Travel to Jamaica
Ecotour Directory
Local Tour Operators & Guides
Arrowhead Birding Tours (Ricardo Miller, rmiller@arrowheadbirding.com, miller@nepa.gov.jm, +1-876-260-9006)
Attraction Link Limited (Wayne Murdoch, attractionslink@cwjamaica.com)
Hotel Mockingbird Hill (Shireen Aga, info@hotelmockingbirdhill.com)
Jamaica Conversation and Development Trust (Dwight Price, Ryan Love, Roger Thompson, jcdt@kasnet.com, +1-876-960-2848 or -2849)
Wendy Lee (wendylee@cwjamaica.com; +1-876-359-1505)
Marshall’s Pen (Ann Haynes-Sutton, asutton@cwjamaica.com, Brandon Ray)
Dwayne Swaby (dwayneswaby846@yahoo.com)
International Tour Operators
Ecolodges
Hotel Mockingbird Hill (Shireen Aga, info@hotelmockingbirdhill.com)
Lime Tree Farm (Charles Burbury, hello@limetreefarm.com)
Marshall’s Pen (Ann Haynes-Sutton, asutton@cwjamaica.com)
When to Visit
March and April are the best months for bird observation, as breeding behaviors make most resident species more conspicuous and responsive. The second half of April, after the tourist high season ends, is probably the very best time to visit, optimizing all the major factors: observation, weather, and crowds.
Rain: Average rainfall totals in May, September, and October are roughly double those of any other month—September and October are also peak hurricane season. The tourist high season, January through mid-April, is by far the driest time of year.
Heat: June, July, and August are sweltering. November and December are cool, moderately wet, and moderately busy for tourism. November is less busy, and therefore a good time to find bargains and solitude.
Disruptive Holidays: Carnival in late February; Reggae Sumfest in late July; Emancipation Day, August 1; Independence Day, August 6; and National Heroes Day, third Monday in October.
Necessities
Entry Requirements
Passports must be valid for the full duration of the visit, but Jamaica does not require validity beyond the length of stay.
Entry Visas: Citizens of the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, all other British Commonwealth countries, the EU, and Japan do not need a visa to enter Jamaica and stay for up to 90 days. Citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, and Ecuador do not need a visa to stay for up to 30 days. Others must obtain an entry visa—this can be issued upon arrival, but requires an outbound ticket and evidence of sufficient funds.
Vaccinations: Travelers who have recently visited a country with yellow fever may be required to show a certificate of vaccination from within the past ten years. (However, this requirement may be revised, as the World Health Organization has altered its long-standing advice and now believes that the yellow fever vaccination confers lifelong immunity.)
Local Address: Be prepared to provide the immigration officer with the specific address of a hotel or other accommodations, or risk being detained for questioning. This is a peculiar screening mechanism with no good rationale, but it is easy enough to avoid.
Money
The Jamaican Dollar (J$ or JMD) tends to run in the neighborhood of US$0.01 (a.k.a. one red cent). U.S. currency is widely accepted, which saves time for some visitors from the U.S., but often results in higher prioes under informal exchange rates. Many hotels and restaurants that cater to tourists post their prices in US$, and many ATMs dispense both Jamaican and U.S. dollars.
Despite the widespread acceptance of US$, when venturing off the tourist circuit, it is important to carry J$. Most stores and service providers whose clientele is primarily Jamaican do business exclusively in J$.
Acceptance of credit cards varies. The more expensive hotels and restaurants naturally rely on them, but most low-cost providers do not accept them. Some budget hotels and guesthouses accept PayPal, but this is far from universal.
Transportation
Driving is on the left; steering wheels are on the right. Fast, aggressive, reckless drivers are everywhere. They share the roads with an equal number of slow, passive, cautious drivers. Most of the routes around and through Jamaica are paved, but potholes can be a problem, so in those areas where travel at highway speeds is possible it requires careful and continuous attention to the oncoming road surface.
All the principal sites for birdwatching can be reached with a 2WD passenger car, though high clearance is useful in some areas—particularly in the Blue Mountains, Cockpit Country, and the Treasure Beach area.
Rental Cars: Renting through the major agencies tends to be expensive by U.S. standards. There are many small and informal “agencies” that are cheaper. If you rent from an agency, be sure to check thoroughly for scratches and imperfections of any kind. Some agencies have a common practice of adding charges for minor damage upon return.
Public Transportation: Travelers who do not rent their own set of wheels in Jamaica should be aware of the “route taxi” option. These are vans that follow a route and can be hailed along the way. Many Jamaicans rely on them, and they can be a highly economical and efficient way to get around.
