Sitting on the Caribbean Sea, the nation of Jamaica is an island that bonders Hispaniola Island and Cuba to the west and south respectively. Jamaica is a relatively small island, with a population of less than 3 million people. The country is still to date one of the few remaining commonwealth realms with the head of state being Queen Elizabeth. The country is largely cosmopolitan consisting of East Indians, Chinese, Mulattoes, Whites, and others. Jamaica’s major religion is Christianity even though most people tend to think that Rastafarian dominates the country. While the country is working hard to market itself as a top tourism destination on the Caribbean, the country’s main resources include papaya, coffee, limestone, sugarcane, gypsum, and bauxite.
Jamaica enjoys a tropical climate characterized by hot and fairly humid weather with the higher regions in the inland zones being more temperate. Storm damages are not unusual here but are less severe unlike in other Caribbean islands. Kingston is the country’s capital and other major cities include Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril, Morant Bay, Port Antonio, Falmouth, and Black River city. Other notable touristy destinations are such as Manchester in Jamaica, cave valley, Nassau Valley and Blue Mountains. USA citizens including citizens coming by cruise ships are not required to get a visa or passport. You can apply for a passport here. Tourists entering Jamaica are served by Norman Manley International Airport and Donald Sangster International Airport in Kingston and Montego Bay respectively which receive large numbers of visitors daily.
During your visit to Jamaica, make sure you travel to Nine Mile and see the birthplace of Bob Marley where he is also buried. Traveling up the mountains will great you a great experience of Jamaica country life and you can then proceed on to Negril mile beach where you will enjoy cliff diving and experience the spectacular sunset.
There are many things to do in Jamaica including hiking, snorkeling, camping, backpacking, horse riding, jet skiing, swimming, scuba diving, swimming with the dolphins, drinking, a visit to giddy house, and kite surfing. Another must-see attraction in Jamaica is the Dunn’s River Falls. These falls are pretty gorgeous and you will enjoy a great experience climbing up to them. Hotel marriages have of late shaped tourism industry in Jamaica and you can enjoy an incredible experience if at all you come across some marriages taking place.
Jamaica holds a record as being one of the countries in the world with a high murder rate. As a traveler, you should always be ready for emergencies and you must have contacts of your government embassy with you. Drugs’ selling is common in Jamaica and you should keep off locals who look suspicious. While Marijuana or ganja in Jamaica is powerful, plentiful, and cheap, it is nevertheless illegal and most foreigners have been arrested for using the drug while thinking that it is legal. At night, you will need to be careful as alcohol and drugs are prevalent in the cities and rural areas can also be very dangerous.
