Christopher is an able on Cuba and Jamaica, as able-bodied as added venues in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Christopher was called Biking Journalist Of The Year by the Jamaica Day-tripper Board in 1998. He is actuality to altercate with us Jamaica.
Good Day Christopher and acknowledge you for accepting our allurement to be interviewed.
NORM:
Please acquaint our readers something about yourself, your ability and the
books you accept authored.
Christopher:
I grew up and was accomplished in England, breadth I began my all-embracing campaign while belief cartography at university. Afterwards clearing in California in 1980, I formed briefly aural the adventitious biking industry. I've been a full-time able biking biographer and columnist back 1982.
Although in my aboriginal career I specialized in adventitious travel, and aswell the Asia/Pacific region, during the accomplished 15 years I accept specialized in the Caribbean, with a accurate focus on and affection for Cuba. My adulation activity with Cuba began with advertisement of my Moon Handbooks Cuba and Moon Handbooks Havana.
I've back accounting Civic Geographic Traveler Cuba and Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba, a arcane travelog that won both the Lowell Thomas Award as Biking Book of the Year and the North American Biking Journalists Association's Grand Prize. My a lot of contempo book is Cuba Classics: A Celebration of Vintage American Automobiles (Interlink Books, 2004), a abundantly illustrated coffee-table book.
I've authored abundant added books, including Lonely Planet's guidebooks to Jamaica and The Bahamas and Turk & Caicos Islands, added the Passport Illustrated Guide to Jamaica. I've aswell accounting about Jamaica (and added Caribbean islands and all-embracing destinations) for dozens of arch magazines and bi-weekly biking sections, including as a approved contributor to SkyWritings (Air Jamaica's inflight magazine) and Caribbean Biking & Life.
My added capital ability is in attention to Costa Rica. My aboriginal guidebook was the Moon Handbook Costa Rica (first appear as the Costa Rica Handbook in 1992), now in its fifth edition, with about 100,000 copies sold. I've back authored Civic Geographic Traveler Costa Rica and the soon-to-be-released Eyewitness Biking Guide to Costa Rica (Dorling Kindersley), and accept acted as a adviser to INTEL, which afresh opened a artifact bulb in Costa Rica.
I adulation attainable speaking and accept been interviewed on abundant civic television and radio shows. I'm decidedly honoured to accept been addressed the Civic Press Club and the Civic Geographic Association (as a affiliate of the Live from& faculty), and to accept been a adroitness affiliate of the lecturing agents of Cunard Cruise Lines. In January, and afresh in May, I'll be lecturing about old cars in Cuba aboard Holland America Cruise Line's M/V Maasdam.
Complete data about my books and autograph career are attainable on my website.
NORM:
Where is Jamaica and could you acquaint our readers something about it from the point of appearance of climate, activities a brace can experience, etc
Christopher:
Jamaica lies south of Cuba in the western bisected of the Caribbean. It was for several centuries beneath British aphorism and has maintained abutting ties with the United Kingdom back ability in 1962. Jamaica is a part of the a lot of characteristic of Caribbean isles, primarily as the birthplace of Rastafarianism, which suffuses the culture, as does the music of the island's a lot of acclaimed built-in son Bob Marley.
Though belted by littoral plains and accomplished albino beaches, Jamaica is predominantly mountainous. In the east, the Blue Mountains (known for the world-famous coffee developed here) acceleration to 7,402 feet. Despite its about baby size, the isle boasts several audible climates: the aerial northeast, centered on the old banana-shipping anchorage of Anchorage Antonio, receives copious condensate and is awfully lush, admitting the about collapsed south-central coast, centered on Treasure Beach, lies in a rain adumbration and the absolute frondescence is cactus and arrow scrub.
Jamaica is appreciably able-bodied developed in agreement of activities. Visitors can accept from jet skiing, scuba diving, and dusk baiter trips to abundance biking, crocodile safaris, and horseback rides.
NORM:
Would you accede Jamaica a acceptable best for a adventurous break or alliance and amusement destination? Why?
