Jamaica: Jamaica Tourism Profile

With 2.8 million people, Jamaica is the third most populous anglophone country in the Americas, next the United States and Canada. It remains a Commonwealth realm with Queen Elizabeth II as Chief of National.

Jamaica has a large people of Chinese and East Indians. Sizeable numbers of Whites and Mulattoes, and persons of Syrian/Lebanese descent, a lot of of which have intermixed throughout the generations. Individuals on the island seldom belong to one racial group as mixed-race Jamaicans are the second major racial group; the genetic roots of a lot of people can be traced to origins that are not necessarily physically apparent. Christianity is the major religion in the island.

Jamaica's resources include coffee, papaya, bauxite, gypsum, limestone and sugar cane.

The Arawak and Taino indigenous people originating from South America settled on the island between 4000 and 1000BC.

History. Jamaica was inhabited by Arawak Indians at the same time as Columbus explored it in 1494 and named it St. Iago. It remained under Spanish policy until 1655, at the same time as it became a British possession. Buccaneers operated from Port Royal, as well the capital, until it fell into the sea in an earthquake in 1692. During its initial 200 years of British policy, Jamaica became one of the world's leading sugar-exporting, slave-dependent nations. Next the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, the British imported Indian and Chinese workers as indentured servants to supplement the labour pool. Descendants of indentured servants of Asian and Chinese origin continue to reside in Jamaica today.

By the beginning of the 19th century, Jamaica's heavy reliance on slavery resulted in blacks (Africans) outnumbering whites (Europeans) by a ratio of almost 20 to 1. Even though England had outlawed the importation of slaves, some were still smuggled into the colonies.

In the 1800s, the British established a number of botanical gardens. These included the Castleton Garden, set up in 1862 to replace the Bath Garden (created in 1779) which was subject to flooding. Bath Garden was the site for planting breadfruit brought to Jamaica from the Pacific by Captain William Bligh. Other gardens were the Cinchona Plantation founded in 1868 and the Hope Garden founded in 1874. In 1872, Kingston became the island's capital.

Jamaica slowly gained increasing independence from the United Kingdom and in 1958, it became a province in the Federation of the West Indies before attaining full independence by leaving the federation in 1962.

Flora and fauna

Jamaica's climate is tropical, supporting diverse ecosystems with a wealth of plants and animals.

Jamaica's plant life has changed considerably over the centuries. At the same time as the Spanish came here in 1494- except for small agricultural clearings- the country was deeply forested, but the European settlers cut down the great timber trees for building purposes and cleared the plains, savannahs, and mountain slopes for cultivation. A lot of new plants were introduced inclunding sugarcane, bananas, and citrus trees.

In the areas of heavy rainfall are stands of bamboo, ferns, ebony, mahogany, and rosewood. Cactus and similar dry-area plants are found along the south and southwest coastal area. Parts of the west and southwest consist of large grasslands, with scattered stands of trees.

The Jamaican animal life, typical of the Caribbean, includes a highly diversified wildlife with a lot of endemic species found nowhere else on earth. As with other oceanic islands, Land mammals are made up almost entirely of bats. the only non-bat native mammal extant in Jamaica is the Jamaican Hutia, locally known as the coney. Introduced mammals such as wild boar and the Small Asian Mongoose are as well common. Jamaica is as well home to a lot of reptiles, the major of which is the American Crocodile. However, it is only present within the Black River and a few other areas. Lizards such as anoles and iguanas and snakes such as racers and the Jamaica Boa (the major snake on the island) are common. None of Jamaica's native snakes are dangerously venomous to humans. Birds are abundant, and make up the bulk of the endemic and native vertebrate species. beautiful and exotic birds such as the Jamaican Tody and the Doctor Bird (the national bird) can be found, part a large number of others. Insects and other invertebrates are abundant, inclunding the world's major centipede, The Amazonian giant centipede, and the Homerus swallowtail, the Western Hemisphere's major butterfly.

