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Jamaica map
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Carnival
Carnival is a relatively new thing in Jamaica - it was started in 1990 - but it has become very popular and now sees a huge parade through Kingston. It is different from traditional Caribbean carnivals in that it is not held in the run-up to Mardi Gras – instead it takes place at the end of Lent, over the weekend after Easter - but it does follow similar lines in other ways. There is a series of big parties or ‘fetes’ culminating in a day’s soca-driven revelry through the streets of the capital, Kingston. Unexpectedly soca is the rhythm of choice - despite Jamaica’s strong and proud association with reggae, that rhythm doesn’t work that well for upbeat dancing. Soca originates in Trinidad and is used in all the carnivals in the former British islands.
The carnival season begins with a series of big ‘fetes’. Officially these start around the beginning of Lent, a couple of months before the main event, but really they get into gear with a huge blow-out at Chukka Cove outside Ocho Rios on Easter Sunday. Then the activity shifts across to Kingston, where there is a pan night (with steel band music) and other fetes. The Mas Camps also hold open house, so you can go along and see the costumes that are going to be worn in the street parade. Better still, if you want to be a part of the street parade, you can buy one and join in. Some of the better known Mas Camps in Jamaica include Byron Lee’s own band Supreme Ventures Jamaica Carnival, www.jamaicacarnival.com, and Bacchanal Jamaica Fantasy, details at www.BacchanalJamaica.com.
The street parade itself is held on the Sunday after Easter Sunday and the carnival bands (the groups of costumed revellers, not musical bands) advance through the streets dancing and flailing in an explosion of colour and energy. They follow a standard route through New Kingston, which passes through many of the city’s delightfully named roads - Hope Road, Constant Spring, Half Way Tree – and then culminates at the National Stadium. Along the route the carnival bands cross judging podiums where it is decided which is the best band and which are the most popular songs.
Many eastern Caribbean bands and singers come across to Jamaica for the event and so you will see Trinidadians and Barbadians perform. The most famous Jamaican band that plays calypso and soca music is Byron Lee (who was one of the creators of the carnival in Jamaica). Another band to look out for is Fabulous Five.
Carnivals do take place in the other Jamaican towns. They are small by comparison but fun to attend if you happen to be in town. |
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Casinos
There are no casinos in Jamaica as such, however quite a few hotels have what are known as gaming lounges. These have slot machines and automated games.
Terra Nova All Suite Hotel, New Kingston
The Monte Carlo Gaming Room has 100 slot machines, roulette machines and a horse racing machine, plus off track betting via live satellite.
The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston,
45 slot machines
Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort, Montego Bay
50 slot machines
Coral Cliff, Montego Bay
120 slot machines with free drinks during play
Treasure Hunt Gaming, Ocho Rios
Over 80 slot machines plus a variety of automated games including roulette, dice, bingo, poker and a horse-racing machine, plus a cocktail bar. |
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Charity Support
There is visible poverty in Jamaica, and so it goes almost without saying that there are disadvantaged groups in extreme need. Particularly children, who are unable to speak up for themselves, and above all children that are mentally or physically challenged. Our chosen charity in Jamaica is the Westhaven Children’s Home, a shelter for children with disabilities that have been abandoned or who have nowhere to go once government care runs out (at eight or nine years old).
Based south of Montego Bay, Westhaven is home currently to around 80 children and young adults, who range from four in age to around 30. They all have some mental or physical disability and many of them have epilepsy. They are housed in four cottages, with a house mother, an assistant and two attendants and two cooks in all for the home. There are 48 staff in all. They receive occasional assistance from a teacher and twice a week from a crafts teacher, herself disabled. A doctor visits once a week.
Westhaven depends almost entirely on private donation, and while it gets some help from local businesses and particularly from Mission Jamaica, a project of St Andrew’s Lutheran Church in the States, there is always a need for more. Money that they receive is spent on medication for the children, food and clothing, general upkeep and maintenance and payment for the staff. And this is not to mention things that they would like to be able to do to improve the life of the children. Recently they managed to build a playground, but there is still much more to do.
