Jamaica
When Columbus discovered Jamaica in 1494, he is said to have remarked: "Never have eyes seen anything more beautiful." Hollywood star Errol Flynn enthused: "More enchanting than any woman ..." Celebrities from politics and showbiz have always been attracted by the beauty of the island, the lush vegetation and the bright beaches and have created exclusive hideaways here for generations. A lot has changed since 1946, when Ian Fleming purchased his "Goldeneye" residence near Oracabessa in the north of the island. The country became independent in 1962.
In the seventies, the reggae sound began its triumphal march around the world from here - as have the country's best track and field athletes since the nineties. In terms of tourism, however, Jamaica was long regarded only as a cruise port off the coast of the USA. Today, more Europeans are rediscovering the luxurious side of the third largest Caribbean island.
From Montego Bay to Kingston Town
An average temperature of 27 °C makes Jamaica, located 150 kilometers south of Cuba, a year-round travel destination. Winter is generally warm, with cool trade winds and little rain, while summer is hotter. September and October can also be humid and bring storms. The damage caused to houses and roads by Hurricane Gustav in 2008 has largely been repaired. Most visitors come from December until the carnival season in mid-April, when hotel and flight prices also rise.
The tourist centers have different advantages. The rugged capital Kingston offers the widest range of art, music and restaurants. However, crime is a problem in downtown and the hotel offerings are not very convincing. The Blue Mountains with their waterfalls, wild mango trees and coffee plantations are an Eldorado for birdwatchers and nature lovers, and one of the best coffees in the world is harvested here.
Most guests arrive in Montego Bay in the north and Ocho Rios is another lively cruise port. Nearby are also often overcrowded attractions such as Dunn's Waterfall. The remote northeast around Port Antonio is considered by many to be the most beautiful island region with its dense tropical vegetation, while in the poorer south there are still untouched bays. Negril on the west coast, formerly a hippie insider tip, is known for its many naturist resorts and eleven kilometers of sandy beaches.
resorts and eleven kilometers of sandy beach.
Reggae Island
The colorful mix of lively inhabitants completes the diversity of this former Caribbean pirate stronghold, which also stands out from other island paradises due to its distinctive music culture. Reggae has become a musical synonym for Jamaica. Its best-known ambassador was the bandleader Bob Marley, who died in 1981 at the height of his career. In addition to his immortal music, which is known all over the world, museums, monuments, studios and festivals in Jamaica - many of them under the direction of his family - commemorate the Rasta genius.
How this unique cultural heritage and modern, individual tourism concepts can come together is represented like no other by the white Jamaican entrepreneur Chris Blackwell, who led his record company "Island Records" from success to success over decades with artists such as Marley, U2 and Cat Stevens. Blackwell sold the company in 1989 and founded the boutique hotel chain "Island Outpost", which, in contrast to oversized bed castles, focuses on small cottages and villas, exclusive locations, closeness to nature and simple design, but also on social commitment. The jack-of-all-trades is on good terms with the British royal family and has supermodels such as Naomi Campbell and actors such as Johnny Depp adopt trees at his resorts. And there is also more than one link to Ian Fleming and "007": Blackwell started his music company with a job on the first James Bond film "Dr. No", which was shot in Jamaica in 1962. In 1976, instead of the reluctant Bob Marley, he acquired the "Goldeneye" property, which was later incorporated into his hotel chain.
Light and shadow
Away from the celebrities and paradisiacal film images, Jamaica is also known for its social and economic difficulties. Poverty and crime in the cities mean that some all-inclusive resorts do not sell local newspapers - tourists do not want to be exposed to negative headlines. Too little investment is made in areas where social disparities could be reduced. Many of the construction projects for further gated communities seem oversized. The concrete façade of the gigantic Palmyra Resort (opening after various postponements in winter 2009/10) rises almost menacingly not far from the excursion resort of Rose Hall near Montego Bay, where Spanish investors are unperturbedly building further large hotels. Whether the cruise giants from the USA will continue to dock so often in future is another anxious question.
Opportunities in the top segment
This makes the initiatives of prudent luxury hoteliers such as Blackwell or Half Moon's former German-speaking managing director Aram G. Zerunian, who invest funds in local projects, enable further training for local employees and thus open up sustainable tourism prospects for Jamaica in the upscale segment, all the more commendable. They should be sure of the applause of guests who are not only interested in the best hotels, but also in the unique host country.
Stefan Rambow
James Bond creator Ian Fleming knew after just three days' stay: "I'm going to spend the rest of my life here." The island has always enchanted a celebrity clientele. But how exclusive is Jamaica today?
! Photo: © Michael Lorenzet / pixelio.de!
