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From Jamaican Rum to Jamaican Rumba

What's available in Jamaica

By Ian King

Jamaican Rumba

If you want a destination where you can freely relax, and just forget the world try a trip to Jamaica. Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean group where you go from the extreme excitement of white water rafting to just relaxing on a beautiful beach with a book. It is considered one of the most alluring of the Caribbean Group.

Some of the renowned vacation spots of the island are Kingston, which is the capital city of the country, Montego Bay (made famous in song), Negril, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, Runaway Bay, and Trelawny. In Kingston accommodation is varied, if you wish to stay at one of the many hotels available some of the best are

  • Hotel Jamaica Pegasus,
  • Hotel The Courtleigh,
  • and Hotel Knutsford
  • or more upmarket Sandals which can be found in a number of resorts

These hotels are a good base to go daily trips to the surrounding beaches such as

  • Hellshire Beach,
  • Gunboat Beach
  • Fort Clarence Beach

All of these beaches have black sand and are very popular with the locals in weekends - but many of the other beaches around the Island have diamond white sand and are absolutely pristine places for quite relaxation. If you are a keen surfer Long bay in the northeast is a recognised place which has rose-coloured sand. Some beaches you have to pay a minimal fee to enter them.

Some other pastimes that can be participated in while on the island:

  • Tennis
  • Horse Riding
  • Golfing on world class courses
  • Scuba Diving in beautiful clear warm waters of Alligator Pond, and other coastal spots
  • Hiking in the Blue Mountains
  • Helicopter Excursions over dramatic sculptured limestone plateau of Cockpit County
  • Rock Climbing at Dunn's River Falls

Or go wild and enter the life of Rum, Reefers and Reggae. The night life covers everything from piano bars to limbo shows and much more. Jamaica has become famous for the Reggae Music, and Steel Bands (instruments made from the tops of 55 gallon oil drums originally on the Island of Trinidad but now found throughout the Caribbean). This music is heard all over the Island at bars, hotels, and night clubs.

Trinidad Steel Pan Band

The Blue Mountains are a range of mountains along the Eastern part of the Island. They provide a wonderful range of flora and fauna. For a naturalist this range varies from tropical on the coast to the temperate species on the mountain tops. Much of this is accessible by walking tracks. There are over 500 species of flowering plants, of which nearly a half are unique to Jamaica. Butterflies and many beautiful bird species are also to be found throughout the ranges for those people prepared to look

For Coffee lovers Jamaica is the home Blue Mountain Coffee, recognised by coffee enthusiasts as one of the best gourmet coffees in the world. By travelling the Kingston-Buff Bay Road many road side coffee stalls can be found where you can try and buy the farmers own special brews, which they will gladly tell you why theirs is the best.

Jamaica is another place that is great for weddings and honeymoons but make sure you do it in the off-season of May to November, as the weather although it may be wetter in May, and August to November, is still quite bearable and not that unpleasant, and will be a lot better on the pocket.