Jamaica

The third-largest island in the Caribbean is also one of the most colourful. Idyllic white sand beaches and vibrant tropical blooms sit on a backdrop of blue mountain peaks. As the adopted home of the Rasta, Jamaica is also a riot of red, gold, and green. Renowned as the birthplace of Bob Marley, reggae remains at the island's musical heart. Rice-and-peas, rum, coffee and cricket are its soul. Local pastimes centre on oral traditions, such as discussing an idea to exhaustion, often over a fiercely fought game of dominoes on a veranda or front porch.Excellent tourist facilities and attractions range from leafy parks to handsome colonial towns and neon-lit nightlife. Negril and Montego Bay are Jamaica's two main coastal resorts, attracting a mix of tourists with exquisite sands, lively clubs, fine restaurants and world-class golf. Laid-back Negril boasts an 11km (7-mile) beach lined with funky beach bars painted in bubblegum hues. Known to one and all as Mo' Bay, sizzling Montego Bay has a reputation as a party town, but is also a paradise for shoppers.