Highlights
Gee Jam, Port Antonio
The Island Outpost boutique hotel is something to be seen - and heard. Grouped around a top music studio, the small, fine "Gee Jam" tropical resort is secluded in the green northeast with its numerous rivers and waterfalls. The nearby Port Antonio, long regarded as a retreat for US stars, is becoming increasingly important for discerning guests from Europe thanks to ecotourism. So when the few "Gee Jam" luxury suites are not occupied by stars such as Gwen Stefani or Sharon Stone, you can join pop icon Grace Jones: "I came, I saw - and I was defeated."
www.geejamhotel.com
DIPLOMATISCHE VERTRETUNGEN
in Germany
Embassy of Jamaica
Schmargendorfer Strasse 32, 12159 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 30 85994511
Fax: +49 30 85994540
E-Mail: info@jamador.de
www.jamaican-embassy-berlin.de
in Austria
Consulate General of Jamaica
Wiedner Hauptstraße 120/5.1, 1050 Vienna, Austria
Tel: +43 1 5450591
E-Mail: vienna@jamaicanconsulate.at
www.jamaicanconsulate.at
in Switzerland:
Embassy of Jamaica in Geneva
Rue de Lausanne 36, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Phone: +41 7315780
Fax: +41 7384420
E-mail: mission.jamaica@ties.itu.int
www.botschaft-konsulat.com
Lage
Jamaika ist ein selbständiger Inselstaat in der Karibik, Mitglied des Commonwealth Of Nations
Fläche
10.991 km²
Bevölkerung
2,715 Millionen (666.041 Kingston)
Sprache
Englisch
Hauptstadt
Kingston
Religion
Around two thirds belong to Protestant churches (Church of God, Baptists, Anglicans, Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, etc.), around 4% are Catholics, and there are a large number of smaller faith groups as well as Jewish, Islamic and Buddhist minorities.
Weather
Jamaika liegt in der tropischen Klimazone. Die Temperaturunterschiede im Jahresverlauf sind gering. In Kingston liegt das Monatsmittel im Jänner bei 25°C, im Juli bei 27°C. Von Mai bis Juni sowie von September bis November gibt es ausgeprägte Regenzeiten, wobei die Niederschlagsmenge geografisch sehr unterschiedlich ist. An der Südküste fallen etwa 800mm Regen im Jahr, in den Bergen des Nordostens etwa 5000mm. Im Spätsommer und Frühherbst wird die Insel oft von heftigen Stürmen und auch Hurrikans heimgesucht.
Klima
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Max. Temperaturen | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 |
| Min. Temperaturen | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 |
| Sonnenstunden | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Regentage | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
Zeitverschiebung
Eastern Standard Time (EST), Standard-Differenz UTC - 5 Stunden, Unterschied MESZ - 7 Stunden
Währung
Jamaica Dollar (JMD)
Visa
für SchweizerInnen und EU-BürgerInnen: Reisepass muss bei Einreise noch 6 Monate gültig sein.
Man darf sich bis 30 Tage ohne Visum im Land aufhalten. Reisende müssen ihre Wiederausreise (Rückflug- oder Weiterreiseticket) sowie genügend Geldmittel für den Aufenthalt nachweisen können.
Eine Verlängerung des Aufenthaltes ist grundsätzlich möglich. Ein entsprechender Antrag muss bei der Einwanderungsbehörde gestellt werden.
Vaccinations
None. If you were in a country with yellow fever 6 weeks before entering Jamaica, you must provide proof of yellow fever vaccination. Information without guarantee.
Jamaica food and drink - The best restaurants Jamaican cuisine is very diverse - from hellishly spicy to heavenly fruity, it's all there and provides a rollercoaster of flavors. Thanks to the different cultures that live in Jamaica, the cuisine is also shaped by different cultural influences and is characterized by African, Indian and British influences. Breakfast in particular differs fundamentally from the habits of Europeans, as Jamaicans start the day with a meal of fried liver and plantains, a meat stew and other sometimes strange-looking dishes. The national fruit of Jamaica is called ackee, a plant that is poisonous when unripe but goes perfectly with stockfish, onions and peppers when ripe. Most Jamaican dishes, such as jerk chicken or jerk pork, are very spicy as they are prepared with lots of pepper and a wide variety of spices. Rum is the most popular national drink and is enjoyed neat or in various cocktail variations. In contrast, Blue Mountain coffee is considered the best coffee in the world.
Nightlife Jamaica - Let yourself go
Nightlife in Jamaica is divided into two parts. On the one hand there is the
tourist nightlife and on the other hand the nightlife of the locals.
The
nightlife for tourists takes place around the major vacation resorts.
Montego Bay and Ocho Rios are the strongholds. While in Montego
Bay, locals and tourists still mix, this is no longer the case in Ocho Rios.
no longer the case in Ocho Rios.
A special feature of Montego Bay is the
casino. The so-called Jackpot Jungle offers the most
slot machines and the highest winnings in Jamaica. The Jackpot
Jungle is part of the famous Coral Cliff hotel.
Another
attraction of the Coral Cliff Hotel is the Chillin Snowscape. Yes,
you read that right. In the middle of Jamaica in Montego Bay there is a
snowscape where you can go skiing. In this snowscape
everything is made of ice, even the glasses for the short shots. After
a visit to Chillin, you'll know where the inspiration for a
Jamaican bobsleigh team comes from.
