Kingston is the largest English-speaking city south of the United States, the capital of Jamaica, and a city I’m proud to call home. Kingston is located on the island’s southeastern coast and is the heartbeat of Jamaica— the home of business, commerce, government and a spirit and culture which can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Reggae and dancehall music were born in the deep gritty slums of Kingston as a means by which the city’s most oppressed and impoverished could escape their struggles, and now the entire country, region and world pulsate to these riddims.
Continue reading “The Top 10 Free Things to Do in Kingston, Jamaica”Rose Hall Great House, Saint James
Overlooking the beautiful Caribbean Sea lies the imposing Rose Hall Great House and sugar plantation, a remnant of our colonial days when sugar was King. The house was built of Georgian style architecture in 1770 by John Palmer and his wife, and was eventually handed down to his grandnephew by the same name, John Rose Palmer. The house and its surrounding 6,000 acres are stunning but what makes Rose Hall alluring to its thousands of monthly visitors is the legend behind it. In this article, I’ll share my experience and how you can also visit with Get Your Guide.
Continue reading “Rose Hall Great House, Saint James”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.
Continue reading “Montego Bay Cultural Centre, Saint James”10 Unique Food Experiences You Can Only Have in Jamaica
To travel is to eat. Jamaica has a rich melting pot of people, reflected in the island’s motto ‘Out of Many, One People.’ You can bet that this ethnic diversity is reflected in Jamaica’s cuisine too. The best way to experience the island is by eating your way around it, and tasting all the exotic fruits, dishes and liquors. Today, let’s take a look at ten unique food experiences you can only have in Jamaica. How many have you had?
Continue reading “10 Unique Food Experiences You Can Only Have in Jamaica”A Complete List of Jamaica’s Waterfalls
When I visited my first waterfall in January 2016, I didn’t realize this would become the start of a new hobby (some would say obsession based on my Instagram account and I learnt recently that ‘waterfall girl’ is the name I go by in a few of my colleagues’ minds). I fell in love with Jamaica that much more, finally seeing the side of the island only tourists or the very adventurous post about.
Continue reading “A Complete List of Jamaica’s Waterfalls”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.
Continue reading “YS Falls, Saint Elizabeth”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.
Continue reading “Lovers’ Leap, Saint Elizabeth”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:
Continue reading “Breadnut Valley Falls, Saint Elizabeth”Bucket List Jamaica 2019
I have a long ever-growing mental list of places to visit in Jamaica, ever since I came to the realization in 2016 that I barely know my island at all. In 2017 I was perhaps a tad bit too ambitious, setting out to see 17 places in ’17 and only accomplishing 8 of them. That being said, I saw a whole lot more than 8 places that year, 25 to be exact. This shows that life is fluid. While I create these lists for fun and to motivate you all (and myself) to go out & see interesting corners of Jamaica, I have and will likely veer far from it every year, all in good fun.
Continue reading “Bucket List Jamaica 2019”Elle’s 3 Day Itinerary for Kingston, Jamaica
Jamaica gets millions of tourists annually and I’m just so fortunate to #livewhereyouvacation. 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!
Continue reading “Elle’s 3 Day Itinerary for Kingston, Jamaica”