Please see our review of Westhaven’s Children’s Home for ways in which to donate or help out. Thank you. |
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Check In/Check Out
Check-out times vary between 11am and 12 noon and check-in is seldom prior to 3pm, during which time accommodations are made ready for new arrivals. Normally the times are not an issue (most international flight arrivals into Jamaica are in the mid to late afternoon), but if you are travelling within Jamaica and want to arrive earlier than this then let the hotel know in advance and they may be able to sort a room for you. Some properties may provide day rooms/shower facilities subject to availability. |
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Children
There are plenty of options in Jamaica for people who want to travel with their family. In general children are very well received on the island and quite a few hotels have children’s programmes and in some cases special ‘Kids’ Clubs’ facilities for them. Although some of the smarter hotels may operate an age restriction policy during the winter season – and quite a few of the all-inclusives are ‘adult only’ anyway (with no children under 16 or 18 allowed) - there are a few hotels which are specifically designed with families and children in mind.
Most villas are well geared up for children too. Nannies and babysitters are easy to arrange. Costs will vary according to your needs, but you should expect to pay a minimum of US$5 per hour for babysitting, more for a nanny. There are very few playgrounds in Jamaica, however the larger fast food outlets - MacDonalds, Burger King and KFC - do often have children’s play areas. In Montego Bay there is the Aquasol Park with a play area for kids and a go cart track. Kingston has a small funfare at Emancipation Park (with a merry-go-round and Crazy Golf) and Devon House is quite a popular spot for all ages.
Quite a few of the general ‘sites’ around the island are suitable (particularly for older children). Consider YS and Dunns River Falls and some of the other river activities including the Black River trips (looking for crocodile and particularly river rafting, where they can swim to their heart’s delights as you descend the river. You might also try the submarine in Montego Bay. Older children find the plantation tours fun because of the rides and the extraordinary tropical fruits that they will learn about, and there are now some canopy tours in the treetops. If you are in Kingston then the trip to Lime Cay is a fun day out.
Here are some child friendly properties around Jamaica: | Round Hill Hotel & Villas
Jamaica’s most refined hotel, in an exquisite setting of villas and hotel rooms on a hillside and private peninsular just west of Montego Bay. Round Hill has been a trusted escape for a well heeled, often glitzy crowd for the past five decades and offers the very best in tropical elegance. | Sunset Beach Resort & Spa
A large, well priced all-inclusive resort set in the Freeport area just outside Montego Bay. A very lively hotel with a huge range of facilities and activities, by day and night, including a large children’s water park. | Coyaba Beach Resort
A small and refined family owned hotel set in profuse gardens just east of Montego Bay in Jamaica. Coyaba Beach Resort has contemporary, if quite formal colonial style, but a relaxed and friendly air, with a good range of amenities and facilities for its size. | A Summer Place
A distinctive and luxurious 7 bedroom holiday home, set on its own private white sand beach on Discovery Bay on the north coast of Jamaica. Ideal for relaxed beachfront and poolside living, with extensive gardens, suitable for children. | Fortlands Point
A modern, executive style, 7 bedroom villa, set on the dramatic eastern point of Discovery Bay. Very well appointed, luxurious accommodation with all the mod cons, with a choice of 3 small sandy beaches cut into the shoreline. | Keela Wee
A fabulous 6 bedroom, beachfront villa with sea views and a glorious setting on Discovery Bay on Jamaica’s north coast. An ideal spot for families or a group of friends, with pool, gardens, beach, tennis court and friendly service. | Cliffside Cottage
A cheerful, 5-bedroom Caribbean villa with panoramic coastal views, located in the private Unity Hall Estate west of Montego Bay. Cliffside Cottage is a comfortable and airy family style home which comes with beach club membership at nearby Round Hill Hotel. | Greatview
