Destinations · Head-to-head
Jamaica vs South Africa
Jamaica and South Africa, side by side: live travel advisories, our resort catalog's real guest data, and each destination's honest weather picture. Everything you need to break the tie.
By the numbers
| Jamaica | Measure | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution | U.S. travel advisory | Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution |
| 35 (better) | Resorts in our catalog | 0 |
| ★ 4.5 | Average guest rating | – |
| $117–$822/night pp | Nightly rates | – |
| 20 of 35 | Adults-only resorts | 0 of 0 |
| In the hurricane belt | Hurricane exposure | No hurricane season (better) |
| May–June and September–November, mostly short afternoon bursts | Rainy season | November–March (southern-hemisphere summer thunderstorms) |
| December–April | Sweet spot | April–September for dry, mild weather; also prime safari season inland |
| English (plus Patois) | Language | 11 official languages – English widely spoken |
| Jamaican dollar; USD widely accepted | Currency | South African rand (ZAR) |
| 110V, Type A/B plugs (same as the US) | Power | 230V, large Type M/N plugs (special adapter needed) |
| On the left | Driving | On the left |
| Montego Bay (MBJ) | Main airport | Durban (DUR) or Johannesburg (JNB) |
| ~3–4h from the US East Coast | Flight time | ~15–17h from the US East Coast (often via Europe or the Gulf) |
Advisory levels sync from travel.state.gov; catalog figures reflect the resorts we've researched, not every hotel in the country. A marked row is one we are willing to call; rows without a mark are a matter of taste, or we have no comparable figure for both sides.
On the map
Jamaica
South Africa
Weather, month by month
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica · high °F | 82 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 85 | 83 |
| South Africa · high °F | 82 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 77 | 74 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 79 | 81 |
| Jamaica · rain (in) | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 5.1 | 7.1 | 3.0 | 1.5 |
| South Africa · rain (in) | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.0 |
Approximate climate normals for Montego Bay and KwaZulu-Natal coast (Durban): planning guidance, not a forecast. A deeper tint is a higher number, read within its own row.
Where you'd actually stay
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