Before you book
Questions
worth asking
The questions below are the ones we are actually asked, answered the way we would answer them on the phone. If something here reads as hedged, it is because the honest answer is “it depends” — and we would rather say that than give you a confident number that turns out to be wrong.
Is Jamaica safe?
Jamaica has a serious crime problem in specific areas, and almost none of it touches the villa and resort corridors where visitors stay. The honest advice is the same we give family: stay somewhere reputable, use drivers you have arranged rather than flagging cars down, do not wander unfamiliar areas late at night, and you will have the same trip as the hundreds of thousands of people who visit every year without incident. Government travel advisories are worth reading, and worth reading carefully — they are written parish by parish for a reason.
Do I need to hire a car?
Most villa guests do not. Roads are narrow, driving is on the left, signage is inconsistent and the drive from the airport is often the least relaxing hour of the holiday. Between an airport transfer, a driver for day trips and your villa’s caretaker running errands, most people never miss having a car. If you want real independence for a fortnight, hire one — otherwise do not bother.
What do I actually tip?
At a staffed villa the widely used convention is around ten per cent of the accommodation rate, left at the end and split between the team. Drivers are usually tipped around ten to fifteen per cent of the fare, and tour guides similar. Nothing is compulsory and nobody will chase you, but staff do plan around it.
When is the best time to come?
December to April is dry, busy and expensive. May and June are our own favourite weeks — warm, green, far quieter, noticeably cheaper. September and early October are the wettest and the cheapest, and hurricane season officially runs June to November with the real risk concentrated in August and September. July and August are hot and humid but excellent value for families tied to school holidays.
How far in advance should I book?
For Christmas and New Year, a year is not unreasonable and six months is the practical minimum — the good villas go early and most impose a seven-night minimum over the holidays. For the rest of the winter season, three to four months. In the summer you can often book six weeks out and still have real choice.
Can you take a deposit online?
Not yet. Right now you send us an enquiry, we come back with a firm written price, and payment is arranged directly. Online deposits are coming, and we would rather tell you plainly where we are than pretend to a system we have not finished building.
Ask us something else
Talk to
a local
A real person on the island reads these, and replies.