Jamaica vs South Africa

Two-story beachfront resort building with white columns and balconies, lounge chairs and umbrellas on sandy beach, palm trees, and pool visible.

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.

Jamaica guide · South Africa guide · How we score

By the numbers

Jamaica compared with South Africa
Jamaica	Measure	South Africa
Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution	U.S. travel advisory	Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
22	Resorts in our catalog	0
★ 4.5	Average guest rating	–
$117–$430/night pp	Nightly rates	–
13 of 22	Adults-only resorts	0 of 0
In the hurricane belt	Hurricane exposure	No hurricane season
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.

On the map

Jamaica

No mapped resorts yet

South Africa

Weather, month by month

Month-by-month average high temperature and rainfall for Jamaica and South Africa
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. Deeper gold = hotter; deeper teal = wetter.

Where you'd actually stay

Best of Jamaica

Full Jamaica guide

Chains here: Sandals Resorts · Ocean by H10 Hotels · Couples Resorts

Best of South Africa

No South Africa resorts in our catalog yet.

Full South Africa guide