Jamaican waters contain considerable resources of fresh-and saltwater fish. The chief varieties of saltwater fish are kingfish, jack, mackerel, whiting, bonito, and tuna. Fish that occasionally enter freshwater include snook, jewfish, grey and black snapper, and mullet. Fish that spend the majority of their lives in Jamaica's fresh waters include a lot of species of live-bearers, killifish, freshwater gobies, the Mountain Mullet, and the American Eel. Tilapia have been introduce from Africa for aquaculture, and are very common.

Part the variety of terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems are dry and wet limestone forests, rainforest, riparian woodland, wetlands, caves, rivers, seagrass beds and coral reefs.

The biodiversity is indicated by a number five (5) ranking amongst nations worldwide of the endemic plants and animals in Jamaica.

The authorities had recognized the tremendous significance and potential of this aspect of their heritage and designated some of the additional 'fertile' areas 'protected'. Part the island's protected areas are the Cockpit Country, Hellshire Hills, and Litchfield forest reserves. In 1992, Jamaica's initial marine park, covering nearly 6 square miles (about 15km²), was established in Montego Bay.

The following year Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park was created on roughly 300 square miles (780km²) of wilderness that supports thousands of tree and fern species and rare animals.

By train

Jamaica has about 250 route miles of railways, of which 77 are currently active to handle privately operated bauxite (aluminum ore) trains. Passenger and public freight service ceased in 1992, but increasing road congestion and poor highway conditions have caused the government to re-examine the commercial feasibility of rail operations.

Clarendon Express. A Tourist Railroad in Clarendon, on Alcan Railroad tracks using Jamaica Railway Corp. Coaches, with American-built diesel-electric locomotives for motive power.

By car

Driving in Jamaica is an adventure in and of itself. Jamaican roads are not renowned for their upkeep nor are their drivers for their caution. Roads in and around major cities and towns are generally congested and rural roads tend to be narrow and somewhat dangerous, particularly in inclement weather. Alert and courteous driving is advised at all times. There are very few north-south routes as well, so travel from the north to the south can involve treks on mountain roads. These trips can induce nausea in the additional weak of stomach, so it is advisable that if you suffer from motion sickness to bring Dramamine or similar medication. Jamaican drivers do not slow down because of these twists and turns, so beware.

Jamaica, as a former British colony, drives on the left. Make note of this at the same time as driving, particularly at the same time as turning, crossing the street, and yielding right of way.

There are relatively few traffic lights outside of urban centres; they are generally found in major city centres, such as Montego Bay, Falmouth, Kingston, Mandeville, Spanish Town and Ocho Rios. For towns where traffic lights are not installed, roundabouts are used.

Avis rents GPS units for USD12 per day with a USD200 deposit.

By boat

It's not advised to travel by boat unless the service is operated by a hotel or tourism company. It's not a quick way to get around unless you want to tour the coastline. A lot of fishermen may offer this service to willing tourists but they may overcharge.

By bus

Don't be afraid to take Jamaican local buses—they're cheap and they'll save you the headache of negotiating with tourist taxis. Be prepared to offer a tip to the luggage handlers that load your luggage into the bus. The ride is very different from what you are probably used to. A lot of resorts offer excursions by bus. Check with the resort's office that is in charge of planning day trips for additional data. Excursions by bus from Ocho Rios to Kingston and Blue mountain, can turn into a long bus ride without a lot of stops. A visit to Kingston may consist of a stop at a shopping centre for lunch, a visit to Bob Marley's home and a 2 minute stop in the Beverly Hills of Jamaica. The guided tour at the Blue Mountain coffee factory can be interesting and informative.

By taxi

Local taxis (called "route taxis") are an interesting way to get around and far cheaper than tourist taxis. For instance, it may cost JMD100 (about USD1) to travel 20 miles. It will just look like a local's car, which is precisely what it is. The licensed ones usually have the taxi signs spray painted on their front fenders, although there seems to be little enforcement of things like business licenses in Jamaica. Seldom you will find one with a taxi sign on the top, because not a lot of do this. The colour of the license plate will tell you. A red plate will tell you that it is for transportation, while a white plate will tell you it is a private vehicle. The yellow plate indicates a government vehicle (like a police car or ambulance) and the inventory continues. Although the route taxis generally run from the center of one town to the centre of the next town, you can flag a taxi anywhere along the highway. Walk or stand on the side of the road and wave at passing cars and you'll be surprised how quickly you get one.

