While many people travel to Jamaica for a fun vacation, I am dreaming of a journey through Jamaica that will take me back in time to experience some of the roots and magic of this colorful Caribbean island. I have a rum and reggae rendezvous in my future.
Jamaica has an intricate and interesting history that began long before tourists began seeking it as a tropical beach destination.
Once gaining independence from Great Britain in 1962, Jamaica experienced ideological turmoil as the nation struggled to find its political identity. The Intersection of the history of the Caribbean with modern issues of globalization is uniquely illustrated in Jamaica.
My personal interest in Jamaica takes me back to grad school when I wrote my master’s thesis on the impacts of economic policies and foreign influence on Caribbean nations, using Jamaica as my case study. My early found love of reggae music and Bob Marley also inspired a curiosity of Rastafarianism and the history of the movement.
Long a fan of reggae music, I was once asked by an older black man with long dreads and a Jamaican accent, “whatchu know about Bob Marley?” when he saw the sticker on the side of my 1970 VW bus at a gas station while on my solo cross country travels. It was a picture of Bob Marley with his quote, “we leave our judgment up to jah”. Over twenty years later reggae is still my most played music. I sang my younger son to sleep most nights for years to Redemption Song (per his request) and now my sons have heard the music so much that the same son recently got in my car and informed me that I don’t always have to have reggae playing in the car.
The history of REGGAE music leads us back to Jamaica, to the roots of reggae and its introduction to the world.
One small nation produced a music that the world would fall in love with. It speaks to our soul and moves our bodies. Whether we connect with the lyrics, which are often deeply rooted in a personal history with the culture of the people who created it, we always connect with the sound. Reggae is often the background music to life in our house, from the Toots and the Maytals, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Don Carlos to Buju Banton and Yellowman. Cocktails are often being mixed to the music and dancing sometimes ensues.
Speaking of cocktails, another interest in Jamaica in our house is that of RUM!
While the making of rum is not unique to Jamaica, the funk of Jamaican rum is. We have a love for TIKI drinks in our house, more for the rum base of them than the Polynesian theme of what we know as “tiki”. In our quest to make complicated tiki drinks, which involves tracking down hard to find ingredients and making homemade syrups and tinctures, we have traveled the rum path and it leads us to Jamaica.
While tiki drinks are much more involved than what you think of as the typical rum punch served at a large resort or your mass produced bon voyage drink on a cruise ship, their roots are in the West Indies rum punches. RUM comes from the CARIBBEAN! JAMAICAN RUM is special.
If you read about the history of rum and reggae in the links above you will find that both are intertwined with Jamaica and the history of its people. Rum and reggae were both essentially born out of slavery and impacted by the colonialism of the Caribbean. Rum was literally invented by enslaved people in the Caribbean and reggae is rooted in the lasting impacts of that history.
A Rum and Reggae Rendezvous
With a love of reggae music, an interest in and some knowledge of Rastafarianism, and being self proclaimed tiki aficionados with a love of rum, a rum and reggae rendezvous is in the works. It began with my husband’s love of Appleton Estate rum. It has that unique Jamaican funk and is the staple rum in our house. We discovered that we can go tour the distillery in Jamaica and a journey was born.
I am the travel planner in our circle, as one who devotes a sometimes unreasonable amount of time in the research before booking anything. Friends and family often look to me to take on this task as one I enjoy and give full attention to when they lack the time or desire to spend it. We have enlisted the company of best friends of ours, our most frequent travel companions, fellow rum and music lovers, and all around amazing people to enjoy this tour of Jamaica with.
When people talk about a trip to Jamaica they most often are talking about a beach vacation, often at a large resort, sometimes all inclusives. While I am not staunchly opposed, as there are perhaps good reasons for making this choice and many good options, the most interesting part of travel to me is getting off the beaten path and exploring the variety my destination offers: the people, the food, the culture of the place and the nature surrounding it. My husband travels internationally for work and has been almost everywhere on the planet. He definitely subscribes to this travel style also and has helped teach me the ins and outs of making this freedom of travel possible.
We have made one other trip to Jamaica, several years ago, also with friends. These friends love Jamaica so much they were married on the island and go back every year. We stayed in Negril and enjoyed the beautiful 7-Mile Beach, amazing jerk chicken from the side of the road, a spectacular venture out to FLOYD’S PELICAN BAR (a very unique bar constructed of driftwood on stilts out on the sea), paddle boarding in the ocean and fun times by all!
