 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Info
Regions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Country Guide > Caribbean > Cayman Islands | |
|
Social Profile Food & Drink Restaurants are excellent, with several outstanding gourmet establishments. Specialities are turtle steaks, turtle soup, conch chowder and conch salad, red snapper, sea bass and lobster. There is also a strong Jamaican influence, with popular dishes including Jerk curry, rice and peas, and plantain. There are various standards of restaurants with good service, most of which accept credit cards. Bars and restaurants are well stocked with all beverages normally consumed in America and Europe. Draught beer is available in a few bars. Nightlife Grand Cayman has a lively nightlife with comedy clubs, bars and nightclubs. Music is varied and clubs offer everything from live DJs to salsa, reggae, calypso and disco. Concerts are held at the Lions Centre in Red Bay and theatre productions are shown at either the Harquail Theatre on West Bay Road or the Prospect Playhouse in Red Bay. Dinner cruises onboard a replica pirate ship and 19th-century tall ship can be booked through local watersports operators. For further information about entertainment on the Islands, visitors should consult the free local What’s Hot magazine or the What’s Happenin column in the Friday issue of the Caymanian Compass newspaper. Shopping As a shopping centre, George Town, with its fascinating boutiques and duty free shops, is now one of the leading centres in the Caribbean region. Delicious local foods can be bought or sampled at the Farmers Market Cooperative on Thomas Russell way or Frankie’s Fresh Fruits and Juices on Red Bay Road. Half a dozen modern and sophisticated shopping centres have recently been established offering a choice of North American and European fashion brands, furnishings and household goods. Local products include the Tortuga Rum company speciality rum and rum cake, shell jewellery, Caymanite (the island’s semi-precious stone), tropical fruit and woodcarvings. Special purchases include china, crystal, silver, French perfume and local crafts of black coral, sculptures, tortoise and turtle shell jewellery (turtles are bred at Cayman Turtle Farm, which also undertakes conservation measures). Travellers should note that turtle products cannot be imported, even by persons in transit, into any country which has signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species – this includes the USA, Canada and the UK. Many luxury goods and essential foodstuffs are duty-free but duty of up to 20 per cent is charged on other items. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700. Special Events The following is a selection of special events occurring in the Cayman Islands in 2005; for information and a complete list, contact the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (see Contact Addresses section): Jan International Underwater Film Festival, Grand Cayman. Feb Little Cayman Annual Mardi Gras Festival. Mar 5-6 Marathon, Half-Marathon and Relay events. Mar Rundown, a satirical look at island life. Apr 10 Cayman Brac Turtle Triathalon. Apr 23 Earth Day Reef Watch and Beach Clean Ups. Apr Cayfest; Annual Eco-Art Party. May 5-8 22nd Annual Batabano Carnival. Jun 10-11 5th Annual Deloitte Cayman International Sevens. Jun Jazz Festival. Jul 6th Annual Hyatt/Kendall Jackson Golf Classic. Aug 3rd Annual Cayman Islands Sand Sculpting Competition. Nov 29th Annual Pirates Week Festival. Nov GIMISTORY (storytelling festival). Dec 4 Cayman Islands Marathon. Dec 31 New Year’s Under the Stars, Pageant Beach. Social Conventions The mode of life on the Cayman Islands is a blend of local traditions and of US and British patterns of behaviour. Handshaking is the usual greeting. Because of the large number of people with a similar surname (such as Ebanks and Bodden), a person may be introduced by his Christian name (such as Mr Tom or Mr Jim). Flowers are acceptable as a gift on arrival or following a visit for a meal. Dinner jackets are seldom worn. Short or long dresses are appropriate for women in the evenings. It is normal to prescribe the required mode of dress on invitation cards. Casual wear is acceptable in most places, but beachwear is best confined to the beach to avoid offence. Topless bathing is prohibited. Tipping: For most services, 5 to 10 per cent is normal. Hotels and apartments state the specific amount. Restaurant bills usually include 10 to 15 per cent in lieu of tipping. |