A first class, 5 bedroom luxury villa overlooking the coast east of Montego Bay, offering an exceptional standard of accommodation, comfort and facilities, with services to match. Newly built, the villa is furnished with family heirlooms, Asian antiques and traditional Jamaican pieces. | Knockando
A versatile, deluxe, 5 ½ bedroom family villa in a lovely setting in the exclusive Round Hill Estate west of Montego Bay. Knockando has a variety of bedrooms (for adults, for children and a separate cottage with wheelchair access) and a comfortable, spacious furnished veranda with excellent views along the coast. | Pavilion
A bright and cheerful, well furnished holiday home set within well tended gardens at Rose Hall just east of Montego Bay. Beautiful views to the coast at the front and to the interior countryside behind. | Sugar Bay
A super 5 bedroom villa with old plantation-style features set on a delightful white sand beach on Discovery Bay. Sugar Bay has excellent indoor and outdoor living space, a small garden and pool, rock pools and a jetty. It is a high quality house suitable for families as well as groups of friends. | Hillside Cottage
Hillside Cottage is a well loved, affordable 4 bedroom villa set within the exclusive Round Hill Estate. Popular with families, it has classic, beautiful Round Hill style, and stunning views of the coast and across the water to Montego Bay. | Noble House
An immaculate, 4 bedroom villa in a gracious, older style, located at Unity Hall just west of Montego Bay. Noble House is surrounded by lawns with flowerbeds and fruit trees and gives right onto 500ft of beachfront. Spacious living area and a private terrace with a sea view from each bedroom. | Moon Dance Villas
A small villa resort situated in a double width garden on an excellent stretch of Negril beach. Hidden among the greenery are just six villas (with between one and five bedrooms), built in a mix of modern and traditional tropical styles, with funky interior decor. Very private with excellent levels of service. | Tryall Club
A top notch villa resort set in extensive grounds running down to Jamaica’s north coast to the west of Montego Bay. Tryall has around 70 privately owned villas, many of them extremely elegant, scattered around hillsides and the fairways of an excellent golf course. Some central facilities, with a beach club and restaurant. | Golden Clouds
A 9 bedroom seafront estate with sprawling, landscaped gardens and a stunning coastal setting looking towards Ocho Rios on Jamaica’s northern shore. With 7 bedrooms in the main house (perched on the edge of a low sea cliff) and a 2 bedroom cottage set in the gardens, Golden Clouds Estate is an ideal retreat for large gatherings and special occasions such as Jamaica weddings. | Half Moon
A large and luxurious resort on 2 miles of shoreline and beaches just east of Montego Bay. Half Moon has hotel rooms, suites and villas in its extensive grounds, and an extremely wide range of activities, including a children’s centre, conference facilities, shopping centre, golf course, riding stables. A popular Caribbean and leading Jamaican resort. | The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort
The Ritz-Carlton Golf and Spa Resort is set in Rose Hall, a few miles to the east of Montego Bay. A large and luxurious beach hotel, it has the exceptional service of the Ritz-Carlton brand and includes a full service spa, a championship golf course and conference facilities. |
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Complementary Health
Jamaica is large enough for there to be plenty going on in complementary medicine and there are many naturopaths, as practitioners are known, working on the island. Most are based around Kingston, but there are practitioners island-wide, with specialities in homeopathy, acupuncture and chiropractic services alongside Reiki and reflexology. If you would prefer the setting of a hotel then some of the hotel spas (included in the list below) use their tranquil setting to help your spiritual regeneration and offer some healing as well as their more traditional treatments, but a couple of hotels have a speciality in alternative therapies and hold retreat weeks. In Negril, Jackie’s on the Reef, is a small hotel / guest house with just six rooms that is set up specifically as a holistic retreat.
Audrey F Cooke, Eden Gardens, Lady Musgrave Road, Kingston t 946 1051/796 7775, lightenergy4all@hotmail.com
Offers reflexology and acupressure. Audrey is also a musician, storyteller who gives lectures and run workshops on personal and spiritual development and energy medicine.
