Travel Guides: All Countries / Caribbean / Jamaica
 |  | Travel Reviews : Jamaica |
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| | | | Noel Coward's Jamaica
From the Mail on Sunday
So, this is Firefly, Sir Noel Coward's glorious retreat from the world. Looking at the pictures on the walls, everyone from Marlene to Vivien Leigh, to a very young Sean Connery . . . suddenly, I felt a little sad.
As a very young woman I'd been invited by Noel Coward to visit at least twice. At the time, it seemed so far away, so distant. I was then working at the Royal Court Theatre in London being directed by Lindsay Anderson.
Noel Coward, to my very young mind, appeared frivolous. Indeed, he may well have been, but his talent certainly wasn't. Oh well, it's not the first time I've said no, wrongly in this case, and I dare say it won't be the last!
Not that I would have said a word to the other tourists when I finally did get there. It just would have been a sweet feeling to have been included in the Master's wall of snapshots.
Gazing around, the view was indeed wonderful. His main house was smallish, comfortable and stylish. How on Earth did he accommodate all his guests?
Standing in his garden, high on a hill, it all became clear. A young woman of about 20, our tour guide, pointed out another house far below, at the bottom of the hill where Sir Noel Coward's guests stayed.
In fact, from what I understood, they were not invited to the main house before one o'clock. Clever Noel! That way he could work every morning from eight until 12. Wonderful discipline. How often have I noticed that with great talent goes hard work?
We left Firefly, leaving the tiny dining room exactly as it was when the Queen Mother had come to lunch all those years ago. Very fine, fancy china on a rather informal, not grand, table.
What fun they must have had in this exquisite, open-air dining room, now all maintained by Chris Blackwell of Island Records as a living museum dedicated to Noel Coward's lasting memory.
Travel Guide: Jamaica
Pure heaven
I have visited Jamaica on two occasions and it as been pure heaven. The people are just so laid back and warm and welcoming.
Jamaica maybe a poor country, but it is very rich in charm and personality. Jamaica is simply PARADISE.
Travel Guide: Jamaica
Playing it safe
From the Mail on Sunday
Jamaica looks out at the world with two faces. In one we see violence. In the other we see glamour, celebrities, excitement. That's the general public perception - but is either true? Or in each case has it all been exaggerated? Discuss.
While you mutter among yourselves, let me tell you about the hol what I have just had. That was dead glamorous.
We stayed at Round Hill on the north-west coast, not far from Montego Bay. It's on an old plantation of some 100 acres on a slope sweeping down to the sea on which there is a hotel and 29 very posh villas and cottages, privately owned but available to all for most of the year, when the owners are not in residence.
It's run a bit like a co-op, with the individual owners having shares in the whole.
The concept was created in 1952. It was about the first resort of its kind in the world, certainly in the West Indies.
In the early years, the villas were 70 per cent British owned, the first owner being Noel Coward. He was interviewed on the radio by the BBC not long afterwards and described his cottage as 'overlooking an absolutely ravishing tax advantage'.
Other early British owners or guests included Ian Fleming, Ivor Novello, Lord Harmsworth, Charlie Chaplin and the Dukes of Marlborough, Norfolk and Bedford.
Field Marshal Earl Alexander of Tunis, a hero of the Second World War, was once having dinner at Round Hill when he was asked if he had ever met the Pope. 'Yes,' he replied, 'when I took Rome.'
That sort of old Brit, stiff upper wallet, aristo type began to fade away with the arrival of starry, showbizzy Yanks such as Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, Oscar Hammerstein, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Paul Newman and Paul Simon. John F. Kennedy had his honeymoon at Round Hill. While I was there, I spotted Ralph Lauren, one of the present-day owners, 70 per cent of whom are American.
The cottage where we stayed had a nicely Fifties flavour to it, almost like a stage set from a Noel Coward play, an atmosphere they are deliberately trying to retain. It came with its own maid who cooked breakfast each morning.
