A guide to Kingston, Jamaica

February 27, 2014 7:30 PM

I am accompanying a friend to Kingston at the end of March for one week. The main purpose of the trip is to visit the U.S. Embassy for some paperwork. I have never been to Jamaica and wanted to get some pointers. Which guidebooks would you recommend? What areas should we visit? Which areas should we avoid? Could you recommend a place to stay?

The Embassy portion of the trip will probably only take up 2 days but we wanted to make a mini-vacation out of the trip. Is it more advisable to book a hotel near the Embassy? We would like to keep the budget as low as possible but I don't really know what price range to expect. A no-frills room with good internet access would be ideal.

I looked at the Safety blurb on the State Department website . Any additional information regarding safety would be helpful.

Lastly, she wants to spend some at a beach and I would like to experience some tasty meals. What other activities or tours can we do to make the most of the visit? What are the must-do things?

posted by allthingsconsidered to Travel & Transportation around Kingston, Jamaica (4 answers total)

When I lived in Kingston, if we wanted to go to the beach we usually went to the north coast. There were beaches in Kingston but they weren't all that great -- not what you think of when you think of Jamaican beaches. Is driving to the north coast an option for you?

(Note: my information is twenty years out of date. Please ignore it if someone who lives there now pipes up.)
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:46 PM on February 27, 2014

Stay at the Spanish Court Hotel. Clean, nice rooms, very warm staff, fantastic Jamaican breakfast included
posted by superfille at 8:20 PM on February 27, 2014

Oh and go to Devon House (very close to hotel) and go to the other side of the island for some beach time.
posted by superfille at 8:21 PM on February 27, 2014

You don't have to go to the north coast for beaches. On weekends boats run continuously between Port Royal and Lime Cay. Lime Cay is a small sandy island about 10 mins by boat from Port Royal where Kingstons hot young things hang out and party. At least they did when I lived and worked in Kingston in 2006.
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 8:53 PM on February 27, 2014 [1 favorite]