| |
Home | Archive | Travel | Videos | About | |
|
 |
||||
| |
story and photos Frank Greco Jamaica is undoubtedly the most popular Caribbean destination for vacationers. This island has an abundance of attractions, activities, beautiful beaches, more super all-inclusive resorts than any other destination and as the locals say “everyting Irie mon.” Life is very low key laid back, so much so that no matter whom you speak with you’ll always hear “No Problem Mon.” Visitors to Jamaica usually book all-inclusive resorts for a worry free vacation. Jamaica invented this concept and now has stepped it up with the Super All-Inclusive. There’s a big difference between the two, not just the price. Imagine no extra charges, everything covered, including your scuba diving (if you scuba dive), golf and even motorized water sports like jet skis, parasailing and a complement of staff who’s sole purpose is to pamper guests …why stay anywhere else? Airlines arrive at the international airport in Montego Bay and from there, it’s a one-hour bus or taxi ride to Ocho Rios, the island’s most popular tourist destination on its north coast. Ocho Rios is a Spanish word meaning eight rivers, but truth be known, there are only four rivers in the area all boasting picturesque waterfalls but the tourist’s favourite is Dunn’s River Falls. So much so, that it has become the most popular attraction in the Caribbean. Thousands of tourists meet at the base of the falls each day, lock hands with other tourists, form a single line and begin climbing up more than 183 meters through pods of cascading waterfalls to reach the top. Many stop and take a refreshing plunge into waist deep naturally formed pools along the climb. When you reach the top, you will certainly feel invigorated and maintain bragging rights that you actually made it to the top of Dunn’s River Falls. It’s the “ting” to do when in Jamaica “mon”. Several of the best resorts in Jamaica are located near or in Ocho Rios. One of the most popular is the Breezes SuperClubs at Runaway Bay, which boasts the best white sand beach and scuba diving in Jamaica, an 18-hole PGA golf course, a diversity of restaurants and one stipulation that guests must follow, tipping is simply not permitted and there are no exceptions to this policy as I discovered. Although the golfing is free, you are required to have a caddie on the course and he does require a nominal fee for his service (one caddie for every two golfers). The grounds of the resort are designed so that all pathways lead to the ocean (the warm azure water of the Caribbean Sea). No matter how bad your navigational skills, you’ll always end up on the beach. All amenities are located on the property, regularly scheduled activities occur every day, from beach volley ball to dance lessons, to learning how to fly on the trapeze, everything you need to be active. Or you can find a shade covered hammock, get an island drink and relax on the beach. A visit to Jamaica wouldn’t be complete without an encounter with everyone’s favourite marine mammal, the dolphin and the most despised fish, the shark – not in the open water of the Caribbean, but at Jamaica’s newest attraction, Dolphin Cove. The dolphins are the most popular as evidenced by the hundreds of tourists that gather to interact with these graceful creatures. They steal all of the attention. However, for those who really want an adrenaline rush, why not swim, hold and even feed a in the world. Not to worry, a trained shark facilitator will guide you through your shark encounter. The sharks average a length between 1 to 2 meters and the experience can get quite nerve racking as they swim around you in water that’s waist deep. The decisive moment comes when the trainer positions you for the shark hug where you simply hug and pick the shark out of the water. At this point kissing the shark is allowed, but only optional. As one of the trainers explained, “dis is where many are chicken mon.” To really experience the countryside, one of the most exhilarating ways is to book a mountain bike adventure through Jamaica’s rocky and pothole riddled hillsides. Most tours require that you bike up a few small hills but the good news is that the rest of the ride is all downhill. Seems easy enough, but some hills are very steep, riddled with large rocks and potholes (some as big as a wading pool) forming an obstacle course that you’ll need to maneuver around. Believe me you’ll be riding the brakes all the way. Most rides take you through the lush hillsides and even coffee plantations with other planned stops along the route. The countryside views and the surrounding Caribbean are just spectacular from this vantage point. A word of caution, helmets are mandatory (although not the law in Jamaica), a small backpack to hold a water bottle and camera is a great idea and gloves to protect your hands. The ride is extremely bumpy, the roads very narrow with various hairpin turns but you always end the ride with a dip in the Caribbean Sea. So, bring your swim suite along. One must see spot that has been popularized by the 1993 movie featuring the late comedian John Candy is the “Cool Runnings” stores. The stores sell merchandise to fund the Jamaican Bobsled team, who first made the headlines at the 1988 Calgary winter Olympics and now known the world over because of the movie (Cool Runnings). There are two locations, one in Montego Bay and the other in the departure area inside the Montego Bay airport. The actual bobsled used in the 1988 Olympics is on display for the photo buffs, original photos of the team are on the walls; souvenirs and the Cool Runnings t-shirts can be purchased. Jamaica is the only tropical island in the world to have a bobsled team. How cool is that mon? Jamaica is a very tourist friendly, island with many amenities and is continually inventing and innovating the tourism experience. Other destinations are taking note. GL  Frank Greco is a world traveller; producer and host of a new television travel show called The Travel Guy airing in 116 countries. The Travel Guy is airing on SUNTV (in Ontario) and nationally on MENTV. Frank can be contacted at: frank@thetravelguy.tv. |
ABOVE Breezes Runaway Bay, all-inclusive resort. Swimming with dolphns at Dolphin Cove.  Hiking up Dunn's River Falls.  Shark gets a hug at Dolphin Cove.  Biking along the hillside.  Outdoor vendors display their colourful wares to catch the eye of tourists walking by. All available space is utilized to display as much as possible but remember - always negotiate.
|
||