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Perhaps you are planning a vacation to the beautiful isle of Jamaica. It is everything you can imagine a tropical island to be. The crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, and flowering plants of many colors and shapes are a constant form of entertainment in themselves. The atmosphere and friendly people make a visit here an unforgettable experience.

Just getting to Jamaica is only the beginning of your island experience. However, getting to your final destination, whether it be Negril, Ocho Rios, or the other beautiful resort areas, may be a bit more complicated. Believe it or not, the apparent chaos of Jamaican transportation is not what it seems. As they say, "there's method in that madness."

In Jamaica, like in other caribbean islands, transportation can be confusing to the newcomer. I've learned over the years how to get the best ride for the best price. The enormous number of taxi drivers in the country makes getting a ride easy, if you know how to go about it. But first, getting there.

If you embark from the east coast of North America for Jamaica, Montego Bay will more than likely be your point of entry. Most of the flights are usually routed through Atlanta, Orlando, or Miami for a rather short flight to this wonderful country. If traveling on a cruise ship, Mo Bay will be the docking point too.

While making the approach to land you get a beautiful view of this picturesque tourist destination. The emerald and turquoise waters of the bay give an almost unreal contrast to the mountains overlooking the city itself. Houses perch on the sides of the mountains and there is no doubt you are on a tropical island.

If you happen to be asleep while landing it won't be for long because the runway is pretty short and the reversed engines and G forces will usually bring you to a state of alertness. It's really not bad though, we're just not used to it over in the states. Its kind of exciting on takeoff too because the runway ends at the water.

Things are pretty normal until after you've collected your luggage and approached the exit. This is when culture shock begins to set in. "Do you have a ride?" someone yells, "Taxi, Taxi," suddenly you are besieged with drivers looking to pick up passengers heading for all parts of the island. While some of the travel packages will include the commute to your final destination, others depend on you to make your own arrangements.

JUTA, Jamaica's transit authority will arrange for travel to any part of the country. They also will provide tours, shuttles to resorts, and trips to other towns and cities. It seems everyone drives a taxi and they also drive on the left side of the road. Notice I didn't say wrong side of the road. Do not be alarmed by the constant horn honking or pedestrians jaywalking, it's all part of the experience.

If you're in a hurry, shuttle flights can be obtained to any of the other Jamaican airports for a nominal fee. Of course a trip by sea is always a possibility too. Rental cars and motorbikes can be found in all of the tourist towns if you are brave enough to drive. I would not recommend this for inexperienced drivers as a taxi is easy enough to hire.

Oh, and one other thing, be sure to haggle with the taxi drivers (unlike America, this is common here) and make sure they have A/C and intend to use it. Always agree on a final price before getting in the cab. After you learn the ropes, travel in Jamaica is definitely easy inexpensive, and of course, "no problem mon."

Learn more about this author, Randy Godwin.
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