Travel Guide: Jamaica
Explore outside your hotel
I had a two week holiday in Jamaica.The place was gorgeous but the food was not quite so good. Although we stayed in an all inclusive hotel, I always go beyond the complex because I believe in seeing the culture.
Travel Guide: Jamaica
Ocho Rios is your best bet
I have stayed in Negril, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios and found Ocho Rios to be the best.
I was abit scared about walking about in Montego Bay, but I didn't feel threatened in Ocho Rios at all.
My husband, my teenage son and I stayed at the Jamaica Grande which has now been taken over by the Sunset Beach Group. I only hoped it was still as good as we stayed there five times.
The food and entertainment were food and I absolutely loved the mini casino. As a rule, I don't gamble but it was so much fun that i can't wait to go back.
Travel Guide: Jamaica
Club together for the best deal
I went to Jamaica in Oct 2000. I have travelled round this country a lot and have experienced many of this country's sights. I would like to strongly recommend that if any persons are wanting to book excursions that they chat with other holiday makers that may want to go to see the same sights as them.
Look in the reps guide, choose your destination or combine them, then book a taxi and arrange a price with the driver. It will work out a lot cheaper and you will be able to go on and explore other areas of this fantastic island in the same way. Also you can get the driver to take the party to a supermarket and load up with refreshments. It's a lot cheaper.
Travel Guide: Jamaica
Great for a second visit
I visited Jamaica for the first time last year and was so impressed I am going back again this year.
It is simply paradise with beautiful beaches and turquoise-coloured water, fantastic countryside and plenty of history.
It is a fantastic place to visit.
Travel Guide: Jamaica
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| | | | Churches and tiny bars
Another nice thing about Jamaica - hardly any bugs or mosquitoes, which surprised me. How many tropical islands are also beautiful but one is bitten to pieces? Finally, I dragged my travelling companion Heather away. I wanted to see the rest of the island.
We saw tiny little houses painted in nursery-rhyme colours, all sparkling in the sun. Children stood outside waving and smiling at us as we drove past. I counted churches and tiny bars. And it seemed every 200 yards or so there was a church and every 500 yards was a bar or a meeting place.
Everywhere we looked there were witty signs. Their use of English was funny and clever. Take just one of the road signs: 'Undertakers love Overtakers. Drive to stay alive!!' Then, outside one of the churches: 'Jesus loves sinners. Let's have a party! Everyone's invited, every-one's a sinner.'
We stopped at the Halfway House, a museum full of very good local paintings and with a restaurant underneath that was run by a family I recognised from London's Soho. They recognised me. They were in Jamaica having a reunion.
We stayed for dinner and it was every bit as good as they had been in Soho with the added bonus of alfresco dining with stunning views, weather and flowers wherever we looked.
As it was getting late, we drove back to the wonderful Jamaica Inn, up the curved driveway, back-lit with stunning flowers and foliage against a navy blue sky filled with the brightest silver stars I'd ever seen.
Raquel, the assistant manager, a pale Jamaican, escorted us back to our room with a large, private veranda furnished like an English country sitting room, only more luxurious, overlooking the gardens and large, curved, private beach. I've been in all sorts of places but this was, without question, one of the loveliest.
Next morning, the sun was shining brightly and it was barely 7am. What a view leading from the hotel, set in a semi-circle of large rooms and verandas. The whole hotel, or inn, was completely painted in a vivid, cobalt blue, with bright, white trim, leading into a lush, green garden, croquet lawn, flowers like I had never seen and white sands leading to a turquoise sea. Any traces of London flu and gloom evaporated as if by magic.
We ventured on to the large terrace, where we grabbed fresh coffee, and wandered back to our room. We could see other people doing exactly the same. We rang for breakfast, which was served on our veranda overlooking the beach and garden.
The best conch soup
The grounds were lush, beautifully maintained, with stunning views, but the beach was a bit disappointing. It's rather small and gets crowded when the hotel is full, as it was when we were there.
