A Guide to Kingston City
Food scene
Devon's House is the dream-turn-to-reality mansion of Jamaica's first black millionaire, George Steibel. The Devon House Mansion is located at 26 Hope Road, Kingston. You can tour the mansion which is furnished with antiques collected in Jamaica and the Caribbean from Monday -Saturdays 9 am - 4:00 pm. The property has a number of shops selling Jamaican craft items and restaurants serving authentic Jamaican cuisine.
Devon House is also the home of world famous Devon's House Ice Cream. Devon's House ice cream offers 27 natural flavours ranging from Devon's Stout, Mango, Coconut, Coffee amongst others. The Devon House Bakery serves mouth watering Jamaican patties such as beef, lobster (seasonal), fish, callaloo, and the delicious curried goat.
The Devon House property is a great stop for locals and visitors and is open everyday 10am - 10pm.
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Devon House
Devon HouseDevon's House is the dream-turn-to-reality mansion of Jamaica's first black millionaire, George Steibel. The Devon House Mansion is located at 26 Hope Road, Kingston. You can tour the mansion which is furnished with antiques collected in Jamaica and the Caribbean from Monday -Saturdays 9 am - 4:00 pm. The property has a number of shops selling Jamaican craft items and restaurants serving authentic Jamaican cuisine.
Devon House is also the home of world famous Devon's House Ice Cream. Devon's House ice cream offers 27 natural flavours ranging from Devon's Stout, Mango, Coconut, Coffee amongst others. The Devon House Bakery serves mouth watering Jamaican patties such as beef, lobster (seasonal), fish, callaloo, and the delicious curried goat.
The Devon House property is a great stop for locals and visitors and is open everyday 10am - 10pm.
As a local, a must try on the food scene is the Jamaican Patty. But not just any patty, a Tastee's beef patty. This to us, is the best patty made in Jamaica. We recommend also trying the cheese patty with a coco bread.
Tastee Ltd, has many stores islandwide. In Kingston, there are 4 prominent locations: Cross Roads (off Half Way Tree Road), Cargill Avenue, New Kingston and in Half Way Tree. A quick internet search will find the location closest to you.
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Tastee Ltd
25A Half Way Tree RoadAs a local, a must try on the food scene is the Jamaican Patty. But not just any patty, a Tastee's beef patty. This to us, is the best patty made in Jamaica. We recommend also trying the cheese patty with a coco bread.
Tastee Ltd, has many stores islandwide. In Kingston, there are 4 prominent locations: Cross Roads (off Half Way Tree Road), Cargill Avenue, New Kingston and in Half Way Tree. A quick internet search will find the location closest to you.
Hellshire Beach
Usain Bolt's Tracks and Records Restaurant is a great place to have lunch. Home of the fastest man alive, the restaurant offers real Jamaican flavours to excite your taste buds. The spices and seasonings were created to give you a taste of Jamaica.
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Usain Bolt's Tracks & Records
67 Constant Spring RdUsain Bolt's Tracks and Records Restaurant is a great place to have lunch. Home of the fastest man alive, the restaurant offers real Jamaican flavours to excite your taste buds. The spices and seasonings were created to give you a taste of Jamaica.
Eits Cafe is a rustic eatery in the Blue Mountains serving up an appealing blend of European and Jamaican cuisine. Most of the ingredients are grown right there on the farm or by neighbouring farmers. All meals are prepared fresh so there may be a little wait time, however the views of the Mountains is guaranteed to have you feeling relaxed and calm.
The Cafe is an estimated one hour drive from Half Way Tree.
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EITS Cafe
Eits Cafe is a rustic eatery in the Blue Mountains serving up an appealing blend of European and Jamaican cuisine. Most of the ingredients are grown right there on the farm or by neighbouring farmers. All meals are prepared fresh so there may be a little wait time, however the views of the Mountains is guaranteed to have you feeling relaxed and calm.
The Cafe is an estimated one hour drive from Half Way Tree.
Sightseeing
The Bob Marley Museum was the former home and studio to Reggae Icon Bob Marley until his death in 1981. The Tuff Gong record label created by The Wailers was birthed at Marley's residence in the 1970s. The Bob Marley Museum is a famous tourist attraction with artefacts of the great icon.
The tour is an hour long and takes a deep dive into Marley's life and the history of his music. Inside the property is a statue of Bob and many paintings/pictures of the Reggae legend. Displayed inside the home are, Bob's gold and platinum records, his favourite clothing and a wide array of his belongings. The tour ends with a short video detailing Bob's final days.
We recommend bringing along extra cash as CDs, towels, shirts, bags and smoking paraphernelia is on sale. The Museum is located at 56 Hope Road, Kingston and the tour runs from Monday - Saturday 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. Admission starts at $25 USD. Tickets can be purchased online or on the property.
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Bob Marley Museum
56 Hope RoadThe Bob Marley Museum was the former home and studio to Reggae Icon Bob Marley until his death in 1981. The Tuff Gong record label created by The Wailers was birthed at Marley's residence in the 1970s. The Bob Marley Museum is a famous tourist attraction with artefacts of the great icon.
The tour is an hour long and takes a deep dive into Marley's life and the history of his music. Inside the property is a statue of Bob and many paintings/pictures of the Reggae legend. Displayed inside the home are, Bob's gold and platinum records, his favourite clothing and a wide array of his belongings. The tour ends with a short video detailing Bob's final days.
We recommend bringing along extra cash as CDs, towels, shirts, bags and smoking paraphernelia is on sale. The Museum is located at 56 Hope Road, Kingston and the tour runs from Monday - Saturday 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. Admission starts at $25 USD. Tickets can be purchased online or on the property.
