Tours to Floyds Pelican Bar in Parottee Bay Jamaica is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

Floyds Pelican Bar in Jamaica is one of the most unique places to visit that you may ever have the pleasure to experience. The bar and restaurant are located about a mile offshore on a sand bar located in Parottee Bay on the South Coast of Jamaica inbetween Black River and Treasure Beach and it is by far the coolest place I have ever drank a Red Stripe beer.

Pelican Bar is a well weathered but remarkably stable thatch hut built in the middle of the Caribbean Sea from driftwood, palm fronds and coconut tree trunks driven down into the sand like stilts on the edge of a small reef offering some of the best snorkeling, freshest seafood and homestyle Jamaican cooking on the island. Pelican Bar is owned and operated by Floyd who decided he wanted to do something different to attract people away from the tourist traps and down to his cool spot and it worked out perfectly. Floyd gets a steady stream of visitors to his unique paradise hideaway and the tourists who end up there and the wonderful conversations had are as much fun as the sun, snorkeling and panoramic views. I read an article recently that listed Pelican Bar as one of 15 most unique places to visit but I cannot seem to find it now. I certainly agree it’s a special place.

My first trip to meet Floyd was with friends Sara and Alan on an eco tour in Jamaica which included stops for the Black River Safari and YS Falls which are always great but Pelican Bar was too cool and I go back as often as possible now. We spent a lazy afternoon snorkeling the shallow waters and laid out in the sun before we enjoyed a wicked fresh lobster dinner and one of the best views in the world. Unfortunately on this trip we did miss the great sunsets because a small rainstorm blew in but the sheer power and beauty of nature made up for things and we had an excellent time just chillin out with some cold Red Stripe beers and a spliff to make the time pass.

Not every Pelican Bar tour includes a tour to Treasure Beach but doing both is very easy and many people who visit Floyds do so on an extended boat ride from Jakes Place in Treasure Beach and select private boats will make the trip up from Black River Safari for a full day tour on the water. Every tour to Pelican Bar does include a cool boat ride and some of the most beautiful scenery in Jamaica and makes for a great way to enjoy a leisure afternoon and beautiful sunset with loved ones and friends.

If you want to visit one of the most unique places to travel or visit in Jamaica then you will certainly want to take a tour to Pelican Bar in Jamaica with us. I hope you do because I’m always ready for a trip to Floyds place.

Custom Jamaica Vacation Tours for Reinhold and Ana is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

I met Reinhold on a late afternoon this past week when he walked into the main office at Cotton Tree Place where I happened to be using the internet after having a conversation with the property manager Marie about how slow things have been for resorts this summer. This would be my third summer while living in Jamaica and specifically Negril and this has got to be the slowest summer season I have ever seen.

Things are aways slow in summer and you see fewer people in town this time of year but this year seems especially weak and a number of local businesses in Negril are suffering. Reinhold and his daughter Ana were visiting from Austria and they were taking a walk up West End Road when they decided to stop in the lobby at Cotton Tree to ask some questions about where they were and what there was to do in the area.

I struck up a conversation with Reinhold and told him about all of the wonderful things that I love about Negril and the rest of Jamaica for that matter. He made a comment about how slow things seemed and that he did not think there was much here to do. I told him that many of the better things to do on vacation in Jamaica are just outside the tourist towns and a trip down the south coast of Jamaica may be a great way to get out of the resort and into a Real Jamaican experience. He seemed interested and I told him that I would be glad to build a custom vacation tour for him and his daughter based on what I thought they may enjoy about Jamaica.

It turned out to be a very special tour of Jamaica for all of us and one excellent Jamaica vacation for Reinhold and Ana. One of the first questions Reinhold asked me about Negril was where he could find a good espresso and I told him there were not many options available to those of us used to gourmet coffee shops. Jamaicans don’t actually drink much coffee and the few shops that do offer it do not usually offer any gourmet blends or specialty coffees like espresso. Many of the resorts offer Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee but many more of them cheat and offer the lesser grades such as high mountain and other blends that are not to the same standard as the Blue Mountain brands. I thought he may appreciate a Blue Mountain Coffee Tour but Kingston is a long drive for some coffee and we would need another reason to go that far.

