Montego Bay Cultural Centre, Saint James

Good things in life are discovered by chance, and that’s how I ended up spontaneously visiting the Montego Bay Cultural Centre. On my first ever visit to Jamaica’s second city, my morning commute to school led through the Sam Sharpe Square and I happened to look out the window just as we were passing the cultural centre the first morning. I finished school early that same day and after alighting from a taxi in Downtown, I realized I was on what appeared to be the other side of the building.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle11 Comments

YS Falls, Saint Elizabeth

YS Falls is the twelfth Jamaican waterfall I’ve visited and written about on here, and I couldn’t be happier. Waterfalls are my favourite natural feature and like the other eleven falls, YS didn’t disappoint. YS Falls is located near Jamaica’s South coast and is part of a river which emerges from limestone caves and springs high up in Breadnut Valley, St. Elizabeth. The YS River is the main tributary of the great Black River, the longest navigable river in Jamaica and also the widest. Consider taking a combined tour to the YS Falls and Black River Crocodile Safari.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle12 Comments

Lovers’ Leap, Saint Elizabeth

Lovers’ Leap is one of Jamaica’s most romantic spots, so I was happy to visit this breathtaking place for the first time in the right company. It gets its name from the legend of two star-crossed lovers and slaves who decided to jump over this cliff rather than be parted by a jealous plantation owner who wanted the female slave for himself, and would likely have had her partner beaten, sold, maimed or worse yet, killed. Legend has it that they did not die but instead were caught in a moonlit net and gradually lowered to safety, which is just as likely as (insert unlikely event here). However, as to whether or not any couple even jumped here in the first place, who cares? It’s a romantic story set in a glorious location and that is what people drive for miles to see. The photos will reveal why shortly.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle16 Comments

Breadnut Valley Falls, Saint Elizabeth

Magic happens when local female travel bloggers get together, and Breadnut Valley happened to be the first destination of hopefully many future linkups. Breadnut Valley Falls are a series of mesmerizing cascades and turquoise pools set in Breadnut Valley, Maggotty, St. Elizabeth parish. For an off-the-beaten path waterfall, surprisingly little hiking was involved! With that said, let’s talk about:

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle13 Comments

Elle’s 3 Day Itinerary for Kingston, Jamaica

Jamaica gets millions of tourists annually and I’m just so fortunate to . However, that doesn’t mean us locals take advantage of all the sights to see and things to do around our own island. Many Jamaicans (& visitors too) only associate the resort towns of Jamaica with adventure and enjoyment– Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril– which usually means big bucks and a lot of travelling for the nearly 700,000 inhabitants of Kingston, the capital city on the eastern end of the island and far from these tourism centres. However, I’m about to show you how to enjoy the city that’s right under your noses. Set aside three days and let’s enjoy Kingston as I know it!

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle18 Comments

Holywell, Saint Andrew

Located in the tropical mist forests of the Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park (BJCMNP), Holywell (pronounced Hollywell) is a cool escape from Kingston’s heat. This 330-acres “park within a park” is blessed by the fragrance of fresh mountain air and pine trees, and at 900m (3,000 ft.) above sea level, the cool temperature allows Holywell’s ecosystem to support a wide variety of ferns, flowers, and trees which are rarely seen in other parts of Jamaica. Many Jamaican birds call this forest home, including all 30 of Jamaica’s endemic birds!

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle17 Comments

A Jamaican Made Christmas Expo, Saint Andrew

A Jamaican Made Christmas is a two-day exposition put on by the National Baking Company at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, just in time for shoppers looking to purchase Christmas gifts before the season gets into full swing. This is its fourth staging and for 2018, it welcomed 100 exhibitors, giving 100 local entrepreneurs invaluable exposure.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle6 Comments

Black River Safari, Saint Elizabeth

Black River is Jamaica’s widest river and home to our largest and most feared reptile, the American crocodile. Jamaica’s crocodiles are mainly found along the south coast, and the Black River is the best place to see them up close. Run by J. Charles Swaby, the Black River Safari offers pontoon boat rides which carries one onto the river where they’ll hopefully get a chance to see the crocs in their natural habitat. If you visit on a day where the crocs are shy, you won’t leave disappointed by the natural beauty of the river and its vegetation. Also, you’ll still get a chance at seeing them up close in the nursery which is included in each tour. Consider taking a combined tour to the YS Falls and Black River Crocodile Safari.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Discover Frenchman’s Cove: Jamaica’s Most Beautiful Beach

Indisputably one of the best beaches in Jamaica, Frenchman’s Cove in Port Antonio is an estuary which gives one the opportunity of swimming in fresh and salt water at the same beach. The beach receives its name from a fiery battle between the British and French near the Cove centuries ago after which the defeated French soldiers sought refuge there.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle33 Comments

Family Fun at Hope Zoo: What to Expect

My last trip to the zoo was at least a decade ago and I’ve had an inexplicable hankering to visit since last year. Hope Zoo welcomed its first visitors in 1961 but inadequate funding, deterioration and a dwindling animal population led to a decline in public interest. This paved the way for private ownership and in 2011, the Hope Zoo Preservation Foundation (HZPF) took reins. Devising a model from local and international environment and wildlife preservation bodies, the Hope Zoo was transformed to tell the Jamaican story by showcasing local fauna alongside African macrovertebrates and American jungle species since these regions have had the greatest impact on Jamaica.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle17 Comments