Heineken River: A St. Thomas Hidden Gem

Once nicknamed the “Forgotten Parish”, St. Thomas has been receiving more attention these days for its rivers, new housing schemes, Paul Bogle Highway and the recently opened Morant Bay Urban Centre. Heineken River, also known as Heineken Hole, is a delightful swimming spot tucked away in the hills of Ramble, St. Thomas, and deserves the attention it has been receiving recently. I assume this river was named Heineken because of the river bed’s green colour which is similar to that of a Heineken beer bottle, but I could be wrong. Here’s how I stumbled upon Heineken River earlier this month, plus everything you need to know to plan a visit.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle10 Comments

Mad River, St. Mary: A Surprise Find

Jamaica is home to over one hundred rivers, and it’s my favourite hobby to explore them as often as I can. Most Jamaicans are only aware of the popular ones so it’s quite an adventure getting to the not-so-popular ones. Directions to off-the-beaten-path rivers are often unclear, and paths are quickly swallowed up by heavy rainfall, thick overgrowth and disuse. That being said, I like the challenge. Last December, my partner and I drove to the general vicinity of one waterfall and did what we sometimes do– stop and ask community people for directions. This time we went as far as to show a local a picture of the waterfall we were seeking, yet he led us to somewhere completely different. Was this deliberate? The world may never know, but I’m not mad about finding Mad River at all.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle40 Comments

River Rendezvous at Tapioca Getaway, St. Mary

The best adventures are spontaneous ones. With summer coming to a close and finally having a mutual day-off with my partner, we decided that a river trip was a must. Deciding on Tapioca was easy because they answered the phone on my first try, and pleasantly confirmed that walk-ins were indeed welcome! Even better, Tapioca was super easy to find along the Junction main road (A3) in St. Mary. Here’s how this adventure went + why you should add Tapioca Getaway to your Jamaican bucket list.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle16 Comments

6 Jamaican Rivers You Can Visit Without Leaving Kingston & St. Andrew

Jamaica is renowned for its stunning beaches, vibrant culture and lush landscapes. While locals and visitors alike usually flock to the coast, the interior regions of Kingston & St. Andrew offer a treasure trove of natural wonders waiting to be discovered. Among these treasures are beautiful rivers, each with its own unique charm and allure. From cascading waterfalls to serene swimming spots, here are six rivers you can explore without a long drive, paying toll or leaving Kingston & St. Andrew.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle13 Comments

Five Enchanting Places for Bamboo Rafting in Jamaica

Rafting showcases the resourcefulness of Jamaicans, symbolized by the black on our flag’s saltire of black, green and gold. The main kind of rafts in Jamaica are made from 30-foot bamboo poles lashed together with wire, and are as beautiful as they are functional and buoyant. Rafting was once the only way possible to move goods from our deep mountainous interior to the coast for export, but it soon became a tourist activity as there is no better feeling than floating down Jamaica’s tranquil rivers while surrounded by lush greenery. Bamboo rafting provides a serene and immersive way to connect with Jamaica’s natural beauty and unwind from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. In this guide, we will explore five of the most enchanting places to go bamboo rafting in Jamaica. I’m happy to have visited all five, so I’ll add my own commentary and comparisons as we go along.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle27 Comments

Salt River, Clarendon

Salt River is a free public mineral bath located in a community by the same name near the coast of Clarendon, one of Jamaica’s south central parishes. Jamaica’s south coast isn’t popular with tourists because this part of the country isn’t marketed nor developed for tourism. Nonetheless, there are several gems here worth visiting and I aim to visit and write about as many as I can. Here’s how my recent family trip to Salt River went.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle41 Comments

A Local’s Guide to Spanish River in Portland

Oh Portland, my favourite parish! I recently celebrated my birthday by rafting on the Rio Grande, followed by a weekend stay at the Orange Bay Camp Ground. Before visiting, I’d scanned the area for hidden gems I could combine with this trip and realized that the Spanish River would be in close proximity. A section of it which we wanted to visit is now unfortunately commercialized and closed to the public unless previously reserved and in groups of 20+ persons. However, by local tip I discovered this inexpensive section at the mouth of the Spanish River where it meets the sea. Here’s how it went.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle26 Comments

Rafting on the Rio Grande in Portland, Jamaica

Rio Grande was the final river to complete my Jamaican bamboo rafting bucket list. This rafting experience is the most meaningful, as the Rio Grande is the birthplace of rafting in Jamaica. Originally designed to transport bananas from deep inland to the coast for export, these bamboo rafts were made popular by Errol Flynn in the early 1900s for recreation. The Rio Grande is one of Jamaica’s largest rivers at 3034km and lies in a beautiful valley. Rio Grande was named by early Spanish settlers in the 1500s, and rafting down a 10-km stretch of it is now one of Jamaica’s top tourist attractions. Here’s how my birthday rafting trip to the Rio Grande went.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle36 Comments
River surrounded by greenery

Calypso Rafting & Tubing on the White River

Bamboo river rafting is one of the most relaxing and scenic tours you can take in Jamaica. There are four main rivers in Jamaica used for rafting, namely the Great River, Martha Brae, White River and Rio Grande. I’d planned to make White River my third rafting adventure, however all the rafts were booked when I arrived! Therefore, I ended up tubing down the White River instead which turned out to be just as fun, if not more. Read on to learn more about this adventure + how to plan your own White River rafting and tubing trips. White River is located mere minutes from the Ocho Rios Pier in St. Ann.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle28 Comments
Girl sipping from coconut on a bamboo raft at Martha Brae

Bamboo Rafting on Jamaica’s Martha Brae: A Complete Guide

Lethe set the bar high for my rafting expectations last year and Martha Brae matched it. Martha Brae is a 32km long river which originates deep in the hills of Trelawny, a parish on Jamaica’s north coast. Bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae is rated as one of Jamaica’s top attractions. During colonial era, the river was used to connect the sugar plantations in Trelawny to the port of Falmouth. Bamboo rafts were used to float sugar and other crops to the coast where they would be shipped to Europe. Today, those identical 30-foot bamboo rafts are used to peacefully float visitors down a three-mile stretch of river through a lush rainforest and under the canopy of bamboo, coconut, fruit and flowering trees. The tour lasts approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, but can be more if you stop to purchase crafts and drinks during the trip.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle28 Comments