The goal of this trip is a different experience. My plan is to tour much more of the island, visit rum distilleries (specifically Appleton), see the north coast scenery that we missed last time, experience the misty mountaintops and beautiful scene of Blue Mountain National Park, coffee plantations, ruins, and a venture into Kingston. My hope is that we will find reggae at most stops along the journey and specifically will seek out a few glimpses into the history with visits to the Bob Marley and Peter Tosh museums.
We will be flying into Montego Bay. We are able to get affordable direct flights into Montego Bay, but would have to pay more and connect to fly into Kingston. There are a few options for flights: Southwest, Spirit, Jetblue and of course other airlines that do not fly direct.
The Journey In More Detail
While some do not recommend driving yourself around Jamaica, we feel comfortable traveling on our own and driving on the “wrong” side of the road. We will rent a vehicle in Montego Bay to drive the longer portions of the journey and will plan to hire drivers for the day trips (rum!) and nights out (rum!).
First Stop
RASTAFARI INDIGENOUS VILLAGE.
It is located just twenty minutes from Sanger International Airport in Montego Bay. My plan is to go straight here after arriving and renting the car. The village is a community of people who live there. They accept visitors as guests to their home rather than tourists to an attraction. This is stated on their website. While I kind of feel like a tourist peeking in, I have a deep interest in their way of life. I have for a long time and would love this opportunity to learn more and experience their village. They do require reservations to be made in advance and the tour options are each around three hours or so.
First leg of road trip
After spending the early afternoon with the Rastafari community we will hit the road from the Montego Bay area, heading east along the north coast of the island towards Ocho Rios.
First Stay: GOLDENEYE
I am very excited about staying at this beautiful and history rich location that is no ordinary hotel. For you James Bond fans out there, this location was originally purchased and developed by Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond franchise. He purchased the former donkey racetrack in 1946, when he sketched his dream villa and named it Goldeneye. He would return to invent James Bond and write all thirteen of his books in his bedroom here at Goldeneye.
Goldeneye is now owned by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records. He spent his childhood in Jamaica. No coincidence here, Bob Marley became the top selling act of Island Records and in fact, according to Blackwell, Bob Marley financed the purchase of Goldeneye for Blackwell in 1976 when he purchased the property at his mother’s request. There is an interesting history here. It is worth checking out the background of Chris Blackwell and Island Records if you are a music lover and definitely if you stay at his properties in Jamaica.
GOLDENEYE is a property on the coast with multiple beachfront villas, cottages and beach huts set in tropical gardens with secret coves and private beaches. There are options for dining and drinking at Bizot Bar, the main restuarant and bar serving Jamaican cuisine, Bamboo bar serving jerk and drinks on the beach, in room dining and outdoor dining. It all looks amazing as the setting couldn’t be more relaxed or beautiful.
The property offers a variety of water activities from kayaking and paddle boarding to snorkeling and sailing. I do not often indulge in a spa experience when traveling, as I am often on the go or at the beach, but the SPA MENU at Goldeneye is most definitely whispering to me to set aside some me time on this journey.
You can even book a stay at FLEMING VILLA, the original villa where Ian Fleming wrote the James Bond books, if you so desire. It is a private villa that sleeps up to ten adults and has its own private pool, beach and staff. It would be like staying on your own private island.
The GOLDENEYE FOUNDATION, founded by Chris Blackwell, is dedicated to the sustainable development of the Oracabessa community and their environment. Their focus is on marine conservation and preserving the biodiversity of Oracabessa Bay and helping the people in the community attain healthy and thriving lives. The foundation partners with the ORACABESSA FISH SANCTUARY, a partnership of local fishermen and tourism industry stakeholders working towards marine conservation together.
While a few days could be spent soaking up sun, saltwater and rum right here in this beautiful place, it is in the town of Oracabessa, which is only about twenty minutes to more action in Ocho Rios and within driving distance to go into the mountains or make a short road trip further down the coast. We will definitely venture into Oracabessa and check out the sights in and around Ocho Rios.
Ocho Rios
Ocho Rios area offers several attractions and places of interest that would all be doable for a short venture away from Goldeneye, as well as restaurants and some potential nightlife. I would like to check out the town, visit the craft market and the Xplosion Reggae museum and hit a restaurant and bar or two for some local flavor. It looks like the most amazing experience near Ocho Rios will be the beautiful turquoise water at BLUE HOLE.
