Dominican Republic vs. Trinidad vs. Jamaica

[akforty7]

Nigga don't go Jamaica you will get murked real talk

Lol I been there twice, even been to Kingston before. It is pretty damn dangerous and scary in some places. And a lot of them strongly dislike Americans. Jamaica is somewhere you need to stay on a resort unless you know someone there who can guide you, they usually won't mess with you if they see you're with a local. But best believe anywhere you go they will be able to tell you're an American tourist, not just in Jamaica but anywhere in the world lol. In Jamaica I witnessed a lot of people being robbed and one time this guy was chasing our bus with a machete screaming he hates Americans LOL.

 

[zoepian]

I was obviously talking about other non-English speaking countries, not limited to the Caribbean either. Like I said it's common for Puerto Ricans to speak some English or at least broken English, but go to Mexico, DR, Brazil, etc. and most people do not know English. But even in English-speaking places in the Caribbean like Jamaica the Patois is so strong and fast most people cannot understand local dialect. Most of them can turn it on and off to communicate with tourists though.

You're the first person I have ever heard say this lol. I would NEVER recommend roaming around DR like a local b/c they will smell you a mile away. Jamaica and Cuba definitely not. Trinidad, Bahamas, Barbados, etc probably not. Don't act like anyone can just go to the Caribbean and do their thing. There's a reason most people stay on resorts.

cosgn dominicans smellin tourst a mile away.. its crazy there cuz u wont see any ghettos. cuz they built all the malls n building n shit around them... making it easy for nigga to hit lick n dip quick back into the alleys.. niggas are alive there.. eyes wide open.. take ur shit without even knowin it

 

[allreasoned_out]

I was obviously talking about other non-English speaking countries, not limited to the Caribbean either. Like I said it's common for Puerto Ricans to speak some English or at least broken English, but go to Mexico, DR, Brazil, etc. and most people do not know English. But even in English-speaking places in the Caribbean like Jamaica the Patois is so strong and fast most people cannot understand local dialect. Most of them can turn it on and off to communicate with tourists though.

You're the first person I have ever heard say this lol. I would NEVER recommend roaming around DR like a local b/c they will smell you a mile away. Jamaica and Cuba definitely not. Trinidad, Bahamas, Barbados, etc probably not. Don't act like anyone can just go to the Caribbean and do their thing. There's a reason most people stay on resorts.

With my second comment I was still thinking of the English-Speaking Caribbean islands. Anyway, I can tell that you don't know what you're talking about. Barbados is by all accounts not only a prosperous country but a safe one. And I'm pretty sure that anything you can think of doing with respect to safety you can do not just in Barbados but in a whole host of other English-Speaking islands like Anguilla, Bahamas, Grenada, Dominica, etc.

 

[akforty7]

With my second comment I was still thinking of the English-Speaking Caribbean islands. Anyway, I can tell that you don't know what you're talking about. Barbados is by all accounts not only a prosperous country but a safe one. And I'm pretty sure that anything you can think of doing with respect to safety you can do not just in Barbados but in a whole host of other English-Speaking islands like Anguilla, Bahamas, Grenada, Dominica, etc.

lol I love ic logic. People always think they know everything.

I do not hear of someone just going to explore Barbados on their own very often, sorry no. I am sure it's very possible but no, not very common. Thats why i said PROBABLY not. Barbados is much safer than other places in the Caribbean yes, but still has its share of crime and tourists are targeted there especially in recent years. But I'll let you remain on your high horse since I know nothing. LOL.

 

[zoepian]

lol I love ic logic. People always think they know everything.

I do not hear of someone just going to explore Barbados on their own very often, sorry no. I am sure it's very possible but no, not very common. Thats why i said PROBABLY not. Barbados is much safer than other places in the Caribbean yes, but still has its share of crime and tourists are targeted there especially in recent years. But I'll let you remain on your high horse since I know nothing. LOL.

i lived in barbados mad years ago.. very safe and good ppl.. of course they got crimes like any other country in the world.. but i dont kno how bad it has been lately.. but i doubt its that bad..

but to go by other ppls words or by the media would be false.. i think i can live and survive in any of those countries.. no doubt they gon try to hustle me n wat not knowing i dunno the system.. but i kno it enuff and they wont get much success out of me..

wat do u think about haiti? safe or not?? its a lot safer than Jamaica... and thats not opnion

 

