Lived there 2 yes- really different-many people there cannot read, always want to sell you 'white candy' as they call it, always wanting to braid your hair or give you a 'real Jamaican tour'- some of the ways they try hard to get American $$- when I moved there, American $ was 7 to 1, when I left, it was 35 to 1.
Ganja is the drug of choice- it grows everywhere & they smoke it at 9am- there's a rumor that there are no phone books in any public telephones because they smoked up all the pages. Don't let the men walking around with machettes on their head scare you- this is how they advertise they will cut grass, do lawnscaping, or catch fish for you.
Watch yourself when on the streets if you leave the resort & go to town or to the beach. It's a third world country & stealing is a way of life for them. Really fun people though- they love their reggae music-sometimes play loud on in the streets & everyone just starts dancing. 'No Problem, mon!' Many people visit there & stay at the resort- they do not experience 'real Jamaica'. Don't miss Dunn's River Falls or downtown at night. And remember, if you rent a car, they drive on the other side of the car & the other side of the road. And FAST!
Have a blast!