These Ocho Rios restaurants look interesting to me: Miss T’s Kitchen (definitely want to check out), Scotchie’s, Bamboo Blue and maybe Ocho Rios Jerk Center.
Other attractions/Experiences:
Second Stay: KANOPI HOUSE
Kanopi looks like an amazing property. It features treehouses ranging from one bedroom treetop bungalows with king sized beds, treehouse cottages with kitchenettes and a two bedroom, two level, 1,200 sq ft treehouse. The treehouses feature stocked coffee/tea bars, signature toiletries, and nightly turn down service. They are all furnished and decorated with local farmer and artists’ furniture and decor and all have jungle views complete with tropical birds and active wildlife.
The property has a restaurant lovingly named The Living Room where breakfast, lunch and dinner of locally sourced food from local farmers with Jamaican flavors are served. The bar is steps away and will satisfy our desire for rum drinks with fresh squeezed juice and a cold Red Stripe. Port Antonio is nearby with more dining options, bars, and a market.
Kanopi House offers a variety of excursions off property, but they claim on property lagoon lounging where there is kayaking, snorkeling and swimming out to Monkey Island as the ideal way to spend the day. They can also arrange a sail to Monkey Island, Rio Grande river rafting, lagoon rafting, a lagoon boat tour or an expedition out to Reach Falls. This is all in the parish of Portland, which is said to be one of the most lush and beautiful on the island. I plan to also visit FRENCHMAN’S COVE, an idyllic picture perfect beach with clear water where we can snack on jerk chicken and grab some cold Red Stripes.
Mountain road trip: buff bay to Kingston
This route passes by Fish Dunn Falls, which is worth a visit for the beautiful scene and not too far off the highway. The next spot down the road is Holywell, with a 300 acre national recreation park with steep terrain, hikes to cascading waterfalls and pools and an abundance of bird life. The Blue Mountains Bicycle Tours Cafe, perched high on the steep mountainside would be an interesting stop between Fish Dunn Falls and Holywell.
The road passes through Newcastle, which was established as a military mountain station for British soldiers in 1841 and today operates as a training center for the Jamaica Defense Force. I have read that the road is so remote through this region that it passes right through the parade ground of the training center where you may see soldiers in training doing exercises. Newcastle is said to have some of the best views overlooking Kingston.
The road between Newcastle and Irish Town, where we will find our next overnight stay, is an area of hiking trails, coffee plantations, waterfalls and rum shops. There is another cafe on this stretch in Irish Town that is spoken highly about as a bit of an oasis on this stretch of windy road. Cafe Blue serves the famous Blue Mountain coffee and delicious pastries worthy of a quick stop. Once arriving to Irish Town, in the hills overlooking Kingston we will find our next destination.
Third stay: STRAWBERRY HILL HOTEL
The hotel offers stays ranging from studio suites and cottages to one and two bedroom cottages and villas. Each offers privacy in a setting with amazing views of nature and surrounding gardens, with some offering wrap around verandas looking out over the mountains and city lights of Kingston. Think sitting on your porch in a rocking chair or hammock, rum drink in hand gazing out over the gardens and hills. The lovely infinity pool that seems to fall over the edge of the mountain looks like an enticing way to relax a while.
The Strawberry Hill Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and rumor has it, Sunday brunch that is quite a treat. The restaurant boasts the island’s multi-cultural heritage being illustrated in the kitchen that offers traditional Jamaican dishes with a contemporary and local twist.
The charming bar of wood paneled walls, a stone fireplace, and upright piano serves as the social center of the hotel. Rum drinks flow here while you observe photos on the walls of (surprise! surprise!) the stars of Island Record’s family and friends. Along with Goldeneye, Chris Blackwell also owns Strawberry Hill and The Caves (in Negril), all part of the ISLAND OUTPOST collection founded by him.
Just as with Goldeneye on the north coast, there is a connection with Bob Marley here as well. It is said he often spent time at Strawberry Hill and it is well noted that he stayed here for some time after the assassination attempt on him in 1976 in which he and his wife Rita were both shot.
Island Outpost is a collection of distinctive Jamaica luxury hotels and villas known for their interesting character and expression that reflects the magic of music, each with its own rhythm, its own beat. Island Outpost strives to provide guests with a level of service so natural, that they would feel as if they were staying in the home of good friends. The atmosphere will be casual and friendly and we will make each a fun place with fresh and local food and efficient and unobtrusive service. We will provide guests with distinct places that share a common sensibility or aesthetic that makes them appealing to a certain kind of person. The company is committed to creating a unique, personal, relaxed experience – places where one can put a little distance between themselves and the rest of the world.
