Tips on Shopping

Crafts are a popular take-home item from Jamaica. Woodcarvings run the gamut from the horrible to the delightful; baskets are woven from palm fronds or the straw of an island plant known as the jipijapa. The island's inventory of woodcarvings and weavings is supplemented by establishments selling leather goods (sandals and shoes are often a good buy); locally made jewelry fashioned from gold, silver, onyx, and bone; and clothing (especially casual wear and sportswear) whose light textures nicely complement the heat of the tropics. Also noteworthy are the many handbags woven from straw or palm fronds, which are sometimes rendered more ornate through colorful embroidery applied by any of the island's "straw ladies."

Also noteworthy is the handful of art galleries that stock the paintings of local artists. Some art critics say the island's most valuable export, after aluminum, is its art. These paintings range from the banal and uninspired to evocative portrayals of universal themes.

Bargaining is welcome with handicrafts, especially in informal markets, but not in more formal stores. Expect a discount of around 15% to 20% off the original price.

A Word on Marijuana -- You will almost certainly be approached by someone selling ganja (marijuana) -- in fact, that's why many travelers come here. However, drugs, including marijuana, are illegal, and imprisonment is the penalty for possession. You don't want to experience the Jamaican penal system firsthand. Don't smoke pot openly in public. Of course, hundreds of visitors do and get away with it, but you may be the one who gets caught, and the person selling to you might even be a police informant. Above all, don't try to bring marijuana back into the United States. There are drug-sniffing dogs stationed at the Jamaican airports, and they will check your luggage. U.S. Customs agents, well aware of the drug situation on Jamaica, have arrested many tourists who have tried to bring some home.

The Java of Kings -- One of the world's most sought-after coffees, Blue Mountain Coffee is the drink of connoisseurs, favored from Tokyo to New York. The coffee is known for its good acidity, refined taste, particular sweetness, exquisite flavor, and an intense aroma.

The Blue Mountains north of Kingston reach a peak of 2,220m (7,400 ft.), making the coffee bean here one of the highest-elevation-grown coffees in the world. Introduced to Jamaica in 1728, the coffee is handpicked, and every stage of its production from hulling to sorting and grading is carefully supervised.

In Jamaica a ground 57-gram (2-oz.) gift pack usually retails for about $8, but it's probably far more expensive in your hometown if it's available at all. (Blue Mountain coffee beans in Japan, for example, sell for more than $60 per lb.)

The coffee is sold in most upscale gift shops in Jamaica, and makes an aromatic souvenir of your visit. We prefer to buy our supply while trekking through the Blue Mountains themselves.

Premium coffee is one of Jamaica's major exports, and you can buy it here much cheaper than at home.