2 Centre Holiday – Jamaica +1 Possible with New Lo-Cost Flights

JetBlue Airways are not just flying from New York to Kingston but in April 2012 will be flying between Kingston and Fort Lauderdale twice daily.  This is perfect for those who want to visit Jamaica from the UK and beat the unfair UK Air Passenger Duty in which passengers are taxed double the amount to fly to the Caribbean than they are to the US from the UK.  You can now enjoy a warm-weather 2-centre Florida and Jamaica holiday rather than the hot and cold centre NY City & Jamaica that we recommended last Christmas.

Exciting air news for birders is that the lo-cost airline REDjet has new flights between Barbados and Jamaica that start at US$9.99.  These cheap flights mean that for those wanting to bird in both Trinidad & Jamaica it is now affordable using Barbados as your hub.

Lastly for those who fancy a dual Cuba & Jamaican holiday (and who wouldn’t??), from December 15^th 2011 Jamaica Air Shuttle will now be flying direct twice a week to Santiago de Cuba on Thursdays & Sundays via Kingston or Montego Bay – perfect for those who’ve always fancied a long weekend in Cuba!

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North East Jamaica Tours & Attractions – The Cost of a-b

We’ve created a map listing the cost of local tours and excursions from Mocking Bird Hill to help our guests plan their days out before they arrive.
 
We know how much you like to research your coveted holiday and by creating this map we think it will help you budget  the where and when of your Jamaican holiday, as well as hopefully provide some further ideas based on our previous guests favourites and a few of our own.

We’ve also included the cost of taxis within the map as we know that it can be a little difficult to calculate these, so next to them is actual journey time. Click here to view the map in full

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Tips for Flying to Jamaica, Care of Ian Fleming

Wanting to explore and savor the sights, sounds and tastes of Jamaica, but need some tips about flying here.  We’ve got a new couple of new tips to share for those thinking about booking a flight to Jamaica over the winter.

Jamaica’s 3rd Airport Opening
Do make sure you check if your airline is able to land at the new Ian Fleming Airport, just outside Ochos Rios which will be opening the second week of January 2011.  Jamaica’s new and third airport is just 1.5 hours away by car from Hotel Mocking Bird Hill which cuts down on transit time and increases holiday time and although it is catering primarily for private jets, some airlines are flying there.

Cutting Down on UK Departure Tax When Flying to the Caribbean
The UK's new departure air tax bands are calculated on the  distance from London to the destination’s capital city, passengers travelling to Hawaii currently pay less duty than those flying to Jamaica from London.

How to Avoid the Tax & Have a 2-Centre Holiday.

You may want to consider that if you are flying to Jamaica to first fly to the US, break the journey and perhaps enjoy a few days in New York for example and then fly onto Jamaica.  Travellers who fly via continental European hubs (Edinburgh-Amsterdam-Kingston, for example) rather than direct from, or transiting through, UK airports do not pay the increased APD (£12 instead of £85) as long as they book separate flights.

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Airbrushing & the Eye of the Beholder

“Bemused” often describes the feeling that Jamaicans have when reading the international tabloids’ portrayal of our holiday isle, particularly those that live in Jamaica’s less built-up, north eastern part of the island.  We frequently recall a story from one of our guests who was served by a mature Jamaican lady, who asked him: “Where you from, mon?”  “New York.”  “New York!” she replied. “Why you live there, mon – so dan-ger-ous!”  Danger is in the eye of the beholder.

Recently published was the UN’s International Crime Study, which we think is where you should go to read actual stats as opposed to the often lazy version of events seemingly fed by each particular country’s PR agency… 

South Africa leads the way in robberies, almost 2.5 times as much as Jamaica, yet press coverage of this as a holiday destination remains enthusiastic.  In context the USA’s major assault rate is 281.6 compared to Jamaica’s 220 per 100,000.  Burglary is highest in Australia & Israel, Jamaica a fraction of these two countries but we have to confess we haven’t seen that listed as a warning for these holiday destinations?  Car theft in Switzerland leads the world, no doubt due to everyone driving such great cars, but does anyone say watch out in Switzerland?  Drug related crime in Barbados is 580 per 100,000 compared to Jamaica 463 & Israel’s 448, but again it’s not a widely known fact about the Cricket Isle.  Finally putting things into perspective for homicide per 1000,000 is Colombia 66.7, almost less than half the world leader is Jamaica at 34.5.

