Jamaica Shopping

Various: Craft markets

by Dabs

If you go on any sort of day trip, you will likely stop at a craft market where every person running a stall will insist on your stopping by to see their goods. More or less, the first five vendors will have a sampling of the wares that all of the other vendors will have, priced around the same price. Popular items include beaded jewelry, wood carvings, tshirts, dolls, coffee, etc.

I dont know.....: shop ocho rios

by chaistarr

Somewhere in Ocho Rios I found a street market. You can get EVERYTHING here.....foods, clothes, gifts....Something I did was try and buy dolls from each Caribbean island......they are black dolls with traditional, colorful clothes and their island painted on their blouse. anything! :)

hotels, comercial zones: colorful stuff

by venteeocho

Among the items available are rum, Blue Mountain coffee, gemstone jewelry, shells, local art (there's everything -- from neo-expressionist to primitive), colorful clothing and fabric, preserves and spices, musical instruments, hand-carved mahogany items, local handicrafts, woven straw baskets, embroidery, leather goods and CDs and cassettes of reggae music. You can get Cuban cigars, but if you're a U.S. citizen, be aware that they may be confiscated if you try to take them home. The sale of black and white coral is banned (for good reason -- some of Jamaica's reefs have been heavily damaged). Turtles are also protected by law, so don't buy turtle products.

Venders are everywhere.: Lots of the same sorts of things!

by kooka3

This isn't about 1 particular shop because you can find a lot of the same sorts of things all over the island. There are lots of gift: t-shirts, Jamaica mugs, Blue Mountain Coffee, but there are lots of local crafts: jewelry including hemp stuff, baskets, wood carvings, etc. You will find a lot of the same types of things sold EVERYWHERE. People are always trying to get you to come looking at their shop. If It depends on your own preferences: a lot of people bring coffee home, but be aware that a lot of the "Blue Mountain" coffee being sold in the streets/ at venders isn't really Blue Mountain. The government only regulates what's exported, from what I was told. Baskets are beautiful, as are the wood carvings. I would go for those sorts of things since they support local artisens. You can sometimes watch them make the jewelry, carve wood, etc. Barter!! They expect it, and they will...

Shopping

by Jacquelynn

When shopping, you will be approached many times by people trying to sell wooden carvings. We were also warned not to be fooled by cheap imitations of the famous Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee. (If it's cheap, it's probably a bag of dirt.)

Supermarkets

by Dabs

If shopping for rum or coffee to take back home, stop by a local supermarket where the prices are 10-20% cheaper than the duty free at the airport. Flavored rum creams, Blue Mountain coffee, beaded jewelry

Everywhere you go, so choose wisely: Wood Carvings are CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP!!!

by tpangelinan

Jamaicans are great wood carvers. Be careful however, Mike noticed a carving with a lot of primer filling in holes. Look for real carvers, (knife in hand working on next project). Some guys buy machine carvings and peddle as hand carved. A little old man sold us this fish for $75.00/American. It cost $78.00/American to DHL it home. Mike saved the day on that one. I woke up next morning crying, what did I do? How will we ever get this home? One trip to the Sandals Front desk with the visa card and fish was enroute to Delaware! Thanks Skippy!!! Jamaica deffinately has its specalties! Tie Dye t-shirts...a must have baby! A wood carving from some (I prefer, a little old) Jamaican man...priceless, believe me we love ours. If you dig Rum, you must buy the limit. If you buy ciggs, get them (per carton) in Jamaica Airport for $16.00/American or $20.00/American on Jamaica Air. Haggle, be firm,...

Every market in Jamaica: Jamaica is...colours

by Joan58

Jamaica and its colours, the Black, Gold and Green...and Red. You can't give up to buy something that remember you the typical Jamaican colours. They are everywhere and all the tourist markets are full of chokers, necklace, bracelets, t-shirts and caps with these colours. The black for the skin colour, the gold (or yellow) for the sun, the green for the colour of this land form the Jamaican flag, to which the Rastafarian movement added the red to remember the blood sheded by the slaves.

market next to soni's plaza ocho rios: amazing wood carving and local crafts

by oritperi

Pablos Bar: This man will make you spend it!

by Steve-H

This is Pat, he sometimes works in Pablos Bar, he has travelled quite a bit and is a great cook and conversationalist, get to know him.