JT_ISSUE3_AW 1/6/06 14:38 Page 1 JAMAICA TOURIST WWW.JAMAICATOURIST.NET EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR THE PERFECT HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE IN THIS ISSUE ONCE YOU GO, YOU KNOW 39 YEARS OF ‘RED CAP’ SERVICE THE NEW GOLF MECCA OF THE CARIBBEAN ISLAND ADVENTURES SALE OF LUXURY REAL ESTATE AT PALMYRA RESORT & SPA EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS FINANCING OF SECOND HOMES BOOSTS REAL ESTATE MARKET PARTNERSHIPS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTORS CREATE ECONOMIC GROWTH PAMPERING AT THE BEST ISLAND SPAS ISLAND ARTISTS JOHNNY AND JUNE CARTER CASH CHERISHED IN JAMAICA DUTY FREE SHOPPING AT UP TO 30% SAVINGS ELEGANT AND CASUAL RESTAURANTS ENTERTAINMENT, GAMBLING AND NIGHTLIFE ISLAND GOSSIP PRIME MINISTER SIMPSON MILLER FIRST FEMALE HEAD YOUR OF GOVERNMENT FREE ISSUE PLUS FREE ISLAND MAP JT_ISSUE3_AW 1/6/06 14:38 Page 2 Rose Hall. This upscale resort area is home to the islands luxurious gated second home community, The Palmyra Resort & Spa, which has opened the door to real estate investments for foreigners in a major way. ONCE YOU GO, YOU KNOW See REAL ESTATE section for more info. amaica is a place to be experienced, not A multifaceted mosaic of international customs and traditions, the native population is a mix of ancestors from just visited. Without a doubt the most Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, from which comes the nation’s motto: ‘out of many, one people.’ This varied ancestry has created a unique culture, evident above all in the island’s culinary heritage and the local Jdiverse of the Caribbean destinations, food, the island’s richest history lesson. Jamaica is just under 150 miles long and 51 Dine on spicy jerked pork and chicken at the casual ‘Pork Pit’ or dine at one of the popular dining spots the miles wide, and the largest English speaking island has to offer. Check our DINING OUT sections for some good advice on where to spend your evenings island in the Caribbean. The island surprises relaxing over good food and sultry Caribbean rhythms, in elegant or more casual surroundings. There are also most visitors with the plethora of things to plenty of places to reggae away the night. See NIGHT SPOTS. experience and its warm, welcoming people. Prepare yourself to be on 'Jamaican time’ and you won’t be disappointed. Don’t confuse the much used patois Jamaican women selling shells. (Photo: JTB) Whether you have chosen to spend your expression: 'Me come soon’ with 'I’ll be right there’ or you will be sorely disappointed. 'Me come soon’ is better translated as 'I’ll be there when I get there’, and does not refer to hurry or haste in any way. The vacation in Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio or another of the expression is an excellent example of the laid back and un-hurried way most Jamaicans enjoy life. Follow islands many pretty spots, plenty of exploration awaits you. their example and have a wonderful time. MONTEGO BAY Often referred to as Mo-Bay, Montego Bay has flourished to becoming Jamaica’s premier tourist destination and the island’s second-largest city. A cosmopolitan holiday centre, Mo-Bay’s city streets are crowded, colorful and lively and country folk flock in to visit markets, shops and banks. The area is famed for its great resort properties, all with sophisticated Sunbathers lounging under the umbrellas at the popular Doctor's Cave Beach. (Photo: Heidi Zech) Golfers enjoy the spectacular scenery of the White Witch, Rose Hall. (Photo: Travel + Leisure Golf) facilities and many with dynamic The diversity of attractions, activities and excursions are surely some of the reason why visitors find Jamaica entertainment programs each evening. Originally a sugar and banana town, the sugar factories have now so enjoyable. Don’t miss a visit to the famous Dunn River Fall’s or a trip along the Martha Brae on a bamboo closed down. raft. Nature lovers can experience the many mountains trails, rivers and natural splendors on a guided tour, Mo-Bay’s original claim to resort fame was the fabulous Doctor’s Cave Beach which attracted celebrities and and organized hike or on the back of a jeep. It is all there waiting for you. Excursions go to the most popular socialites from all over the world. The Beach, which is said to be fed by mineral springs, is still one of the attractions from every resort almost daily. Check our ISLAND ADVENTURE section for some good ideas. area’s most popular beaches. From reggae to rock, clubs throughout the area provide visitors with an endless For avid golfers, five 18-hole championship golf courses are beautifully situated along this coastline and variety of nighttime action. Popular weekly theme events attract