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Language
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The official language is English. Local patois is also spoken.
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Currency
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Jamaica Dollar. U.S. currency may be exchanged at the airport as well as banks and hotels. Master Card, Visa, American Express and Diners Club are all widely accepted.
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Time Zone
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From late October to early April, Jamaica is one hour ahead of EST.
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Electricity
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110 volts AC, 50Hz, single phase. American 2-pin plugs are standard, but many hotels also offer 220 volts AC, 50Hz, single phase from 3-pin sockets.
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Climate
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Jamaica is tropical all year long. The mean annual temperature in the region is about 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The rainy months are May and October, but brief showers can occur at any time. The island is more temperate in the mountain areas.
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What to Wear
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Casual resortwear is appropriate for daytime, although swimwear is frowned upon in town. In the evening, some restaurants require elegant dress - men are required to wear sports coats, and women are required to wear dresses or skirts. Generally the summer months are more casual than the winter season, and guests at the smaller resorts are usually more casually dressed than those at the larger resorts.
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Beaches
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Jamaica is world known for its beaches. Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay, and Port Antonio have some of the best white-sand beaches in the world.
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Documents
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DOCUMENTS/PASSPORTS: Please refer to this site for the most current information regarding international travel: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_3013.html
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Duty-Free Allowances
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The following may be imported into Jamaica without incurring customs duty:<BR>200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco<BR> 2 liters of alcohol, excluding rum<BR>2 liters of wine<BR>340 milliliters of perfume<BR>Goods up to a value of J$150<BR>The following are prohibited from entering Jamaica:<BR>Explosives<BR>Firearms<BR>Dangerous drugs<BR>Meat<BR>Flowers<BR>Fresh fruit<BR>Rum<BR>Coffee in any form<BR>Honey<BR>Cats and dogs, unless arriving directly from the UK, having been born and bred there.
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Getting Around
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Taxis are your best option for short trips in Jamaica. At the airport you can always find a Jamaican Union of Travelers Association taxi and coach. Most taxis do not have meters so it's best to agree on the fare with the driver prior to your trip. After midnight a 25% surcharge is added to the fare.<BR>Buses are a cheap way to travel around the Montego Bay and Kingston area; they run often but are usually overcrowded, hot and dirty.<BR>Car rentals are a good idea because the roads are well paved. Traffic proceeds on the left and driver's license is required.
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Travel Time
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Approximate non-stop flight times to Montego Bay:
New York -3 hours and 45minutes
Los Angeles - 5 1/2 hours
Boston - 4 1/2 hours
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Culinary Specialties
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Jamaican menus include the barbecuing methods of the Arawaks, the African meat-preserving techniques in the country's jerk pork, and Spanish marinades in the New World vegetables. British Cornish pasties have become Jamaican spicy beef patties. And the spices of Asia and the Levant come together in dishes such as curried goat.
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