Jamaica
There are many different images of Jamaica and, because the country is so diverse, visitors find that most of them are accurate. It’s an island where you can find peace and seclusion in relaxed coastal hide-aways
or join the crowds in the big, popular resorts.
History-seekers can visit great colonial country houses and plantations, while visitors searching for natural wonders can see waterfalls, exotic flowers, the 550 native Jamaican ferns and 250 species of birds.
History-seekers can visit great colonial country houses and plantations, while visitors searching for natural wonders can see waterfalls, exotic flowers, the 550 native Jamaican ferns and 250 species of birds.
Capital: Kingston.
Currency: Jamaican Dollar $42 = $1 USD
Population: 2.5 million
Area: 4,244 square miles (10,991 square kilometres
Languages: English, Jamaican patois.
Economy: Mining, tourism, agriculture
Currency: Jamaican Dollar $42 = $1 USD
Population: 2.5 million
Area: 4,244 square miles (10,991 square kilometres
Languages: English, Jamaican patois.
Economy: Mining, tourism, agriculture
Predominant Religions: Mainly Protestant with large numbers of Anglicans and Baptists,
Some West African-style natural religions.
Government: Independent nation, member of the Commonwealth.
Telephone Codes: - 1 - 876, country code
Airport Departure Tax: J$1200.00
Energy Surcharge: A variable amount , up to USD10 depending on hotel/resort. To be charged at time of check out.
Passport/Visa Requirements: Passports and no visas needed by citizens of Australia and New Zealand.
Health Certificates: None required. Contact health authorities for latest information.
Shopping Hours: Monday-Friday 0800 – 1600 Saturday 0800- 1300.
Banking Hours: Monday- Thursday 0900 – 1200 : Friday 1430 – 1700
Time Zone: 15 hours behind Sydney (EST).No Daylight Saving Time is observed.
Voltage Requirements: 110 volts.
Weather: The temperature is fairly stable year-round, so it's possible to visit in other months as well. Winter coastal-area day temperatures are in the 70s-80s F/23-32 C. June-September is usually in the 80s-90s F/30-35 C. Nights tend to be 5-10 F/3-5 C degrees cooler everywhere. Temperatures in the hills and mountains are usually cooler than on the coasts by 5-10 F/3-5 C degrees—bring a sweater for cool nights in the mountains. Always be prepared for rain showers in the Blue Mountains. The hottest time is July-October, when the humidity, heat and hurricane possibilities are the highest. Most rain falls between May and October, but even then, it generally comes in brief showers and seldom ruins anyone's vacation.
Transport: There are big public buses operating between major towns, as well as mini-buses (vans) which charge varying rates - always ask the fare first. Taxis come in both regulated and unregulated varieties. The regulated cars (found at airports or hailed by hotels) have preset fares; unlicensed cabs charge what they can get - again, ask before riding. Most hotels in outlying areas can help arrange transportation to and from the airport for reasonable fares. Rental cars are expensive, as is gasoline, and you should check your car insurance policies before leaving home.
Driving Times (these are approximate only)
- Montego Bay to Negril 80 Km (50 miles) 1 1/2 hours
- Montego Bay to Ocho Rios 100 Km (62 miles) 1 1/2 hours
- Ocho Rios to Port Antonio 97 Km (60 miles) 2 1/2 hours
- Ocho Rios to Kingston 96 Km (60 miles) 2 hours
- Kingston to Mandeville 105 Km (65 miles) 1 1/2 hours
- Kingston to Port Antonio 109 Km (68 miles) 2 hours
History: Archaeological evidence suggests that the Arawak people settled in Jamaica as early as AD 650. (The island took its name from the Arawak word xaymaca, meaning "land of wood and water.") Columbus first sighted the island in 1494, on his second voyage to the New World. Ever since, Jamaican life has been a stormy mix of political, racial and economic divisions. Although the Spanish never fully settled the island, their influence was far reaching. They carried the diseases that annihilated the Arawak and introduced citrus fruits, bananas, plantains, sugarcane, cattle, pigs and horses. They also brought the first slaves from Africa.
