Every year visitors come to Jamaica to meet the people, immerse
themselves in the culture and to be surrounded in the natural beauty
of the island. But more and more are coming to experience the many
attractions, adventure, and sporting opportunities Jamaica has to offer.
Some of the most popular attractions on the island are Chukka Cove and Chukka Blue Adventures Tours. These tours offer some of Jamaica’s most amazing experiences and most tours will pick-up visitors directly
from their hotel in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, the South Coast or
Negril.
Thrill-seekers can glide through Jamaica’s treetops thanks to a new
“canopy tour” program which features an intricate harness system
of pulleys on horizontal cables, supervised by experienced guides,
allowing participants to traverse between platforms built into the roof of the rain forest. The canopy tour is just the tip of the iceberg of the fun attractions that await visitors on the island. Many other tours are available including the Horseback Ride and Swim; the River Tubing Safari; and a Blue Mountain Bicycle Tours which allows visitors to ride downhill while taking in the spectacular mountain scenery. Sea Trek is a unique underwater experience for non-divers; where the 4x4 Jeep Safari Tour takes you to the beautiful unspoiled Jamaican forests. And there are many more.
Snorkeling tours, boat trips, scuba diving, plantation tours, beautiful
parks and breath-taking waterfalls are all in close proximity to most of the major hotel areas, so the choices are endless for visitors. Just outside Ocho Rios is Jamaica’s world-renowned attraction, Dunn’s River Falls, where visitors of all ages can climb the 600 feet of cascading waterfall. Just around the corner from Dunn’s River, visitors can live their
dreams and swim with the dolphins at Dolphin’s Cove. Stingray City,
a new attraction opened in May 2006, located at James Bond Beach in
Oracabessa (25 minutes east of Ocho Rios), allows guests to swim with
stingrays. On arrival at the beautiful private peninsula, guests are given a brief orientation and safety briefing to demonstrate the correct way to handle a Stingray. Then it is time to wade into the beautiful Caribbean Sea to feed and pet these marine creatures. Equipped with snorkels and masks, guests can view with ease and comfort these magnificent and graceful stingrays. Guests can
get to know their favourite ray by name and take a photo to prove their
bravery to the folks back home.
River rafting on the Martha Brae in Montego Bay or the Rio Grande in Port Antonio is a signature vacation treat for visitors to Jamaica. The rides date back to the 1950s when the infamous actor Errol Flynn noticed banana farmers from the Blue Mountains strapping
harvests to bamboo rafts and floating them down the river to the wharf at Port Antonio. Flynn saw an opportunity to build an attraction and set up the first rafting outfit,
offering an afternoon of luxury and natural tropical beauty that is unique to Jamaica. The Rio Grande trip begins in the town of Berridale
in the mountains and ends at Rafter’s Rest on the coast. The journey, lasting nearly two and
a half hours, winds through rain forests and farmland on a thirty-foot raft expertly steered
by a local ‘captain’. Along the way, guests may stop for a quick swim, enjoy a rum punch or
stop to chat with locals.
For golfers, Jamaica offers many challenging and scenic courses. Jamaica’s 12 golf courses
attract players from around the world. Montego Bay is the natural focal point for any golfer who visits Jamaica, and the region has become a mecca for the sport in recent years. However, Jamaica’s other resort areas boast renowned courses such as Constant Spring, Caymanas and Negril Hills. In fact,
Jamaica can lay claim to the oldest course in the western hemisphere. One of Jamaica’s courses was opened before many of Scotland’s
classics! The Duke of Manchester opened Mandeville Golf Club in 1865, and they are still playing the original layout, although in
different order.
Of course, a visit to Jamaica would not be complete without tasting the fabulous Blue Mountain Coffee or sipping some of the exceptional rum. Perhaps one of the most
identifiable products associated with Jamaica is Appleton Rum, one of the finest rums in the world. Its birthplace, The Appleton Estate
in St. Elizabeth, is the oldest sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica, founded in 1749. With
over 250 years of rum distilling under their belts, the folks at Appleton know how to create
the perfect blend. A visit to the Appleton Estate in the South Coast region allows visitors to experience the history of rum and provides an intimate look at the creation of one of the most celebrated spirits in the world.
Blue Mountain Coffee is considered by many connoisseurs to be the finest in the world, and a visit to Jamaica wouldn’t be complete
without stopping by Alex Twyman’s Old Tavern Estate. The Estate’s coffee is grown on a small, private family farm at an elevation
of 4,000 feet on the cool, northern slopes of the Blue Mountains. The coffee is carefully hand picked, processed and sorted to ensure
that only the finest beans containing that full flavour and aroma, so prized by connoisseurs,
are selected.
With endless choice of things to do, places to see, visitors can be overwhelmed by the variety and may just need a day of lying on
the beach to make their decision of what to do next. And of course, there is no better place in the world to relax on the beach than in Jamaica. |