So one day we set off for Negril beach, an hour's drive away. Having had the glamour experience, all of course in an enclosed, secured, artificial environment, it was time to see the other more real, public face of Jamaica.
The last time I was on the island, 10 years ago, I got myself mugged. I was in Kingston, looking at an Arawak museum, stayed too long, had to come out by a back door and, without thinking, I wandered off completely the wrong way - and found myself in the docks area.
A kid of about 15, who looked as nervous as I was, pulled a knife out, ripped the pocket right off my shirt and ran away with my money. It wasn't a lot, just a few Jamaican dollars, as I was leaving that day for Haiti.
Pretty scary at the time but all my own stupid fault. It could have happened anywhere in the world. I've never held it against Jamaica, though of course everyone nods wisely whenever I happen to mention it, taking it as totally typical.
In the Jamaica Gleaner, their daily paper, which I read at Round Hill every morning, there was a report that gun gangs had increased from 70 to 140 in the past year, giving the impression that Jamaica had collapsed into Third World anarchy.
Yet, at the same time, the paper was full of pages devoted to such First World, self-indulgent obsessions as ' horoscopes for dieters' and 'food to eat to improve your sexual performance'.
I asked Josef Forstmayr, managing director of Round Hill, if Negril would be safe. He's Austrian by birth but has been in Jamaica for 20 years and loves it so much he doesn't intend to leave. He's never been mugged and says it's mainly an urban problem.
'Kingston is a big place with 1.7 million people and some very poor areas. That's where the gangs are. Tourists are safe, as long as they don't make themselves a target.'
He recommended a beach caff at Negril, the Cosmo, all very modest, he said, where you could change and shower for just a £1 entrance fee, with the best conch soup in Jamaica, so he said. All of which turned out true, though it took us a while to find it.
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| | | | A taste of luxury
This was a taste of true luxury - a crisp, pink tablecloth with matching napkins, every kind of fresh, tropical fruit, and any kind of cooked breakfast we wanted. All of it was served by our own waiter.
The beach was all of 50 yards away. This was dotted by thatched umbrellas for very welcome shade. There was enough space between them for privacy. Looking around, everyone seemed relaxed, tanned and rather elegant, which is fairly difficult on a beach.
That is, everyone except for Heather and myself; we were very white and covered in heavy-duty sun block! Never mind. It was too blissful to worry about that. Most of the day, we lazed on the powdery-white beach, just taking in an occasional swim. Heather tried the pool. I tried the ocean.
At lunchtime, we sat at the beach bar having sandwiches and cold beer, and talked to Teddy, who'd been running the bar for 40 years. He didn't look a day over 45.
Listening to the cricket on Teddy's radio, with the sea in front, a soft breeze blowing behind and talking to the other guests, was as good as it gets. But I wanted to see what it was like outside the hotel.
We went to a local bar-cum-restaurant, with tables outside under the shade of trees on a spare piece of land at the side of the road. A tiny girl of about three came to visit us. I asked her to sit with us and she shyly did and shared my chips.
Her family sat at the next table with an even smaller girl. Both of them looked delightful, beautifully dressed, including pretty hairstyles with beads in them. We took a picture of her and waved goodbye before we went on to the local arts and crafts market.
This was an experience. It reminded me of Camden Market, which is near my home, except for the brilliant sunshine. There were at least 200 stalls, all selling rather similar things. Mostly, it was women running the stalls and if I'd won the Lottery, I would have bought from everyone there.
Everything from clothes to handbags to local paintings was available. All of it was very reasonable and all the women competed with each other to get our custom. I think they earn so little that every last penny makes a difference.
Finally, I bought from Mavis, as she was the eldest there. She proudly told me she had a Scottish grandma. She strongly reminded me of the religious sisters who had brought me up.