Rather than airbrushing and PR we thought we’d instead present an assortment of 4 real people who have recently visited Jamaica, all who have been our past guests.  We’ve already provided legitimate stats as to where Jamaica stands in the world of crime, so beyond this, now’s the time to centre on the holiday experience…

“Wonderful scenery, generous hospitality and the best coffee in the world – oh, and some of the most fascinating birds you'll ever see. A visit to Jamaica is quite simply unforgettable. From the streamertails and lizard-cuckoos at Mockingbird Hill to the 26 other unique endemics found all over the island, it's a birder's paradise.” Stephen Moss

“Our tour through the mountainous island of Jamaica offered a vast diversity of habitats from the evergreen forests of the Blue Mountains to the beaches and ultramarine waters of the coast.  We successfully located all 28 of Jamaica’s endemic bird species while allowing time to soak in the unique atmosphere of the personalized lodges and resorts where we stayed, enjoy some fine river-rafting, partake in the flavorful tastes of the local cuisine, and immerse ourselves in some awesome scuba diving.’  We would especially like to thank Mockingbird Hill for their outstanding services.”  David Shackleford

“Just a few of the positives that Jamaica holds over its neighbours…Jamaica’s landscape has everything. From mountains to beaches, savannahs, rain forests. (With the exception of Cuba each of the other islands tend to only have ‘one’ of these features).  Its people and their character, creativity and natural comedy that help create an amazing number of ambassadors.  Its history, culture, music & food and its very unique unexplainable vibe.  The natural feel of areas such as Port Antonio & Treasure Beach. Sharon Hope

“Our recent stay in the Hotel Mockingbird was a truly wonderful experience. Arriving in the evening we were met by an unbelievable cacophony of night noises and a truly warm welcome by the staff. A light supper had been prepared for us and we were shown to a beautiful spacious room overlooking the lush tropical garden. That was just the start. This delightful boutique hotel is so friendly you soon feel at home and there were many personal touches throughout our stay that made our experience very special. The owners Barbara and Shireen are always on hand to make sure your stay is as enjoyable as possible. Enjoying our rum punch on the veranda overlooking the garden and beyond to Port Antonio, we watched the weather change in the skies above and around.  It was a place to rest and relax and enjoy Jamaican hospitality with great comfort. The chef produced wonderful meals and the organic breakfasts are truly a holiday treat. It is also a place where many of Jamaica’s endemic birds can easily be seen in the garden. This wonderful hotel must be visited for its setting, location, beautiful accommodation, delicious fare, friendliness and personal service. Jamaica is a truly beautiful Caribbean island, covered in lush and exotic vegetation and our stay was a wonderful stress-free experience.” Carol Hall

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Jamaica Guide Book

Roland E Jung’s bi-lingual English & German guide book Jamaika may have been published in 1992 and a little difficult to track down, but it’s still our favourite Jamaica guide book hence why we provide a copy in each of our rooms to browse through whilst they stay with us in Port Antonio.

The book really gets off the beaten track, and in its way helps promote all of Jamaica rather than some of the other well known guide books that focus on the resorts of the western part of Jamaica.  There is a fantastic section on Port Antonio which is illustrated beautifully with photography by the author himself, who is also a professional photographer.

Our guests enjoy its wealth of background info and many have commented on its ad-free style that allows them to get stuck into where to go for the day without being sidelined.

