Want to Relocate? Here’s Why You Should Consider the Caribbean

Even though the Caribbean is small in total size, it offers an eclectic mixture of cultures with different influences like, Spanish, French and English, along with a favourable tropical climate. It has 17 independent territories and its breathtaking natural beauty attracts millions of people from across the world. Below given are a few reasons why you should consider relocating to Caribbean.

Year-round pleasant weather
The Caribbean’s climate is tropical to subtropical, with year-round moist wind and sunshine. You might not want to be in the Caribbean during the summer months when the heat and humidity can be quite extreme, but the moment you go near the beaches and start sipping on your favourite beverage, time will fly.

Myriad diving and water sports
The Caribbean islands are home to myriad marine life including rainbow coloured fish, turtles, reefs, corals and dolphins. This is what makes diving a fun activity for the residents and tourists. If you are interested in surfing or other water sports, the Caribbean islands provide ample opportunities for adventure.

Delectable Caribbean cuisine
The Caribbean cuisine has many influences from Europe, Africa, Spain and Latin America. Olive oil, a kind of green herb, beans, potatoes, coconut and tomatoes are common ingredients that you will find everywhere. If you are relocating to Jamaica, you will find delicious items like, jerk chicken, Saltfish and Ackee.

The Caribbean is a fun place to relocate. However, you must contact a reliable shipping company to smoothen the relocation process.

Retire in the Caribbean

The Caribbean paints the idyllic picture of a blissful paradise for people considering to spend their retirement years in peace. With beautiful beaches, year-round tropical climate and unspoiled natural wonders, the region provide a tantalising escape from the bustle and chaos of their home country. If you are thinking of relocating, here are top reasons that make the Caribbean the perfect place to retire.

Delish Cuisine
Imagine being able to pick ripe, fresh ripe mangoes from your background when you relocate to Caribbean. The islands of the Caribbean is rich with fertile soil for growing a range of tropical vegetables and fruits. Additionally, Caribbean food is well-known for its strong flavours that is an adventure for taste buds. Then, you have an unlimited choice of beverages to wash everything down and feel a little buzz.

Abundance of Natural Beauty
The Caribbean islands are unique when it comes to natural beauty and it does not exist anywhere else in the world. Clear waves kiss white sand beaches that lead into a beguiling landscape surrounded by mountains. You can spend your days hiking nature trails, lazing away at the beach or exploring the hidden caves.

Besides that, you can spend your evenings listening to local, reggae music. The Caribbean people are friendly and you can count on them in need. So, when relocating to Jamaica or anywhere in the Caribbean, you need to find a reliable shipping company who will safely deliver your prized belongings to your chosen destination.

A Few Things to Know About Moving To the Caribbean

If you are moving to the Caribbean, there are a few things that you should know that nobody tells you. The first of these is that there is something called "island time". If you call an electrician and he says he will be there in an hour he means that he may be there today if you are lucky: if not, it may be tomorrow. If he says tomorrow, it will be about a week. It's just something that you have to get used to.

The mosquitos are terrible. Fortunately, you can buy a mosquito repellent. The best-known brand is called "Off" and you can buy it on all of the islands.

If you are relocating to Jamaica, or any of the other islands, you have to learn several different languages. The populations are very multicultural and may speak English, French, Spanish, Dutch, and local Creole languages. You will need to learn the basic phrases in each language just in order to get by.

You can't go home after work and get the barbecue going. Well, you could, but it will be in the dark because the sun sets between 6.00 pm and 7.00 pm. However, you won't have to get up and go to work in the dark because the sun rises at around 6.00 am.

Grenada is a popular destination for many people from the UK. You might live in the capital of St George's with its buildings from the early 18th century. If you decide to go there, you will need a company that specialises in shipping to Grenada to get your possessions there in good time and in safety.

Things to Take With You If Moving To Jamaica

If you are relocating to Jamaica it may be for one of a number of different reasons. Some people move to Jamaica to be back closer to extended families after having spent many years in the UK. Others may go there as students in order to study, while still others may have been there for a holiday and enjoyed the laid-back lifestyle and the glorious weather and decided that it is just a great place in which to live when compared to the British winters.

If you are moving to Jamaica, expats who are already there have said that there are some things that you should take with you and some that you should leave behind. Nearly all say that they have taken things they simply don't need and don't use. One suggested that you take a generator, because power outages are common, and you can be without power for two or three days at a time.

Others say you should ship furniture as it is very expensive to buy there. One went to look for a bed and the cheapest one he could find was about £650, when you could buy one for considerably less in the UK and just pay for shipping to Jamaica. Household items are also expensive in Jamaica, such as a coffee maker, saucepans, a kettle, and so on. Toiletries are another thing: soap, shaving foam, toothpaste, and so on are all expensive.

Things to leave at home: coats and sweaters. You simply are not going to need them.

Reasons to Move to Jamaica

Many people go to the Caribbean for a holiday and find out just how lovely the weather is and how laid-back life is in general on these islands, and this spurs them on to make the decision to mover there permanently. After all, if you have the choice, who wouldn't want to escape the harsh British winters? 

If you decide to relocate to the Caribbean, you have a choice of many different islands, but the fact is that a large number of people who do move there decide upon relocating to Jamaica. It is the third largest of the Caribbean islands and is 146 miles long and 50 miles wide. A large amount of the island is composed of limestone, and there are six mountain ranges and no less than 120 rivers, along with many springs.

The weather in Jamaica is tropical and ranges between 22°C and 31°C. The wettest months are May and June, and then October and November, when the sunshine is mixed with tropical downpours. From December to February the days are bright and sunny, and the nights cool. There are exotic trees, flowers, and wildlife that will astonish you.

