Visit Jamaica Before You Die

Capital: Kingston

Location: South of Cuba (below Florida) , West of Hispaniola - see map insert

Religion: Over 80% claim to be Christians.

Currency: Jamaican Dollar

Languages: Jamaican Creole (Patois) to each other, English spoken too, but with heavy Jamaican accent.

1. Jamaica is popular in the United States when it comes to tourism as many Americans head to the island to enjoy its beaches every year. Jamaica and America are also close trade partners. No other country in the world accepts more imports from or exports more goods to Jamaica than the United States.

2. One of the most successful series of films of all time are the James Bond movies that have stretched out over four decades. The films are based on the books written by English author Ian Fleming who resided for most of his later years in Jamaica on his estate that he christened, Goldeneye.

3. The island of Jamaica's tallest point can be found at Blue Mountain Peak in the Blue Mountains mountain range. The summit is accessible via a long trail and when the sky is clear, from there the coastlines of both the north and south sides of the island can be seen.

4. Jamaica's two main political parties are the People's National Party and the Jamaica Labour Party. Both parties have been the dominant two parties for most of the country's recent history.

5. One of the most popular areas of Jamaica, the city of Montego Bay, was not officially declared a city until very recently when done so by the Jamaican parliament in 1980.

With its many natural resources including forests, beaches, ocean, rivers, and more, Jamaica is extremely popular with vacationers looking for an opportunity to enjoy outdoor recreation of all sorts. Jamaica is also a great place to hit the party scene with several world class restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. For those looking for a vacation that offers a little slower pace of life, Jamaica has that to offer as well. It simply has something for everyone.

A cheap way to book your next Jamaican vacation or any Caribbean vacation is with cheapcaribbean.com. They offer great discounts to the islands and you can save even more by applying a cheapcaribbean promo code. Expedia also offers great deals to the caribbean, search for an expedia coupon code for additional discount.

Those going to Jamaica though should be aware that there are a number of differences and things that they should be prepared for, here is a look at just a few of them.

Driving and Transportation
Legal age for driving is 21 and you need to drive on left side. You can always take the resort bus, they are reliable and cost friendly. Be sure to tip the baggage handlers. If you do plan to get on a taxi, use a JUTA taxi, a certified taxi by the Jamaica Union Of Travelers Association.

Medical
Adequate medical care. Potable water for consumption. Malaria can be a risk so be sure to take precaution. Medical care can be quite costly so be sure to buy travel insurance if possible.

Reasons to Go to Jamaica
Some of the best beach resorts available in all of the Caribbean. Excellent golf areas and many family friendly activities.

Tips
A 10-20% tip is customary. In resorts, this tip is usually added to the bill.

Car Rentals
Guided tours may be your best option for safety reasons. Most resorts offer guided tours. Check with concierge desk for options available.

Mosquito Repellent
Be sure to take mosquito repellent for there are many mosquitos in the area.

When it comes to vacationing in the Caribbean, one of the top destinations for decades has been the island of Jamaica. The island is known for beautiful waters and long sandy beaches, but there is more to it though than just that. Jamaica also has a number of wonderful physical features found inland from the coast and experiences offered by those that run tour companies there. Here is a look at five awesome things to do during a vacation to Jamaica.

Kayaking and Tubing
Jamaica has a number of natural features that attract visitors there year in and year out. One of the top attractions is the water there and one of the best ways to enjoy it is from the seat of a kayak. Kayaks can be used to explore the coastline of Jamaica, including the coves, inlets, bays, and beach areas. Kayaks can also be used on the many rivers that are found inland, in fact some of the more exciting river kayak experiences in the Caribbean can be found on the island of Jamaica.

All-Terrain Vehicle Tours
While the coastline gets the most publicity and attention in Jamaica, the inland areas are popular and highly rewarding to travelers that venture there as well. Exploring these areas of the country can provide opportunities for the traveler to see things that they normally may go their entire lives without seeing. One of the most fun and interesting ways to see some of the inland areas of Jamaica is while riding an all-terrain vehicle. An ATV not only provides an opportunity to see the area faster as it can cover more ground than hiking, but it also provides a great opportunity to have fun as the many tour companies have courses and trails built especially for their ATV patrons to make use of.