Ted Emanuel, Harbour View Road, Stony Hill, Kingston, t 942 3063
A naturopathic physician originally from Antigua and known in Jamaica for his promotion of a macrobiotic and spiritual approach to wellness. He is a skin, body and health care specialist who offers Shiatsu massage therapy, reflexology, magnetic therapy, colon irrigation, both therapeutic and biological face lifting and peeling, weight loss and nutritional counselling and diagnostic evaluations.
Dr Anthony Vendryes, Vendryes Wellness Centre, 2 Fairway Avenue, Kingston 10, t 927 8871
A renowned Jamaican doctor who practices a combination of conventional and alternative medicine in Kingston. Promoting prevention and a healthy lifestyle through the radio and local newspapers, he is a regular contributor at various health and wellness lectures, seminars and workshops.
Wholistic Herbal Association, Haughton Avenue, Kingston, t 754 4320
A source of information on herbal medicine, natural therapies and registered practitioners.
Zonya Rodney, Shakti Yoga Centre spa, 5 Bedford Park Avenue, Kingston, t 906 8403/920 5868 or Zonya on t 876 8745 www.shaktiyogajamaica.com
A licensed massage therapist with a BA in Psychology who offers reflexology, Reiki, deep tissue/sports massage, Swedish massage therapy and Nuad Bo-Rarn Thai massage
Harmony Gardens, Ironshore, nr Montego Bay, t 953 9001
Located next to Coyaba Beach Resort, Harmony Gardens is a day spa offering natural health care such as acupuncture, chiropractic alignments, reflexology and medical check-ups and consultations like magnetic resonance analysis. They offer Swedish, Ayurvedic, Thai and acidosis massages as part of their wellness spa treatments. Also a health food restaurant.
The Spa, Round Hill, nr Montego Bay, t 956 7050 ext. 4141, spa@roundhilljamaica.com
Round Hill’s spa is housed in a restored 18th century plantation house and offers reflexology and Reiki along with several forms of massage.
Silent Waters, Great River Estate, nr Montego Bay
Impressive hilltop villa which can arrange reflexology and Reiki on request.
Drambuie Estate, Montego Bay
Offers a doctor of oriental medicine for chiropractic services and Thai massage in the privacy of the villa (extra to the villa rental).
Jackie’s on the Reef, Negril
Secluded Negril Yoga center and perfect for a retreat, Jackie’s offers meditation, Tai Chi (subject to availability), Reiki, star gazing and some more esoteric therapies such as ear-candling and past life regression. Organic produce and dairy free menu, open wood burning stove. A range of spa and massage treatments. |
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Conservation
There is an honourable commitment to conservation and preservation in Jamaica by many conscious and forward-looking people, but even maintaining the status appears to be a losing battle much of the time. Jamaica is crowded and the pressures on the island’s limited resources are extremely heavy. The forests suffer through cultivation, development and through illegal logging. The coastal areas suffer through development and the fishing grounds are fished in numbers that do not let stocks replenish themselves, and despite the efforts, marine reserves have not been a great success. Turtles nest on the beaches, but their eggs are prized and often taken and there are endangered manatees off the south-west coast which are under constant threat from human activity. And this is not to forget tourism either, which creates its own pressures, both because of activities on the reefs and beaches, for example, but also in less visible ways, through the development of infrastructure - houses and hotels – and for example through the extra use of water and detergents for washing hundreds of towels. This is not to say that Jamaica is alone. Habitats are under threat everywhere in the Caribbean, but the situation seems to be more difficult there.
