Most visitors already have a mental picture of
Jamaica before they arrive: its boisterous culture of reggae and
Rastafarianism; its white sandy beaches; and its jungles, rivers,
mountains, and clear waterfalls. Jamaica's art and cuisine are also
remarkable.
Jamaica can be a tranquil and intriguing
island, but there's no denying that it's plagued by crime and drugs.
There is also palpable racial tension here. But many visitors are
unaffected; they're escorted from the airport to their hotel grounds
and venture out only on expensive organized tours. These vacationers
are largely sheltered from the more unpredictable and sometimes
dangerous side of island life. Those who want to see "the real
Jamaica," or at least to see the island in greater depth, should be
prepared for some hassle. Vendors on the beaches and in the markets
can be particularly aggressive.
Most Jamaicans, in spite of hard times, have
unrelenting good humor and genuinely welcome visitors to the island.
Others, certainly a minority, harm the tourism business, so that many
visitors vow never to return. Jamaica's appealing aspects have to be
weighed against its poverty and problems, the legacy of traumatic
political upheavals that have characterized the island in past
decades, beginning in the 1970s.
So, should you go? By all means, yes. Be
prudent and cautious--just as if you were visiting New York, Miami, or
Los Angeles. But Jamaica is worth it! The island has fine hotels and
terrific food. It's well geared to couples who come to tie the knot or
celebrate their honeymoon. As for sports, Jamaica boasts the best golf
courses in the West Indies, and its landscape affords visitors a lot
of activities that often aren't available on other islands, like
rafting and serious mountain hiking. The island also has some of the
finest diving waters in the world.
This country lies 90 miles south of Cuba, with
which it was chummy in the 1970s (when much of the world feared that
Jamaica was going Communist). It's the third largest of the Caribbean
islands, with some 4,400 square miles of predominantly green, lush
land; a mountain ridge that climbs to 7,400 feet above sea level; and
many beautiful white-sand beaches with clear blue sea.
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Montego Bay
Situated on the northwestern coast of the
island, Montego Bay first attracted tourists in the 1940s when
Doctor's Cave Beach became popular with wealthy vacationers, who
bathed in the warm water fed by mineral springs. It's now Jamaica's
second-largest city.
Despite the large influx of
visitors, Montego Bay still retains its own identity as a thriving
business and commercial center, and functions as the market town for
most of western Jamaica. It has cruise-ship piers and a growing
industrial center at the free port.
Since Montego Bay has its own
airport, those who vacation here have little need to visit Kingston,
the island's capital. You'll have everything you need in Mo Bay, the
most cosmopolitan of Jamaica's resorts.
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Negril
This once sleepy village has turned into a
tourist mecca, with visitors drawn to its beaches along three
well-protected bays: Long Bay, Bloody Bay (now Negril Harbour), and
Orange Bay. Negril became famous in the late 1960s when it attracted
laid-back American and Canadian youths, who liked the idea of a place
with no phones and no electricity; they rented modest digs in little
houses on the West End where the local people extended their
hospitality. But those days are long gone. Today, more sophisticated
hotels and all-inclusive resorts, such as Hedonism II and Sandals
Negril, draw a better-heeled and less rowdy crowd, including
Europeans.
On the western tip of the island,
Negril is now famous for its J Seven Mile Beach. The town is 50 miles
and about a 2-hour drive from Montego Bay's airport, along a winding
road and past ruins of sugar estates and great houses. At some point
you'll want to explore Booby Cay, a tiny islet off the Negril coast.
There are really two Negrils: The
West End is the site of many little local restaurants, and cottages
that still receive visitors. The other Negril is on the east end, the
first you approach on the road coming in from Montego Bay. Here are
the upscale hotels, with some of the most panoramic beachfronts.
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Ocho Rios
This north-coast resort is a 2-hour drive east
of Montego Bay or west of Port Antonio. Ocho Rios was once a small
banana and fishing port, but tourism became the leading industry long
ago. Short on charm, it's now Jamaica's cruise-ship capital. The bay
is dominated on one side by a bauxite-loading terminal and on the
other by a range of hotels with sandy beaches fringed by palm trees.
Ocho Rios and neighboring Port
Antonio have long been associated with Sir Noël Coward (who invited
the world to his doorstep) and Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond.
