The 10 Best Cafes in Kingston, Jamaica

Coffee culture is the collection of traditions and behaviours surrounding the consumption of coffee, which includes the social acceptance of caffeine as a stimulant. Many people cannot start the morning without a brew, and as such, cafes give these coffee lovers their fix of lattes, espressos, cappuccinos and the like. However, cafes offer more than just coffee. They offer spaces for work, meetings, socialization and even meals, as most serve light meals and pastries alongside coffee and tea. European and North American culture strongly influences trends in the Caribbean so it was just a matter of time before their café culture trickled down to us. Most Jamaicans start their morning with a hot beverage as inherited from our British colonizers. Thus, it isn’t surprising that coffee culture has caught on in Jamaica. We have the right audience for it.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle25 Comments

19 Times My Parish (St. Andrew) Left Me Awestruck

I hail from Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston, born unda di clock as we say– a colloquial expression which means one was born not too far from this Victorian-style 33-foot tall clocktower built in 1913! This clock marks the very centre of the parish capital, a crossroad between four major streets in Half-Way-Tree which was once the location of a large cotton tree and how the town got its name.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle7 Comments

The Top 10 Free Things to Do in Kingston, Jamaica

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.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle55 Comments

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!

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle18 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

Port Royal, Kingston

Let’s talk about the Wickedest City of the West during her glory days, shall we? Nowadays, Port Royal is a quiet inconspicuous fishing village located fifteen minutes away from Kingston’s international airport. There are still tourists who believe that Port Royal is a fictional place even after watching Pirates of the Caribbean. This article covers the rise and fall of Port Royal, how to plan a visit to the present-day town, the Giddy House and Fort Charles Maritime Museum. If you’re staying in another end of the island besides Kingston, consider booking a tour through Get Your Guide (includes transport).

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle15 Comments

Fleet Street, Kingston

Fleet Street is the pearl of Downtown Kingston which breaks down barriers and breathes hope into disadvantaged communities. Downtown is a bustling metropolis featuring the headquarters of leading Jamaican businesses, stores, government offices and the House of Parliament. However, for my entire life I’ve heard my mother say she doesn’t go downtown if she doesn’t absolutely have to and when she did, she rarely took me along. Why? Downtown has been plagued for decades with many socio-economic issues, troubled inner-city communities and now as a result harbours notorious gangs and garrisons which led to the city once being labeled as the murder capital of the world. Political corruption has severed communities, led to the stark increase in crime and now our leaders grapple with reining in the monster which they have created. Nonetheless, as we say in Jamaica “wah nuh dead nuh call ih duppy” (literally translated: if it’s not dead, don’t call it a ghost). And that’s what Downtown Kingston is– a reawakening city and perhaps the most colourful part of that renaissance is located on Fleet Street.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle13 Comments

Rockfort Mineral Bath, Kingston

Besides therapeutic mineral-rich water at the Rockfort Mineral Bath in Kingston, the property houses historical ruins of an old fort. Rockfort was first fortified in 1694 as protection against possible French invasion from Saint-Domingue. This was done to augment Port Royal’s fortification which was badly damaged 2 years earlier in the infamous Port Royal earthquake of 1692. Therefore, I’m puzzled as to why this attraction is only marketed as a mineral bath.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle6 Comments

The Spirit of Budo: Japanese Exhibition in Kingston

The Spirit of Budo is a traveling Japanese martial arts exhibition, put on by the Japan Foundation. It has been shown in 36 countries globally: from Morocco, France, Germany and Brazil, to name a few. I’m happy to see it reach Jamaican shores, the second Caribbean island in which it has been showcased since its debut by the foundation a decade ago. I don’t know much about Japanese or Asian culture really, but I welcome learning of other cultures, especially when that country takes the time, effort and money to carry expensive authentic relics and replicas to a museum near me. It is on display in Kingston from January 10 to March 18, 2017 at the National Museum of Jamaica (NMJ). Do pay a visit if you can.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle1 Comment