Neighborhoods
If you like Pirates of the Caribbean, Port Royal is a must see. Port Royal was once considered the "the richest and wickedest city" in the West Indies. Port Royal was the headquarters for numerous rogue pirates such as Sir Henry Morgan, Calico Jack and Blackbeard Teach that raided the Spanish ships looking for treasure. The Port functioned as the centre of shipping and commerce in the 17th century until a massive earthquake struck the city in 1692 and then in 1907.
Now the waters beneath the town is an archeological gold mine filled with pieces of history. The town itself is quite laid back and close knit with everyone knowing everyone. If you visit we recommend stopping at the Giddy House on Fort Charles. The building was once an arms store to protect the Port and upon entering and walking through many describe an heightening of their senses.
For lunch/early dinner, stop by Gloria's Restaurant as they serve fried/steamed/curried fish, lobster (seasonal), shrimp and other meals. We recommend leaving by 5pm or so as the road back into Kingston can be lonely. Port Royal is approximately 15 minutes away from the Norman Manley Airport.
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Port Royal
If you like Pirates of the Caribbean, Port Royal is a must see. Port Royal was once considered the "the richest and wickedest city" in the West Indies. Port Royal was the headquarters for numerous rogue pirates such as Sir Henry Morgan, Calico Jack and Blackbeard Teach that raided the Spanish ships looking for treasure. The Port functioned as the centre of shipping and commerce in the 17th century until a massive earthquake struck the city in 1692 and then in 1907.
Now the waters beneath the town is an archeological gold mine filled with pieces of history. The town itself is quite laid back and close knit with everyone knowing everyone. If you visit we recommend stopping at the Giddy House on Fort Charles. The building was once an arms store to protect the Port and upon entering and walking through many describe an heightening of their senses.
For lunch/early dinner, stop by Gloria's Restaurant as they serve fried/steamed/curried fish, lobster (seasonal), shrimp and other meals. We recommend leaving by 5pm or so as the road back into Kingston can be lonely. Port Royal is approximately 15 minutes away from the Norman Manley Airport.
Supermarket
The John R Wong Supermarket is the perfect one stop shop for all your cooking, cleaning, snacking and general knick knacks you may need throughout your stay. They are open every day of the week from Monday - Saturday 8am - 6pm and 10am - 4pm on Sundays. They're not usually open on holidays, feel free to check their IG page: @loshusansupermarket for opening hours on these days.
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John R Wong Supermarket
1-5 Tobago AveThe John R Wong Supermarket is the perfect one stop shop for all your cooking, cleaning, snacking and general knick knacks you may need throughout your stay. They are open every day of the week from Monday - Saturday 8am - 6pm and 10am - 4pm on Sundays. They're not usually open on holidays, feel free to check their IG page: @loshusansupermarket for opening hours on these days.
Art Gallery
The National Art Gallery of Jamaica is the oldest and largest art museum in the English speaking Caribbean. Located in Downtown Kingston, it has a comprehensive collection of early modern and contemporary art. Art from the Tainos (the first inhabitants of Jamaica) to modern day Jamaica is permanently displayed.
The opening hours are: Tuesday - Thursday 10am - 4:30 pm, Fridays 10am - 4pm and 10am - 3:00 pm on Saturdays. The admission cost is $400 JMD for adults, $200 JMD for senior citizens and children are Free.
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Nationalgalerie von Jamaika
12 Ocean BoulevardThe National Art Gallery of Jamaica is the oldest and largest art museum in the English speaking Caribbean. Located in Downtown Kingston, it has a comprehensive collection of early modern and contemporary art. Art from the Tainos (the first inhabitants of Jamaica) to modern day Jamaica is permanently displayed.
The opening hours are: Tuesday - Thursday 10am - 4:30 pm, Fridays 10am - 4pm and 10am - 3:00 pm on Saturdays. The admission cost is $400 JMD for adults, $200 JMD for senior citizens and children are Free.
Tipps für Reisende
So kannst du sparen
Always pay in JMD$
The easiest way to save is to convert your foreign currency to Jamaican currency at a cambio. There are quite a few cambios in Kingston, some of the most reputable ones are: Western Union, Prime Trust, Moneygram and Lasco Financial. You are guaranteed to get the best rate so you can spend more.
The rate of exchange at local stores/shops vs cambio may vary significantly so I recommend using a cambio.
Verkehrsmittel
Renting a car is the easiest and safest way to travel
Kingston Jamaica offers a few way to traverse. You can take the bus, route taxi, chartered taxi or rent a car. Though renting a car may seem like the most expensive option, it is the safest way to travel. Most business places have free car parks so parking your car to do business is usually safe. Ensure to follow all traffic signs and ask questions if you are uncertain.
We highly recommend checking the route on Maps before leaving out to have a good clear idea of where to go.
So kannst du sparen
Consider purchasing a local sim card for data
Roaming internationally can be expensive and so we recommend purchasing a sim card locally. We have 2 network providers in Jamaica, Digicel and Flow. Both have convenient locations that you can visit to make your purchase. To purchase a sim, you need a Government issued identification card and money. The cost to purchase a Digicel sim is $575 and $500 for a Flow sim. Both usually offer a limited supply of free data and talk time when purchasing a sim so be sure to ask for details.
Most business places offer free wifi, you can choose this option if you don't have a great need to stay connected.
Was einpacken?
Don't travel with lots of cash, bring an ID card
Most businesses/restaurants accept card payments and as such travelling with large amounts of cash poses as a security risk. Some business places may ask for an Identification card that matches the name on the card. Cash is needed to make small purchases and for tips.