Horseback Riding
Whether a visitor to the island has a background in horses or not, one of the best ways to explore Jamaica is on horseback. Horseback tours can be had both in the highland areas of the country as well as on the beach. Galloping along through the surf is often rated as one of the most memorable experiences of a vacationer's time in Jamaica. Horseback tours in the inland areas of the country allow for a peaceful experience where the traveler can really be in tune with the natural areas of the island. Seeing Jamaica from the back of a horse is a great activity to take advantage of.

Golfing
Some of the best golf courses in the Caribbean can be found on the island of Jamaica. For the most part, these courses are far different than the courses many people have in their own hometowns. The greens and fairways are usually beautifully kept and the surrounding scenery that serves as a backdrop is some of the most stunning around. Some of the more popular golf courses in Jamaica include Sandals Golf & Country Club, Golf Club at Breezes Runaway Bay, Half Moon Golf Tennis & Beach Club, Negril Hills Golf Club, Cinnamon Hill Golf Course, Tryall Golf Course, SuperClubs Golf Club at Montego Bay, and the Three Palms Ocean Course.

Historical Sites and Museums
Jamaica has had a long and interesting history as one of the more popular islands to spend time at in the entire Caribbean. The island's history as a nation and the early discovery and settlement of the island are fascinating too and there are a number of places in Jamaica that tell its story well. Some of the popular historical sites that can be visited include the Coyaba River Garden and Museum, Brimmer Hall Estate, Spanish Town, Greenwood Great House, Devon House, Appleton Estate, Bob Marley's Mausoleum, Folly Great House, Bob Marley Museum, People's Museum of Craft & Technology, Lovers' Leap, Prospect Plantation, Negril Lighthouse, Barnett Estate Plantation, Columbus Park Museum, and St. Ann's Bay Fort.

There are almost as many reasons to visit Jamaica as there are people who want to go there. The beauty of the island is in fact matched though by the amount of fun, entertaining, and exciting things to do there. A Jamaica vacation is something no one should pass up on.

Jamaican Ackee is a fruit used for cooking Ackee and Salt fish, one of Jamaica's national dishes. When ripe the ackee exposes three seeds with milky aril surrounding it. This aril is what is consumed. When consuming Jamaican Ackee, make sure it is ripe, if not ripe you may get sick and may suffer Jamaican vomiting sickness (JVS). It is also interesting that an unripe ackee crushed is used as soap.

Ackee in tree.
Photo by dubdem.

Ackee and saltfish - Cod fish is salted and boiled with ackee, onions, pepper, tomato, other spices and served with green bananas, and or irish potato. A great recipe for ackee and saltifish can be found in the link.

Ackee and saltfish
Photo by galfred.

Jerk chicken - Chicken seasoned with Jamaican jerk spice, a mixture of allspice (a plant, not a mixture of spices), cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic and Scotch bonnet peppers. It is then grilled to perfection. It is served with rice and a cold glass of beer. Spicy but delicious.

Jerk chicken
Photo by stuart_spivack.

Goat's Head Soup (Mannish water) - A soup made with different goat parts, including the head and brains, sometimes it includes feet and tripes as well. Garlic, scallions, green bananas are added to the soup as well. It is also known as water power and many eat it for it being an aphrodisiac. This food inspired the name of the Rolling Stones album.

Curry Goat - A popular dish eaten in celebrations. Fried plantain, potatoes and rice are served alongside with it. It is also a healthier red meat since goat has lower fat than other red meats.

Other foods to try:

Blue Mountain Coffee - Many visitors love the taste of Blue Mountain coffee, many claim it to be the best in the world.

Bammy - a pancake like bread made from cassava

Dukunu - a cornmeal dumpling wrapped in banana leaves.

Jamaica is a popular destination for marriages, this is due to its quick and easy process. About 50% of marriages are done by tourists visiting Jamaica. It costs about $70 for the marriage. Marriages can be conducted in 24 hours without the red tape that so many other countries have. You need the following

1. Contact Ministry of National Security and Justice a month in advance. +011 (876) 906-4923


2. Photo ID with citizenship proof.



3. Certified copy of birth certificate that shows father's name.



4. Divorce decree for divorcees or Death certificate for widows.



5. Italians must notifiy embassy and copy of their marriage certificate must be given to Italian embassy.



6. French Canadians need translated copy of documents and photocopy of original french documents.

Jamaicans are modest, they tell you everything like it is. Their origins are a mixture of African, Indian, Chinese and European.

