Visit Historical Sites
Jamaica was once filled with sugar plantations and each of these plantations had a great house where the plantation owners lived. Most haven’t survived slave uprisings, hurricanes and the humid Jamaican climate over the years. Rose Hall Great House, however, has been standing strong since the late 1770’s and there is an added bonus…the former mistress of the house was a crazed killer and supposedly haunts the place! Take a tour of the restored great house and learn how the owners and slaves lived back in the house’s prime.
Rose Hall Great House, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Cliff Dive
The coast line in Negril has some beautiful beaches, but much of it is lined with sharp cliffs that drop into warm, turquoise water. Along these cliffs there are a few choice spots to cliff dive. Among them is a tourist favorite Rick’s Cafe where locals collect tips as incentive to risk life and limb doing crazy dives. Of course if you’re not a pro, you can still jump at your own risk.
Backflip At The Rock House Hotel, Negril, Jamaica
*Photo Credit to Glennia at The Silent I, thanks for the cool shot!
Ride Some Animals
In one day in Jamaica, I rode a horse (on land and in the ocean), a camel and a dolphin. I wouldn’t say that this is a typical vacation day for most travelers, but it was one of my most memorable. First we checked out Chukka Caribbean Adventures, which offers a ton of different adventures. Depending on your mood you can ride a horse, zip line, drive dune buggies or more. I’ve ridden many horses on vacations (totally against my will and to the delight of my sisters growing up), but something cool about Chukka is that you get to ride the horses in the ocean. After a rinse and a bite to eat we stopped at the Dolphin Cove to swim with dolphins. Our adventure there started with a camel ride, which I wasn’t expecting at DOLPHIN Cove, but they happen to have some birds, camels, sharks and stingrays along with the featured dolphins. The camel ride was short and bumpy, but it was fun and I was able to cross riding a camel off of my once in a lifetime to do list. Dolphin Cove offers a variety of packages to allow you to kiss a dolphin, pet a dolphin and actually swim with a dolphin. I was a little leery to get in the water with large marine mammals, but I decided to go for it and it was a very cool experience.
Chukka Caribbean Adventures, Jamaica
Enjoy the Ocean
Jamaica is full of world class beaches so why not sit on one for a while. I enjoyed some relaxing moments on a few different beaches and I personally think anyone visiting the island of Jamaica should take time to do the same. If you want to enjoy the ocean at a higher adventure level there are always a ton of snorkeling and diving options as well as catamaran cruises like Dreamer Catamarans which are affordable and a great way to see the coast line.
7 Mile Beach, Negril, Jamaica
Dreamer Catamarans, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Eat Jamaican Food
As with any good vacation you should visit some local restaurants and get some tasty food. Read about my recommendations here.
*I was a guest of the Jamaican Tourist Board and all meals and accomodations were provided, but my opinions are my own.
