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WHERE TO GO |
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Most of Jamaica's tourist business is concentrated in the resorts of
Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril, which together attract hundreds of
thousands of visitors every year. Montego Bay is a busy, commercial city
with hotels lined up along its lively main strip, a stone's throw from a
couple of Jamaica's most famous beaches. There's a great entertainment
scene, especially during the annual August Reggae Sumfest festival. To
the west is Negril, its low-rise hotels slung along seven miles of
fantastic white sand and two miles of dramatic cliffs. It's younger,
more laid-back, and with a longstanding reputation for hedonism that
still carries a hint of the truth. East of MoBay, and the least
individualistic of the big three, Ocho Rios embodies high-impact tourism
- purpose-built in the 1960s to provide the ultimate package of sun,
sand and sea. It's not an overly attractive place, and the beaches don't
compare favourably with Negril and MoBay, but its tourist infrastructure
is undeniably strong - the place is packed with shops, restaurants, bars
and watersports - and you're right by some of Jamaica's leading
attractions, including the famous Dunn's River waterfall.
Jamaica's quieter east and south coasts offer a far less packaged -
perhaps more rewarding - experience, and there are plenty of real gems
worth hunting out. In the island's east , lush, sleepy Port Antonio and
its increasingly popular neighbour, Long Bay , provide gateways to some
of Jamaica's greatest natural attractions, like the cascading waterfall
at Reach. The south coast offers different pleasures, from gentle beach
action at easy-going Treasure Beach - the perfect base from which to
explore area delights such as the YS waterfalls - to boat safaris in
search of local wildlife on the Black River .
Last, but in no way least, Kingston is the true heart of Jamaica, a
thrilling place, pulsating with energy and spirit, that is home to more
than a third of the island's 2.5 million people. This is not just the
nation's political capital but the focus of its art, theatre and music
scenes, with top-class hotels, restaurants and shopping, a clubbing
scene that is second to none and legendary fried fish on offer at the
fabulous Hellshire beach. A stunning backdrop to the city, the cool,
coffee-smothered Blue Mountains offer plenty of hiking possibilities,
while the nearby fishing village of Port Royal , once a pirate refuge,
provides historic diversion.
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