Nicely unalarming
Ten years ago, I did a lot of walking on Ocho Rios beach which I hated, full of hustlers, drug pushers, noisy speedboats, tatty and nasty. I feared Negril Beach, which I'd never been to before, might be much the same but it's now my second most favourite big beach in the Caribbean, after the West Coast beach in Barbados.
So clean, so beautiful, so interesting, so unspoiled and yes, utterly safe, or so it seemed to me. I walked the whole length and no one tried to sell me anything. I did note a little four-wheel-drive beach buggy full of policemen going up and down the sand, which obviously helps.
It was marked Police, so that was how I knew, but the cops were in civvies, which was nicely unalarming.
I was also impressed by the fact that the hotels are low rise, set back from the beach, mostly hidden from sight. I came back and raved to Josef about how pleasant it all was, how well regulated, no sign of violence of any sort.
He told me that his Japanese guests, who mainly come in the summer, don't actually go much on safe old Negril - they prefer to go to dodgier places like Montego Bay and Kingston.
Back home, they are totally regulated and all very law-abiding, so on hols they love to mix with er, the less regulated elements in Jamaican society, to observe the rastas, the gangster areas, the drinking dives, the reggae clubs. It excites them, tickles them, to see such free spirits.
In a way, you could argue that Jamaica's image for violence is actually an attraction for some part of its overall culture, which, as everyone knows who has ever visited the island, is vibrant, exciting, highly creative in music and literature, far more interesting, so Jamaicans always maintain, than safe but boring and conformist, if ever so affluent Barbados.
Not of course that I'm seriously suggesting the Jamaican Tourist Board should promote violence as a tourist attraction. Tut tut. Just an observation, in passing.
The tourist trade generally is all too aware of the harm such an image causes. They'd rather point up the glamour side.
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| | | | Dance under the stars
After the market, we were more than delighted to get back to total luxury. We arrived back to a wonderful welcome from Betty, our own personal room maid. Dinner was on the Candlelit Terrace, with five courses and a live band playing dance music under the stars.
Suddenly, everyone we had vaguely seen on the beach was dancing together beautifully. Not only did they not miss a step, they were all dressed marvellously. I felt I was back in the time of the British Raj.
The feeling was not only magical, it was like a large private club. Dancing wonderfully was a very attractive couple whom I came to know as John and Jill. In fact, it was John Turner, an ex-Canadian premier, and his wife.
The next day we took it very easy. At about noon, Teddy brought round a Jamaican sweetener, a rum-based, very delicious drink. It was a lot better than mid-morning coffee at home. In fact, the Jamaica Inn is so special it became very hard to tear us away. Everything one could possibly want was right outside our own veranda.
We flew home with Air Jamaica. All the way back to Heathrow we still felt the same happy, sweet glow we had experienced there.
Travel facts: Caribtours (020 7751 0660). The Jamaica Inn will be closed for refurbishment between September 5 and October 12.
Still a glamorous island
One of the richest, most successful, present-day celebrities in Jamaica today is Chris Blackwell, born into the old white plantocracy but admired and loved by all Jamaicans and music lovers everywhere, for founding Island Records and bringing Bob Marley to world notice.
He is now the new owner, among many other things, of Goldeneye, once the home of Ian Fleming, (which you can rent, when Mr Blackwell is not there). In himself, he is further proof that Jamaica is indeed still a glamorous island. But I asked him about Jamaica's other image. He groaned.
'Some Americans won't come to Jamaica because they think it will be like Bosnia. Brits expect it will be full of Yardies. That's because whenever there's a black gangster arrested in London, he's always called a Yardie and said to come from Jamaica, whether he has or not.
'Jamaica's reputation for violence is very unfair. Over 90 per cent of it is either domestic or between gangs, in other words, between people who know each other. Outsiders are not generally affected. But that's our image and we just have to live with it, difficult though it is.
'We have to hope that the people who do come will find that Jamaicans are magical people, very warm and very friendly.'
Yup, I'd go along with that.
A Walk Around The West Indies by Hunter Davies has just been published in paperback by Orion at £7.99.