Frankly, unless you're a cruise
passenger, you may want to stay away from the major attractions when a
ship is in port. The duty-free markets are overrun then, and the
hustlers become more strident in pushing their crafts and junk
souvenirs. Dunn's River Falls becomes almost impossible to visit at
those times.
However, Ocho Rios has its own
unique flavor and offers the usual range of sports, including a major
fishing tournament every fall, in addition to a wide variety of
accommodations.
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Port Antonio
Port Antonio, sometimes called the Jamaica of
100 years ago, is a verdant and sleepy seaport on the northeast coast,
63 miles northeast of Kingston. It's the mecca of the titled and the
wealthy, including European royalty and stars like Whoopi Goldberg and
Peter O'Toole.
This small, bustling town is like
many on the island: clean but untidy, with sidewalks around a market
filled with vendors, and tin-roofed shacks competing with old Georgian
and modern brick and concrete buildings. At the market, you can browse
for local craftwork, spices, and fruits.
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Facts
Visitor Information. Before you go, you
can get information from the Jamaica Tourist Board at the following
U.S. addresses: 500 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1030, Chicago, IL 60611
(312/527-1296); 1320 S. Dixie Hwy., Suite 1101, Coral Gables, FL 33146
(305/665-0557); 3440 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 805, Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213/384-1123); 801 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017 (212/856-9727). In
Atlanta, information can be obtained by phone only (770/452-7799).
Once on the island, you'll find tourist
offices at 2 St. Lucia Ave., Kingston (876/929-9200); Cornwall Beach,
St. James, Montego Bay (876/952-4425); Shop no. 29, Coral Seas Plaza,
Negril (876/957-4243); in the Ocean Village Shopping Centre, Ocho Rios
(876/974-2582); in City Centre Plaza, Port Antonio (876/993-3051); and
in Hendriks Building, 2 High St., Black River (876/965-2074). Jamaica
is on the Internet at www.jamaicatravel.com.
Currency. The unit of currency on
Jamaica is the Jamaican dollar, and it uses the same symbol as the
U.S. dollar ($). There is no fixed rate of exchange for the Jamaican
dollar. Subject to market fluctuations, it's traded publicly. Visitors
to Jamaica can pay for any goods in U.S. dollars. Be careful! Ask
whether a price is being quoted in Jamaican or U.S. dollars.
In this guide we've generally followed the
price-quotation policy of the establishment, whether in Jamaican
dollars or U.S. dollars. The symbol "J$" denotes prices in Jamaican
dollars; the conversion into U.S. dollars follows in parentheses. When
dollar figures stand alone, they are always U.S. currency.
Jamaican currency is issued in banknotes of
J$10, J$20, J$50, J$100, and J$500. Coins are available in
denominations of 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, J$1, and J$5. Five-dollar
banknotes and one-cent coins are also in circulation, but are
increasingly rare. Although subject to change, the exchange rate of
Jamaican currency is J$36 to U.S.$1 (J$1 equals about 2.8¢ U.S.
cents). There are Bank of Jamaica exchange bureaus at both
international airports (Montego Bay and Kingston), at cruise-ship
piers, and in most hotels.
Customs. Do not bring in or take out
illegal drugs from Jamaica. Your luggage will be searched;
marijuana-sniffing police dogs are stationed at the airport.
Otherwise, you can bring in most items intended for personal use.
Documents. U.S. and Canadian residents
need a passport and a return or ongoing ticket. In lieu of a passport,
an original birth certificate plus photo ID will do. Always check,
however, with your airline in case document requirements have changed.
Other visitors, including British subjects, need passports, good for a
maximum stay of 6 months.
Immigration cards, needed for bank
transactions and currency exchange, are given to visitors at the
airport arrival desks.
Electricity. Most places have the
standard 110 volts AC (60 cycles), as in the United States. However,
some establishments operate on 220 volts AC (50 cycles). If your hotel
is on a different current from your U.S.-made appliance, ask for a
transformer and adapter.
Weather. Expect temperatures around 80°
to 90°F on the coast. Winter is a little cooler. In the mountains it
can get as low as 40°F. There is generally a breeze, which in winter
is noticeably cool. The rainy periods generally are October and
November (although it can extend into December) and May and June.
Normally rain comes in short, sharp showers; then the sun shines.