While speaking to his daughter Ana I asked what the reason was for the vacation and how it was they arrived in Jamaica. It seems that mother suggest that father and daughter take a vacation in order to be together more this summer and they ended up on a 16 day adventure from Austria to New York to Jamaica of which they had but a few days left to enjoy before returning home. Reinhold gave her the choice of where they should travel and suggested she choose two options. When she said New York and Jamaica he decided that both places were interesting and they should then go ahead and see them both. Her choice of Jamaica was influenced by her love of Bob Marley and reggae music. This gave us an even better reason to visit Kingston and ended up as the first of two days of adventure which began with the Bob Marley Experience Tour that included stops at the Peter Tosh Museum , the Bob Marley Museum and Ghetto Youths International although we were unable to make it over to Tuff Gong Records or Culture Yard in Trench Town due to time restraints and the decision to visit YS Falls for an extended hike up the falls and photo shoot on the lush property for Ana the aspiring photographer.

The need to reach the Montego Bay airport turned out to be the perfect reason to make the long drive from Spanish Town on the morning of the second day to Ocho Rios crossing the mid section of Jamaica before heading over to Mobay for the early evening flight and the end of our trip. We made the best of it and made dozens of short stops for small bites to eat and photo stops. Ana is vegan and Reinhold will eat only eat vegan or seafood so we enjoyed a number of stops at local eateries and road side cafes for the best in fresh fruit and local seafood cuisine. We had just about every kind of fruit in season from fresh cut pineapple and mangoes in Sav La Mar and pretty much all of Westmoreland Parish to the super sweet honey bananas, guinep or spanish lime as we called them in Key West and sweet sop we found in St Elizabeth and who could forget the best oranges we got in Porus and Manchester Parish. It’s always a pleasure to drive that much of Jamaica as you get to experience the very best that each community offers at the almost endless roadside vendors, cook shops and beer joints. Of course we had peppa shrimp in Middle Quarters and the fried fish and bammy in Scotts Cove but we also stopped a small road side fire that offered up some of the best vegetable stew I have ever had with a big cup full off farm fresh vegetables served steaming hot and packed with enough flavor and spices to break you out in a sweat. All of these were washed down with fresh squeezed juices we purchased along the way as well as the usual assortment of my favorite Tru Juice brands and of course a Ting for a carbonated shot of Jamaican Grapefruit to beat the heat as we drove in the summer sun.

I think it turned out to be an unforgettable experience for them both and I have no doubts that Reinhold and Ana enjoyed their last two days taking in much of the beauty of Jamaica in a whirlwind tour from Negril to Kingston to Ocho Rios with a final destination at the Montego Bay airport as they boarded the flight home to end their vacation. Everything timed out just about perfect and they reached the airport in Mobay with just minutes to spare after enjoying a final meal at the Jamaica Bobsled Restaurant on the Hip Strip in downtown Montego Bay.

After a some deliberations the decision was made to make it a two day adventure tour across Jamaica starting out in Negril and heading out over the south coast with an overnight stay in Kingston before the second days trip from Spanish Town to Ocho Rios and across the north coast where they had a flight at 8PM.

The first day would be very much like our standard South Coast Jamaica Tours except that after leaving the YS Falls property around lunch time on the first day we headed over to Kingston for the Bob Marley Museum Tour instead of Appleton as we do on many of the South Coast Jamaica Tours we do for people that are interested in the 200+ year history of rum in Jamaica. This not only takes us past the Holland Bamboo Avenue which everyone loves to see but on to Santa Cruz and Mandeville up high in the Jamaica hills where things are a little colder and life seems to slow down even more. We pass through a number of residential communities on this leg of the tour and get to see what the real Jamaica looks like with some real culture for those interested in seeing how the average person lives in Jamaica. Much of this area seems like the rest to some people and we did not make many stops here until we reached downtown Kingston on our way to the Marley Museum.

The Bob Marley Museum is a moving experience for any reggae fan when you realize just how important a man Bob Marley was and what an international influence his music has been. The Bob Marley Museum was a wonderful introduction to Bob Marley for Reinhold who knew very little about the reggae musician and his history or the rastafarian culture his 13 year old daughter was being exposed to through her friends and their musical influences. Reinhold was impressed with how much there was at the museum and he seemed glad for the opportunity to understand more. I feel he left with a clearer picture of who Bob Marley was and how great his musical influence has been not only on Jamaica but the entire world.

