Kingston is Jamaica’s capital city, a bustling centre of business, commerce and culture with a wealth of activities to enjoy. There are free activities, half a dozen rivers and waterfalls, dozens of local and specialty restaurants, charming cafes and coffeehouses, as well as a growing list of niche activities to check out. Here are seven fun & unique things to try in Kingston, Jamaica– updated for 2023 and beyond.
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What’s Inside This Article?
- Jamaica’s First Board Game Café
- Take A Cooking Class
- Paint & Sip
- Sculpt & Sip
- VR Experience
- Escape Room
- Skateboarding
1. Jamaica’s First Board Game Café
Diced Café, formerly known as Park Place, is Jamaica’s first and only board game café. This simple inviting café is located inside Princeville Plaza on Constant Spring Road and is almost as charming as its owner, Nadia. Diced Café offers over 100 board and card games including classics like chess and monopoly, new award-winning favourites such as Cards Against Humanity, as well as exciting Jamaican games such as Bere Vibes, Yawd Cards and Jamaica Extra Lessons. You pay one flat rate per person for all-you-can-play games. Check out their new tantalizing menu of sandwiches, burgers, cookies, coffee, tea and hot chocolate.
2. Take A Cooking Class
Learning to cook a new dish or cuisine with the supervision of talented chefs can serve as an excellent bonding activity for friends, couples and families. The Jamaica Food and Drink Kitchen (JFDK) in Progressive Shopping Centre, Liguanea offers themed cooking classes with local and internationally trained chefs featuring seafood, wine, Japanese, Thai and French cuisine, among others. Subscribe to their mailing list and follow on Instagram to keep abreast of their ever-evolving list of sumptuous offerings!
3. Paint & Sip
Wine goes with everything but it pairs exceptionally well with painting. There are many places in Kingston offering this activity, but my only experience to date has been with AliCrafts for Valentines’ Night, one of the few activities I’m happy I got under my belt before 2020 got out of hand. The instructor(s) for the session work with all talents and abilities to ensure the piece comes out beautiful, so fret not if you’re artistically challenged. You’ll leave with a piece of artwork that has a story. What could be better than that?
Check out Ali Crafts, CreativSpace and Paint and Sip Ja on Instagram. Prices start at $3,000jmd per person.
4. Sculpt & Sip
You may not be the next Edna Manley or Basil Watson, but you’ll leave with a nice sculpture for your centre table or dresser after a sculpt and sip session with Art Frenzy or CreativSpace. Prices start at $5,000jmd per person. All sculpting tools and materials are provided.
5. VR Experience
There are several scenarios I don’t see myself in, ever. You know, zombie apocalypse and outer space to name a few. Well, in case you wondered what that would be like or you want to prepare for the worst because you’re not taking any chances after 2020, virtual reality technology has you covered. VR can even be used to help you conquer your fears such as entomophobia and arachnophobia, or just to relax and have a fun afternoon. There are several places at which you can get that experience in Kingston, such as Barcadia VR Gaming Lounge in Liguanea, VR Reality Jamaica and VR World Jamaica.
6. Escape Room
Escape rooms are interactive concepts where players solve mysteries to figure out how to break out of a locked room before time runs out. If time runs out and you haven’t solved the mystery yet, don’t worry. They’ll let you out, but that’s no fun. Puzzle It Jamaica in Havendale is the first to bring this pastime to Jamaica and it’s a great team-building exercise for coworkers and friends.
7. Skateboarding
Freedom Skate Park in Bull Bay is a great outdoor rink to put your skateboarding skills to the test. Board rentals are available for JM$100 (less than $1USD) with private classes for beginners starting at JM$3000 PP. You may just discover a hidden talent you didn’t know you had.
Wrap Up
There you have it. Did you know all these unique things to do existed in and around Kingston? Share your experiences below. Also, please check out more fun things to do in Kingston below such as:
- Riverside dining at Pretty Close in Gordon Town
- Explore the murals on Fleet Street in Downtown
- Check out the vibe at Kingston Reggae Garden.
‘Til next time! ✌
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Adventures from Elle 
The board game cafe, paint and sip and lastly sculpt and sip sound like a great time. Thanks for the locations Roch 🥂
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You’re most welcome! The board game cafe surprises me every time. One game can keep you hooked for HOURS! I feel like board games are a dying practice so it’s great to see them getting resurrected in a fun way. Thanks for reading!
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