ISBN 3-89261-077-0 DM +58,00, still to be found on Amazon.de & Booklooker.de

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Holiday Reading in Jamaica – Our 2010 Favourites

On our journeys far & wide we love to imbibe something of where we are staying through our choice of holiday reading. Literature that provides a contemporary cultural insight for example, a tale of today perhaps that shows the impact of an oft-troubled past, or possibly describes the overcoming by an individual of terrain & climate, these help us to relax and switch off and break from those ingrained patterns of daily routine whilst gaining an understanding of the topography & sociology of our environs.

We thought visitors to Jamaica may like a couple of recommendations on books that we think may do just the same, particularly for our guests at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill.

Dog-Heart, Diana McCaulay

Dog Heart tells the story of the well-meaning attempts of a middle-class single mother to transform the life of a boy from the ghetto who she meets on the streets of Kingston. Set in present-day, urban Jamaica, the novel tells the story from two alternating perspectives – the single mother and the boy – as they struggle to understand & accommodate each other’s world views. While involving the reader in an absorbing narrative, Dog-Heart engages with issues of race & class, the complexities of relationships between people of very different backgrounds, and explores the difficulties faced by individuals seeking to bring about social change by their own actions.

Diana McCaulay is a Jamaican writer and environmental activist. She has lived her entire life in Jamaica and engaged in a range of occupations – secretary, insurance executive, racetrack steward, mid-life student, newspaper columnist, social commentator, environmental advocate, accomplished public speaker, and most recently, filmmaker. Her short fiction has been published in the journal Caribbean Writer and her debut novel Dog-Heart has won two national awards.  View on Amazon

The Village Curtain, Tony Tame

The Village Curtain is a collection of fictional stories, sketches and imaginary characters set in the coastal communities of Jamaica. The pieces gradually and gently introduce a range of “types” which populate these sea front places. The characters drift in and out of the narrative as the time line progresses, giving increasingly greater insights as to their survival techniques and their personalities. The book sets out to expose the contradictions existing between what appears to be an idyllic and picturesque life and the actual struggle which these folks must wage on a daily basis and why their very culture has made them suspicious of intrusion from outside (especially official intrusion). Throughout this assembly of semi-independent short stories the weather is a major element. It circumscribes almost everything that takes place on or near the ocean. People who try to make their living from the land or the sea will glance at the sky twenty times a day to read the signs which will guide them in this work. Every farmer, hunter and fisherman is an amateur meteorologist and the smell of the salt spray at daybreak and rage of the hurricane are bound into the book as much as the tranquil sound of a quiet, rainy night.

Born in 1943, Tony Tame has been associated with the marine industry in Jamaica since the mid 1960’s. After 1970 he became directly involved in the supply and service of equipment to the commercial fishing industry in Jamaica. His lifelong interest has been the methods used in various types of fishing and the people who work in this field. Still active in this field his fascination with these topics is undiminished. He lives in Kingston, Jamaica with his devoted wife of thirty-nine years, Jennifer. Jennifer is Tony’s business manager. They have two children, a son Sean who helps to run the family owned company and a daughter Stephanie who is a senior lecturer in the Linguistics Department of the University of Geneva, Switzerland. View on Amazon

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Travel Advice to Jamaica Following Unrest in West Kingston

Following the unrest in West Kingston in the Tivoli Gardens district, the UK Foreign Office,  US & Canada State Departments change in advice to their citizens is only to stay away from this part of Kingston.  We have published below in full US State department announcement.

The Department of State informs U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in Jamaica of ongoing violence, demonstrations and unrest in Kingston.  Although these incidents appear to be limited at this time to West Kingston, the potential for violence and unrest to spread to other areas of Kingston and other cities in Jamaica remains very possible.  The Government of Jamaica has imposed a State of Emergency in Kingston and St. Andrew as of 6:00 p.m. local time on May 23, 2010. 

Violence has occurred in the areas around several police stations in the West Kingston area.  Roadblocks and other barricades have also been reported throughout the West Kingston area. 

