Whether women travel alone, or with a partner, the first thing that they need to be aware of – and if they aren’t before they arrive, it won’t take long for them to learn – is that women are not generally respected by Jamaican men.
They may find that they have “admirers” but a quick dip into the local community will show how much real respect is attached to the admiration!
Women tourists who travel alone need to be extra vigilant about personal security and make sure that they know what areas of the place they are staying are relatively safe for tourists – especially women – and which aren’t.
They should always make sure that someone knows where they are going if they are leaving the hotel grounds, and they should make sure that they don’t stand out from the crowd too much.
It may not be very appealing for an independent woman from the US to have to join a group tour simply because going alone isn’t recommended, but if you are in Jamaica, you must listen to the recommendations on personal safety issues.
They aren’t given just to stop the hotel being sued in the unlikely event of you being mugged. They are issued for your own safety by people who know that as beautiful as the country is, there is another side to it, that must be respected.
If you enjoy solitude, then join a tour but keep yourself to yourself on the bus, and go your own way when you arrive at the destination – just don’t wander too far away from the rest of the tourists!
Just as you would follow some basic safety rules if you were visiting a city such as New York, follow the safety information given to you at your Jamaican destination and you should be as safe as you would be walking through Manhatten.
