Vacationing in Kingston, Jamaica? Three really neat things to do while you are there -The inside scoop from a yardie

Kingston is the capital city of the island nation of Jamaica, the largest of the Windward island chain in the Caribbean sea. The bustling metropolis is located in the south east section of the island and has a population of 750,000. Tourism is the major industry and source of revenue for Jamaica, and while most visitors to the island gravitate to the white sand beaches of Montego Bay, Ocho Rios and Negril on the North Coast of island, Kingston can provide a unique and wonderfully wide variety of activities and sights for vacationers.

Here are three really neat things to do when visiting Kingston-town:

1. Buy gallon bottles of fresh coconut water, and coconut pastries and sweets from the Coconut Industry Board outlet on Waterloo Avenue. They have a soda fountain of the sweet, clear, refreshing and potassium-rich contents of the coconut and will serve a variety of container sizes. You can even take your own container. While there, you've got to visit the museum of the Board located just behind the store which has really interesting displays about the coconut.

2. Eat fried fish and festival (an elongated cornmeal and flour-based fried dumpling) at Jollies Restaurant in Port Henderson or Glorias in Port Royal. To do this right on the beach, visit Hellshire Beach, where vendors cook fresh fruit-de-la-mer to order in large frying pans on coal stoves. Our favorite 'fish and festie'-makers at Hellshire are "Aunty" and "Prendy". On Sundays there is DJ music.

3. Shop for grocery items at Superplus Supermarket in New Kingston or Megamart on Upper Waterloo Road. Best places to buy items like 100% Blue Mountain Coffee, overproof rum, spices and condiments at 'non-tourist' prices.

Just a few of the many things to do when you want to get the real flavor of Kingston. Enjoy!

About the Author: Anne Marie Cumberland of new Miami-based Caribbean flip flop sandal company, JAMFLIPS, designs fun, comfy flip flops with indigenous island motifs.

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