How to visit Jamaica on a budget

Whether your kid loves soaring above rainforest canopies or will happily spend the day splashing in the waves, there's something for them in Jamaica – the island nation is not just a playground for adults.

Emmy-winning travel expert Samantha Brown is constantly on the move. The host of Samantha Brown’s Places to Loveon PBS, which recently kicked off its seventh season, spends more than 150 days a year crisscrossing the globe exploring cities big and small.

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​It’s cold out there. A Caribbean getaway has never sounded better. We get it.

Navigating Havana’s confusing dual economy can be a tricky proposition, even for Cubans.

Even among the many extraordinary islands and countries that make up the Caribbean, Jamaica stands out. Its beaches are a dream. Its food is a point of national pride. Its forests and rivers are exotic and otherworldly. And its cultural influence on the world stage far outweighs its diminutive size, from Rastafarianism to Reggae, Bob Marley to Usain Bolt, Sensimilla to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Despite its global renown, you’ll never get the true beat of its rhythm until you visit.

I grew up with African food, but in a Lebanese way.Let’s take my mum’s okra stew — the African version is filled with fried fish, cow foot, sheep tail, oxtail and beef all in one stew — while Lebanese cooking is quite simplistic and based around fresh salads and grills, that sort of stuff. So, the stew she’d make would have none of that, just beef, and it wouldn’t be made with palm oil. It was African food but in a tame way, because of my Lebanese dad. Whenever my mum makes it, I go absolutely mental — it warms up your belly, is full of good nutrients and is a different flavour to anything you’ve ever had before. My grandma once made it in Freetown, Sierra Leone, with fufu (pounded cassava root and green plantains, rolled into small balls) — proper authentic. I choked on a fish bone but it was the best meal I’ve ever had.

Perfect for trendsetters and taste explorers alike, the plant-based revolution, continues to grow every year, with evermore people choosing to trial and embrace this way of life for both their wellbeing, and the good of the planet!  A flavour-packed adventure, the Rastafarian Ital cuisine is like a carnival for your taste buds, blending vibrant flavours with alkaline and protein-rich ingredients like callaloo, lentils, and beans, which play key roles in these recipes. Rastafarians choose to follow a natural, plant-based diet for reasons including increased energy levels, minimal additives, and a deeper connection to Earth.

China will make it easier for American tourists to visit, simplifying the visa process for 2024.

Set between the beauty of the Caribbean Sea and the craggy ridges of the Blue Mountain range, Jamaica’s attractions range from hidden waterfalls and white-sand beaches to historical architecture, great food and unique ecosystems.

There are so many natural and cultural treasures dotted all over the island of Jamaica that it's no wonder visitors continue to come back years after their first trip.

Jamaica is its own ting, man, unlike any other place. Be it the creativity of its arts scene, the mouthwatering cuisine or the culture that birthed reggae music, Jamaica lives up to the hype as one of the most popular Caribbean destinations.