Fun-filled day at Kool Runnings Adventure Park, Jamaica

For some light hearted fun in Jamaica, my friend and I had an opportunity to spend a day at the Kool Runnings Adventure Park, Jamaica’s largest and best water park. The waterpark is where you’ll find an abundance of exciting rides that’ll have you gliding down slides, full of thrilling twists and turns.

Historical legends explored at Rose Hall, Jamaica

As a child my parents bought me a book about the White Witch of Rose Hall in Jamaica, by Herbert G. de Lisser.

It’s a fascinating story about Annie Palmer, the former English owner of a plantation in Jamaica and her dictatorship over the lives of the slaves working on her land. There’s even a song written about the legend called “The Ballad of Annie Palmer” recorded by Johnny Cash.

Five reasons to visit Jamaica

Creative hairstyles “Bump Twists”

I’ve previously written about Portland in Jamaica, home to my family and a location where many family members still live, however earlier this year I was fortunate to pay them a visit and spend some more time travelling around the country.

Visitors are welcomed to the Caribbean island to enjoy budget, mid-range or luxury accommodation, shopping, nightlife and more. With it’s laidback culture and tourist attractions like Dunns River Falls, Mystic Mountain, YS Falls, it’s a vibrant and warm place to visit. Below are my top five reasons to visit Jamaica.

Photo essay: Jamaica Zoo, Lacovia, St. Elizabeth

Despite my various trips to Jamaica I had never visited Jamaica Zoo. In fact, it’s actually a relatively new attraction to Jamaica, located close to YS Falls. At the time of my visit in March 2013, the zoo was quite empty. In fact, my family and I arrived so early in the day that we were the only guests at the zoo, although after a long drive from Portland we were glad to be out of the car and able to finally start our sightseeing in this part of the island before heading to beach.

Boston Jerk Fest, Jamaica

A couple of months ago, I was fortunate to spend the Easter holiday in Jamaica – a sunny, warm, tropical alternative to most Easters that have been spent in much cooler England. I had already been to events on the island like KAMPAi Good Friday party at Mystic Mountain and was looking forward to the main KAMPAi event at Dunns River Falls, so the daytime needed to be slightly… calmer.

I’d seen the posters around for a while promoting the family-oriented annual Boston Jerk Festival and to be honest, I couldn’t wait to go. On previous trips to Jamaica, I’ve always missed out. Sometimes the event takes place before I’ve arrived in Jamaica, at other times it’s literally a day or two after I’ve left.

Reaching New Heights At Mystic Mountain, Jamaica

Built entirely from environmentally-friendly materials and covering 100 acres of mountainous land near Dunn’s River Falls, Mystic Mountain is a well located tourist attraction that sits 700 foot above sea level. On a recent trip to Jamaica, I was able to visit the attraction with three relatives as guests of Mystic Mountain.

I was intrigued… I have visited Jamaica on numerous occasions and wanted something new to try. This was perfectly suitable to whet my appetite for adventure on the island.

“Toast To The Nape” at KAMPAi, Jamaica

Taking its namesake from the Japanese word ‘Kanpai’ meaning to toast or celebrate an occasion, I couldn’t wait to party at KAMPAi with BayCrest Nation at Dunns River Falls in Jamaica. Following the pre-party on Good Friday, it had a lot to live up to. All inclusive drinks and food were a fantastic starting point, but I wanted to really see whether the event had all the makings for a fantastic Easter on the Caribbean island.

A few of the key sponsors on the evening were Haagen Daz, Appleton Rum, Absolut Vodka and Isle Chix amongst others – some of the very best suppliers serving Jamaica. With delicious food and creative drinks in full flow, it was clear that the event had been well planned to ensure that everybody had fun on the night. Drinks and food were plentiful and staff at every stall were friendly, approachable and enjoying the party.

Serenity in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica

On my latest visit to Jamaica, I’ve had more time than usual to cram in some sightseeing around the country hence being able to take a trip from Portland (in the East) towards the southern coast, with one of my destinations being the parish of St. Elizabeth. Whilst I have family based there, I can’t recall the last time that I actually visited (awful, I know!), so I was keen to become reacquainted with the area, albeit for just a few short hours.

The parish of St. Elizabeth is one of the largest in Jamaica, yet it remains largely unspoilt – which is a true part of its beauty. The less-trodden paths offer great appeal to those seeking a serene way to take in the culture of Jamaica and the diversity of its people.

Enjoying nature’s benefits at YS Falls, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica

I’m currently in Jamaica visiting family and exploring the island’s activities; regardless of how often I visit, there is always something fun to do! So I was thrilled to take a trip to St. Elizabeth and specifically to Lacovia to experience YS Falls – an attraction that I was previously only vaguely aware of.

Despite visiting Jamaica several times, I haven’t spent a great deal of time in the parish of St. Elizabeth, so my family and I took a trip from Portland to explore this lesser-travelled area of the country.

The attraction consists of a 7 tiered waterfall, flowing into intermittent pools of varying depths, therefore the advisory is to check the depth of the water BEFORE you enter. Lifeguards are on hand at each pool to support visitors through the visit, just in case you do experience difficulties in the water.

#KAMPAi pre-party at Mystic Mountain, Jamaica

To celebrate my first Easter in Jamaica, I wanted to experience something fun, exciting and new. A bit of research led me to #KAMPAi, a limited entry event to be held at the one and only Dunns River Falls. But first there would be the pre-party which I was kindly invited to by Adrien of Doctor Bird Expat Services, a division of Lemaire & Associates and Jamaica Luxury Travel.

The set up is like this: Buy a ticket for JA $6000 (2013 price equivalent to £40) and the first 300 ticket holders gain access to the pre-party at Mystic Mountain on Good Friday. Just two days later the main event is held at Dunns River Falls which is then open to all ticket holders.