Route taxis are often packed with people, but they are friendly folk and glad to have you with them. Route taxis are the primary mode of transportation for Jamaicans and serve the purpose that a bus system would in a large metropolitan city. This is how people get to work, kids get to school, etc.

Route taxis generally run between specific places, but if you're in the central taxi hub for a town you'll be able to find taxis going in any of the directions you need to go. Route taxis don't run very far, so if you need to get half way across the island you'll need to take it in stages. If worst comes to worst, just keep repeating your final destination to all the people who ask where you're going and they'll put you in the right car and send you on your way. You may have to wait until the taxi has enough passengers to make the trip worthwhile for the driver, and a lot of route taxis travel with far additional people in them than a Westerner would ever guess was possible. If you have luggage with you, you may have to pay an additional fare for your luggage since you're taking up space that would otherwise be sold to an extra passenger.

Pricing can be a little foggy, but between two nearby towns (e.g. Montego Bay and Lucea) it shouldn't likely be additional than JMD100-200. If you get "cheated" in a route taxi, it'll likely be for only tens of Jamaican dollars (like, the driver will just keep the coins he owes you). If you want to be a stickler, just pay close attention to what the locals pay. Really though, no sense in arguing over USD0.25.

Act like a local. It's proper to give an appropriate greeting at the same time as entering a taxi (e.g. Good Morning) and to reply similarly at the same time as a greeting is given to you. Stop the taxi by saying "One Stop, Driver!"

By plane

Jamaica Air Shuttle has several daily flights between Kingston Tinson Pen (closer to downtown than the major airport) and Montego Bay for around USD70. There are additional flights at weekends.

Air Jamaica has a couple of daily flights between Montego Bay and Kingston for around USD75 each way. However, Air Jamaica was scheduled to be taken over by Caribbean Airlines in Apr 2010 and it was not clear whether these domestic flights would continue.

If money is no object, you can fly between the minor airports on the island on a small charter plane. There are a couple of companies that provide this service and you need to make an appointment at least a day in advance. A flight across all island (from Negril to Port Antonio, for instance) runs about USD600.

Talk

amaicans speak Patois (pronounced "patwa") natively. Its pronunciation and vocabulary are significantly different from modern English because it's based on a combination of languages such as English, Spanish and French . Despite not being official, some of the billboards and signs use phrases like "Everyting irie" to mean "Everything is all right."

Although all Jamaicans can speak English, which is the official language, they often have a very thick accent and foreigners may have trouble considerate them because of this. Some Jamaicans speak a little bit of other popular languages such as Spanish.

You will usually hear Jamaicans say "Waah gwan?", "Waah appen?", or "what tah gwan", the Creole variation of "What's up?" or "What's going on?" Additional formal greetings are usually "Good morning" or "Good evening."

Buy

The currency of Jamaica is theJamaican dollar JMD (locally symbolised as $, J$, JA$). It comes in banknotes of JMD50, JMD100, JMD500, JMD1,000 and JMD5,000. Coins in circulation are JMD20, JMD10, and JMD5 (with smaller coins being almost worthless). As of April 2016, the exchange rate was hovering around JMD122 for USD1.

The US dollar is widely accepted in places most tourists visit. Indeed, all hotels, most restaurants, most shops, and almost all attractions in major cities will accept the US dollar. However, be aware that some places accept the dollar at a reduced rate (although it still may be a better rate than exchanging money beforehand). While it is possible for someone visiting only touristy places or for a few hours to not see the Jamaican currency at all, be advised that US dollars won't be accepted at a lot of "local" shops on the outskirts of cities and in rural areas.

Always remain up-to-date on the exchange rate and carry a calculator. Some places may try to make you pay ten times as much if you pay in US dollars. The cost of living in Jamaica is comparable to the United States.

US dollars, Canadian dollars, pounds sterling, and euros are easily converted to Jamaican dollars at forex cambios and commercial banks island wide.

