By Tajeram Mohabir

BEAUTIFUL, touristy and serene Montego Bay is Jamaica’s second city, in the sense that it is the tourism capital of the land of wood and water.

Commonly referred to affectionately as “Mobay”, the area is the capital of the parish, St James, and can be accessed through some channels, including the Donald Sangster International Airport, which is said to be one of the busiest in the Caribbean.

Mobay is a tourism hotspot because there in Jamaica, one will find well-paved roads, beautiful gardens, recreational parks, breathtaking views of the Blue Mountain, the hilly plains of Jamaica and the Caribbean sea, and of course, an abundance of rooms.

The rooms include all-inclusive, high-end luxury properties, boutique hotels, small intimate properties and villas that cater to everyone – adults-only and family-friendly accommodations, international chains and home-grown properties.

According to President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Omar Robinson, tourism is not new to Jamaica.

“In fact, we are one of the most seasoned, and recognised tourism destinations in this hemisphere, and our popularity continues to increase from year to year. This is not happenstance.  A lot of hard work by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, the Jamaica Tourist Board and our partners in hospitality and tourism is what helps to keep Jamaica top of the international tourism scale,” he said.

Jamaica knows that to remain the number one tourist destination in the Caribbean and a leading player in the world, their resorts and attractions must maintain the highest possible standards and Montego Bay has been leading the way in this regard.

It boasts of attractions for the adventurous, the nature lover and the vacationer in search of more serene pursuits.

HIP STRIP
“No visit is complete without a night out on our ‘Hip Strip’ where the famous Margaritaville holds sway with a host of other clubs and restaurants such as the newly renovated Coral Cliff Gaming Lounge, Starbucks, the Brewery, 27/27 marijuana lounge, and Usain Bolt’s Tracks and Record Restaurant,” Robinson told journalists.

Nearby, in Trelawney, the Amaterra group has broken ground for the first of 1,200 rooms in a multibillion-dollar integrated resort development, one of the largest developments in Jamaica in recent times. Once completed, it will include 5,000 hotel rooms, an industrial park and an entertainment and shopping complex.

Negril in western Jamaica, known as “the capital of casual” is world-famous for its seven miles of white sand beach, shallow bays with calm turquoise waters and the beautiful sunset at Rick’s Café.

And for those who love the outdoors, informal, easy, no-frills, with a mix of contemporary and rustic accommodations, Negril is definitely the place they would want to visit.

This apart, there is the Island Lux Beach Park. There, visitors can get jerk chicken, Blue Mountain Coffee, listen to Reggae music, enjoy the white sand beach and play water sports.

Not far away is the Jamwest Motorsports and Adventure Park which features the largest race car driving speedway and the only drag and circuit track in the Caribbean, rock climbing, zipline, horseback riding, safari tours and more.

RUM TOUR
On the south coast of the island juts out bubbling natural mineral baths known for their healing powers. It is also home to the Joy Spence Appleton experience rum tour.

Then there is Ocho Rios, the once sleepy fishing village, now a vibrant resort town with a busy cruise ship harbour and a beautiful bay beach lined with a wide array of top-notch hotels and attractions.

“You can choose to climb the nearby world-famous Dunns River Falls, swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove or drive through fern gully which stretches through three miles of great rocky gorge with over 540 variety of ferns. There are lots to see and do in this town. The newly built promenade connects the cruise ship port to the heart of the town.

“We’re also seeing a lot of new development in Ochi. The 865-room RIU Ocho Rios, built in 2005, is putting the finishing touches on a massive renovation and expansion programme and will unveil next month, 145 spanking new rooms,” Robinson said.

East of the island is Port Antonio known as a gateway to nearby tropical jungles, mountains and waterfalls. The famous blue lagoon fed by the Caribbean Sea and underground springs is a popular bathing site and not many could resist the joys of rafting on the Rio Grande.

And of course, there is Kingston, the capital of Jamaica and seat of government, epicentre of business and home of foreign diplomatic embassies, museums, restaurants and the seventh largest harbour in the world, among others, which combined, make Jamaica the tourist paradise is it.