TRAVEL FACTS:
Elegant Resorts features Round Hill. Details from 01244 897999 or visit http://www.elegantresorts.co.uk.
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| | Destination Guide : Jamaica |
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| | | Tropical scenery |  | Why go on holiday to Jamaica?
Guaranteed sun, beautiful beaches, cheap and gorgeous food, a laid-back attitude to life, and tropical scenery. But there's far more to Jamaica than all this.
It's a poverty-ridden nation with a history steeped in the slave trade. Such contradictory factors make Jamaica and its people complex and difficult to fathom at times, but your overall impression will almost certainly be one of laid-back charm.
How much does it cost?
Seven nights with villa accommodation starts at just under £1,000; two weeks at about £1,500; an all-inclusive hotel stay will be £200 or £300 less. Out of the peak season, a flight-only deal from London can start from as little as £220. All prices will vary.
When should I go?
It is hot year-round in Jamaica. The rainy season peaks in May/June and October/November, but this only means short showers amid the tropical glory. The least-crowded time is from May to November, when hotels will be cheaper and attractions less packed.
*Feeling inspired? Book a break to the Caribbean here.
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| | | Colourful and vibrant |  | What should I do when I'm there?
Laze on the beach, attend one of the vibrant festivals, visit Bob Marley's former home and his final resting place, and eat seafood and tropical fruit.
What's the capital like?
Kingston is a seething mass of colour and life. It's not picturesque, and there is terrible poverty, but its sheer vitality makes it a must.
Visit the Bob Marley Museum, the great man's former home. You can see his bedroom, his guitars, the bullet holes from the 1976 assassination attempt and the tree where he would sit, smoke and strum.
The waterfront area is tatty, but great to stroll through for the craft market and National Gallery.
What beaches are there?
Ocho Rios with its famed Turtle Beach and harbour offers good, if crowded, swimming.
Fern Gully winds through the canyon of an old watercourse for about three miles inland, and the 600ft Dunn's River Falls is the island's most famous beauty spot.
Montego Bay is the ideal for sun, sand, sea, etc. This is the home of the all-inclusive resorts popular with holidaymakers. The beaches are beautiful, but the town is smoggy and full of hustlers.
One or two excellent old buildings survive downtown, but MoBay is primarily a resort and not for those trying to find the "real Jamaica".
Negril is a rapidly growing resort, but remains a laid-back centre. You will interact with the locals more than anywhere else here, with food stalls lining the streets and woodcarvers hawking their wares on the beach. Magnificent sunsets.
I want to get away from the crowds
Cockpit County is a 500 sq mile limestone plateau to the west. There are caves, wild vegetation and a bewildering array of wildlife.
The area is probably most easily appreciated from the air, but that is expensive. If you're on foot be sure to have an experienced and trustworthy guide - it's hot and hazardous.
Long Bay in the north-east is a beautiful, untouched spot. The mile-long, pink-sanded beach is a top surfing spot, but this hasn't altered life in this charming, lazy fishing village.
Surfing hasn't got as far as Treasure Beach on the south coast. These four isolated coves are disturbed only by fishermen and local women selling pickled fruit.
Where can I cool off?
Head east to the Blue Mountains, which are much wetter than the rest of Jamaica. June to September are the best months to visit them. They're a botanist's dream - with more than 500 flowering plant species - not to mention a hiker's paradise.
What festivals and events are there?
Jamaica has numerous cultural and sporting events, the most famous and colourful of which are the Reggae Sunsplash in Ocho Rios and the Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay, in July and August respectively.
The music throbs and everyone gets down on the beach - Jamaicans are the masters of provocative gyration. If you're taking a winter break, the Carnival in Kingston in February has more of the same, plus calypso and ballroom.
Jonkanoo is the Christmas celebration, with street parades and costumes. Cricket is a national obsession, with provincial matches all year and an international in Kingston at least once annually. There are also plenty of yacht races.