Christopher:
Jamaica prides itself on accepting a absolute alliance and amusement destination. Abounding resorts specialize in this market. Some, such as SuperClubs and Sandals (both accepted for their all-inclusive, couples-only resorts) even action chargeless alliance packages. The all-embracing abstraction was built-in in Jamaica and no added destination has so auspiciously accomplished and marketed the concept.
I adore these all-embracing resorts, which are run to actual top standards. However, my favourite adventurous retreats lie at the added end of the spectrum, in baby bazaar hotels alms a aggregate of ultra-chic ambient and acquaintance that is alike with romance. Again, Jamaica excels, with bounded administrator Chris Blackwell's Island Outpost accumulation accepting conceived some of the a lot of affable and adorable bazaar hotels in the world. They draw notables from Naomi Campbell to Pierce Brosnan, but auspiciously a lot of are decidedly affordable.
NORM:
What is the best time to appointment Jamaica from the point of view
of weather, costs, crowds, and the availability of flights from the USA, Canada
and Europe?
Christopher:
Weather wise, there are alone two seasons: wet (May-Nov) and dry (Dec-April). The best time to appointment is during dry season, if condensate is at a minimum and a lot of of the island basks in sunshine.
In summer, abiding afternoon showers or abundant downpours are archetypal island wide. Several canicule or even weeks of ceaseless rain are aswell attainable in summer, however, abnormally in the northeast, although this varies year to year. Summer and abatement are aswell blow season, although the adventitious of a blow in fact arresting the island is about slim.
All that said, a lot of of my guidebook analysis has been undertaken during summer, which has the added advantage of lower prices and beneath crowds in the a lot of accepted resorts, such as Negril and Montego Bay. Flight account to Jamaica which is able-bodied served by both appointed and allotment account varies according to season, although there is circadian account from throughout Canada and the USA year-round. The best airfare deals are off-season, in summer.
NORM:
How safe is it to biking to Jamaica?
Christopher:
I aboriginal hitchhiked about Jamaica in 1978 and accept spent about 30 years traveling the isle afterwards disproportionate problems.
Concerns over assurance should not dissuade visitors from allotment Jamaica, except during times of civilian unrest. However, Jamaica's acceptability as accepting alarming is based on several afflictive realities.
The aboriginal is the prevalence of drugs throughout Jamaica society, and the abandon that is consistently associated with the barter is an abiding undercurrent. About every company can apprehend to be approached to buy drugs at some date during their holiday.
In places such as Negril, the connected entreaties to buy drugs, souvenirs, animal favors, or agnate casework by acutely (or actually) advancing hustlers can be arduous and is one acumen that the all-embracing resorts accept been so successful.
To its credit, the Jamaica Day-tripper Board has absurd down on active in the two added prime day-tripper destinations, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. I altercate how best to handle this in my Lonely Planet guidebook.
The added aspect that should be addressed is the irascible, quick-to-anger attributes of a ample articulation of Jamaican society. The bounded attitude can be almighty volatile, and resolution of disputes is generally approved through violence.
Many areas of Kingston are absolutely alarming for abandoned visitors. However, this all paints far too black a account from the angle of -to-be visitors.
The added articulation of the Jamaican citizenry comprises the a lot of accommodating and attainable humans you could encounter, and the standards of account at a lot of hotels is world-class, not atomic acknowledgment to the efforts and archetype set by the training programs and educational beat of Sandals and SuperClubs, whose access civic extends able-bodied aloft the day-tripper sector.
NORM:
Could you accord our readers an abstraction of the costs complex if travel
originates from the USA or Canada and how attainable is it to fly Jamaica?
Christopher:
Jamaica is served by absolute flights from aloft hubs and cities through Canada and the USA. A lot of flights serve Montego Bay, generally with alee account to Kingston. There is abundant aberration in airfares, not atomic amidst seasons and whether aerial mid-week or on weekends.
For appointed ceaseless flights basic on weekends in top season, fares activate at about $500 from Miami, $650 from New York, and $750 from Los Angeles. Lesser fares can be acquired if visitors accept flights that crave even changes en route.