Because of the growing potential for armed confrontations between police and Jamaican security forces and criminal gangs and other criminal elements in West Kingston, U.S. citizens should avoid traveling to and lodging in the West Kingston area.  U.S. citizens are advised to also avoid Mountain View Road and well as the Grant’s Pen area. U.S. citizens may call 876-702-6411 in Kingston to hear recorded up-to-date information on the current security situation in Kingston.

The U.S. Embassy continues to monitor this situation and is taking additional security precautions. 

U.S. citizens living and residing in Jamaica or the Cayman Islands are advised to register their presence in
the country through the U.S. Department of State's automated online registration system, https://travelregistration.state.gov .  U.S. citizens may also register by visiting the Consular Section at the
U.S. Embassy or our consular agencies in Montego Bay and Georgetown, Cayman Islands, during business hours. Emergencies involving American citizens can be reported by contacting  the American Citizens Services (ACS) Unit of the U.S. Embassy's Consular Section, located at 142 Old Hope Road in the Liguanea area of Kingston, telephone (876) 702-6450; after hours emergency telephone (876) 702-6000;  Consular Section fax (876) 702-6018; and e- mail at KingstonACS@state.gov.  The U.S. Consular Agency in Montego Bay has moved and is now located at Whitter Village, Ironshore, telephone (876) 953-0620.  The U.S. Consular Agency in the Cayman Islands is located at 118 Dorcy Drive, Suite B-1, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, telephone (345) 945-8173.

Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the U.S. Embassy's website at http://kingston.usembassy.gov  and the U.S. Department of State's travel website at www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution Messages, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found.  The U.S. Embassy also encourages U.S. citizens to review "A Safe Trip Abroad," found at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html, which includes valuable security information for living and/or traveling abroad.  In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888- 407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada, or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

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How Safe is Jamaica for a Holiday?

We are often asked by our potential guests

“Will I be safe on my holiday in Jamaica?”

At a recent meeting of the tourism sector within Port Antonio, our local Tourism Police Liaison Officer reported on the release of Jamaica’s crime rates for 2009.  In total there were 79 tourist related crimes that were reported on the island, and these related to theft & sexual abuse.  Only 2 of these were reported in Port Antonio itself where Mocking Bird Hill is located.  To put this in context there were 3403 incidents of pick-pocketing in London, 128 of which were committed against tourists. We always advise our guests to pay the same vigilance as they do at home even though one is on holiday.

There were 1200 murders, 9 of which were in the parish of Portland that related to either domestic crime or disputes amongst neighbours.  This reflects murders in New York where less than 30% are committed by someone unknown to the victim.  There were no incidents of murder committed against tourists to Jamaica.  Currently topping the hot spot for crime within the Caribbean is Trinidad & Tobago as reported by the Barbados Newspaper, The Nation.

Sadly last year like the rest of the world Jamaica encountered a rise in shooting & knifing within schools in which children have been killed.  We also encountered a rise in break-ins due to the economic recession.

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The Cost of Getting a Taxi Jamaican Style

A lot of visitors to Jamaica often remark about how the cost of hiring a legal cab to travel in Jamaica costs the same or even exceeds what they would pay back home; most people expect a developing country’s costs to be in line with living costs, therefore transportation should be cheaper.

There are of course cheap ways to travel around Jamaica via illegal taxis or route taxis which operate like mini buses collecting people along the way until they are full. These taxis do have some insurance, but not to the level of the charter taxis and tourism transportation companies. As we repeat to customers it is not worth taking the risk; your own travel insurance will not protect you if, as they all too do, accidents occur, and you are in effect riding illegally within a country.