[akforty7]

i lived in barbados mad years ago.. very safe and good ppl.. of course they got crimes like any other country in the world.. but i dont kno how bad it has been lately.. but i doubt its that bad..

but to go by other ppls words or by the media would be false.. i think i can live and survive in any of those countries.. no doubt they gon try to hustle me n wat not knowing i dunno the system.. but i kno it enuff and they wont get much success out of me..

wat do u think about haiti? safe or not?? its a lot safer than Jamaica... and thats not opnion

No one is saying Barbados is not safe lol. I never said that. I just listed it as a place people normally don't go roam around freely, they usually stay in resorts, thats all. Yes, statistically it is MUCH safer than places like Jamaica, Haiti, DR, etc. But yes there's been instances of robberies and murders in Barbados just like anywhere else. Overall the Caribbean is more dangerous than North America (even Mexico) because most of the countries are poor and rely on tourism. So thats why most tourists choose to stay on resorts and rightfully so. Tourists in the Caribbean are usually safe and most of the crimes against them are just property crimes but occasionally it can be assult or murder. But again i think they're safe for the most part as long as they're careful, most people who get into trouble there are ones who behave foolishly or recklessly. However there are some places like Jamaica where you just CAN'T wander around safely. Me personally I hate resorts and thats why I love PR because it's kind of Americanized and the locals don't mess with the tourists, you will rarely even hear of robberies. I feel safer in PR than I do in most places even despite their high crime rate. We have hardly any natural resources so even the drug dealers in PR know to leave the tousists alone b/c we need their money. Thats all i was saying.

 

[allreasoned_out]

i lived in barbados mad years ago.. very safe and good ppl.. of course they got crimes like any other country in the world.. but i dont kno how bad it has been lately.. but i doubt its that bad..

but to go by other ppls words or by the media would be false.. i think i can live and survive in any of those countries.. no doubt they gon try to hustle me n wat not knowing i dunno the system.. but i kno it enuff and they wont get much success out of me..

wat do u think about haiti? safe or not?? its a lot safer than Jamaica... and thats not opnion

The problem with some people is that they think all the islands are the same, and so if the one they most hear about or have visited is bad (usually Jamaica), then they all have the same problems.

Personally, I tend to think of Haiti as unsafe. After all, it's the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. In any case, I would go to Jamaica before I go to Haiti, (even if Haiti is safer). I never heard of people going to Haiti for vacation.

 

[allreasoned_out]

No one is saying Barbados is not safe lol. I never said that. I just listed it as a place people normally don't go roam around freely, they usually stay in resorts, thats all. Yes, statistically it is MUCH safer than places like Jamaica, Haiti, DR, etc. But yes there's been instances of robberies and murders in Barbados just like anywhere else. Overall the Caribbean is more dangerous than North America (even Mexico) because most of the countries are poor and rely on tourism. So thats why most tourists choose to stay on resorts and rightfully so. Tourists in the Caribbean are usually safe and most of the crimes against them are just property crimes but occasionally it can be assult or murder. But again i think they're safe for the most part as long as they're careful, most people who get into trouble there are ones who behave foolishly or recklessly. However there are some places like Jamaica where you just CAN'T wander around safely. Me personally I hate resorts and thats why I love PR because it's kind of Americanized and the locals don't mess with the tourists, you will rarely even hear of robberies. I feel safer in PR than I do in most places even despite their high crime rate. We have hardly any natural resources so even the drug dealers in PR know to leave the tousist alone b/c we need their money. Thats all i was saying.

Most tourists stay at resorts because they want to lay on the beach.

The Caribbean overall is more dangerous than Mexico? That is hard to believe. Where are you getting this from?

 

[gns]

lmao this "ak" chick going hard and is obviously biased towards rich port, which is cool...... But Jamaicans hate Americans????? smh, stop it 5!

as for the ts;

JAMAICA>>>>>>>>>>>all

coolest people, great culture, the best food, awesome nightlife highest rated resorts etc.... i could go on and on & I haven't even mentioned the music...

if u r trying to hang with the locals, they're Always very hospitable to tourists(they will try to sell u stuff) and the queens english is the primary language so to go from patois to clearly understood english is not a problem.

I've been to trinidad, u wont go wrong visiting there either, never been to DR.