Hired Drivers: It is very common for tourists to hire a driver for a day, for a particular transfer or excursion, or even for the duration of a visit to Jamaica. Most hotels will gladly arrange for a driver—in fact, most hotels will offer this service unprompted. But this service does not come cheaply in Jamaica.
When hiring a private taxi or minibus for excursions—particularly if not arranged through a trusted source—the official recommendation is to hire only those approved by the Jamaica Tourist Board, which have a blue JTB sticker on the windshield. The driver should also have a JTB photo ID.
Electricity
Compatible with the U.S.: 110v/50hz.
Food
Jamaica’s best-known contribution to global cuisine is jerk—a slow-roasting barbecue method of preparing meat that has come to be synonymous with the accompanying spicy seasoning or sauce.
Less familiar to foreigners, Jamaican curry goat is a traditional dish that pleases most palates.
Be advised that the widely served “Jamaican breakfast” (which usually refers to a stir-fry of salted cod and a fruit called ackee) is not for everyone, particularly the fruits and tubers used as starches.
For a good summary of typical Jamaican dishes and drinks, see https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/caribbean/jamaica/food-and-drink/.
Hazards and Hassles
Health
Mosquitoes are abundant year-round in many parts of Jamaica, so frequent use of insect repellent and other precautions are advisable. Most hotels either spray their properties with insecticides or provide a tent of mosquito netting for each bed, or both. Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya are present but not at epidemic levels. Malaria and yellow fever have not been present in recent years.
The HIV infection rate in Jamaica is close to 2%. Hepatitis A is endemic.
Don’t drink the tap water—unless you are in a major tourist area and have assurances from multiple independent sources that it is safe.
Crime
It is an unfortunate fact that the main danger travelers are likely to face in Jamaica is Jamaicans. Over the years Kingston has had the highest violent crime rates in the West Indies, although most of this violence is between gangs, and does not target visitors. In particular, the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office identifies the neighborhoods West Kingston, Grant’s Pen, August Town, Harbour View, Mountain View, and Spanish Town as requiring caution.
In 2017 Montego Bay’s murder rate exceeded Kingston’s, and foreign governments issued travel advisories to their citizens and recommended that they remain within resorts. The Montego Bay neighborhoods Flankers, Barrett Town, Norwood, Glendevon, Rose Heights, and Mount Salem have been flagged for criminal activity.
The large resort towns Ocho Rios, Negril, and to a lesser extent Port Antonio have long been known for high levels of petty crime, mainly hustlers and opportunistic thieves. Some of the smaller tourist attractions have a resident cohort of aggressive hustlers who insist on being paid as guides, though their services amount to a protection fee (i.e., payment to protect you from themselves). The Bath Fountain (inland from Port Morant) and Boston Beach are notorious for this type of shakedown.
Away from the tourist traps and urban slums, most Jamaicans are extremely polite and friendly to strangers. Visitors who approach interactions with an open attitude and respectful manners will find the country a welcoming paradise of human warmth.
Drugs
Despite the holy status of ganja in Rastafarian ritual and the clouds that waft freely around the island, marijuana is illegal in Jamaica. Effective April 2015, possession of up to two ounces is no longer a criminal offense, but remains a misdemeanor punishable by a modest fine (J$500 at the inception of the new law). All other drug-related offenses, including attempts to take any quantity of marijuana out of the country, are still crimes subject to prison terms.
Whenever walking off the beaten path, be mindful of the possibility of stumbling upon a plot of Jamaica’s leading cash crop. In this event, assume that you are in mortal danger: leave as quickly and inconspicuously as possible.
Women
In most countries, unaccompanied women in deserted areas run some risk of harassment or assault, and that risk is elevated at night. The risk is difficult to quantify—Jamaica is probably not far from the global average—but may be magnified by cultural factors that may be imperceptible to foreigners. For example, Jamaican women are known for being assertive (not to say loud), so foreign women who lack this trait may be at a particular disadvantage.
Like most societies, Jamaica is internally conflicted over sexual matters. Attitudes at the beach and in most tourist enclaves are obviously relaxed, but elsewhere many Jamaicans have a reserved sense of propriety and disapprove of public displays of affection. Bear in mind that cultural misunderstandings are possible. Gestures that would seem innocuously friendly in your home country may appear more significant.
LGBT
Jamaican culture is more conservative than North America, Europe, and East Asia in its range of attitudes toward LGBT identities and self-presentation. As a matter of physical safety, travelers should decide on their own tolerance for risk and make an informed decision before coming out or acting out in any foreign country, and Jamaica is no exception.