In a different sphere, Jamaica also has quite a strong architectural heritage that other islands do not have and this too is under strain. There are reckoned to have been as many as 300 plantation estate houses on the island, many of them heart-rendingly beautiful, and there is some wonderful tropical Georgian town architecture. Each has been under pressure for different reasons. To some Jamaicans the plantation history is a visible reminder of slavery and they are still happy to see it rot. Luckily there are people who are forward-looking enough to want to preserve something so historically significant, but they have an uphill battle in the climate and now the plantations are not the heart of the economy. The grand Georgian buildings, some monumental (in Spanish Town), others commercial and residential, in Falmouth for instance, often also have a stigma in some Jamaicans’ eyes because they are the vestiges of an happily forgotten colonial era.
Elsewhere there are forts, some of which have been preserved, but many of which have fallen into disrepair, and churches, most of which are kept up, but which need constant funding. Then there are small monuments all over the island, dedications and statues and even industrial vestiges such as waterwheels and aqueducts, which have either been destroyed by general development or have been claimed by the undergrowth. There are also a few delightful old botanical gardens. Castleton is in a better situation because it can keep going on a partly commercial basis, but the botanical gardens at Bath, the second oldest in the Western hemisphere have not been so fortunate. For the pleasures of visiting these nowadays, please see under Flora and Gardens.
There are a number of national parks and reserves around the island, which enable you to visit these areas of natural or architectural significance.
A pick of the trips to Conservation Areas
Fairy Glade Trail, above Newcastle in the Blue Mountains, a walk through montane forest (best guided)
Castleton Gardens, Junction Road out of Kingston, a look at the extraordinary plants
Black River trips, in search of crocodiles and wetland birds
Rose Hall Great House, a stunning plantation great house.
Spanish Town, the main Square, with its Georgian buildings
There is also a number of bodies that deal with the conservation of Jamaica’s extraordinary natural and cultural heritage. Some are government supported, others privately funded. Please see here for more details of Jamaica conservation organisations. |
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Corporate/Incentives
Jamaica offers excellent facilities for group travel, both for corporate meetings and conferences, and for incentive trips. There are good international air-links to begin with, making the island easy to get to, there are many purpose-built conference facilities, and then there are also excellent opportunities for activities around a conference, with endless sports, side-trips and places to visit. Jamaica is also equipped to hold conferences of almost any size. There are some excellent small hotels and villas, hideaways with real style and service that would make an excellent retreat or board meeting, but there are also some huge, international-standard venues too, with convention and entertainment facilities for up to over 1000 people.
For assistance with conference organisation we recommend Glamour Tours, who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in handling large groups for conventions, conferences and incentives. They offer the following services: hospitality desks, tours and excursions, custom theme parties, receptions, cruises, sports tournaments, VIP room gifts, dine-arounds, multi media presentations, speakers, photographic services and they can also arrange customs brokerage. Please see our review of Glamour Tours.
For the best meeting facilities, please see below:
Jamaica Conference Centre, 14-20 Port Royal Street, Kingston, t 922 9160-79 jccgm@cwjamaica.com or jcc@udcja.com, www.jamaicaconference.com
Located on the waterfront in downtown Kingston, the complex was built in 1982 to United Nations specifications. Facilities include five conference rooms, three caucus rooms, delegates lounges, two cafeterias, a private dining and reception area, document room, and a printing area. Conference Room 1, the main conference room, can hold 1050 delegates, has an electronic voting system, observers’ gallery plus public and press galleries, an elevated speaker’s rostrum with a portable circular stage for artistic performances. There are simultaneous translation facilities for six languages (English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russia and Arabic), and a 450 bay multi-storey-parking garage.
Coyaba Beach Resort, east of Montego Bay
Suitable for smaller, more intimate groups with a conference room to seat 25 boardroom, 40 classroom, 60 theatre-style. Smaller areas are available for gatherings, break-out rooms and private receptions.
Half Moon, east of Montego Bay
Half Moon has over 26,000 square feet of meeting space including the Cornwall Room, which has 12,000 square feet of space and a dedicated, 4650 sq ft Conference Centre that can accommodate 500 people in theatre style or 670 in a reception. There are four smaller rooms and two foyers on the lower floor of the Conference Centre. The resort has a full range of leisure activities on offer and a variety of venues for receptions, dinners and themed events. There is also a Business Centre.
