Jamaica. 4th Edition. by Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince. Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete. Booklist

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2 Jamaica 4th Edition by Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince Here s what the critics say about Frommer s: Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete. Booklist Detailed, accurate, and easy-to-read information for all price ranges. Glamour Magazine Hotel information is close to encyclopedic. Des Moines Sunday Register Frommer s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place. Knight Ridder Newspapers

4 Jamaica 4th Edition by Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince Here s what the critics say about Frommer s: Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete. Booklist Detailed, accurate, and easy-to-read information for all price ranges. Glamour Magazine Hotel information is close to encyclopedic. Des Moines Sunday Register Frommer s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place. Knight Ridder Newspapers

5 About the Authors As a team of veteran travel writers, Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince have produced numerous titles for Frommer s including best-selling guides to Italy, France, the Caribbean, England, and Germany. Porter, a former bureau chief of The Miami Herald, is also a noted Hollywood biographer. His most recent release is entitled Brando Unzipped, a close-up of the private life of the late Marlon Brando. Prince was formerly employed by the Paris bureau of the New York Times, and is today the president of Blood Moon Productions and other media-related firms. Published by: Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ Copyright 2006 Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978/ , fax 978/ Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, 317/ , fax 317/ , or online at Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Frommer s is a trademark or registered trademark of Arthur Frommer. Used under license. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. ISBN-13: ISBN-10: Editor: Michael Kelly Production Editor: M. Faunette Johnston Cartographer: Anton Crane Photo Editor: Richard Fox Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800/ , outside the U.S. at 317/ or fax 317/ Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. Manufactured in the United States of America

6 Contents List of Maps vi What s New in Jamaica 1 1 The Best of Jamaica 3 1 The Best Beaches The Best Watersports Outfitters The Best Golf Courses The Best Tennis Facilities The Best Natural Attractions The Best Honeymoon Resorts The Best Family-Friendly Resorts The Best Places to Get Away from It All The Best All-Inclusives The Best Restaurants The Best Romantic Experiences The Best Shopping Buys The Best After-Dark Fun Planning Your Trip to Jamaica 12 1 Jamaica in Brief Visitor Information Entry Requirements & Customs Money Currency Exchange Rates What Things Cost in Jamaica (Montego Bay) When to Go Jamaica Calendar of Events Travel Insurance Health & Safety Specialized Travel Resources Tying the Knot in Jamaica Planning Your Trip Online Frommers.com: The Complete Travel Resource The 21st-Century Traveler Flying with Film & Video Online Traveler s Toolbox Flying to Jamaica Getting Through the Airport Packages for the Independent Traveler Ask Before You Go Special-Interest Trips What the Meal Plans Mean For the Cruise-Ship Traveler Getting Around Tips on Accommodations The All-Inclusive: Safe Haven, or Not for You? Tips on Dining Out Tips on Shopping The Java of Kings Recommended Books Fast Facts: Jamaica

7 iv CONTENTS 3 Suggested Itineraries 51 1 Exploring the North Coast in a Week: Montego Bay to Port Antonio Circling Round the South Coast in a Week: Negril to Kingston Jamaica for Families Montego Bay & the Northwest Coast 65 1 Orientation Fast Facts: Montego Bay Where to Stay Honeymooning at Half Moon Where to Dine Beaches, Golf & Other Outdoor Pursuits Seeing the Sights Walking Tour A Stroll Through Montego Bay The White Witch of Rose Hall Shopping Avoiding the Mo Bay Hustle Montego Bay After Dark Hunting the Green Flash Falmouth: Decaying Georgian Charm Walking Tour: Strolling Through Falmouth Interior St. James Parish The Maroon Country The Cockpit Country Negril Orientation Fast Facts: Negril Where to Stay Where to Dine Hitting the Beach & Other Outdoor Pursuits Exploring the Area Shopping Negril After Dark The South Coast & Mandeville The South Coast Mandeville Fast Facts: Mandeville Ocho Rios & Runaway Bay Ocho Rios Fast Facts: Ocho Rios Noël s Folly The Potter s Art Jamaica Evaluates Its Jerks Runaway Bay A Tribute to Bob Marley

