What does ‘Green’ mean to you?

WordPress has introduced a new blog challenge called WordPrompts designed to encourage hobby bloggers to publish one post per month surrounding a theme. The WordPrompt for April is ‘green’. As a happy WordPress-er I couldn’t be happier to participate in this challenge. I’ve had blogs before in the past which never amounted to anything, so I’m glad that I’ve managed to be more or less consistent on this platform for the past five years. When I found WordPress, the rest became history. WordPress feels like home. I began travel blogging in Jamaica long before it became trendy to do so, and unlike most Jamaican ‘travel bloggers’ I actually blog. I enjoy writing as my means of self-expression. I don’t travel just to make content. I travel and write because I genuinely love both activities. These are my main source of happiness. As I write this post now, I feel my mood significantly improve. I get lost in my own little world and forget all my troubles when I write and when I’m outdoors. The trees, mountains, rivers and beach make me happy.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle31 Comments

‘Cyaa Stall’: A Jamaican Dancehall Art Exhibit

Kingston is the capital city of Jamaica, located on the island’s south-eastern coast on one of the world’s largest natural harbours. This vibrant city is home to the most recording studios per capita in the world, and gave rise to six distinct musical genres– namely ska, mento, rocksteady, dub, reggae and dancehall. For this reason, Kingston was awarded UNESCO Creative City status in 2015. Kingston has famous museums which immortalize the origins of our musical genres but our music does not stop there. The Rastafari religion, reggae music and its raunchier cousin dancehall are intimately tied to the fabric of the Jamaican culture and its people. Named for the lyric in artiste Vybz Kartel’s song Dancehall (2015), Cyah Stall is an exhibit which narrates Jamaican dancehall as a musical genre, aesthetic, language and resistance. Here’s why you should catch it if you can.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Folly Ruins & Lighthouse, Portland

Isn’t it magical that everywhere has a story to tell? Tales of romance, tragedy, wickedness, bravery, cowardice etc. If you’re familiar with my travel posts, you’ll know that I love to give a historical perspective. That’s because the past explains the present– how did a place get its name, why does it looks the way it does now or even just for general knowledge and appreciation. However, history is sometimes the only thing that entices people to visit a place. That, my friends, is how I found myself at the old Folly Mansion (Folly Great House) on my way back to Kingston from the Portland Sea Cliff Resort & Spa.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle25 Comments

The Sea Cliff Resort in Portland, Jamaica (Review)

Portland is easily the most beautiful corner of Jamaica. The parish is home to unspoilt beaches, cliffs, mountains, rainforests, rivers and waterfalls. For an island which thrives on tourism, Portland has been spared from mass tourism by some miracle. The all-inclusive hotel model was introduced to Jamaica by local hotelier John Issa in 1978, but to date, there are still no all-inclusive hotels in Portland. Instead, the welcome alternatives are luxurious waterfront villas, rustic wellness retreats, intimate bed-and-breakfasts and secluded boutique hotels. Before now, my only trips to this parish had been via daytrips which limit the number of places and activities one can accomplish each trip. Thus, when a special occasion came around last December, I traded my usual daytrips for a weekend stay in the parish. Here’s how the Sea Cliff Resort exceeded my expectations.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Kingston Reggae Garden, Saint Andrew

I’m a city girl with a love for the country and thankfully in Jamaica, the country is never too far away. A short drive of fifteen minutes can land you in lush peaceful 360° greenery, seemingly far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Every time I visit the country and admire the slow laid-back pace of life, I can’t help but think that this is how we were meant to live. I’m happy to report that I’ve found a new chill spot near the capital city of Kingston, Jamaica for us nature-lovers to unwind and reset. Kingston Reggae Garden is a restaurant, bar and oasis in Golden Spring, St. Andrew which opened in May 2021.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle14 Comments

SIGHTSEE JAMAICA: My Debut Book

Happy New Year! I’ve been alluding to exciting stuff on the horizon for my blog and brand, and I’m excited to finally share the first one with you. The title gives it away– I’m publishing my first book this month on January 23! SIGHTSEE JAMAICA is a brief travel guide and gigantic checklist to every place worth seeing in Jamaica to the best of my knowledge. Some of the places I’ve included have never been published in a Jamaican travel guide before, because this guide is 100% local written. We’re now accepting preorders so go ahead and secure your copy.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle25 Comments

22 Travel Resolutions for 2022

‘New year, new you’? Just so you know, that doesn’t require a big change. Around the New Year many of us quickly stumble into disappointment by shooting for resolutions which require a total shift, instead of easing into them with smaller, manageable steps. While you may be looking for ways to improve yourself, take it a bit further by considering the following list by SimplyLocal.life below, which may also help positively contribute to the improvement of others as well as lovely Jamaica on a whole! Here’s what the lovely queen, Jhunelle, behind Jamaican travel blog SimplyLocal.life had to say.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle35 Comments

A Guide to the Two Turtle Bays of Portland, Jamaica

Portland is my favourite place in Jamaica as the parish is home to some of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever seen. This northeastern parish has been spared from the gigantic all-inclusive hotels and over-commercialization of our other resort towns. I find it amusing (– and confusing) that they named two places Turtle Bay in the Manchioneal district of Portland, and they are ten minutes apart from each other. This trip, I visited the two Turtle Bays of Manchioneal so read on for more details and pictures of these delightful destinations.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle19 Comments

Turn Your Adventures Into Beautiful Wall Art

As we ring in a new year, many of us are looking for ways to renovate our spaces and create more meaningful experiences and memories in 2022. A simple way to do that is investing in fine wall art! There’s nothing quite like seeing a portrait of your most recent adventure hanging on your wall as décor while also adding elegance to your home. When you turn travel photos into wall art, you’re making memories that will last a lifetime. Displaying photos from your excursion is a fantastic way to keep the experience fresh in your mind. Decorating your room with adventurous photos adds dimension to your space and soothes your senses with the beauty of nature. In its simplest form, adventure is an exciting or unexpected encounter undertaken to fulfill one’s curiosity. Beautiful wall art is an excellent way to immortalize that memory and prevent it from fading.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle13 Comments

A Guide to Solo Travel in Jamaica

Let’s clear the air by saying I’m not much of a solo traveler. I usually travel with family, my partner or a small group of friends for safety and convenience, even if you won’t see photos of them on my blog or social media for privacy. This causes people to falsely assume I travel alone, so I often get DMs on Instagram from would-be and experienced travelers who express awe at my “solo travel” or from people looking for tips on how to do it. While it may not be my usual modus operandi, I have done solo trips and am aware of how to accomplish them safely. Read on for my solo traveler’s guide to Jamaica for every kind of traveler.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle32 Comments