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Article is dead on.

If you ever get the chance to hit the Cayman’s; do it. Feel free to explore the island, rent a cycle and tool around - beautiful island, friendly people, amazing scenery. It’s truly an island paradise.

Belize is great in the policed corridors near the ports - but you leave that corridor at your own peril. For example; if you rent a car and drive outside the city; and a man jumps out of the jungle in front of your car - in all seriousness ‘Run him over’. Stopping will likely result in your robbery, kidnapping or potentially your death.

Jamaica? If it were in my power to give Jamaica away, I would. 80% unemployment - poverty, crime, drugs. Unless your stay is in a barb-wire on top of a 12 ft concrete wall, with machine gun nests every 150 ft (as found at Hedonism and Sandals resorts) - you don’t want to go there. Armed border guards are the norm, for a reason. Rich tourists are easy prey. I will never return there, it’s just not worth the risk.

They really don’t rent cycles on the island. But rent a car at Andy’s or Cico Avis and drive around. Seven Mile Beach is where it is at and the water of course.

Unless your stay is in a barb-wire on top of a 12 ft concrete wall, with machine gun nests every 150 ft (as found at Hedonism and Sandals resorts) - you don’t want to go there. Armed border guards are the norm, for a reason. Rich tourists are easy prey. I will never return there, it’s just not worth the risk.

In 1997 my wife and I stayed at the Hyatt in Cancun for two weeks.

This was before the entire country of Mexico was overrun with drug cartels but it was getting started.

Some of excellent golf courses that we played at had armed guards walking the perimeter and it was not pleasant.

I went back to Cancun in 2008 for one night only and couldn't get out of there fast enough.

No more visits to Mexico for me.

If I want sunshine, I'll go to obama's home state, kenya.

THere are no barbed wire fences or machine gun nests at Hedo in Negril. At least there weren’t any as of 6 months ago.

Unless your stay is in a barb-wire on top of a 12 ft concrete wall, with machine gun nests every 150 ft (as found at Hedonism and Sandals resorts) - you don’t want to go there.

I went to Sandals in Jamaica back in the late 1989 with my wife. We saved for over a year for the vacation.

Worst vacation of my life - period.

It was akin to being held hostage.

We were imprisoned on the resort, with menacing crowds gathered outside the barbed wire. Inside was no better. The local restaurant, bar, and hotel staff stalked the guests, hitting them up for money, goods, food, etc. If you were Canadian they harassed you to no end to sponsor them to immigrate. If you gave the staff money to leave you alone, they sometimes did, but more often than not came around with more of their friends to shake you down and guilt trip you about how rich you were vs. them.

The trips outside were like going into a war zone. Crowds of beggars and thugs hawking useless souvenirs mobbed you at every turn. The place was literally an open sewer.