Hibiscus Lodge Hotel, Ocho Rios
Two meeting rooms and a conference centre.
Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, Montego Bay
A total of 16,745 square feet of meeting space, in six rooms altogether, the largest being the 10,800 sq ft Ritz-Carlton Ball Room, which can hold 1140 theatre style and can be divided into three separate rooms. Other meeting rooms can hold from 72 to 300 theatre style.
Round Hill Hotel & Villas, Montego Bay
Ideal for small groups, with meeting facilities available for 60 in theatre style in the air-conditioned Pineapple Room, or 150 in theatre style in the semi-enclosed Hanover and Georgian rooms. Some of the villa living-rooms are suitable as breakout rooms or for informal sessions. Audio visual facilities are available and there is a business centre.
Royal Plantation, Ocho Rios
A conference centre with 1,848 square of meeting space to seat 212 in theatre style. It can be split into two separate rooms. The resort also has a business centre.
Royal Reef Hotel, nr Montego Bay –
Royal Reef has a small air-conditioned sea view conference room to seat 30. |
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Cricket in Jamaica
Cricket is Jamaica’s most popular sport, even after a surge of interest in football when the Reggae Boyz qualified for the 2002 World Cup. Cricket matches are played throughout the island most weekends during the season. There are two stadiums on the island, the new Trelawny Stadium at Greenfields in the north of the island, near Montego Bay, and the long-standing test ground in Kingston, Sabina Park. The Jamaica Cricket Association has been hosting international test matches at Sabina Park since 1929. Over sixty Jamaicans have played in the West Indian side since 1928, including Michael Holding and Courtney Walsh.
For Carib Beer Series and Digicel Home Series match dates and fixtures please see our Jamaica Calendar of Events. |
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Cruises
Jamaica sees over a million cruise ship passengers a year, which almost matches the number of visitors that arrive by plane. Unexpectedly perhaps, given Montego Bay’s status as the best known resort on the island, the busiest port of call by far is Ocho Rios, which attracts around 70% of cruise ship passengers. There are two dedicated berths for cruise ships in the port and a third available on the adjacent wharf (which is normally used for shipping sugar and bauxite). The road can get pretty busy when the ships are in, with queues of buses waiting to ferry passengers to various attractions (Dunns River Falls being the closest and most popular) or with trucks offloading their cargo. A new Caribbean-style entertainment complex called Island Village was built next to the cruise ship pier in 2002 to cater to passengers. It has a beach, swimming pool, bars - including a Margaritaville - restaurants, retail and duty free shopping, a reggae museum, live entertainment, an internet café, and a digital cinema. Elsewhere in the town there are three other shopping centres and a craft market, so Ocho Rios can get pretty busy.
Montego Bay’s currently has two dedicated cruise ship berths in the Freeport, where another two berths can also be used for cruise ships. There is a purpose built terminal building and shopping complex. In Port Antonio a new megayacht marina has recently been completed. Currently only the smaller, luxury ships can use Port Antonio as a port of call, but it is due for further expansion to allow larger vessels to come in.
For a selection of smaller and more stylish ships that currently call at the various ports, please see below:
Montego Bay
Braemar (Fred Olsen Cruise Lines) and Queen Mary 2 (Cunard)
Ocho Rios
Silver Shadow (Silversea Cruises)
Port Antonio
Braemar (Fred Olsen Cruise Lines) |
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Currency/Credit Cards
The currency of Jamaica is the Jamaica Dollar J$, which is often known as the ‘J’. It floats on the foreign exchanges and it is currently valued at approximately US$1 = J$60 and £1 = J$110.
While most transactions take place in Jamaican dollars, the US dollar is widely accepted, particularly in places that deal with tourists on a regular basis (though you will probably receive your change in Jamaican dollars). If you do pay in US, it is probably a good idea to ask what exchange rate you will be offered however, because it can sometimes be quite low.