The English invaded Jamaica in 1655 and had complete control of the island by 1660. They then used Jamaica as a base to threaten Spanish interests in the Caribbean and Latin America. Jamaica's Port Royal became the premier headquarters of pirates in the Western Hemisphere until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1692. The English also established great sugarcane plantations powered by slave labor. Slavery, in turn, played a central role in the political instability of the island. Slaves freed in the final days of Spanish rule established communities in the wild mountain interior and became known as the "Maroons." Skirmishes with British troops eventually escalated into two separate Maroon wars, which led to the eventual deportation of many Maroons.
Two slave rebellions, in 1760 and 1831, combined with the growing antislavery movement in England, led to the end of slavery in Jamaica. Chinese and East Indian indentured laborers were then brought to Jamaica, adding to the island's cultural mix.
After gaining greater sovereignty in the 1950s, Jamaica won full independence from Great Britain in 1962. It remains a member of the British Commonwealth. The island's social tensions have helped fuel its most famous export—reggae music. A potent mix of politics, religion and danceable rhythms, reggae rose to international popularity in the 1970s on the shoulders of Bob Marley and other Jamaican performers.
The English invaded Jamaica in 1655 and had complete control of the island by 1660. They then used Jamaica as a base to threaten Spanish interests in the Caribbean and Latin America. Jamaica's Port Royal became the premier headquarters of pirates in the Western Hemisphere until it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1692. The English also established great sugarcane plantations powered by slave labor. Slavery, in turn, played a central role in the political instability of the island. Slaves freed in the final days of Spanish rule established communities in the wild mountain interior and became known as the "Maroons." Skirmishes with British troops eventually escalated into two separate Maroon wars, which led to the eventual deportation of many Maroons.
Two slave rebellions, in 1760 and 1831, combined with the growing antislavery movement in England, led to the end of slavery in Jamaica. Chinese and East Indian indentured laborers were then brought to Jamaica, adding to the island's cultural mix.
After gaining greater sovereignty in the 1950s, Jamaica won full independence from Great Britain in 1962. It remains a member of the British Commonwealth. The island's social tensions have helped fuel its most famous export—reggae music. A potent mix of politics, religion and danceable rhythms, reggae rose to international popularity in the 1970s on the shoulders of Bob Marley and other Jamaican performers.
There’s Kingston – the Caribbean’s largest English-speaking city south of Miami; Montego Bay with its stretches of white sand and more hotels and holiday villas than anywhere else on the island; Negril with seven miles (11 km) of white beach and the famous Green Flash at sunset; and Ocho Rios, where the main beach is a spectacular band of gleaming sand right in the center of town.
Metropolitan Kingston is on one of the world's largest natural harbors, but that’s not all. It’s also the centre of the island’s cultural and business life, where you’ll find markets, art galleries, museums, theatres, nightclubs and, of course, the Bob Marley Mueum, the recording studio in which the reggae star worked and lived.
If you’re Marley mad, you might want to go inland to see the Bob Marley Mausoleum at Brown’s Town. The NationalHeroesPark on Duke Street in Kingston celebrates the lives of other notable Jamaicans. In nearby Port Royal – once the island’s capital – you can see where pirates such as Sir Henry Morgan and other buccaneers lurked when they weren’t carrying out raids across the Caribbean.
Sporting types will be bewildered by the choice of activities. On and under the water, there’s windsurfing, water-skiing, parasailing, yachting, deep-sea fishing, scuba-diving and river rafting. The Montego BayMarinePark is a 6,000 acre (25 sq km) ocean reserve for windsurfers, sailors, divers and snorkelers.
On dry land, popular sports are tennis, horse riding, cycling and golf – Mandeville is said to have the oldest course in the Caribbean, and championship courses are all along the island's north coast. The main spectator sports are horse-racing, polo and cricket – the game inherited from the English but followed with much greater passion by the Jamaicans. Since the national team, the Reggae Boyz, reached World Cup finals, soccer is more popular than ever.
History-seekers can visit great colonial country houses and plantations, while visitors searching for natural wonders can see waterfalls, exotic flowers, the 550 native Jamaican ferns and 250 species of birds. Port Antonio on the east coast is known for its lush vegetation. Much of the plant life indigenous to Jamaica is found here.
The Blue MountainsNational Park is another superb spot for nature lovers, home to a vast variety of rare flora and fauna – but with 200,000 acres (800 sq km) to cover, you'd best take a guide.
And those remote, unspoiled get-away-from-it-all coves and beaches? Come and find them!
