Jamaica is a large, beautiful island, full of activity, which can be an amazing experience for the traveler. It's widely connected by air, providing easy accessibility. The island is swathed with a wide variety of beaches and has excellent tourism facilities. There are a wide range of hotels, guest-houses, villas and inns to cater to every traveler. Jamaica offers a lively culture, first-rate golfing facilities and splendid music.

The island lies in the Caribbean, 90 miles north of Cuba, with an area of approximately 4250 square miles. Certain parts of the island are hilly while others are smooth and fertile, with immense greenery and rich ecology. The Blue Mountain Peak is over 7000 feet, covered with pine, clouds, and rain forests. Then, just about 100 miles away, the landscape changes dramatically. There one will find “savannah type” grassland, valleys with rivers and waterfalls, white-sand beaches with mangroves and cliffs. For the wildlife enthusiast, there are over 250 species of animals and birds, including iguanas, tree-frogs, manatees and the hutia (resembling the guinea-pig).

For those who are sports-minded, one can go hiking, mountain-biking, scuba-diving or snorkeling among the offshore-reefs, windsurfing, bamboo river rafting, swimming in waterfalls, or take long-distance runs on the endless beaches. One can also go horseback riding in the tropical forests play golf , visit coffee and sugar plantations, rum-distilleries, botanical gardens, art galleries and museums. And Jamaica is the home of reggae music! In bars and clubs all around Jamaica, you can hear it being played.

Jamaicans speak English, as it was once a British colony. Its population is over 2.5 million and Kingston is the island's capital. Like many other tourist destinations of the world, it has its share of law-and-order problems in certain areas, which are to be avoided.

Accommodations in Jamaica

Jamaica is divided into “resorts”, which are named after the towns in the particular area. The most famous among them are the Montego Bay and the Ocho Rios resorts which attract most tourists and are the destinations of cruise ships. The hotels, villas, guest-houses and inns are situated in and around these resorts and come in endless varieties. Many hotels on the island have the “all-inclusive” concept. This means that the price includes accommodations, food, drinks and endless activities throughout the resort. While this arrangement may suit some, others may find it restrictive, as they may wish to visit many of the island restaurants and sights, mingle with the locals, and not be limited by whatever the hotel offers by way of food and ambience.

Then there are small hotels and inns to suit the economy traveler, and villas for the affluent tourists, which are given on rent. Most villas are concentrated around Montego Bay and their standards can be compared to the finest hotels. Many villas come with cook, gardener, housekeeper, laundress and butler. Extra staff can be provided for extra payment. Of course, not all villas are meant for the super-rich. Some villas come with low-key staffing. The staffs of the villas have their own separate accommodations. Tipping the staff is a mandatory 10-15%, depending on the season. But the money paid by way of tipping is well worth the service provided!

Jamaica also has cottages, guest-houses, apartments and condominiums to suit the economy traveler. The service provided is quite satisfactory!