Jamaica is a jewel in the Caribbean with beautiful, colourful landscapes; the air carries the beat of reggae music and scent of fire-cooked jerk. But it’s the country’s vibrancy, diversity, and welcoming people that set it apart from other islands.
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With the new James Bond film No Time to Die hitting the big screen in April 2020, the Caribbean island of Jamaica will no doubt be attracting attention and drawing crowds as the first location in this latest blockbuster. Interestingly, the author of the Bond series, Ian Fleming, created this well known spy character whilst on the island. It’s possible to stay in The Fleming Villa at the oceanside Ocho Rios, where you’ll find a private pool, personal chef and butler, as well as the desk itself where the Bond novels were penned.
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For families visiting the island, there are no shortage of activities to enjoy. From the curative clean waters at Doctor’s Cave Beach to the soft white sands at the Seven Mile Beach, the coastline offers fantastic swimming opportunities in the warm Caribbean seas. The waterfalls on the island are stunning spots to explore: the Dunn’s River Falls, near the sea, are one of a kind in the Caribbean and one of Jamaica’s national treasures; the Reach Falls are a cascading waterfall where visitors can take a tour upstream to visit an underwater cave; the Chukka YS Falls provide an exhilarating experience where adventurers can zipline over the rushing water.
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There are numerous adventure parks on the island too: Kool Runnings Adventure Park in Negril is the largest in Jamaica and offers waterslides as well as on-land go-kart racing and paintball; Beaches Negril provides the setting for adults and children to experience a dream holiday, including the Pirates’ Island Waterpark and nine world class restaurants; Mystic Mountain is a tropical forest and environmentally friendly attraction where visitors can soar above the treetops, take a 1km bobsled through the rainforest, or enjoy the views from the zipline through the canopy.
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Visitors to this Caribbean island will love the tours available. The Jamaica Music Institute tours take you through the streets of Trench Town in Kingston, where many genres of Jamaican music came into being, as well as to the culture yard where Bob Marley lived and wrote “No Woman, No Cry”. Other tours will allow you to explore the local communities on the island, such as the Rastafarian village in Montego Bay where visitors can meet drum makers, learn about the vegan diet followed, and buy traditional handicrafts.
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Let’s not forget about the Jamaican delicacies! Learn about the history of rum and how it’s made at the famous Joy Spence Appleton Estate, Joy being the first woman in the world to hold the Master Blender title. Alternatively visit the Hampden Estate for a rum tour; the estate is one of the oldest sugar plantations still in operation today. For a sweet treat, try visiting Devon House for its world-famous ice cream. The property is an official National Monument set in expansive lawns with beautiful backdrops and has souvenir shops and a spa on site; tours of the mansion itself are also available.
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Alongside the famous jerk cuisine which originates from the 1600s, Jamaica is home to numerous classic sweet dishes, such as the nutmeg-flavoured Gizzada, the boiled green banana and suit potato pudding Blue Drawers which comes wrapped in banana leaves, and the popular tamarind balls, a sweet confection which comes in exotic flavours. Of course whilst on the island, don’t forget to sample the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee that grows between 3000 and 5000 feet; the largest mountain range has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and provides an ideal micro-climate for the smooth, sweet coffee beans.
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Music lovers should schedule their Jamaican holiday for the middle of July 2020, when the biggest summer reggae festival, Reggae Sumfest, takes place over six nights in Montego Bay. The events include an All White Blitz party, a Sound System Explosion, and Beach Party, along with performances from local and international reggae acts.
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Title Image Credit: Tomash Devenishek (Image Cropped)