Things to Do: Activities in Montego Bay, Jamaica's second largest city, include a bus tour of the IpswichCaves and the Appleton Sugar Factory and Distillery; tennis; bird-watching at the Rocklands Feeding Station; and water sports. A craft market beckons with straw baskets, woodcarvings and shell jewelry. Near Montego Bay in Falmouth, two greathouses are worth a visit. Greenwood, built in the early 1800s was owned by a relative of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Rose Hall, a few decades the senior, is said to be haunted by the apparition of Annie Palmer, a three-time murderess who was murdered herself.
Spend an afternoon in Ocho Rios' Fern Gully, also on the north coast, if you are in search of rejuvenation. The four-mile riverbed-cum-road is hedged with an assortment of wild ferns and tropical flowers. In the Shaw Park Botanical Gardens, you can meditate under a banyan tree or watch water lilies soak in the sun. At Harmony Hall you can purchase the works of local artisans without haggling over the price--look for Annabella boxes with scenes of Jamaica painted on them.
The drowsy town of Port Antonio was once the center of the banana trade. Now it is little more than a quiet municipality where deep-sea anglers come for a holiday. Charming clapboard houses mingle with hotels that saw their heyday in the '50s. Meriting a few hours is the Folly Estate; its iron support beams collapsed prematurely due to the salty air. The NonsuchCaves have fossilized fish and plant life embedded in their walls; the remains of a Taino Indian community are nearby in Seville.
In stark contrast to Port Antonio is contemporary Kingston, the largest English-speaking city south of Miami. More than 900,000 people live in Kingston, dine at its international restaurants and dance at its discotheques. Art galleries abound in the Kingston. The National Gallery has the most extensive collection of Jamaican work. Bob Marley's home on Hope Road is now a small museum paying tribute to the King of Reggae. Every summer, the island hosts Reggae Sunsplash. Summertime also finds the National Dance Theatre Company performing.
Negril is known for its dazzling beaches and limestone cliffs such as those outside of Rick's Cafi. Here, young daredevils tempt fate by jumping into the sea more than 100 feet below. Those seeking a tamer pursuit should check out the 100-year-old Negril Lighthouse.
In the late 1600s, the once-feared Henry Morgan went from piracy to politics, becoming lieutenent governor, and few thought the transition odd. That is the accepting spirit of Jamaica.
DINING:
Jamaica is famous for "jerk," a method of seasoning chicken, pork and fish with pimento, pepper and other spices. It's common on the island. But there's more to Jamaica's cuisine: You'll find curry—from India; pita bread (called Syrian bread locally) and chickpeas—from Lebanon; and Chinese food galore.
With local meals expect rice and peas (the "peas" are actually red kidney beans cooked with coconut milk), yams, dasheen, sweet potato and boiled flour or cornmeal dumplings as side dishes. Salted codfish, mackerel and herring are a legacy of slavery days. Salt fish and ackee, the island's traditional dish, combines salted cod with the unique akcee fruit, which tastes like slightly sweetened scrambled eggs (it's poisonous if not properly prepared, so you may not want to try making it at home). Salt fish and ackee are often served with boiled green banana, johnnycakes (fried flour dumplings) and bammies (cassava cakes).
Other local specialties include red pea soup, pepperpot soup (hot and spicy), callaloo (a spinachlike vegetable), grilled lobster and roasted breadfruit (tastes a lot more like bread than fruit). Or try a Juci-beef patty. It's Jamaica's fast-food, inexpensive and quite delicious. Other fillings aside from beef include vegetables, chicken and lobster. There are many delicious local fruits, including mangoes, guineps, sweetsop, naseberry, otaheite apples, ortanique (orange-tangerine hybrid unique to the island) and water coconuts (all in season).
For beverages, try the local brands such as Ting (a grapefruit-flavored soft drink), Red Stripe and Real Rock beers and Tia Maria liqueur. Drinks made from passion fruit, soursop, sugarcane and June plum are also tasty, as is a traditional Christmastime drink called sorrel. Unfortunately, most of the coffee served in Jamaica is grown on the lowlands and is not the coveted BlueMountain coffee.