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| | | Island entertainment | | Where's good for nightlife?
For so-called high culture - theatre, ballet, etc - you will have to stay in Kingston. Rum shops are the staple island entertainment; they're macho establishments where you down potent white rum with milk until you fall over.
Even less "PC" is the go-go club, usually huge bars where young women shake their booty for a largely male clientele. They're actually very friendly places, but not for the easily offended.
What's the food like?
Fresh seafood is everywhere, often heavily spiced or salted. Ackee and saltfish is the Jamaican national dish, most often eaten for breakfast.
Dip and fall back is a salty stew served with bananas and dumplings. Jerk is a fiery marinade used on fish, chicken or pork, which is then barbecued.
Staple vegetables are pumpkin, breadfruit, callaloo and cho-cho - a pear shaped gourd. Gorge yourself on delicious tropical fruit. Avoid eating turtle and booby eggs - both species are endangered and it is illegal to eat them.
What should I buy?
Fine handmade Jamaican cigars, colourful bead jewellery, woodcarvings, straw goods including baskets, art, and food items and drinks, including Blue Mountain coffee (arguably the best in the world), rum liqueurs and food marinades.
Remember to haggle, except for high-quality art, when the prices are normally fixed.
What is there for children to do?
Anancy Park, opposite Poinciana Hotel in Negril, is a children's entertainment complex. It has a learning centre, folk museum, donkey cart rides, fishing and boating lakes, nature trail, carousel, go-cart track, miniature golf course and video arcade.
Individual resorts have good facilities for children, including children's pools and entertainments.
Tourist office
1-2 Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ. Tel 020 7224 0505.
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| | Fact File : Jamaica |
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| | | Jamaica | | Did you know?
Jamaica was originally settled by a South American tribe called the Arawaks.
Language
English and patois.
Visas
None required from the UK.
Getting there
Several flights a week from Heathrow and Gatwick.
Flying time from London
Ten hours.
Getting around
The bus service is cheap and extensive but chaotic, as is the private minibus service. Driving can be hazardous.
Currency
Jamaican dollar (jay).
Costs
Litre of petrol 35p, moderate restaurant meal £7-£14, four-mile taxi ride £3, roll of camera film £6, bottle of beer 50p. Prices will vary.
Weather
Year-round average temperature is 27-31C (80-86F). Annual rainfall averages 78 inches. The rainy season runs from May or June to November or December, although rain can fall in short, sharp bursts at any time. Humidity is fairly high year round.
Time difference
Five hours behind GMT.
International dialling code from the UK
00 1 876.
Voltage
110V in most hotels, with some on 220V. More up-market hotels can usually supply a transformer if needed.
Opening hours
Offices open 8.30am-4.30pm Monday-Friday; Shops 8/9am-5pm Monday-Friday, 8/9am-noon Saturdays. Few shops open on a Sunday.
Health — before you go
Take out good medical insurance. Vaccinations/boosters for tetanus, typhoid, polio and hepatitis A are all recommended but not obligatory.
Health — when you are there
Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water (tap water is generally safe to drink, but best avoided in rural areas). Make sure you wear adequate sunscreen (factor 15 or more). Medicine is normally cheap, but check the sell-by date. Take warm clothing if hiking in the mountains.
Warnings
Beware the undertow when swimming, and look out for sea urchins and moray eels too. Stay away from the poisonous machineel tree. Be prepared for hustlers; it's something you will have to learn to put up with. Gay travellers should be aware that homosexuality is illegal in Jamaica.
Emergency
Ambulance 110. British High Commission, 26 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 10. Tel 926 9050.
Customs
Marijuana is readily available and plentiful, but whatever you do don't try to smuggle any out of the country. Police won't go easy on you because you're foreign, and Jamaican prisons make Turkish ones look like Butlin's.