Many people go to Jamaica to open a business. In 2015, Forbes Magazine listed Jamaica as the best place to do business in the Caribbean and included it in their list of Best Countries To Do Business overall. Throughout the island you will find many bars, restaurants, boutiques, and entertainment businesses that are owned by foreigners.

Jamaica Is a Wonderful Island to Retire To

Many people in the UK consider relocating to Jamaica. As you will know if you have ever been there on holiday, the weather is wonderful and warm, and the way of life is just so laid back. Contrary to what you may have read, the Jamaicans are friendly people and will welcome people who want to join their community. Having said that, you will need to adopt the local culture. Most of the population is black and you need to respect that.

 

Housing costs can vary quite a bit depending whether you want to live in an upper-class suburban community or out in the sticks. However, even in a suburban community the rents are a lot cheaper than they are in the UK. There is always a downside though, and in this case it is the cost of things in the supermarkets. Yes, you can buy your Scotch whisky there, but you will be paying far more for it than you would here. In general, you are better off buying locally made products, and shopping for fruit and veg in the markets.

There are some good medical facilities in Jamaica, but if you need some really specialist treatment, Miami is only a 90 minute flight away.

Of course, if you want to relocate to the Caribbean, Jamaica is not the only island by any manner of means. There are many other places to which you could go, but you really do need to do your research before making any long-term decisions.

Some Thoughts on Relocating To the Caribbean

If you are moving to the Caribbean, it is a good idea to seek out one of the UK shipping companies that specialises in shipping there. As with many other things, there are companies that are specialists in certain areas, and shipping to the Caribbean is no different. 

If you are relocating to Jamaica, or need your belongings shipping to Grenada there is always a temptation to undertake the packing yourself in order to save some money. However, this really is a false economy. Companies that specialise in the Caribbean and the West Indian islands also have expert packers on hand. Let's face it, the Caribbean is a long way to go, and you want your goods to arrive in the same condition as they left the UK, so you don't want them slipping and sliding about in a force 10 gale in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Another thing that will save you money is to leave behind things which are going to be of no further use to you. You might have a lovely heavy overcoat for use in the UK winters, but you simply don't need it in the Caribbean. Too many people emigrate there and then find years later that they brought things with them that they have never used since they arrived. You need to sit down and think things through carefully, because there is little point in paying for goods to be shipped to the Caribbean for which you actually have no further use.  

How to Consider Your Choices When Moving To The Caribbean

If you are thinking about moving to the Caribbean there are many islands to consider, but you may find that many of them are not suitable for you. It is possible you are thinking about relocating to Jamaica which is a destination many people first think of, but there are several other islands that might suit you as well.

One expat who moved there stated that he started preparation by looking at the islands that might be suitable for him, and his major concerns were safety and the fact that they were English speaking. This immediately reduced his selection to just 13 of the islands and the Caribbean coast of Belize. 

He then spent many tedious hours online searching the internet and found that tourism sites were not a lot of help. As he said, they seem to "hype" information to their advantage in order to persuade tourists to visit their chosen locations.

He found that the best websites for statistical information were government websites, while message boards were the best for each of the locations he was considering for everything else. As he said, if he wanted to know about Grenada, he could delve through years of information on a Grenada message board online.

If you, too, decided that Grenada was your chosen destination, then you would need to find out about shipping to Grenada because you will want to take many of your possessions with you. That is simply a matter of doing a search for that term and adding "from the UK" to find suitable shippers.

What to prepare when relocating to Jamaica

When considering a move to relocate to the Caribbean or especially if you are relocating to Jamaica or a region close by, there are certain preparations that need to be made. You might be relocating to pursue the age old dream of kicking your feet up on an island without a care in the world or perhaps you are considering a more permanent option and making a living in a new climate. Whatever the case, relocating to Jamaica requires thorough research and preplanning to prepare you for the transition in culture and lifestyle.

First, you have to prepare your Jamaican visa requirements after all, you can hardly expect to resettle in a new location without the right paperwork to allow you to operate legally within the new territory.

Ideally, if you are looking to live in a Caribbean country for an indefinite period of time you will require either an Jamaican passport or a VISA or a work permit (or letter of employment).

It is also advisable for you to prepare your living arrangements, considering possible locations based on factors that are important to you such as your budget, the amenities available, the local people and the locations proximity to your work or if you have relocated with a family then things like schools, shops and safety are strong concerns.

We would advise doing adequate research on potential locations and include the opinions friends, family and even by spending some time with locals of the areas you have identified as potential areas of consideration.

You might want to avoid commercial areas such as, living close to nightclubs and late night bars especially if you are someone who values their sleep. Depending on the cost of housing there, you might also want to live in a cost effective environment.

Deciding what things to take with you

You should dedicate some time into looking at what things you might need to take with you, some core essentials you will need to prepare before your move to Jamaica. Begin by sorting through your things, decide what things you will want to take with you and identify from these some core necessities for Jamaica climes. Ranging from clothes, selected food stuffs and even appliances such as you coffee maker. Sort through your possessions and select the items that will add most value to your new life. Everything outside of this could be sold off using various online auction stores such as Ebay or Amazon or even given away as a charitable donation which can be written off as a tax deductible.

Once everything is clear in your head and you have decided where you want to go and what you want to keep it’s time to move ahead with the necessary arrangements it is at this stage you should begin to look for the right moving company to help facilitate your relocation. Finding a good moving company is essential to preparing for an easy move. Do your research, know what they offer and the limitations of the services they offer.

It’s advisable to begin preparing for a potential move to somewhere like Jamaica or the Caribbean at least 3-4 months earlier. Make a list of all the things you need to do, strive to accomplish them and gradually tick them off as you succeed this will help keep you motivated and ensure that your relocation is successful.