A non-AI trip can end up costing much more or much less depending on where you stay and what and where you eat. Here's some of the pros and cons as I see them:
AI Pro's:
- Fixed costs
- No meal planning
- no need to use taxi's
- More luxurious surroundings (if your going to stay within the same budget)
AI Con's
- Less variety
- Muted Jamaican Experience
Non-AI Pro's
- Lots of variety (hotels food drinks people etc)
- Can be cheaper if you budget
- More authentic Jamaican experience
Non-AI Con's
- More research needed
- Need to meal plan\budget (where and what to eat, cost etc)
- Need to plan\budget for getting around town
Here's the advice I've given others:
If you aren't adventurous and want to just relax, eat and drink in a tropical climate without much planning then AI is probably for you assuming an AI stay is within your budget. AI are pretty much the same from stay to stay.
If your more adventurous and you don't mind taking the time to do the proper research you will have a more authentic stay. You'll have a lot more flexibility if you stay non-AI but you will need to budget to keep costs down. Each non-AI stay gets better as you learn the ropes and you can better customize your stay to fit within your needs and budget.
More to the point, if you're looking to stay non-AI just to save money then stay AI (IMO). If you can't even afford to stay at an AI then non-AI is the only way to go but you will need to sacrifice on accommodations meals etc. If AI's leave you wanting more and you don't mind the research, planning to stay within a certain budget then I say go non-AI. Keep in mind that you may have to make some sacrifices to stay non-AI within the same budget as an AI stay but you will have a much richer experience if you are on the more adventurous side. It really comes down to what you are looking for. Even more simply put, AI is for vacationers and non-AI is for travelers. Which are you?