Jamaicans prefer direct eye contact and can become very animated during conversations.

It is rude to be drunk in public. Know your limits when visiting Jamaica.

Homosexuality is illegal in Jamaica and people will get very angry and belligerent if they find out you are homosexual. Jamaica may be the most homophobic nation in the world.

Jamaican most notably recognized music is reggae, with its thumping beat accents on the off-beat, otherwise known as the skank. Bob Marley is a famous Jamaican musician well known for bringing reggae mainstream.

If you are a visitor to Jamaica and someone asks for money, say something like "I'm all right" and walk away. Do not give away that you are a foreigner for they will take more advantage of you. Always respond vaguely if a stranger asks you a question.

With Jamaica being one of the larger islands in the Caribbean, and with it being located near so many shipping lanes, as well as being a popular port of call itself, there has been need found over the years for the installation and operation of a number of lighthouses. Lighthouses are very popular with a number of different types of tourists, many collecting photographs of various ones from around the world. Many of Jamaica's lighthouses are famous, or at least recognizable, in that they have been featured in various publications and calendars related to lighthouses. Here is a look at the historic lighthouses of Jamaica.

Portland Cottage
Portland Cottage, formerly known as Portland Lighthouse, is a square cast iron steel tower with a white lantern atop. This is the tallest lighthouse on the island of Jamaica and is located on the farthest point south on the island. Cars are not permitted up to the structure but visitors can access the site via a five mile hike.

Lover's Leap

Lover's Leap lightouse.
Photo by cwbash.

The most recently build lighthouse in Jamaica is Lover's Leap which sits at one hundred feet above sea level. This is a round steel tower with an octagonal shaped light gallery at the top. The lighthouse is located roughly twenty-five miles south of the community of Mandeville and is a popular stop for tourists wanting to enjoy the wonderful view it provides.

South Negril Point
This all-white steel tower was built by the French in 1894 and sits on the farthest west point of the island. The light is now solar powered and is accessible to the public. The view it provides is very popular with tourists who come to the area.

Morant Point
On the easternmost tip of Jamaica sits Morant Point Lighthouse. This is the oldest lighthouse in Jamaica and is built out of iron. This lighthouse was erected in 1841it sits low near the water with a protective concrete wall built to protect the structure from the surf during tropical storms and hurricanes. This is not only the oldest lighthouse in Jamaica, it is also the first cast iron one ever built in the Western Hemisphere.

Galina Point
Located just north of Port Maria on the northern coast of the island of Jamaica sits Galina Point Lighthouse. This is a concrete structure with a solar powered lens at the top. The view from the area is magnificent.

Folly
Another of the older lighthouses built in Jamaica, Folly Lighthouse was erected in 1888 and has served the many ships passing nearby well for more than one hundred and twenty years. It is located on the very tip of Folly Peninsula on the northeastern coast of Jamaica.

Plumb Point

Plumb Point.
Photo by auriaabraham.

This red and white striped tower lighthouse is one of the more unique found in Jamaica. It was built in 1853, and the lower half of the structure is made of stone found locally, while the upper half is made of cast iron. Plumb Point Lighthouse protects ships navigating entering the nearby channels by actually flashing two lights, a white one aimed one direction and a red one aimed a different direction.

Offshore
Jamaica also possesses two offshore lighthouses. Both protect ships as they navigate through the area of water to the southeast of the island. The two very small island groups that are home to these lighthouses are Pedro Cays and Morant Cays. Neither is easily accessible to the public.

Many visitors to Jamaica come for specific reasons while many others just find interesting things to do once they get there. The island nation offers an abundance of outdoor recreation possibilities with kayaking, boating, swimming, playing on the beach, hiking, river rafting, and more available to everyone that goes there. The island also has a large amount of historically significant attractions and its lighthouses are just one such item. Visiting the lighthouses of Jamaica, another great reason to travel there on the next vacation trip.