Once again, the SPA at STRAWBERRY HILL will not be skipped on this trip. The indoor/outdoor treatment rooms on the hillside overlooking misty blue mountain tops offer a peaceful and beautiful space to relax and soak up a luxurious treat of the senses. Their signature treatment, the Blue Mountain Body Elixir begins with a blue mountain coffee bean and brown sugar body scrub followed by a hydrotherapy deep tissue massage and ends with an anti-aging body balm. I think this is the treatment that I will be booking.
Considering this lovely hotel is in the Blue Mountains there are several hiking options nearby so we can take advantage of that mountain air and clear our minds and bodies a bit. There are a couple of short easy hikes. One is the St. Mark’s Chapel and Red Light Village Hike that is only about twenty minutes. You can find an early 1800’s British chapel and a waterfall on this one. Another option is the Craighton House Coffee Estate Hike where you can also do a tour of the coffee estate once you get there.
Strawberry Hill offers guided hikes as well. There are a couple of options. These are each three or four hour hikes where you can venture deeper into the surrounding mountains to enjoy swimming holes and waterfalls.
On to Kingston
The Bob Marley Museum offers tours of both his Kingston home and Tuff Gong International, the recording studio. There is a ONE LOVE combo tour of both locations. I think the Making of The Music Tour sounds wonderful. It is a 60 minute interactive behind the scenes look at the record making process from rehearsal to album. The tour can be followed up with trying out some ITAL food in the One Love Cafe.
Another option that is only about a six minute drive away is reportedly one of the best spots for jerk chicken in Kingston, Chateau 7 Jerk Chicken. An expat living in Jamaica for the last few years says you can’t put a price on it and that this is one of the best parts about living in Jamaica, not just the food but the vibe as people gather here and all are happy.
More of Kingston
EMANCIPATION PARK, located in New Kingston, features an eleven foot monument called Redemption Song.
DEVON HOUSE, a celebrated historic landmark in Jamaica, was constructed for Jamaica’s first black millionaire. It now hosts tours, multiple dining options and the Devon House Bakery which everyone talking about visiting Kingston seems to mention. They also have the Mahogany Tree Bar which features live music Friday and Saturday nights and a restaurant called The Grog Shoppe, in the old carriage house next to the mansion, which features an enticing menu of Jamaican cuisine. The Devon House is also reported to have some of the best ice cream in the world if you are an ice cream fan.
On the Reggae tip, one last adventure may have to be the DUB CLUB. This is actually a weekly reggae house party on Sunday nights where international and local artists often play. It is a meeting place for lovers of reggae music from all over the world and everyone is invited. High up on Jack Hill outside of Kingston, down a dark windy road to a footpath that may require a flashlight, you may need a sense of adventure for this one. For this rum and reggae rendezvous our crew is definitely down for this party! The Wondrous World of Kingston Dub Club is an interesting read on this if you are a music fan.
APPLETON ESTATE
The tour begins with a welcome cocktail in the welcome center, followed by a film on the history of the estate in the theatre. The tour then moves outside to the beautiful grounds and takes visitors through the process from sugarcane to cocktail, including visits to the distillery and aging house, and ending with a tasting of three Appleton rums.
We will spend some time in the welcome center where there is a bar and gift shop before enjoying an authentic Jamaican lunch (complete with rum drinks of course!) at the Black River Lounge and Bar. Reservations are not needed for the estate tour (unless you have a large group) but they do suggest making them for the restaurant.
heading Back to Montego Bay
Last night: HALF MOON RESORT
Half Moon happens to be the location where Chris Blackwell recorded his first record in 1959. He worked as a sailing instructor here in his youth. This began his Island Record venture which led to helping bring reggae from Jamaica to the world. I feel like we have come full circle from the start of this particular journey.
It would be a wonderful way to end our rum and reggae rendezvous having dinner at the Sugar Mill, Half Moon’s consistently top ranked Jamaica restaurant. Of course, the stay will not be complete without capping it all off with rum drinks at the Cedar Bar, perhaps at sunset where we may hear a small local band playing some old -school Jamaican music while we recount the highlights of our journey before we fly out the next morning, the airport is just ten minutes away.
