Ocho Rios

Montego Bay. Even the name conjures up laid-back good vibes, perhaps a hollowed-out coconut filled with a fruity cocktail, a steel band... well, in part, Montego Bay is everything you imagined it to be. It's a vibrant, real city with a rich history and thriving community. It's a gritty sort of place, too, with a busy working centre, lots of ramshackle developments and - always - a blaring soundtrack of reggae.

Head to the beach, though, and things are a little more chilled. The Half Moon Shopping Village is a cluster of shops, stalls and, of course, the Bob Marley Experience - visit if you've even the slightest interest in this man, considered a God amongst Jamaicans.

The Montego Bay Museum in Sam Sharpe Square traces the history of the town, once an enormous sugar plantation (and still responsible for much of the island's sugar production). But, for a more memorable Montego Bay history lesson, the Barnett Estate is one of the area's finest examples of Old World colonialism in Jamaica. Today, the 3000 or so acre plantation still produces crops such as sugar cane and mangoes.

Mo'Bay's hotel strip is also home to fine restaurants, great bars and clubs - every night is party night here. Beaches, such as Doctor's Cave and Cornwall Beach, are first rate. Jamaica Tourist Board's offices are on Cornwall Beach's promenade and, next door, is the Montego Bay Marine Park - a 6,000 acre ocean reserve for those interested in getting closer to the wonderful, warm waters that wash ashore here.