Legal cabs within Jamaica do cost simply because it costs the owners of legal cab companies to provide them.  The reasons for this are:

1. Jamaica does not have its own car plants that produce cars on the island.  Due to being a former British Colony the island drives on the left, therefore to drive as a legal cab company you must have a right hand car drive.  This means that cars are imported from further afield than our nearest car-producing neighbours, the United States; rather they’re shipped from the UK & Japan which adds to the initial cost of the vehicles that are brought. In addition spare parts, tyres etc are all imported and are expensive. Costs to repair a vehicle are similar to the costs in Europe, it is just that the breakdown of the costs is different: in Jamaica the labour is the cheap component, the parts expensive.
2. Purchased cars need to be sturdy to withstand Jamaican roads.  Jamaica has some very good roads, it also has some very very bad roads.  It is vital that cars that are purchased by cab companies can withstand the latter as they ferry guests safely around Jamaica.   Taking guests up to certain areas in the Blue Mountains means that a 4×4 vehicle is needed and such luxuries cost in the initial outlay that cab companies must invest and recoup from their investment.
3. Insurance premiums for cab companies that fully cover their vehicle, driver and passengers is expensive.   Part of the reason for this is obviously that the bigger the car that is insured, if there was an accident, the bigger amount of damage that it too could inflict.
4. Legal cab drivers in Jamaica must undertake an extra test of competence that is certified by the Ministry of Transport, they have additional vehicle certification costs and registration costs under the transportation regulations set down by the Ministry of Transport. In addition, operators who transport tourists must be licensed by the Jamaica Tourist Board and pass rigorous quality control checks by the Tourism Product Development Company, another government organisation. Taxis are not metered but the basis on which they calculate their fares (per person which many visitors object to) is laid down by the Ministry of Transport. Naturally drivers that have comply with all of this and are fully insured are more expensive in regards to their salary than an illegal driver.
5. Petrol:  Jamaica does not produce its own gasoline, being an island all is imported from the US.  Therefore it is more expensive than for example the price of gas in the US or Canada.  In January the price per litre in Jamaica for petrol was JM$ 87, the equivalent of £0.60, €0.67, CA$ 1, US$ 0.98.  

For the above reasons a cab in Jamaica may seem expensive, but it is still cheaper per kilometre than many of its Caribbean Island competitors and European destinations:

• Tegel Airport–Central Berlin | 6.4km | US$ 24.00 | US$ 3.75/km                
• Heathrow Airport–St. Paul’s | 30km | US$ 89.15 | US$ 2.97/km
• Vigie Airport, Castries-Rodney Bay, St Lucia | 11.3km | US$ 25.00 |US$ 2.21/km            
• Pindling Airport Nassau–Paradise Island, Nassau, The Bahamas | 16km | US$ 32.00  US$ 2.00/km 
• JFK – Manhattan | 28km | US$ 45 | US$ 1.86/km (+ 15% tip = US$ 52.00)                
• Kingston –Mocking Bird Hill | 100km | US$ 165.00 | US$ 1.65/km                
• Paiarco Airport –Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago | 32km | US$ 20.00 | US$ 1.60/km 
• Grantley Adams Airport–Bridgetown, Barbados |13km | US$ 18.00 | US$ 1.38/km       
• Galeao Airport-Central Rio | 19.3km | US$21.75 | US$ 1.13/km                
• Hong Kong Airport– Central Hong Kong | 40km  US$ 45.00 | US$ 1.13/km                         
• Singapore Airport-Singapore | 20km | US$ 22.00 | US$ 1.10/km
• Hewanorra Airport-Rodney Bay, St Lucia |68km | US$ 75.00 |US$ 1.10/km 
• Bangkok Airport-Central Bangkok | 35km | US$ 12.00 | US$0.34/km  

Grateful thanks to Travelin Librarian & Mich Groff for use of JTB taxi license & Jamaican road imagery

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The Girl Guide to Holidaying In Jamaica

Spending some time enjoying the glorious Caribbean seas that surround Jamaica’s lush peaceful North-East coastline of Port Antonio is heavenly and the surest way to chase away a feeling of the winter blues. 

Like many places in the world there are subtle cultural differences that you will encounter when having a break in Jamaica, especially as a woman.  You may share the same language, but in the same way that there are differences between the UK and the US you will encounter some minute differences in Jamaican attitudes to those back home.  This is our ‘Girl Guide to Jamaica’, especially written to ensure that all women get the most out of their holiday in Jamaica.

