Local traditions and culture in Cayman Islands

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FANTASTIC! No fake watches, no necklaces, no T-shirts, no Time Share, no beggars (almost). The Cayman Islands prohibits street hassles and the people who hassle by law. Anyone doing so must pay a big fine. They do have Police patrolling around the small islands and anyone bothering a Tourist would be easy to spot. You will only see people, politely, trying to sell tours inside a designated part of the port in Grand Cayman. I did manage to see and photograph 1 beggar right before I left. He looked very out of place in comparison to anyone else I saw on the island and I am sure the Police know him well.

All in all, you can walk around hassle free. It’s a shame the whole world isn’t like this for Tourists.

Good job Cayman Island Government People !

Relax... the locals are very easy-going and extremely nice. Some times things are a little slow due to this mentality, but hey, you’re on 'Island Time.' Just grab a drink, find a hammock, and all will be good with the world.

Cayman folks are mighty proud of their rumcake and rightly so. Almost every shop in Georgetown has free samples of somebody-or-other's rumcake. They're all yummy! Take some home - you'll be glad you did!

Currency:

Cayman Islands dollar (CI$)

Relative Costs:

Budget meal: US$10-20
Moderate restaurant meal: US$20-30
Top-end restaurant meal: US$30++

Budget room: US$70-120
Moderate hotel: US$120-200
Top-end hotel: US$200++

The Caymans offer many options for comfortable
travel, including full-service resorts and five-star dining.
Those on a top-end budget will be shelling out US$300 or
more a day. During High Season book early.

Budget travelers will be able to keep costs under US$100 a
day by sharing self-catering accommodations and doing more
lounging on the beach than diving. Note that accommodation is
much cheaper in the quieter summer months. Organizing your
own diving excursions is more expensive than taking the dive
packages offered by many hotels and resorts.

US dollars and traveler's checks are widely accepted, as are
Credit and ATM debit cards. Banks offer the best exchange
rates. There are ATMs in George Town from which you can
withdraw cash, either in US dollars or Cayman dollars. It's
not a bad idea to take the cash you will need to the sister
islands as banking facilities are few and far between.

We were told that if you aren't Caymanian, you could not have kids while you live there. Also that if you're living there and you want to get married, you have to marry a Caymanian, and you still can't have kids. That sure is one way to controll the population explosion!

We were on the island on November 8, 2000 when the island held their election. Almost everything on the island was shut down that day and alcohol cannot be served until all votes have been counted. The island was also shut down until 7pm the following night. I don't know how often the elections are held-just that they don't want you impaired when you vote.

Driving is on the left side of the road. The car that we rented also had the steering wheel on the right side of the car, along with having the controls all moved to opposite sides than I am used to. It took about a day to get used to since driving in America is totally different.

The food prices are very high in the Caymans. This is commented by both the tourists and the natives. Remember to look to see if the menu prices are in US $ or Cayman $. Normally they are in Cayman $ and that raises the price by another 20% (I think).