Buy products made on the island as they are cheap and you are supporting the local economy.

Prices are usually higher in tourist areas like Negril and Ocho Rios. Shops in "tourist traps" usually have higher prices than native ones, and you'll see the same items on offer in them.

Credit cards such as VISA, MasterCard and to a lesser extent American Express and Discover are accepted in a lot of business establishments, such as supermarkets, pharmacies and restaurants in Kingston, Montego Bay, Portmore, Ocho Rios and Negril and most other major towns. A curious exception is petrol stations which mostly require cash. There are a few petrol stations in uptown Kingston that will accept a credit card, but most will not

Cash advances from your MasterCard, VISA, Discover or American Express credit card will be quickly available at commercial banks, credit unions or building societies during normal banking hours. For cash advances on a non-Jamaican bank issued Mastercard or VISA cards or any American Express or Discover card, be prepared to show your foreign issued passport or overseas drivers license.

A bit of advice if you are paying for "fully inclusive" at the same time as you arrive or any other large ticket item such as tours, at the same time as you are there, take travellers cheques in US dollars. There is something like an 8% additional charge on a Visa or MasterCard transaction. Hotels and resorts usually give the worst exchange rates.

ATMs are called ABMs in Jamaica and are widely available in each parish and almost all ABMs in Jamaica are linked to at least one overseas network such as Cirrus or Plus and sometimes both. Indeed, the safest way for a visitor to transact business in Jamaica is to use an ABM to withdraw your daily cash requirement due from your overseas account in local currency, as flashing foreign currency, foreign credit cards or large quantities of cash may draw unwanted attention, and will almost certainly be disadvantageous at the same time as bargaining for the best price.

Don't be alarmed if you go to an ATM and you find an armed guard as he is there to protect you.

Eat

Jamaican food is a mixture of Caribbean dishes with local dishes. Although Jamaican food gets a reputation for being spicy, local trends lean towards additional versatile food variety. Some of the Caribbean dishes that you'll see in other nations around the region are rice and peas (which is cooked with coconut milk) and patties (which are called empanadas in spanish speaking nations). The national dish is Ackee and saltfish, and MUST be tried by anyone visiting the island. It is made with the local fruit called Ackee, which looks like scrambled eggs, but has a incomparable taste of its own and dried codfish mixed with onions and tomatoes. You probably won't get a luck to try this food anywhere else, and if you really want to say that you did something uniquely Jamaican, again this is your luck. Freshly picked and prepared ackee is 100 times better than tinned ackee, but must be harvested only at the same time as the ackee fruits have ripened and their pods opened naturally on the large evergreen tree on which they grow: unripe ackee contains a potent toxin (hypoglycin A) which causes vomiting and hypoglycaemia . Don't worry. locals are expert at preparing ackee and will know how to pick it safely.

An extra local food is called bammy, which was actually invented by the Arawak (Taino) Indians. It is a flat floury cassava pancake normally eaten during breakfast hours that kind of tastes like corn bread. There is as well hard-dough bread (locally called hard dough bread), which comes in both sliced and un-sliced varieties. Try toasting it, for at the same time as it is toasted, it tastes better than most bread you'll ever eat. If you are looking for dishes with additional meat in them, you can try the jerk flavoured foods. The majority popular is jerk chicken, although jerk pork and jerk conch are as well common. The jerk seasoning is a spice that is spread on the meat on the grill like barbeque sauce. Keep in mind that most Jamaicans eat their food well done, so expect the food to be a bit drier than you are accustomed to. There are as well curries such as curried chicken and curried goat which are very popular in Jamaica. The best curried goat is made with male goats and if you see a menu with curried fish, try it.

You may even want to pick up a piece of sugar cane, slice off some pieces and suck on them.

Fruit and vegetables in Jamaica are plentiful, particularly between April and September, at the same time as most local fruits are in season. The a lot of mango varieties are a 'must have' if you are visiting during the summer months. If you have not tasted the fruit ripened on the tree, again you are missing out. Fruit picked green and exported to other nations does not compare. Try drinking 'coconut water' straight out of the coconut. This is not the same as coconut milk. Coconut water is clear and refreshing, not to mention the fact that it has numerous health benefits. Pawpaws, star apples, guineps, pineapples, jackfruit, oranges, tangerines, ugli fruit, ortaniques are just some of the wonderful varieties of fruit available here.

