what to do in the caribbean: Charter a yacht - or take a daysail Golf in Jamaica, Barbados or the Cayman Islands Check out our Caribbean Calendar of events Take a Walking tour of historic Zona Colonial

Tourist Information:

In the US: Jamaican Tourist Board 801 Second Avenue, 20th Floor New York, NY 10017 Tel: 212-856-9727 Tel: 800-233-4JTB Jamaican Tourist Board 1315 Walnut Street Suite 918 Philadelphia, PA 19107 Tel: 215-545-1061 Jamaican Tourist Board 500 North Michigan Ave Suite 1030 Chicago, IL 60611 Tel: 312-527-1296 Jamaican Tourist Board 1320 South Dixie Highway Coral Gables, FL 33146 Tel: 305-665-0557 Jamaican Tourist Board 300 West Wienca Road Suite 100A Atlanta, GA 30342 Tel: 404-250-9971 Jamaican Tourist Board 8214 Westchester Suite 500 Dallas, TX 75225 Tel: 214-361-8778 Jamaican Tourist Board 3440 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 1207 Los Angeles, CA 90010 Tel: 213-384-1123

In Canada: Jamaican Tourist Board 1 Eglinton Avenue E, Suite 616 Toronto, Ontario M4P 3A1 Canada Tel: 416-482-7850 In the UK: Jamaican Tourist Board 1-2 Prince Consort Road London SW7 4BZ England Tel: 0171-224-0505 In Jamaica: Jamaican Tourist Board 2 St. Lucia Avenue New Kingston, Box 360 Kingston 5, Jamaica Tel: 876-929-9200 Jamaican Tourist Board Cornwall Street Montego Bay, Jamaica Tel: 876-952-4425 Jamaican Tourist Board 20 Adriji Place Negril, Jamaica Tel: 876-957-4243 Jamaican Tourist Board Ocean Village Shopping Center Ocho Rios, Jamaica Tel: 876-974-2582 Jamaican Tourist Board City Center Plaza Port Antonio, Jamaica Tel: 876-993-3051

Currency:

The official currency of Jamaica is the Jamaican Dollar. The U.S. dollar is accepted almost everywhere, but be careful because both the U.S. and Jamaican dollars are represented by the "$" symbol. The United Nations offers exchange rate information.

110 volts, 50 cycles AC. Some hotels have 220 volts.

These events have a tendency to change venue and date rapidly. We strongly suggest calling or writing the Tourist Board to get exact information.

• Montego Bay Yacht Club Easter Regatta, Easter Week
• Jamaica Carnival, April
• Negril Carnival, May
• Ocho Rios Jazz Festival, June
• Sun Splash Reggae Festival
• Reggae Sunfest, August
• Independence Day Street Parade, Mid August
• Port Antonio Blue Marlin Tournament, October
• Harmony Hall Christmas Craft Fair, November

The official language is English, but Jamaicans often speak a patois amongst themselves.

The area code for Jamaica is 876, followed by a seven digit local number. Telecommunications of Jamaica provides cable, telephone fax and telex service on the island.

Taxis:
Taxis can be hailed on the streets or called from your hotel. JUTA and JCAL are the only two taxi companies approved by the Jamaican Tourist Board.

Car Rentals: Keep in mind that you must drive on the left.

• Island Car Rental is Jamaica's largest car rental agency
  Tel: 800-892-4581.
• Dhana Car Rental is an independent agency located in Montego Bay at the Holiday Village Shopping Center.
  Tel: 809-953-9555
• Avis - 800-331-1212
• Dollar - 800-800-4000
• National - 800-227-3876
• Hertz - 800-654-3131
• Budget - 876-952-3838

Planes:

• Air Jamaica is Jamaica's main carrier, as well as one of the largest Caribbean carriers. Tel: 800-523-5585
• Air Negril is a small local carrier for short hops around Jamaica.
• Trans-Jamaica Airlines schedules frequent domestic flights between all the major resort areas in Jamaica.
  • Kingston - 876-923-8680
  • Ocho Rios - 876-975-3254
  • Montego Bay - 876-952-5401
  • Negril - 876-957-4251
  • Port Antonio - 876-993-2405

General:
See our car rental, airline, cruise line and tour operator listings for more information.

Temperatures vary from 80 to 90 degrees on the coasts, to as low as 40 degrees on the highest mountains. The average temperature in most areas is 75 degrees. The wettest months are normally May and October and in some areas, annual rainfall is over 80 inches. You can see a forecast for Kingston from USAToday, or a forecast for Kingston from Intellicast. Please visit our Caribbean Weather Page for the latest forecasts and weather news.

favorite hotels & resorts

The Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall, Jamaica

Couples Ocho Rios All Inclusive

jamaica guide books

The Rough Guide to Jamaica 4 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) by Rough Guides (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

Frommer's Jamaica (Frommer's Complete) by Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours