In 2014, we went to India in December, and for 2015 we were considering a Caribbean destination. We had a great time in Guatemala in 2013 and were looking for a country where we can make a similar trip- a 14-15 day trip across the country. We finalized Jamaica, given its small towns, beaches, waterfalls, mountains and ease of access.
Jamaica – Xamayca
The plan was to fly in and out of Montego Airport. Locally we will be hiring a taxi or using a bus service, and over fifteen days, we would explore Treasure Beach, Blue Mountains and Port Antonio.
On December 16, 2015, we arrived in Jamaica. As we were exiting Montego Airport, Pete was waiting for us with my name on a placard. We would be staying at Bebe’s Place at Treasure Beach and had arranged for Pete to pick us up at the airport.
Pete has a licensed taxi (Toyota Ipsum) and was in his late 50s, I guess. We thought Kavya would be riding in the cab without a car seat (similar to India). But Pete was thoughtful and bought a car seat. Soon we were on our way to Treasure Beach.
We made a quick stop at a supermarket and picked up some groceries and fruits. It was dark by the time we reached Treasure Beach and checked in to our cottage at Bebe’s Place. We had booked a small cottage with one bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. It had been a long day, and after a quick dinner, we slept early.
Treasure Beach
The next day, we woke up to a beautiful sunny morning. A perfect day to appreciate the beauty of Bebe’s place.
After breakfast, we walked to the beach right across the street from Bebe’s Place. There were hardly any people on the beach, and it is not commercialized. Kavya’s first beach experience was at Suratkal in India, and back then, she was terrified. So it was good to see her getting comfortable at Treasure Beach.
After a couple of hours, we went to our cottage for lunch. Late in the afternoon, we were back at the beach and stayed there till sunset.
We had dinner at the beach shack and it was okay. We met a Jamaican expat family and Kavya enjoyed playing with the kids.
On our way back, we picked up some more groceries from the mini-mart close to Bebe’s place. A person approached us and asked if we were from India. I nodded. He was drunk, but friendly and went on for a few minutes praising Indira Gandhi and spirituality in India.
For the next few days, we would have a leisurely breakfast and then walk to the beach. Come back for lunch, take a short nap and then head back to the beach and enjoy the sunset. It was one of the most relaxing times compared to all other vacations.
YS Falls
One day, we made a day trip to YS Falls – a privately owned property. It is about an hour’s drive from Treasure Beach. We left early and were there just when the gates opened. A short ride on a Jitney Tractor, and we were at the waterfalls.
We hiked up the trail to get to some of the upper falls. The big attraction was the rope swing and the drop to the beautiful pool. Kavya was happy to just wade around the pool.
After an hour or so, we hiked down. YS Falls is managed well with beautiful pools, gardens, picnic areas and canopy tours. Around lunchtime, we made our way back to Treasure Beach.
Hold a Vibz Cafe was one of our favourite spots at Treasure Beach. It has excellent vegetarian options and a variety of smoothies.
After five days at Treasure Beach, we left for the Blue Mountains. Pete dropped us off at Luana. From there, we took the Knutsford Express bus to Kingston. It was pouring when we arrived in Kingston.
Blue Mountains
We had booked the Gap Cafe Bed and Breakfast near Holywell Recreation Park. Gloria, who owns Gap Cafe, lives in Kingston. We called Gloria on our arrival in Kingston, and she asked us to meet her at Devon House.
We took a taxi to Devon House and were amazed to see a heritage building with several businesses inside the complex. Gloria arrived shortly and welcomed us to her restaurant. It was a fine dining restaurant, and I felt awkward with our backpacks and hiking attire.
Only later did I realize that Gloria is a very successful businesswoman and a well-known philanthropist. She was very kind and was curious to know about our plans in Jamaica. Gloria called a taxi for us that would drop us at the Gap Cafe. She was kind enough to walk with us to the parking lot and repeatedly instructed the driver to drive slowly and safely.
The roads were in bad shape, but our driver did a great job, and we arrived at the Cafe late in the afternoon. The Cafe is just a few minutes from Holywell Recreational Park and offers beautiful views of Kingston and Port Royal.
We had an early dinner at the Cafe and loved the food. Later one of the staff members helped us check in to the cottage attached to the Cafe. The cottage has a bedroom, kitchen and a small living room. There won’t be any staff on site, and it would be just us at the cottage.
The kitchen at the cottage was disappointing. It seemed like nobody had stayed at this place or at least used the kitchen for years. Later at night, there was an eerie feeling to this place. We were planning to stay for five nights, but given the state of accommodation, we decided to cut our stay to just two nights.
Holywell Recreational Park
The next day, after breakfast, we did a short hike in the Holywell Recreational Park.
Later in the evening, we enjoyed the sunset from the Gap Cafe.
The next day we booked a taxi that would drop us off at Buff Bay. The road condition to Buff Bay was worse than our route to Gap Cafe. If this were in North America, you wouldn’t drive without a 4X4. In Jamaica, the local taxi drivers will skillfully navigate the potholes even with a low-clearance sedan.
The drive through Blue & John Crow Mountains National Park is scenic, and we enjoyed our ride to Buff Bay. At Buff Bay, our taxi driver helped us get into a route taxi for Port Antonio.