Chat but Leave out the Details

Jamaicans are ever-so-friendly and will approach anyone for a little chat, this is just part of the national character, to chat and say hello to everyone.  In Jamaica, blanking people is considered extremely rude: it will cause offense and could potentially lead to unpleasantness.  We suggest you always acknowledge and exchange a quick “hi” with a grin to those that greet you.

If anyone does seem particularly persistent in drawing out a greeting into a long conversation and you really don’t want to chat, then we recommend just putting the same questions back that you have been asked, i.e.:

If asked, where you come from, just ask them in return where do they come from?

If they ask you your name, ask them theirs.

They will soon get the message

If you are at the beach and someone shows you their beadwork, or calabashes that have been fashioned into bags or utensils and don’t appeal simply just say “sorry, not today; maybe later in the week”, they will then respect you and leave you alone.

Whilst enjoying the friendly chats do maintain a healthy sense of being streetwise. Do not tell people where you are staying – we have known beach vendors and similar to turn up at Hotel Mocking Bird Hill insisting on seeing guests whose enthusiastic verbal supply of holiday details (hotel &c.) convinced them they wanted to “chat” further…  less is more as the saying goes!

No Problem Maan!

People in Jamaica, like many places in the world, are very quick to promise anything with a “No Problem maan!”, but be very clear about the arrangements being made, and preferably have it written down as a record.

Do not be “charmed” into handing over your credit card to anyone who offers to help you with the ATM machine or whatever. You would not do this at home, so why risk it in a foreign destination?

Mr Cab Driver

Follow our version of this Jamaican saying – “Do not try to penny-wise and pound-foolish when it comes to transportation”!

In Jamaica there are three forms of taxi:

a.)    The illegal ones

b.)    The so-called route taxis that act more like a bus service with people getting in & out and just paying their fare for a particular stretch 

c.)    The fully licensed and regulated taxis which also have full insurance coverage.

We have had to pick up guests who were left stranded on the road side when an illegal (albeit cheap) taxi that was in such bad condition burst into flames.  As a woman this is simply not worth taking such a risk.  When such things go wrong there is no ability to follow this up because they are manned by unknown drivers without insurance, your own travel insurance would not cover you in the case of such emergencies if you were injured.

Route taxis are fine for short stretches, but be aware police are now cracking down on those who do not have the right papers and literally confiscating their cabs in the middle of beyond, forcing their passengers to fend for themselves, so if you use these make it short & sweet not a long journey.

When ordering a taxi to a place, ask for it to pick you up in a nearby restaurant and do not pay the fare till you have arrived back at your final destination.  We have experienced guests who, having ordered a cab in town, paid the fare in the morning and were left stranded when their driver couldn’t be bothered to go back and pick them up.

Bubble Bubble Boil & Trouble

To be on the safe side and avoid upset tummies, stay away from drinks made with the local water or ice. It is preferable to stick to bottled drinks that are chilled without the addition of ice or even better have a coconut chopped fresh for you to drink.  We recommend fresh coconut water as the ‘source’ of what is advertised as ‘bottled water’ can be questionable.

If eating on the road or at informal eateries stay away from salads as one never knows in what water the salads have been washed.

Keep a pack of disinfectant wipes, toilet paper and hand gel to wash without water when traveling. The condition of public toilets (few & far in between) often leaves much to be desired so it best to be equipped with the necessities; for that reason it is best to use the facilities at the airport before embarking upon your journey to your hotel.

Time Out

Do advise your hotel of your expected arrival time and carry their telephone number with you. We also recommend that you keep the hotel posted of your plans – to avoid them worrying about you and sending out a search party for you, which does happen.  Hotels do not want to “control” your activities but they do have a sense of responsibility for their guests and want to ensure their safety and well-being.  Some hotels in Jamaica have a mobile number for you to send an SMS or  of course you can tweet.  

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