both locals and visitors to the bars and offer exciting degrees of challenge. See our GOLF section to learn about the three spectacular courses of eateries of Gloucester Avenue, known as the ‘Hip Strip’, where music, dancing, food and drink are abundant. Go The ld Coas The Palmera Resort & Spa t Falmouth Rose Hall Montego Bay Duncans Lucea Sandy Bay Runaway Bay Ocho St. Ann Bay Green Island Rios Oracabessa Negril Buff Bay Savannah-La-Mar Hope Bay Port Antonio Blue Fields Boston Bay LongBay White House Mandeville Black River Manchioneal Kingston Port Royal Bull Bay Treasure Beach Bowden Yallahs Morant Bay Lionel Town APPROX DRIVING MILEAGE Black River Falmouth Kingston Mandeville Montego Bay Negril Ocho Rios Port Antonia St. Ann’s Bay Black River • 62 107 43 46 49 94 156 87 Falmouth 62 • 91 53 23 75 44 110 37 Kingston 107 91 • 61 119 153 54 61 59 Mandeville 43 53 61 • 70 92 72 117 62 Montego Bay 46 23 119 70 • 52 67 133 60 Negril 49 75 153 92 52 117 181 110 JAMAICA Ocho Rios 94 44 54 72 67 117 66 7 Port Antonia 156 110 61 117 133 181 66 73 St. Ann’s Bay 87 37 59 62 60 110 7 73 • JAMAICA TOURIST 02 JT_ISSUE3_AW 1/6/06 14:38 Page 3 OCHO RIOS PORT ANTONIO Ocho Rios and Runaway Bay are Nestled between twin harbors on the island’s northeast curve, located in the heart of the north- where mist-shrouded mountains drop down to the sea, Port Antonio coast region defined by fern-clad glows with the green hues of palms and ferns, laced with the cliffs and cascading waterfalls, not brilliant reds and yellows of its tropical flora. The capital of far from where Columbus first Portland Parish, Port Antonio was Jamaica’s most important center landed more than 500 years ago. for banana growth and export in the late 1800’s. Life moves at a A highlight of any trip to Ocho Rios slower pace here than it does elsewhere on the island, so there is is a visit to Dunn’s River Falls, one more time to enjoy swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving in the of the island’s best-known natural shimmering Blue Lagoon, which is fed by freshwater springs and attractions. Visitors can enjoy a said to reach a depth of 200 feet (60 meters). A popular activity Visitors enjoying a local hangout. (Photo: JTB) Dunn’s River Falls. (Photo JTB.) careful climb up its limestone tiers is Rio Grande rafting, a two-hour river cruise on a bamboo raft built of this dramatic 600-foot drop of cascading water, followed by a swim at the beach below. Ocho Rios is also for two. A trip to Somerset Falls on the Daniels River offers a refreshing dip in exhilarating waters in a gorge home to Dolphin Cove where bottlenose dolphins are trained to swim and mingle happily with visitors. of natural rock, and the rewards of a good on-site restaurant. The waters around Port Antonio offer some of the best deep-sea fishing off the coast of Jamaica, with marlin, tuna, kingfish and dolphin in abundance. NEGRIL At the western tip of the island, Negril is a favorite resort area known for its natural beauty, with a seven-mile THE SOUTH COAST ribbon of white-sand beach and perfect conditions for swimming and snorkeling. Grotto-lined cliffs stretch to With a rugged coastline, rambling the old Negril Lighthouse, built in 1894. The ambience is relaxed; the mood is laid-back; the fashion is casual. hills, a river cutting through jungle Pre-sunset entertainment at wetlands, and a seaport defined Rick’s Café includes daredevil by elegant Georgian architecture, dives by local athletes from the the area known as South Coast is 30-foot cliff top towering beside intriguingly diverse. Travelers in this local hot spot. search of privacy and solitude will With its remarkable coral reefs enjoy isolated beaches in this and calm, clear waters, Negril is area, where the only footprints are a diver’s paradise and several their own. Jamaica Tours offers excellent PADI licensed Safari’s down the Black River, Travelling down the river on a bamboo raft. (Photo: JTB) companies offer numerous Jamaica’s longest navigable river, additional water sports, including and excursions to YS Falls, a 120-foot (36-meter) cascading waterfall amid 2,000 acres of pasture. Wildlife flourishes in the surrounding protected wetlands, and includes lizards, frogs and crocodiles. leisurely catamaran cruises. Divers enjoy the blue waters at Negril's coastline. (Photo: JTB) a ‘Red Cap’ for 22 years. He has witnesses many changes at the airport and is excited about the upgrades that are changing 39 YEARS OF ‘RED CAP’ SERVICE Sangster Airport into a world-class facility. Says Robinson: “We hey appear like magic, seemingly out of nowhere, when you need them are here to take care of arriving and departing passengers and get them to the right destination!” His most memorable the most.