make a sale deal with tourists every day of every year they've been a higgler...to suggest that they don't know what "no, thanks" means after literally hearing it hundreds of thousands of times is completely absurd. Jamaicans may not always respond with "no, thanks" when declining an offer, but to insinuate they don't understand is insulting and this how my Jamaican friends felt.
@ Simon, no worries you will be safe. Following threads on several JA forums for years and it seems like tourist are at a lower risk in JA than at home. I've never once stayed in an AI in Jamaica and have enjoyed each place, the locals and the freedom that the smaller places offer.
@ Bnewb, while the no thank you term is heard and understood in tourist areas, it's use (in my opinion) is not common in remote areas away from the tourist areas. Along the same lines, some of the remote areas don't have high rates of kids in schools and in some cases people know only Patois and not the Queen's English. Then again, it's a Negril forum and I would agree that most people know what the the term means in Negril.... BTW, I'm Charles JAB from the old board and it was nice to met you and Rob this April.
Nice to have met you also, Eco!!!
While I agree mostly with your comments (it's getting much more difficult to find Jamaicans that only speak Patois)...the comments here were in regard to helping a first time visitor to Jamaica and how to address a vendor when you don't want to buy their product(s). This implies that they're in a tourist area and every vendor/higgler most certainly knows what "no, thanks" means.
Before I forget...HI, Simon...great to see you here!!
Many would argue that a direct "No" is the best defence against what may otherwise be a persistant higgler. In the right situation there's nothing wrong with a direct "NO".Originally Posted by Bnewb
1st I give the NO MON ! Next its Direct NO! Then if needed I use the direct GO! Soon Come Limo Mon!
no problem mon, try rooms on the beach very reasonable and smack dab in the middle of everything it's a great place to stay if you like the beach....very safe
Hey Simon,
When are you coming to Negril, we've been going for 17 years, and used to frequent Roots Bamboo before we had kids. Negril is the friendliest place on the planet, there are certain nuances to get used to but once you get in the groove (Vibe) it's all good and life all of a sudden takes a different perspective. Where were you thinking of staying?
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Hi Joe, (and all the other poster so far!!)
I was ashamed to ask the question, but when we went to trinidad and tobago 3 years ago (for carnival, then 5 days at Pidgeon point) we were told so many horror stories....alas, non of them were true and we had a great time!!
We just started researching NON AI in Jamaica this past weekend. Having never been there, we started to look at offers in negril. The cliffs area does sound intriguing as we are not beach bums per se, but would still like to swim once each day!!
As for pricing, including flights, the Oasis seems rather cheap and has some good reviews?
The tree house also looks very nice but is around $300 each more!! So, we have no idea right now but recommendations would be appreciated!! probably around the middle of April ( due to work etc).
Thanks again, look forward to hearing from you!!
Simon and Cindy.
Lots of receomended places here and on other sites. My research took me to White Sands on the beach which is a family run small Non AI resort. The other is Blue Cave Castle on the cliffs.
Banana Shout or Catcha Falling Star are bothh on the cliffs and are highly recommended by others, each for unique reasons. Banana Shout is A "Jamaican" experience and the one I would personally choose but to each their own. Catcha gets rave reviews also but for other reasons. I settled on the quite highly receomended Blue Cave Castle when Banana Shout was not available.
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