Weather

The climate is tropical and temperate in the mountains, and the 6-month rainy season is worst when it begins and ends, May and October. Jamaica suffers serious hurricanes (1988 Hurricane Gilbert) and earthquakes: in 1692, Port Royal sank into the sea; the 1907 quake destroyed much of Kingston; and there was another serious earthquake in 1993.

Visa, Immigration, Customs

Passport valid for at least 90 days beyond your scheduled length of stay. If it is not apparent to a border official that you are only visiting Jamaica (by presenting your itinerary and/or return ticket) you might be asked to provide the address of your accommodations and your planned departure date. Regulations change periodically. Please contact the consulate office closest to you.

Visa/Permit/Tourist Card:No visa needed for a stay of up to 6 months.
Single parents or other adults vacationing alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country.

Transportation

Air Jamaica Express runs frequent daily flights to and from Kingston, Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio during the winter season. Intra-island flights operate between Montego Bay, Kingston, Negril, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio. You can also rent a helicopter for a very scenic ride.

Airports in Jamaica:There are 35 airports in Jamaica.

Travel by Rail:Rail service was suspended in 1994 and there are no immediate plans to reinstate the service.

Travel by Water:Yacht tours and cruises operate around the island; or hire a boat for a day or weekly.

Travel by Road:One-third of the extensive network of roads is tarred. You may also rent a car, bicycle or motorcycle if you like adventure-driving on variably-maintained roads among excitable and unpredictable drivers. Just don't let yourself get into a fight!

Bus service in Kingston and Montego Bay is good, but this is not the case for cross-island transportation. This is the preferred mode of travel, so buses are often full and schedules not adhered to. Taxis are identifiable by their red plates marked PPV (Public Passenger Vehicle). Rates are fixed; check the rate before you set out.

What Side of the Road?:Driving is on the left side of the road.

Speed Limits:Urban areas - 48 kph; highways - 80 kph

Culture & Food

Languages Spoken:English, patois English.

Religions:Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%, Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%

People and Culture:The island's rich artistic heritage reaches back to pre-Columbian days when the Arawak Indians etched petroglyphs on the ceilings and walls of caverns. Examples can still be seen in caves dotted throughout the island. Today Jamaica, and particularly Kingston, is a center of Caribbean art, with a focus by many artists on their historical roots. The music scene-reggae, soca, calypso-and Rastafarians are commonly depicted subjects. Bob Marley is credited with being an important voice against racism and oppression, and in raising the consciousness of the West about Third World countries.
A resident or national of Jamaica is called Jamaican. The Term used to describe things from here is Jamaican. For example, Jamaican food.

Tipping and Bargaining: Tips are usually part of the package in an all inclusive resort setting. Outside you should tip where a service charge has not been added to your bill. Most prices for merchandise are negotiable.

Restaurants:	10 - 15% if there is no service charge
*Porters:	50 -60 Jamaican Dollars per bag
Taxi:	10 -15%

* Try to use local currency. Foreign coins cannot be exchanged and will be useless to the person receiving them. Foreign paper money requires a trip to the bank for exchange. However paper US dollars are accepted almost universally.Try to use local currency. Foreign coins cannot be exchanged and will be useless to the person receiving them. Foreign paper money requires a trip to the bank for exchange. However paper US dollars are accepted almost universally.

Food:Jamaican dishes include jerk meat-- pork or chicken seasoned in hot spices and barbecued over a pimento wood fire-rice and peas, pepper-pot soup, ackee (a fruit which, because it looks like scrambled eggs when cooked, is served at breakfast) and saltfish. Goat and pork are commonly curried. Both fresh-and salt-water fish are familiar dishes; the Rastafarians are vegetarian-plantains are favourites. There are many fusion dishes also, combining cuisines of Spain, North Africa and the Middle East and the Orient with the original Arawak Indian. Among the abundant fruits are paw-paw, star apples and ortaniques. For drinks, coconut juice, Blue Mountain coffee and rum. Note that to ask for tea is just to ask for a hot drink.

Money Conversion

Jamaican Currency is the Jamaican Dollar (JMD)

Currency Converter :use the following currency converter tool to help you with your vacation. Currency Convertor Tool

Currency Cheat Sheet: use the following currency cheat sheet as a quick conversion reference on your vacation.Currency Cheat Sheet

Attractions

Destination Cities:Negril, with one of the longest beaches in the country and Montego Bay, Jamaica's second city, are beloved of tourists, who come for the watersports. Kingston is too poor to be beautiful, but its own energetic charm is embedded in the culture. Keep yourself safe, sensible and open-minded, and you'll see lots to enjoy. Ocho Rios sees 400,000 tourists a year, flowing in and out on the tide of cruise ships. Its green hills and Turtle Beach are its real attractions.

Points of Interest:Along the coast from Negril are fishing villages like Treasure Beach, Port Antonio and Oracabessa-true visitor attractions. Dunn's River Falls, 2 miles (3km) west of town, is Jamaica's best-known attraction, 600 ft (180m) of limestone steps with a series of cascades and pools flowing down to the beach. Treasure Beach is four coves along the coast south of Starve Gut Bay. The rocky headlands separate romantically isolated coral-coloured sandy beaches. Rent a villa or hotel accommodation, and enjoy the non-touristy coral-sand beaches and rocky headlands.