 

[zoepian]

thats cuz jamaica got its tourist side available cut off from the reality of the country..Haiti's tourism is fucked up rite now. we used to be number 1.. if u asked.. i would tell u to go to jamaica unless u had ppl in Haiti.. cuz rite now we dont got much.. except the beer and the rhum which is prolly the best shit out.. in any case.. the foreigners who are here now aint fearin shit.. they in paradise n loving it... i see them in taxis, on motorcycles, walking the streets at nite n shit.... shit that the regular Haitian family wit means wouldnt be caught dead doin... Haiti is cool and beautiful.. jus aint got shit to do.. unless u jus tryna relax at the beach or sumtin...

on a side note.. there is a place in northern Haiti called Cap Haitian and there is a resort/beach there..cruise lines come in there from the states n shit.. the catch is: they tell the tourist that they are visiting Hispaniola, not Haiti.and for years i dont even think they mentioned hispaniola.. jus sed sum island in the carribbean... and they been doin this for years,,, i think its up until recently they told ppl where they were goin (Hispaniola, not Haiti) .. so sum ppl who prolly took some cruises in the carribean prolly came to Haiti.. the beach is called Labadee

 

[MrJR]

thats cuz jamaica got its tourist side available cut off from the reality of the country

yea thats truth right there our country use to be like that years back but our first Prime Minister changed that shit quick.Jamaica has to stay like that cause God knows if they allow tourist see the real Jamaica shit would change.And btw i wouldn't go to Haiti if their economy was the best in the world

 

[akforty7]

Most tourists stay at resorts because they want to lay on the beach.

The Caribbean overall is more dangerous than Mexico? That is hard to believe. Where are you getting this from?

There are plenty of beaches in America and elsewhere int he world if thats all they wanted. So many people go to the Caribbean to experience the Caribbean because of it's people, food, culture, everything, not just the beaches. They stay in resorts because it's convenient and safe. Your average joe is not going to do well venturing out into Jamaica, Barbados, DR, etc. on their own without a group, a guide or a local. Thats all i was saying.

Mexico is a hell of a lot larger than any Caribbean country so it makes sense that based on how small these islands/countries are and how much crime there is, it's more dangerous. And most of the recent crimes Americans have been hearing about are in the North of Mexico due to the drug problems there. The rest of Mexico is not as dangerous. Cancun or other tourists spots in Mexico have their share of crime but again per capita anywhere in North America is safer than the Caribbean statistically based on many things I have read. Example:

A 2007 report from the World Bank estimated that the overall murder rate in the Caribbean was 30 per 100,000 inhabitants, four times that in North America. High rates of unemployment and a lack of economic development, along with narcotics trafficking, breed crime, violence, and gangs in many Caribbean nations.

Violence is far more prevalent in some Caribbean nations than others, although even in the most troubled countries, violent crime rarely touches tourists. On the other hand, experts note, visitors are often more likely than locals to be victims of property crimes, and often are specifically targeted in locations known to be frequented by tourists.

Crime can happen anywhere, and there are no guarantees. However, experience and statistics indicate that the following nations are among the most secure in the Caribbean region:

Montserrat

The Cayman Islands

St. Barts

British Virgin Islands

Bonaire

Dominica

Not surprisingly, these tend to be the islands that are either the most affluent or have the least tourism development.

Property crime has been increasing in the Caribbean in recent years, and experts say that the increase has been most pronounced in highly developed tourist destinations, including the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).

From: http://gocaribbean.about.com/od/healthandsafety/a/CaribCrimeStats.htm

 

[akforty7]

lmao this "ak" chick going hard and is obviously biased towards rich port, which is cool...... But Jamaicans hate Americans????? smh, stop it 5!

as for the ts;

JAMAICA>>>>>>>>>>>all

coolest people, great culture, the best food, awesome nightlife highest rated resorts etc.... i could go on and on & I haven't even mentioned the music...

if u r trying to hang with the locals, they're Always very hospitable to tourists(they will try to sell u stuff) and the queens english is the primary language so to go from patois to clearly understood english is not a problem.

I've been to trinidad, u wont go wrong visiting there either, never been to DR.

I already said I was biased towards "rich port". I didn't say all Jamaicans hate Americans. I said a lot of them do, because this is what I was told and shown BY Jamaicans when I was IN Jamaica. Most of the world hates Americans if that makes you feel any better. I love Jamaica, I would not have went there twice if I didn't, but no it's not a safe place, and it's very notorious for that. So again just because you're from somewhere doesn't mean I am dissing your country I am stating my experiences, quit catching feelings.