With local meals expect rice and peas (the "peas" are actually red kidney beans cooked with coconut milk), yams, dasheen, sweet potato and boiled flour or cornmeal dumplings as side dishes. Salted codfish, mackerel and herring are a legacy of slavery days. Salt fish and ackee, the island's traditional dish, combines salted cod with the unique akcee fruit, which tastes like slightly sweetened scrambled eggs (it's poisonous if not properly prepared, so you may not want to try making it at home). Salt fish and ackee are often served with boiled green banana, johnnycakes (fried flour dumplings) and bammies (cassava cakes).
Other local specialties include red pea soup, pepperpot soup (hot and spicy), callaloo (a spinachlike vegetable), grilled lobster and roasted breadfruit (tastes a lot more like bread than fruit). Or try a Juci-beef patty. It's Jamaica's fast-food, inexpensive and quite delicious. Other fillings aside from beef include vegetables, chicken and lobster. There are many delicious local fruits, including mangoes, guineps, sweetsop, naseberry, otaheite apples, ortanique (orange-tangerine hybrid unique to the island) and water coconuts (all in season).
For beverages, try the local brands such as Ting (a grapefruit-flavored soft drink), Red Stripe and Real Rock beers and Tia Maria liqueur. Drinks made from passion fruit, soursop, sugarcane and June plum are also tasty, as is a traditional Christmastime drink called sorrel. Unfortunately, most of the coffee served in Jamaica is grown on the lowlands and is not the coveted BlueMountain coffee.
Do's and Don'ts in Jamaica
Do try to get a taste of Jamaican music, especially reggae, which developed in the late 1960s. Bob Marley is the all-time great of reggae. Other big names include Marley's son Ziggy, Third World, Jimmy Cliff and Toots and the Maytals. Ska, a dance music that was a precursor to reggae, is best heard performed by the Skatalites. Dub and dancehall are more modern reggae styles typified by such performers as Shabba Ranks, Mutabaruka (a dub poet) and Buju Banton.
Don't convert all your money to Jamaican currency at once. You may be able to reconvert only a portion of it upon departure.
Do try jerk chicken or pork, but do have a cold Red Stripe or Real Rock beer ready to wash it down—it's very spicy.
Do remember that nothing happens terribly fast in Jamaica, so relax, adopt the island mantra—"no problem, mon"—and remember that you're on vacation.
Do hook up with a reliable guide if you plan to go sightseeing independent of a tour (many hotels have someone who can fill the role or can recommend someone). If nothing else, having a guide with you will keep other potential guides at bay, which will save you much hassle. Plus, a knowledgeable guide can add a lot to your experience.
Do try to attend a performance of the National Dance Theatre Company or any of the local dance troupes in season—they are excellent.
Do know the risks if you're tempted to try some of the illegal drugs that are easy to find in Jamaica. Those found with illegal substances, including marijuana and cocaine, could be fined and/or jailed.
Don't convert all your money to Jamaican currency at once. You may be able to reconvert only a portion of it upon departure.
Do try jerk chicken or pork, but do have a cold Red Stripe or Real Rock beer ready to wash it down—it's very spicy.
Do remember that nothing happens terribly fast in Jamaica, so relax, adopt the island mantra—"no problem, mon"—and remember that you're on vacation.
Do hook up with a reliable guide if you plan to go sightseeing independent of a tour (many hotels have someone who can fill the role or can recommend someone). If nothing else, having a guide with you will keep other potential guides at bay, which will save you much hassle. Plus, a knowledgeable guide can add a lot to your experience.
Do try to attend a performance of the National Dance Theatre Company or any of the local dance troupes in season—they are excellent.
Do know the risks if you're tempted to try some of the illegal drugs that are easy to find in Jamaica. Those found with illegal substances, including marijuana and cocaine, could be fined and/or jailed.
Every year over one million visitors come to Jamaica, the Caribbean’s third-largest island – and it’s not hard to see why. It's a self-contained holiday universe offering unsurpassed tropical beauty, excellent water sports, the most vibrant of music scenes, and a sophisticated tourism industry.
There are many different images of Jamaica and, because the country is so diverse, visitors find that most of them are accurate. It’s an island where you can find peace and seclusion in relaxed coastal hideaways and cool mountain inns, or join the crowds in the big, popular resorts.
DON’T MISS
The splashing, slippery climb up Dunn's RiverFalls
A steaming cup of BlueMountain coffee, considered the best in the world
Reggae clubs; after all, this is Jamaica
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