8 CONTENTS v 8 Port Antonio Orientation Bligh, the Bounty & the Breadfruit Fast Facts: Port Antonio Where to Stay Where to Dine The Green Gold of Port Antonio Beaches & Outdoor Pursuits The Blue Lagoon The Jerk Center of the Universe Exploring the Area Eco-Cultural Tours The Windward Maroons Shopping Port Antonio After Dark Kingston & the Blue Mountains Orientation Fast Facts: Kingston Where to Stay Where to Dine Beaches & Other Outdoor Pursuits Seeing the Sights Shopping Kingston After Dark Side Trips to Spanish Town & Port Royal The Wickedest City on Earth Cays & Mangroves Exploring the Blue Mountains Appendix: Jamaica in Depth History Dateline Jamaica Natural Did You Know? Jamaican Style The Jamaican People & Their Culture Ganja Calypso, Reggae & Rap: The Rhythms of Jamaica Jamaican Food & Drink Index 267 General Index Accommodations Index Restaurant Index

9 List of Maps Jamaica 4 Jamaica s North Coast in One Week 52 Jamaica s South Coast in One Week 58 Montego Bay 66 Walking Tour: A Stroll through Montego Bay 93 Walking Tour: Strolling through Falmouth 101 The Northwest Coast 104 Negril Accommodations 113 Negril Dining 127 The South Coast 141 Mandeville & Environs 153 Ocho Rios 159 Port Antonio 195 East of Port Antonio 215 West of Port Antonio 219 Kingston Area 226 Spanish Town 239 Port Royal 241 The Blue Mountains 245

10 An Invitation to the Reader In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places hotels, restaurants, shops, and more. We re sure you ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed with a recommendation, we d love to know that, too. Please write to: Frommer s Jamaica, 4th Edition Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River St. Hoboken, NJ An Additional Note Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time and this is especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirmation when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us, however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets. Other Great Guides for Your Trip: Frommer s Caribbean Frommer s Caribbean Ports of Call Caribbean For Dummies Frommer s Virgin Islands Frommer s Portable Aruba Frommer s Dominican Republic Frommer s Puerto Rico Frommer s Cuba

11 Frommer s Star Ratings, Icons & Abbreviations Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system. In country, state, and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (recommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star (highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see). In addition to the star-rating system, we also use eight feature icons that point you to the great deals, in-the-know advice, and unique experiences that separate travelers from tourists. Throughout the book, look for: Finds Fun Fact Kids Moments Overrated Tips Value Warning Special finds those places only insiders know about Fun facts details that make travelers more informed and their trips more fun Best bets for kids and advice for the whole family Special moments those experiences that memories are made of Places or experiences not worth your time or money Insider tips great ways to save time and money Great values where to get the best deals Warning traveler s advisories are usually in effect The following abbreviations are used for credit cards: AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa DC Diners Club MC MasterCard Frommers.com Now that you have the guidebook to a great trip, visit our website at for travel information on more than 3,000 destinations. With features updated regularly, we give you instant access to the most current trip-planning information available. At Frommers.com, you ll also find the best prices on airfares, accommodations, and car rentals and you can even book travel online through our travel booking partners. At Frommers.com, you ll also find the following: Online updates to our most popular guidebooks Vacation sweepstakes and contest giveaways Newsletter highlighting the hottest travel trends Online travel message boards with featured travel discussions

