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

Elle’s Favourite 10 Places in Jamaica 🇯🇲

I’ve received the question of which places are my favourites and had to recommend outings for friends quite a bit in the nearly two years of this blog’s existence. I decided to take that recurring question seriously and answer it in a blog post. The only downside (quite miniscule I assure you 😅) of running a local travel blog, especially for a country as small as Jamaica, is that people assume I’ve been everywhere, which let me reiterate for the umpteenth time, no I have not. I’m pretty sure I still haven’t seen even a quarter of the attractions Jamaica has to offer, especially the tourist-y spots.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle21 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

21 Photos That’ll Make You Want to Book a Flight to Jamaica Right Now

Jamaica celebrates her 56th Year of Independence from Britain today. While unfortunately I won’t be out enjoying the islandwide festivities, I’m still very much patriotic and thought it fitting to compile my favourite 21 photos of the island I’ve taken or published since the start of this blog. My compilation of Jamaica’s best spots is still a work in progress so of course, some very beautiful iconic spots may be missing from this blog post. Nonetheless, let’s enjoy Jamaica through my lens as I’ve seen it these past 19 months and if you’ve never been to Jamaica or are living elsewhere as an ex-pat or student, I’m sure you’re bound to want to book your ticket now! (Sorry, not sorry)

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle13 Comments

National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston

The National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) is the oldest and largest public art museum in the English-speaking Caribbean, established in 1974. It was borne out of a need to showcase the excellent talent and beauty of the Jamaican art scene, sending a powerful message to the ex-colonial powers that we too are capable of creating technically sound masterpieces to depict the Jamaican story. This art gallery in Downtown Kingston, Jamaica bears a comprehensive collection of early, modern and contemporary local art alongside smaller Caribbean and international holdings. A significant number of its collections are on permanent display but there are also frequent temporary exhibitions.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle12 Comments

Discover the Appleton Rum Estate in Jamaica

The Joy Spence Appleton Rum Estate Experience is an elegant Jamaican rum tour showcasing what it takes to make one of the world’s finest rums. Set in the delightful Nassau Valley in the parish of Saint Elizabeth, the Appleton Estate was established in 1749. However, it is believed that origins of the Estate date back to 1655. Appleton rum is one of the few in the world to claim a terroir, that is, a rum 100% produced in the perfect trio of unique weather, soil and topography of the Cockpit Country. This imparts a unique quality. And why is this tour named for Joy Spence might you ask? Well, she’s been with Appleton for over 30 years and is the world’s first female to be appointed Master Blender. That’s definitely a big deal.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle11 Comments

Visiting Gut River: 2025 Admission Costs and Travel Tips

When you grow up learning in school that the parish of Manchester has no rivers or beaches, this one means a lot. Relatively unknown even to my friends born and raised in this parish, Gut River runs mostly underground then emerges for a short 200m journey to the Caribbean Sea. It is found along a narrow remote coastal road and is one of the many places in Jamaica where fresh water can be enjoyed alongside saltwater. Gut River is said to get its name from the German word ‘gut’, meaning good. This is one of at least five rivers found in Manchester Jamaica, but some are seasonal.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle27 Comments