Air Jamaica, the civic carrier, offers the a lot of aggressive ante and is an awfully well-run airline with accomplished service. Allotment operators action flights from a lot of aloft burghal centers at prices about 10-20% beneath agenda flights. The cheapest deals are amalgamation ante accumulation airfare and auberge accommodation, offered by allotment operators.
NORM:
If you had to accept 6 incomparable venues in Jamaica for a
romantic getaway, amusement or alliance destination, what would they be and why?
Christopher:
*Treasure Beach, with adaptation at Jake's Place, a romantic, absolutely offbeat and aloft yet well-run and chichi auberge that epitomizes the discreet bounded spirit. It's absolute for couples who wish to insolate abroad their time accomplishing actual little but insolate in a anchorage amidst bouts of authoritative love.
*Negril is the beach-maven's favourite, absolute for couples gluttonous a abundant beach, lots of watersports by day, and a fiery yet discreet nightlife. There's a advanced best of hotels, including all-embracing resorts for couples-only, as able-bodied as some accomplished bazaar hotels, including The Caves a world-class adversary for a lot of adventurous resort in the world.
*Strawberry Hill, in the Blue Mountains. Old apple ambient combines with abreast savoir-faire at this abundance retreat a mile aloft Kingston. The cuisine is fabulous. There's a amazing garden, added abundance hiking nearby. Another chichi bazaar advantage from Island Outpost.
*Hedonism II or III (both run by SuperClubs) are about consistently appointed solid with couples whose abstraction of a adventurous vacation is to get nude, play adult antics in public, or even to allotment them (literally) with added couples. Yes, abounding weddings are performed here& generally in the nude. No prudes allowed!
*Mandeville. This abundantly prosperous, easy-paced boondocks in the axial highlands is set amidst beauteous backdrop evocative of the English Dales and best enjoyed by rental car. The boondocks has some accomplished restaurants, and there are some affable hikes locally.
*Port Antonio. If you like lush, this is for you, as the breadth receives ample amounts of rainfall& but not all the time. It's acclaimed for its accomplished hotels run to acceptable standards, such as the somewhat above Trident and Jamaica Palace. My advocacy is to accept either the Auberge Mocking Bird Hill (a classy, eco-sensitive bazaar auberge with gourmet cuisine, run by adorable apish owners Shireen Agra and Barbara Walker), or to hire a clandestine choice alcazar overhanging the Blue Lagoon.
NORM:
Are there any adapted requirements for couples adulatory to bless their alliance in Jamaica?
Christopher:
Unlike a lot of Caribbean destinations, visitors can get affiliated afterwards alone 24 hours on the island. The afterward notarized abstracts are required: affidavit of citizenship; certified copies of adapted annulment or afterlife certificates with attention to above-mentioned spouses; and accounting affectionate accord for any affair beneath 18 years of age. French Canadians charge a notarized translated archetype of all abstracts and a archetype of the aboriginal French documents.
The Registrar General's Department of Jamaica WEBSITE has added information, including a downloadable Online Alliance Certificate Application.
NORM:
What assets are attainable on the Internet pertaining to weddings and amusement vacations in Jamaica?
Christopher: The Jamaica Day-tripper Board has complete advice on planning a alliance vacation at its WEBSITE.
NORM
Is there annihilation abroad you would like to add that we accept not covered
pertaining to Jamaica?
Christopher:
A appointment to Jamaica needs accurate planning to ensure that you're accepting what you plan. More than any added destination I know, visitors accept a adulation it or abhorrence it reaction, a lot of of which seems to chronicle to their accurate interactions with locals. The island is physically beautiful, the aliment excitingly ambrosial and varied, and the music infectious.
Thank you Christopher for your a lot of advisory interview.
For over thirty- 5 years, Norm Goldman accomplished as a Title Attorney and Civilian Law Notary in Montreal, Canada. Afterwards his retirement from the acknowledged profession, Norm pursued two of his passions - book reviewing and biking writing, implementing abounding of his analysis abilities he had been practicing for 35 years.
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