12 What s New in Jamaica The most volatile country in the Caribbean continues to explode with change. Here is a preview of just some of the latest developments. MONTEGO BAY For those who want to escape the all-inclusives, two affordable hotels have been upgraded and offer desirable accommodations to the frugal traveler. Gloriana, 1-21 Sunset Blvd. (& 876/ ; com), is just a 10-minute walk from Doctors Cave Beach. Bedrooms are compact but comfortably furnished. Another choice, The Gloustershire Hotel, Gloucester Ave. (& 877/ or 876/ ), opens right onto Doctors Cave Beach. Attractively and comfortably furnished rooms at moderate tariffs are the attraction, along with the resort s Waterfront Restaurant, known mainly for its Jamaican dishes. New restaurants have continued to open, hoping to lure diners away from their hotels at night. Among the best is Jasmine, in the Ritz-Carlton at Rose Hall (& 876/ ). Its international cuisine lures diners from outside the hotel, who dine by candlelight from an impeccable menu at intricately laid tables. Its chief rival is Nikkita s, Gloucester Ave. (& 876/ ), with a skilled kitchen staff offering one of the best modern Jamaican cuisines on the island. First-rate ingredients and finely honed dishes await you. NEGRIL At Jamaica s most hedonistic resort, the latest hotel development centers around two choices from a Spanish chain, Riu Tropical Bay and Club Riu Negril, Norman Manley Blvd. (& 876/ ; Opening onto a beachfront in the town center, the sprawling resort is painted in fiestainspired colors and offers cost-conscious all-inclusive deals. The resort has eight restaurants and a dozen bars. SOUTH COAST Sandals, the allinclusive Jamaican chain of couples-only retreats, has now invaded the south coast of Jamaica. The largest and best resort along the coast is at Whitehouse in Westmoreland province. Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa (& 800/ SANDALS or 876/ ; www. sandals.com) is the most massive hotel development the South Coast has ever seen. It occupies a 3.2km (2-mile) stretch of beachfront in a lush setting of 18 tropical hectares (45 acres). A 90-minute drive from Montego Bay airport, the resort features the usual high-quality bedrooms typical of Sandals properties, and seven different restaurants with a varied cuisine. OCHO RIOS At this coastal resort, so beloved by cruise-ship passengers, Shaw Park Beach Hotel, Cutlass Bay (& 800/ or 876/ ; www. shawparkbeachhotel.com), has made a dramatic comeback. The original hotel opened in 1955 but had grown tired over the years. Completely restored and redesigned, it is back with better rooms than ever, each well appointed, and the location on a private white sandy beach

13 2 WHAT S NEW remains the same. Frugal travelers are discovering the 99-unit Rooms on the Beach, Main Street (& 888/ or 876/ ; com), originally constructed in the 1970s but now restored. With simple but tasteful rooms offering practical comfort, it opens onto a desirable stretch of Mallard s Beach. Making its debut is a Spanish chain hotel, Riu Clubhotel Ocho Rios, Mammee Bay (& 888/ or 876/ ; Accommodations are quite luxe with private balconies and verandas and marble floors. The mammoth Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa, Main Street (& 800/ or 876/ ; www. sunsetjamaicagrande.com), has seen yet another reincarnation. Still one of the largest hotels on the islands, it is now an all-inclusive. Millions of dollars have been poured into its rejuvenation, and the money was well spent. A lot of Disney-inspired theatrics entice today s visitors, including lagoon-shaped swimming pools and waterfalls. The most discerning foodies in Ocho Rios are heading for The Dinner Terrace at The Jamaica Inn, Main Street (& 876/ ), drawn by its deluxe setting and its sublime continental and Caribbean cuisine, including Jamaican specialties. The menu changes nightly and has been vastly improved since its initial opening, with the recent hiring of new chefs. Come here for a night of Jamaican posh. Equally grand but more pretentious is Le Papillon Restaurant and the Caviar Bar at the Royal Plantation, Main Street (& 876/ ), featuring a refined continental cuisine and the best caviar on the island. Small jars of caviar are opened like holy relics, but you can also feast on such delights as Caribbean lobster soup with black pepper rum. PORT ANTONIO At long last a new marina has opened in this remote resort, and the best chef in Jamaica, Norma Shirley, has already invaded. She calls her place Norma s at the Marina (& 876/ ), and her take on Jamaican specialties and a refined continental cuisine is one of the best if not the best offered along the island s north coast. You can sit on the terrace checking out the arriving yachts, or retreat inside the mahogany-trimmed dining room open to the breezes. From the reggae salad studded with sautéed shrimp to several different versions of grilled fish, Norma will feed you well.

Greece 4th Edition. by John S. Bowman & Sherry Marker. with cruise coverage by Heidi Sarna. Here s what the critics say about Frommer s:

Greece 4th Edition. by John S. Bowman & Sherry Marker. with cruise coverage by Heidi Sarna. Here s what the critics say about Frommer s: Greece 4th Edition & Sherry Marker with cruise coverage by Heidi Sarna Here s what the critics say about Frommer s: Amazingly easy to use. Very portable, very complete. Booklist Detailed, accurate, and