Ok, I splurged a bit and got my sis a ticket to Jamaica as her xmas gift. She's been dying to go for years now. However her hubby is a bit nervous because of the reputation that Jamaica has when off the resorts.

They will not be staying in a resort of any kind. They will be hosteling it and jumping around the coast, visiting Bob Marley's house, etc.

My questions are:

1. How expensive/cheap is Jamaica on a backpacker budget? A daily rough estimate of a hostel, food, etc would be great.

2. Are there any areas they should avoid? They will not have a tour guide and will not be on a resort and they want to make sure they don't run into any trouble.

Thanks!

It's been a long time since I went, but ... at least in the early 1990's ... Jamaica wasn't that backpacker friendly. I did it, but I stayed in kind of a junky rental house in Negril, ate in the shanty town, and when I went to the bush I slept in a single bed with two other guys. It was an experience, and I had some fabulous and outrageous adventures, but I was young and open to that. Not sure if I would do it again. It was not a kick-back tropical beach vacation!

Avoid the resorts, absolutely, but unless things have changed I'd avoid the ultra-budget Jamaica also.

so, from fifteen years ago: the cliff area in Negril had nice low key options, the beach in Negril was mostly resorts, Montego Bay was all hotels and private beaches, Kingston was scary, and Sav la Mar had no tourists at all.

Hey There,

I am not 100% sure about loding, but im pretty sure you can find non-resort hotels in negril... However if you want a safe but less touristy approach to Jamaica... hire a jamaican tour guide. We did last year when we went and we really got off the beaten path, felt safe, and didnt go broke. I'm sure there are tons, but we really loved our guy so I strongly refer Sexy Rexy... his site is below. Best of luck! -Sarah

http://www.sexyrexynegril.com

Hi,

There are many options for cheap travel to Jamaica but you'll have to search to find these.

Here are a few: You can stay in guest houses and bed and breakfast facilities and find guides
It is not advisable to just back pack around Jamaica without a guide.

You may visit http://www.jamaicaadventuresecrets.com and look at the options there to explore authentic Jamaica.

You may also go to http://www.visitjamaica.com. This is the official Jamaica Tourist Board website. There are many options there for affordable travel. Try calling them and asking for help if you need more assistance.