Jaunted

Travel Alerts / Dangerous Travel / Jamaica Travel / Political Travel / → All Tags

How Safe is It to Travel to Jamaica Right Now?

Reports of gunfire, Molotov cocktails and drug-related violence are not what you want to hear about happening somewhere you're about to go to for vacation, but that's the case right now in Kingston, Jamaica, where gangs are clashing with police in protection of a notorious drug lord.

The Jamaican government declared a state of emergency in Kingston yesterday, due to such serious occurrences in Tivoli Gardens and Hannah Town, a slums in downtown Kingston that have barricaded themselves off while hiding Christopher "Dudus" Coke, a "Jamaican 'don' charged in the U.S. with drug and arms trafficking." The Jamaican government is attempting to capture Coke and extradite him to the United States, and the gangs of these towns aren't too happy to be losing their leader, who provides security and stability for their otherwise dangerous community.

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Accidents / World's Most Dangerous Airports / Weather / American Airlines / Kingston Travel / Jamaica Travel / KIN / → All Tags

American Airlines Plane Overshoots Kingston Runway, Lands On Beach With Injuries

A planeful of people headed down to Kingston, Jamaica for the holidays got the shock of their lives last night when their flight, American Airlines 331 from Miami, overshot the runway during a horrible rainstorm. The plane bounced on the runway, crashed through the fence at the end of the tarmac, skidded across the roadway and lost some landing gear and at least one of its engines before coming to rest on the beach, just short of the ocean.

All 154 passengers and crew survived, but some 91 injuries have been reported, including broken bones and more minor scratches. Since this was technically a crash, the airport closed and other Kingston-bound flights were diverted to other Jamaica airports.

This incident, and the general scary island-y nature of Kingston's Norman Manley airport and its one sea-bordered runway adds it to our ever-growing list of the World's Most Dangerous Airports. To check out a picture of the American Airlines accident, head here.

Related Stories:
· American Airlines Flight Narrowly Avoids Sea on Landing In Jamaica; Injuries Reported [NPR]
· Light injuries as plane overshoots runway [National Post]
· Travel Accidents [Jaunted]

[Image: Google Maps]

Five-Bad-Rap-Cities / Bad Rap Cities / Jamaica Travel / Urban Travel / → All Tags

Five Cities With a Bad Rap: Kingston, Mon

Some locales can’t seem to shake their less-than-sparkling reputations despite efforts to lock away the skeletons of yesterday. We’ve decided to highlight five of these Bad Rap Cities that are making moves to shed their grimy and gritty images in hopes of becoming more tourist-friendly. Maybe, just maybe, after reading this series you'll be willing to take a chance on them. Enjoy.

Bad Rap City: Kingston, Jamaica

Why Go?
We’ve all seen the "Come to Jamaica” ads encouraging folks to experience the sparkling sea and sand with a side of reggae and jerk chicken. But those commercials never shout-out Kingston, the island’s capital. Mention the city that’s a half-million strong and you’re likely to hear a sharp intake of breath followed by mutterings of murder and mayhem. But don’t believe all the hype, says Kaci Hamilton, a travel writer and Kingstonian. “People are very hospitable here. You get invited to their homes for dinner, to go sailing or even play golf.”

She admits that crime and violence is endemic in certain areas of Kingston(stay clear of the West End), but many parts of the city are safe,surprisingly wealthy and quite beautiful, like tourist-friendly New Kingston.

Smart travelers should employ the same sense they use everywhere they go—keep eyes and ears open and stay clear of dodgy-looking places. For intrepid travelers with a sense of adventure, there’s much to discover here. Oh, and JetBlue begins service from JFK to Kingston on October 31st, with flights starting at $258 roundtrip!

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