If you hear Jamaicans referring to ‘a dollar’ in a way that doesn’t ring quite true, it is probably because the word ‘dollar’ is also used as shorthand for J$100.
You will find plenty of banks or licensed exchange bureaus, called cambios, in the main towns. There are also plenty of ATMs, which accept international banks cards such as Visa and MasterCard logos in the banks, shopping malls and major petrol stations.
Credit cards can be widely used in all businesses, restaurants, shops and of course hotels that have any contact with tourism. Do not expect to be able to use them in local bars or shops outside the tourist areas and Kingston. |
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Day Sails/River Rafting
Sailing trips are not as numerous in Jamaica as in most Caribbean islands, but you will find a small selection in each of the major resort towns. There are party boats but you can also find yachts that will take you out on a proper day sail.
Less known is that Jamaica has something that none of the other islands have however. River rafting. This does not involve inflated dinghies, rocks and rapids, but instead it is a leisurely and extremely pleasant way to spend an afternoon, gliding down a flat river, seeing the island’s fantastically beautiful rivers from the ‘inside’. The rivers with rafting trips are Great River (west of Montego Bay), the Martha Brae south of Falmouth, the White River outside Ocho Rios and the Rio Grande near Port Antonio. They are well worth the trip.
The rafts, which are about 30 feet long and have a raised seat for two near the rear, are built out of lengths of bamboo bound together, and they are punted by a rafts man at the front using a long bamboo pole. Originally these rafts were used to transport bananas from upland plantations down to the docks in Port Antonio during the banana boom in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Errol Flynn, the 1940s Hollywood actor who had a holiday home in Port Antonio, helped to popularise the tradition.
There are also other activities on the rivers in Jamaica, including swimming. There are several rivers where you can scramble over rocks until you reach a waterfall where you can swim. Some of the best are YS Falls south of Montego Bay, Mayfield Falls between Negril and Montego Bay and Reach Falls in Portland in the East.
Other boat trips worth knowing about include trips to the offshore cays to the South of Kingston (actually the best beaches in the area) and the trip to the Luminous Lagoon near Falmouth. Boats travel out at night to see the bioluminescence which occurs when the waters of the lagoon are agitated. |
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Departure Tax & Taxes
An airport departure tax of J$1000 is payable by all passengers over the age of 12 years when departing Jamaica. In most cases will be included in the cost of your airline ticket. If not, it is payable on check-in. Only cash, either US or Jamaica dollars, is accepted as payment.
A 15% government General Consumption Tax is applied to most goods and some services in Jamaica, including car hire, restaurants, entertainment and retail sales. Although this tax is included in the prices listed in most shops, note that in restaurants GCT is generally added to the bill.
A Government Room Occupancy Tax of 6.25% is added to hotel and villa accommodation rates. A 10% service charge may either be included or applied to room rates in lieu of tipping. These amounts may make quite a difference to the eventual price of your holiday, so make sure to calculate them when pricing it up. |
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Driving & Parking
It might be hard to imagine, but driving around Jamaica can be one of the most atmopsheric and entertaining things to do in the island. Just heading around at your own pace, stopping at the sights and then for a grilled chicken and a beer or a corn soup at the roadside, is a great way to see the country, which is definitely worth exploring. The island is exceptionally beautiful to begin with. You will pass through incredibly pretty gorges, glide along untouched coastlines or through plantations in a million shades of green and over rivers where vast trees hang with lianas or explode with airplants. Just add music – Marley, Dennis Brown, Luciano, or Irie FM (105.5, 107.7) which plays day-long culture (easy-listening) reggae – and you have a perfect combination. There has been an improvement of the roads in Jamaica recently and so the leisurely process is not quite as leisurely as it once was, nor are the main roads as pretty and quaint now that they are straight and fast, but if you get off the highways, onto smaller roads inland and drive through undeveloped areas (along the south coast, in the central mountain ranges and out east), then the old Jamaica, with all its unutterable charm, is still there.
