Shopping is something that intrigues everyone and something that is loved by almost everyone. Barring a few scarce people, everyone loves shopping and is always on the lookout for good places to shop at.
This merriment of shopping scales up to new levels when you are visiting a new city or even a country like Jamaica. In the case of Jamaica, a country having immense historical and cultural importance, you can hardly keep yourself off the markets and places for shopping in Jamaica that offers a variety of products!.
The country’s specialties include rum and rum-related items, such as Ian Sangsters Rum Cream. The island's most famous item market is Coronation Market, Kingston.
Other markets worth taking a look at include Linstead Market, Kingston; Brownstown Market, St Anne; the Savanna-la-Mar Market, Savanna-la-Mar; and the Albert George Market, Falmouth. Also locally made and sold here are Pepper Jellies, jams, Blue Mountain coffee, hot sauces, and spices
Local produce, handicrafts and duty-free items are just some of the reasons to hit the shops. The country is renowned for its fine hand-loomed fabrics, embroidery, silk screening, woodcarvings, oil paintings, sandal-making and woven raffia.
There is also a common and well-known Quaker-run workshop specializing in wicker furniture, floor mats and other tropical furnishings at Highgate Village in the mountains.
All towns and resorts have great dining at reasonable rates. You will have everything catered to you if staying at one of the all-inclusive resorts in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios or Negril, but it’s even greater to head out to a beachside stall for a taste of authentic jerk chicken or fresh seafood.
Montego Bay and Negril both have casual places along the strips where you can gorge on salt fish and ackee fruit. Jamaican cuisine is typically spicy, though there are a few dishes for sensitive palates. Red Stripe is the local beer, but Jamaican rum is usually preferred and served almost everywhere.
Seafood joints are more common than anything else, with Montego Bay renowned for the open-air Pier One Seafood and the White House which is actually on the beach. Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville has the best jerk chicken, while the Sugar Mill Restaurant is perfect for high-end dining.
In Negril, look to Norma's for great local and international food on Seven Mile Beach. Further inland overlooking the rocky shore is the Rockhouse Restaurant. Evita’s Italian Restaurant has some of the best Italian cuisine in Jamaica, while Kingston has the Redbones the Blues Café with elegant local dining amenities.
When shopping in the markets, feel free to bargain. If you want to get an idea of how much you should be paying, visit the state-run craft markets, which have steady rates. Shops here are mostly open from morning to noon on weekends. Most are closed at least once a week, usually on Sundays, but you will still find something open every day of the week.
"I enjoy shopping and I found it affordable but some of the clothes are definitely not of the highest quality." - Hassan from Turkey