Route Taxis
Route Taxi that we took from Buff Bay was like a mini-van with four tiers of seating. The first row was right next to the driver, in the middle, you have second and third rows facing each other and a fourth section at the back. The official capacity of this taxi is probably around 12-14 passengers. At one point in our journey to Port Antonio, we had 22 adults and three kids (on lap). This route taxi had more people than a transit bus in Vancouver.
In addition to the driver, our route taxi had a ticket collector. This adventurous soul would hang from the taxi even in pouring rain. The ticket collector’s sole purpose was to monetize every inch in the cab while arranging people based on their destination and size. He was so ruthless that Jeff Bezos would find him inspiring.
After an exciting journey, we got down at Port Antonio. After asking around for directions, we arrived at Ocean Crest guest house. It is a multi-level guest house with several rooms. Our room was at the upper level and had a great view of the East Harbour.
Port Antonio
The guest house had a spacious shared kitchen, and we had all the basics to prepare a good meal. Later in the evening, I went to Kamal’s a supermarket on West Street to get groceries for the next few days.
Indians form the third largest ethnic group in Jamaica. So, it was not surprising to see rice, Indian spices and other essential ingredients. There was even basmati rice with a picture of Amitabh Bachchan on it.
Rio Grande Rafting
The next day we met Garfield. He operates a raft on the Rio Grande, and our neighbours at the guest house had just made a trip with him. We booked a Rio Grande rafting tour with him. A taxi came and picked us up from the guest house later in the morning and dropped us off at Rafter’s Nest.
Garfield helped us get comfortable on the bamboo raft. The raft is roughly four feet wide and 25 feet long, and has a seating arrangement at the back. Garfield skillfully manoeuvred the raft along the Rio Grande while we enjoyed the views.
At one point, Kavya and I were co-captains and were at the front. We tried to press down the pole to move ahead while simultaneously trying to stand upright on the raft. We had fun for a few minutes and then settled back on our seat with Kasturi.
After an hour on the raft, we stopped at Belinda’s. Belinda hikes down to the river from her village and crosses it on feet to get to this midway point. She also carries vegetables/meat and other essentials with her.
Belinda was preparing fried chicken and veggie dumplings in her wood-fired outdoor kitchen. While we were waiting for lunch, Kavya was busy trying to catch fish in the river.
After a good lunch, we were back on the raft. Rafting down the Rio Grande was a unique experience. The bamboo raft, the forests, the wildlife and the people made it special. I wished we could go on for hours.
After roughly two and a half hours, we were at the bay and took a taxi back to the guest house.
Boston Bay
The next day we took a route taxi to Boston Bay. It is a well-maintained turquoise beach and is quite popular with the surfers. The beach is small, but the shoulder buffs create strong waves.
For lunch, we went to Great Huts, a beautiful resort right next to Boston Bay. We ordered some sandwiches and fried rice. As we were waiting for the food, we walked to one of its viewpoints. The view of Boston Bay was amazing.
Blue Lagoon
Later in the afternoon, on our way back we stopped by the Blue Hole (Lagoon). It’s an excellent spot for a swim and a picnic with family.
Reach Falls
The next day, we decided to go to Reach Falls. The first route taxi dropped us off at the Reach Falls junction. After waiting for some time, when we asked around about taxi to Reach Falls, the response was, “no problem, soon come….”
“Soon” is relative, but we did get a taxi to Reach Falls. Since it was the holiday season, it was very busy at the Reach Falls.
On our way back, we had to work with the locals to call a private taxi to just get to the junction. Maybe it was the crowd and the logistics, but I didn’t enjoy Reach Falls compared to YS Falls.
Frenchman’s Cove
Our last trip from Port Antonio was to Frenchman’s Cove. It is a privately owned beach and part of a resort, but you can get a day pass to access the beach. What makes this beach unique is the river that flows right into the ocean.
The water was a bit rough, with strong undercurrents. So, we spent the majority of the time playing in the river pool and by the swing. Later we got busy transforming Kavya into a mermaid.
At some point, we heard a woman screaming for help. Her husband had gone beyond the rope (tied across the cliffs) and had lost control. A group of teenagers managed to grab him and get him closer to the shore. It took some time for the lifeguards to get their act together. Finally, they got this guy to the beach.
A tourist (nurse), along with few others, helped this guy regain consciousness. Later, no one was allowed to get into the sea, and people were restricted to the side pool. Once we were back from our trip, I read about drowning accidents at Frenchman’s cove in 2009 and 2014. People need to be careful, but given the incidents, I think the resort should do more to avoid future accidents.
On December 28, we took the Knutsford Express bus to Montego Bay and flew back home later in the afternoon. Overall, we had an amazing two week trip in Jamaica exploring its beaches, waterfalls and mountains.
Travel Tips
Lonely Planet Thorn Tree Forum was very helpful in planning my trip. After our trip, I posted a Trip Report on the forum.
Helpful Links: Jamaica Tourism | Treasure Beach | Port Antonio
In Jamaica, many places will accept USD, but you might get a better rate with Jamaican Dollars. Check with your bank for local Jamaican bank partners to withdraw from an ATM without any fees.
Read this article to know more about history of Indians in Jamaica.
Disclosure: I am not affiliated with any of the above individuals or organizations.
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Wonderful anna
Punith – Thank you!
vachatana tripacha aanand gheta aala.chanach.
Thank you!
Tumba chanda Raja
Thank you!
Hi Shashi, Nicely written with good details.
Thank you, Amol.