Golf Jamaica - "Island in the sun"
By the way
Jamaica, the third largest of the Antilles islands, has become a divine spot
for golfers. Twelve varied courses await players:
In addition, a wide variety of vacation resorts offer the necessary amusement:
from sophisticated Montego Bay with its many good restaurants, the already
legendary "Margaritaville" bar and the cult beach "Doctors Cave" to the
the north coast jewel Ocho Rios with the tourist attraction Dunn's River Falls and the Hollywood
Falls and the Hollywood-tested Port Antonio in the east to hip Negril in the west.
Negril in the west. The only golf course on a hill above Negril -
hence the name Negril Hills Golf Club - was designed by a non-golfing (!)
by a non-golfing (!) local, and the 18 fairways look as natural
natural as if they had always been here. Rainforest,
natural lakes, grass bunkers, roughs and an impressive number of doglegs and
doglegs and hills make this carefree vacation course so interesting that
interesting that you would like to play it more often - because it is better. What more could a golfer's heart want?
If you drive
south - a rental car is essential - it becomes much quieter and less touristy.
much quieter and less touristy. It takes about three hours to get to Kingston, the lively
capital at the foot of the Blue Mountains, takes about three hours - and good nerves.
and good nerves. There are parks, museums, lively markets and also two
18-hole golf courses: the Caymanas, a magnificent parkland course, considered by many to be the
considered by many to be the most beautiful on the island, and the Constant Spring Golf Club
Club, which was opened in 1920 by a Scotsman and is well frequented due to its
is well frequented due to its proximity to Kingston. The oldest course in the western
hemisphere, the Manchester Club, is located in the center of the island and was
built in 1868 in the historic part of Mandeville. The 18 holes
are among the most popular on the island.
Another
another small, fine jewel on the north-east coast near Ocho Rios is the
the Royal Plantation Club with several golf options: Next door
the 18 holes of the Sandals Golf & Country Club - a very well
well-kept vacation course with mature trees, flame trees, hills called
called "The Monster" or doglegs with the name "Boomerang". This is
west are the super club courses Ironshore Golf & Country Club with 18
& Country Club with 18 holes, Golf Club Braco with 9 holes and Breezes Runaway Bay
with 18 holes. The latter is a real vacation course for warming up
with straight, undulating fairways, without water hazards, but with lots of bunkers
bunkers and tall old trees that often block the view of the green.
the green. Many fairways run parallel to each other, so you sometimes
so that you sometimes have to take shelter from stray balls from other players.
There is also a constant stiff breeze from the sea, which can cause balls to run away.
balls can run away. At the end of the coastal road towards Montego
Bay, between elegant luxury resorts, three 18-hole courses are strung together like pearls.
lined up next to each other like pearls: Cinnamon Hill with fairways right by the sea
and in the hills of Rose Hall, a former sugar cane plantation, and Half Moon, a par-72 championship course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Finally, there's the real treat for golfers - the White Witch Golf Course.
But as difficult as the course may appear at first glance, the tee shots down
enjoyable are the downhill tee shots, and the view from above of the Caribbean Sea is
view of the Caribbean Sea from above. Nevertheless, the style of play
not without a certain drama, and as a golf volunteer you will probably want to
at the latest at hole 6, because the tee shot has to go straight across a
straight over a valley with a rocky precipice to the opposite side
opposite side, where three bunkers are already lurking. The clubhouse, built in the
manor house style, sits majestically on a hill overlooking the fairways
with a view across the fairways down to the castle-like Ritz-Carlton
resort. The final highlight of a golf trip to Jamaica should definitely be
Tryall Golf Club, which has already hosted a number of PGA tournaments with the best
the best of the golf scene. It is only 10 minutes from the Round Hill Resort
minutes by shuttle. Tryall was also built on a former sugar cane
sugar cane plantation, the "Great House" now functions as a small, fine hotel,
hotel and the fairways round off the view from above as far as the sea.
from above. While the first nine holes spread out over the hills towards the sea
the second nine run almost directly along the beach.
Hole 15 (par 3) is particularly tricky, where you play over a tongue of sea onto a
tiny island green that ends right by the ocean. The caddie, who
here, greets you with a smiling "Yaman", which means "all clear", and
which means "all clear", and the round is accordingly - without stress,
with magnificent views and Caribbean temperatures.
Jamaica Tourism - The most beautiful places and museums
The diverse landscape of Jamaica is beautiful - sugary beaches, rainforests and unique rocky coastlines. Thanks to improvements in infrastructure, it's also easier than ever to create an itinerary that takes in all the island's beautiful sights. Resorts, large and small, have lined up along the coast, offering a wide range of water sports such as kayaking, kite surfing, deep sea fishing and scuba diving. Inland, canopy tours are offered with a bird's eye view of the lush interior, as well as rafting tours departing from nearby Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Port Antonio. Golf is another big attraction, especially in Montego Bay, which is home to three championship courses.
Jamaica Shop - An experience in itself
Shopping in Jamaica is an experience in itself. The islanders trade in goods of all kinds, from local handicrafts to imported designer watches and perfumes, all at extremely reasonable prices. However, you have to master the art of haggling in Jamaica. Except in the city center, for example the Half Moon Shopping Village and Holiday Village Shopping Centre (all in Montego Bay), prices are fixed and no haggling is allowed. Prices may be slightly higher than market prices, but this will save you the haggling and bargaining
Hotels