All of this said, on the main roads Jamaica is sometimes not a very relaxing a place to drive. You need your wits about you as many of the Jamaican drivers seem to be working out a death wish. They drive at high speed whenever they can and overtake with the flimsiest of encouragement (blind corners and even oncoming traffic is no impediment sometimes). They even queue up while overtaking which can be a little alarming. And then they swerve back in shockingly early, cutting you up. At night barely anyone bothers to dim their headlights, until you remind them with a blast of full beam. It has always been a pretty ruthless system, but it has all got more dangerous with the improvement of the roads because all the bad habits are now carried out at higher speed. Be prepared to drive defensively when the going gets dangerous.
You should also be aware that cars sometimes stop without warning (this includes the Route Taxis, some of the worst offenders anyway, which stop at the drop of a hat to pick up passengers), and in towns this can cause gridlock at popular drop-off and pick-up points. As with the rest of the Caribbean, sounding your horn is the norm, both as a greeting and warning, so expect lots of hooting and waving of hands when stuck in traffic.
On remoter roads there are other, more traditional Caribbean hazards. There are frequently pot holes, and wandering livestock. Look out for un-tethered herds of goats, the occasional cow, dog, chicken and even pig, which venture out onto the roads. There are recognised chicanes around pot holes, so don’t (necessarily) be alarmed when a vehicle appears on your side of the road coming the other way.
As in the United Kingdom driving in Jamaica is on the left. The island wide speed limit is 50 mph/80kph for the open road and 30 mph/50kph in built-up areas, towns and villages. On the new highways it is a maximum of 65mph/110kph.
The island has a network of around 11,700 miles (18,700 kms) of roads of which around 8200 miles (13,100 kms) are surfaced. A road improvement and expansion plan is currently underway. Two new highways have been partly built, from Kingston west towards Mandeville and north over the mountains to Ocho Rios, and then from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios.
Be prepared for journeys to take longer than you might have anticipated, particularly if you are going off the main highways, due to pot holes, winding mountainous roads, roving packs of schoolchildren dressed in plaid and agricultural vehicles. The trip from Montego Bay to Port Antonio, approximately 133 miles/212 kms, can take 5 hours. Montego Bay to Kingston is around 119 miles/190 kms and will take anything between 3 ½ and 5 hours. Petrol is known as gas and there are a reasonable amount of service stations on the main roads, particularly in the tourist areas. Once off the main roads in the countryside they are much less frequent. On the main routes you will also find some ‘rest stops’, some fairly informal - a line of vendors’ stalls in a designated car park – and others less so – just a series of roadside stalls. The rest stops are each known for certain types of food. Popular snacks are also sold at the roadside. Look out for pepper shrimps or ‘swims’, which are available near Black River in the South-west and near Annotto Bay in the North-east.
It’s probably a sensible idea not to stop on dark roads in secluded areas or to pick up hitch hikers, unless it is Sunday and they are wearing crinoline and a hat. As with anywhere, if you leave your vehicle unattended, you should not leave any valuables in view. This also goes for luggage, so put suitcases in the boot/trunk and make sure the car is locked.
Licences
You are required to carry a valid licence at all times when driving in Jamaica. Jamaica recognises valid International Driver’s Licences (unlike many other Caribbean islands where a local licence is required), and visitors from the UK may use their licence for up to twelve months, whilst visitors from North America may use their country’s licence for up to three months, both per visit. The wearing of safety belts is compulsory and children under 3 years old must be placed in a child seat.
Parking
Car parking in Kingston, Montego Bay and large, busy town centres can be limited and you need to be wary about where and how you park, as double parking is common. Public car parks currently charge a flat rate of J$40, apart from Sangster International and Norman Manley airports which are time based, starting at J$50 per hour for the first two hours and up to 24 hours for J$150. |
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Electricity
The electrical supply in Jamaica is 110 volts/50 cycles. Sockets are all 2-pin, of the type used in North America. |
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