Introducing Jamaica
Travel Alert: The security situation in parts of Kingston remains uncertain due to civil unrest. The Jamaican government has declared a state of emergency in the West Kingston and St Andrews districts. For further information see Safe Travel for updated government warnings and the BBC for the latest news updates.
Despite its location almost smack in the center of the Caribbean Sea, the island of Jamaica doesn’t blend in easily with the rest of the Caribbean archipelago. To be sure, it boasts the same addictive sun rays, sugary sands and pampered resort-life as most of the other islands, but it is also set apart historically and culturally.
Advertisement
Today’s visitors will appreciate their trip to Jamaica all the more if they embrace the island’s unique character and the inherent ‘African-ness’ of its population. Aside from its people, Jamaica has much to offer, the curious, thirsty or weary traveller. The Blue Mountains boasts the world’s best coffee, try a cup in the century-old factory at Mavis Bank. There are world-class reefs for diving including those at Runaway Bay and Ocho Rios and great stretches of palm-fringed sand at Treasure Beach or Frenchman’s Cove near Port Antonio. There are offbeat bush-medicine hiking tours, congenial fishing villages, pristine waterfalls, cosmopolitan cities, wetlands harboring endangered crocodiles and manatees, unforgettable sunsets – in short, enough variety to comprise many utterly distinct vacations.
Nowhere else in the Caribbean is the connection to Africa as keenly felt as it is in Jamaica. Kingston was the major nexus in the New World for the barbaric triangular trade that brought slaves from Africa and carried sugar and rum to Europe, and the Maroons (runaways who took to the hills of Cockpit Country and the Blue Mountains) safeguarded many of the African traditions – and introduced jerk seasoning to Jamaica’s singular cuisine. St Ann’s Bay’s Marcus Garvey founded the back-to-Africa movement of the 1910s and ’20s; Rastafarianism took up the call a decade later, and reggae furnished the beat in the 1960s and ’70s. Little wonder many Jamaicans claim a stronger affinity for Africa than for neighboring Caribbean islands.
This is a country infused with pride in its unique history, stunning landscape and influential culture. Welcome to Jamaica.
Last updated: May 31, 2010
Tips & articles
-
Top 10 glamorous A-list destinations
22 August 2010
For celeb spotters, glamourpusses or rich-list wannabes, there’s our pick of ‘Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ holiday haunts, taken...
-
Top 10 places to run a marathon
3 August 2010
If you’ve loved London, nailed New York and sailed through Sydney, then it’s time to look further afield for your...
-
Is travel to Jamaica OK?
2 June 2010
Unrest in Kingston last week seems to be waning, but the Jamaican government’s declaration of a state of emergency for...
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
-
4 days in Jamaica
by jbroz23 1 reply, last post 30 August 2010
hiya i got a really limited time. best things to do in/around montego bay i kinda wanna go to the mountains. need help with accommodations,…
-
England v Pakistan Fourth Test...
by checker 38 replies, last post 01 September 2010
World record partnership between Trott and Broad against Pakistan after that early collapse... Looking at the match scorecard and you…
-
Jamaican Car Rental Advice Required Plus a Rant About Being Ripped Off.
by michaelfox 4 replies, last post 19 August 2010
Visiting Jamaica for a three week holiday late August, 2010. Last visited in 2007. Can anyone recommend a decent rental company. Now…