Locally grown fruits and vegetables are inexpensive. Visitors may well find that imported produce such as American apples, strawberries, plums etc. tend to be additional expensive than in their home country. Grapes in particular tend to be very expensive on the island.

Chinese food is available in a lot of places from Chinese takeout stores and has a distinct Jamaican taste.

It is recommended to sample the local fruit and vegetables. If unfamiliar with a particular fruit it can pay to ask a local about which parts can be eaten. Local and imported fruits are available from road-side vendors. If the fruit is to be eaten instantly the vendors can generally wash the fruit for you on request.

Finally, there is the category of "ital" food, the domain of practising Rastafarians, who abide by strict dietary guidelines. This type of food is prepared without the use of meat, oil or salt, but can still be tasty due to the creative use of other spices. Ital food is not generally on the printed menus in the upscale tourist restaurants and can only be found by going to specialty restaurants. You may have to ask around to find an establishment that serves Ital food as it is not very common.

Drink

There are a lot of drinks in Jamaica. Standards such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola can be found, but if you want to drink local soda, you can try Bigga Cola, Champagne cola or grapefruit soda called "Ting" and as well Ginger beer. As well, try any soda by Desnoes & Geddes, typically labelled as "D&G." "Cola champagne" and "pineapple" are popular flavors that you won't find anywhere else. Since the turn of the century, the majority of soft drinks are bottled in plastic instead of glass. You can try the local lager called Red Stripe (which is exported to a lot of nations in the west, so there is a good luck you have by presently tasted it) and Dragon Stout. Most beers can be found in Jamaican pubs and hotels. A local hard drink is Jamaican Rum, which is made from sugar cane. It normally tends to be overproof and drunk with cola or fruit juice. DRINK WITH CAUTION! It's not designed for someone who is drinking it for the initial time. It is not unheard of to have 150 proof Jamaican Rum. Since Jamaica was colonized by Britain, the drinking laws are 18 and over, but they don't generally enforce it as strictly as it would be in the Western nations (minus the ones with no drinking laws, of course)! Guinness is popular and the export 7% has a kick.

Sleep

Jamaica has a number of hotel options to choose from. The tourist towns of Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and Negril have some of the finest resorts on the island.

Jamaica Ocean View Villa, Battle Site (just over an hour scenic drive from Montego Bay Airport), ☎ 1 401 626 6942, [1]. checkin: 2pm; checkout: 11Am. Jamaica luxury Villa at the edge of the Caribbean Sea in authentic Ocho Rios. 5-bedrooms, 4.5 bathroom with expansive indoor and outdoor living areas just one block from the beach. A resort-style swimming pool glittering under the Jamaican sun, with poolside dining and additional than enough lounge chairs for everyone. 649.

Mais Oui Tennis and Spa Villa, Discovery Bay (about 45 minutes leisurely drive from Montego Bay's Airport), ☎ 1 914 709 0457, [2]. checkin: 3pm; checkout: 11am. Family Fun! Child-friendly too. 8 bedroom, 7 bathroom ocean view villa in Discovery Bay, Jamaica ... Full staff, amenities galore inclunding private pool, 2-minute stroll to beach ... all without the beachfront premium! lat="".

Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Rose Hall Road, A1, Montego Bay, Jamaica, ☎ 876-618-1234, [3]. The hotel is Located 15 minutes from Sangster’s International Airport and 5 minutes from three championship golf courses. It is an all-inclusive family resort offering the vacation experience from attentive beach butlers,Spa,24-hour room service and 7 Incomparable Restaurants edit

Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Rose Hall Road, Montego Bay, Jamaica, ☎ 888 763 3901, [4]. This upscale, adults-only all-inclusive beachfront resort is a 12-minute walk from Half Moon Golf Course and 11 km from Sangster International Airport.