Pets
Jamaica was included in the Pets travel scheme under long-haul regulations in 2001. However, this is a long and complicated procedure requiring vaccinations, medical check-ups and route planning; it is not as simple as walking on and off a plane with your pet. Therefore the scheme is more suited to those returning from a long stay abroad, rather than the two-week holidaymaker. It takes several months to set up the relevant documentation; see your vet for further details.
Tipping
Tips are not expected at all-inclusive resorts.
Tourist office
1-2 Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ. Tel 020 7224 0505.
Did you know?
Jamaica was originally settled by a South American tribe called the Arawaks.
Language
English and patois.
Visas
None required from the UK.
Getting there
Several flights a week from Heathrow and Gatwick.
Flying time from London
Ten hours.
Getting around
The bus service is cheap and extensive but chaotic, as is the private minibus service. Driving can be hazardous.
Currency
Jamaican dollar (jay).
Costs
Litre of petrol 35p, moderate restaurant meal £7-£14, four-mile taxi ride £3, roll of camera film £6, bottle of beer 50p. Prices will vary.
Weather
Year-round average temperature is 27-31C (80-86F). Annual rainfall averages 78 inches. The rainy season runs from May or June to November or December, although rain can fall in short, sharp bursts at any time. Humidity is fairly high year round.
Time difference
Five hours behind GMT.
International dialling code from the UK
00 1 876.
Voltage
110V in most hotels, with some on 220V. More up-market hotels can usually supply a transformer if needed.
Opening hours
Offices open 8.30am-4.30pm Monday-Friday; Shops 8/9am-5pm Monday-Friday, 8/9am-noon Saturdays. Few shops open on a Sunday.
Health — before you go
Take out good medical insurance. Vaccinations/boosters for tetanus, typhoid, polio and hepatitis A are all recommended but not obligatory.
Health — when you are there
Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water (tap water is generally safe to drink, but best avoided in rural areas). Make sure you wear adequate sunscreen (factor 15 or more). Medicine is normally cheap, but check the sell-by date. Take warm clothing if hiking in the mountains.
Warnings
Beware the undertow when swimming, and look out for sea urchins and moray eels too. Stay away from the poisonous machineel tree. Be prepared for hustlers; it's something you will have to learn to put up with. Gay travellers should be aware that homosexuality is illegal in Jamaica.
Emergency
Ambulance 110. British High Commission, 26 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 10. Tel 926 9050.
Customs
Marijuana is readily available and plentiful, but whatever you do don't try to smuggle any out of the country. Police won't go easy on you because you're foreign, and Jamaican prisons make Turkish ones look like Butlin's.
Pets
Jamaica was included in the Pets travel scheme under long-haul regulations in 2001. However, this is a long and complicated procedure requiring vaccinations, medical check-ups and route planning; it is not as simple as walking on and off a plane with your pet. Therefore the scheme is more suited to those returning from a long stay abroad, rather than the two-week holidaymaker. It takes several months to set up the relevant documentation; see your vet for further details.
Tipping
Tips are not expected at all-inclusive resorts.
Tourist office
1-2 Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ. Tel 020 7224 0505.
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| | Available rental properties in Jamaica |
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| |  | | Barbary - Villa with a View
On 2 1/2 acres overlooking Ocho Rios & St. Ann's Bay, Barbary has the seclusion of a private estate just minutes from Ocho Rios/Jamaica's north shore.
|  | | Teresinajamaica
A Unique Jamaican Bed and Breakfast Chalet
|  | | Maxfield Villa
This stylish self-catering villa provides excellent home comfort. Located in a select part of Runaway Bay, close to all amenities. Sleeps 1-13 guests
|  | | Maxfield Villa, Runaway Bay
Luxurious one bedroom self-catering accommodation. Experience home from home comfort next time you visit Jamaica by staying with us in your own one b
|  | | Maxfield Villa, Runaway Bay
This 4 and a half bedroom villa is ideally suitable for large group holidays, family gettogether/reunion. It is selfcatering and sleeps 13 guests c
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Holiday Rentals in Jamaica |
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Why Rent With Us