 

[zoepian]

yea thats truth right there our country use to be like that years back but our first Prime Minister changed that shit quick.Jamaica has to stay like that cause God knows if they allow tourist see the real Jamaica shit would change.And btw i wouldn't go to Haiti if their economy was the best in the world

why u say u wouldnt come to haiti if the economy and all that was good?

 

[Conscious__Nkechi]

Naw wherever I go I'm gonna chill with the locals...I'm not only gonna be on the resort or sightseeing...I wanna get a feeling of the environment...not at night tho

Although in certain areas it really does not matter whether it is day or night. In DR, bargain and don't get too flashy. I get my nails done for $6-9 in DR but that is because I am a local to them but the minute you are heard speaking English, especially if you don't know any Spanish at all, the price goes up to $25+.

This Spaniard I know has lived in DR for a decade+ but because he doesn't look like he is from the area, the coffee lady round the way tried to charge him $20 for a $2 coffee. He had to set her straight quick and he only paid the actual price. Can't knock the hustle.

 

[usmarin3]

Considering i'm from Jamaica, i'm biased. Not going to DR, too close to Haiti to me (yeah i said it) and i would go to Trinidad because i have friends of my family from Trini and Jamaicans and Trinis get along. Nothing beats JA though, we are inovators in too much shit (reggae, dancehall, dances, jerk food, got the good ganja,etc).

As for all that nonsense about Jamaica not being safe, that's what ignorant mfs say. Every country has their shitty spots, if i was to take someone who came to Florida to Liberty City, they would think Florida is horrible. The bad parts of Jamaica is in the inner parts and not the tourist coast areas, places like Port Antonio, parts of Kingston, Spanish Town are a no no.

 

[MrJR]

why u say u wouldnt come to haiti if the economy and all that was good?

Bro hatians are probably the nastiest set of people in the world.

 

[allreasoned_out]

Mexico is a hell of a lot larger than any Caribbean country so it makes sense that based on how small these islands/countries are and how much crime there is, it's more dangerous. And most of the recent crimes Americans have been hearing about are in the North of Mexico due to the drug problems there. The rest of Mexico is not as dangerous.

A 2007 report from the World Bank estimated that the overall murder rate in the Caribbean was 30 per 100,000 inhabitants, four times that in North America. High rates of unemployment and a lack of economic development, along with narcotics trafficking, breed crime, violence, and gangs in many Caribbean nations.

Violence is far more prevalent in some Caribbean nations than others, although even in the most troubled countries, violent crime rarely touches tourists. On the other hand, experts note, visitors are often more likely than locals to be victims of property crimes, and often are specifically targeted in locations known to be frequented by tourists.

Crime can happen anywhere, and there are no guarantees. However, experience and statistics indicate that the following nations are among the most secure in the Caribbean region:
Montserrat
The Cayman Islands
St. Barts
British Virgin Islands
Bonaire
Dominica
Not surprisingly, these tend to be the islands that are either the most affluent or have the least tourism development.

Property crime has been increasing in the Caribbean in recent years, and experts say that the increase has been most pronounced in highly developed tourist destinations, including the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).

From: http://gocaribbean.about.com/od/healthandsafety/a/CaribCrimeStats.htm

I didn't say that it was hard to believe that it is less dangerous in North America than the Caribbean. I said that about Mexico. And even if you found somewhere more dangerous than Mexico, most islands are safer than Mexico. Grouping the islands together and then developing statistics based on that is going to be misleading because the countries with high crime (Jamaica and Trinidad, e.g. ) have large populations.

 

[dalyricalbandit]

Dominican republic no questions asked

 

[akforty7]

Although in certain areas it really does not matter whether it is day or night. In DR, bargain and don't get too flashy. I get my nails done for $6-9 in DR but that is because I am a local to them but the minute you are heard speaking English, especially if you don't know any Spanish at all, the price goes up to $25+.

This Spaniard I know has lived in DR for a decade+ but because he doesn't look like he is from the area, the coffee lady round the way tried to charge him $20 for a $2 coffee. He had to set her straight quick and he only paid the actual price. Can't knock the hustle.

lol that's true. They definitely know how to work toruists. And you definitely cannot be flashy, even simple costume jewelry here in the states is a huge money sign to many Dominicans. But I think the bargaining thing goes for any country you go to, they're always gonna try to take advantage of visitors and tourists. I remember when I went to Sosua tho, that big strip of little stands and huts selling THE same items, each one of their owners would literally come beg for you to come buy something, some even sang and danced for us just to get us to come in their shops LOL.