The final decision to stay up in the mountains allowed us to stay at an actual Jamaican coffee plantation in the Blue Mountains where we hiked to the peak of a privately owned mountain and witnessed some of the best vista views in Jamaica. We rented a room in the Jamaica Blue Mountains at Forres Park which is located on the road to Hagley Gap and the last township on the way to the Blue Mountain Peak. Hagley Gap and the peak where visible from our veranda whenever there was a break in the clouds which came up on us early in the morning as we were hiking and created a wonderful visual experience well beyond that of the capabilities of my camera and my photography skills. I wish my photos did justice to the depth of the landscape and far off mountain tops and the rays of sunlight and color busting through holes in the clouds but this was the best I could get in between small rain squalls that hit us as we neared the top and threatened to soak us and our equipment but were suddenly dashed away when the sun came raging through and remained for the rest of the afternoon.

Forres Park is such a nice place it is deserving of its own article and series of photos. Check back for those soon. After we took the morning hike to the Forres Park peak we took an even more treacherous decent on the now slippery and steep trail with hairpin turns that dropped off forever down the side of the mountain. It was tricky but we made it down just in time for a wonderful breakfast of ackee and saltfish and the best cup of coffee in the world before we made the trip back down into Kingston for some photo stops and on to the drive over to Spanish Town and the A3 highway that crosses from the south coast over the central highlands and north to Ocho Rios.

There are a number of stops in this area as well as directions that we could have gone and with more time there are quite a few things to see and do in this part of Jamaica. If we had more time we had the option of heading over to St Anns and the Bob Marley Mausoleum but Reinhold and Ana decided we had enough of Bob Marley for this tour and we chose instead to head straight for Ocho Rios. This brought us further up the North Coast and kept us on the main highway for most of the afternoon. This part of Jamaica is rich and fertile and the roads are dotted with as many fresh fruit stands that offer the very best that each parish or community has to offer as there are fresh fruits to be eaten. The farm fresh produce is reason enough to travel through areas like this if you love food as much as I do. Before we reach Ocho Rios we pass through Walkers Wood which is home to the WalkersWood spice company which produces an island favorite line of spices and sauces for cooking the most delicious foods on the island including jerk and brown stew delicacies that are so popular in Jamaica.

We enjoyed more time hiking in the Blue Mountains than I had originally planned and this cut into the time we had for attractions on the North Coast of Jamaica. The beauty of a customized tour itinerary is that you can make any changes you wish and not be bothered by what a bus full of strangers want to do. Upon arrival in Ocho Rios we passed through Fern Gully which is home to 100′s of varieties on fern plants all laid out in an old river gorge converted to highway that gives the feeling that you are driving in a tropical rainforest as the trees tower high above the road up the sides of the old river gorge. Fern Gully drops us right into the center of Ochi and allowed us to take a loop around the main part of town before we headed out onto the A2 highway towards Mobay.

Ocho Rios is a tourist town and many of the attractions besides the beaches and Dunns River are actually outside of town. Ocho Rios and Montego Bay are not my favorite parts of Jamaica and I feel the entire north coast in general offers a very artificial Jamaican experience full of cliches and bland boring flavor. Reinhold was never the less impressed with the overall development of the northern coast and the amount of high end living available. He was able to view the paradox that is Jamaica and see giant concrete homes laid out next door or across the street from zinc shacks and board houses in what must be one of the most blatant examples of the gap between rich and poor one can see in the world.

I really enjoy the Cranbrook Flower Forest and I had planned to stop there just to see the Jade Vine but sadly the vine was not in bloom and that caused us to skip the rest of the tour in favor of spending more time in Montego Bay before arriving at the airport. If we had time I also planned to make a stop on the Martha Brae River Rafting Tour but we made the decision to skip this as well in favor of a nice long dinner in Mobay before they had to catch their return flight home.

On this trip we took our time driving straight across the north caost to end up at the Hip Strip in Montego Bay where we stopped by the Jamaican Bobsled Cafe for a dinner that turned out to be fabulous and a final conversation with what are now my new friends in Austria. After two days of conversation on everything from travel and the cultural differences between us to cycling, sustainable development, passive solar construction, the necessity of money in the structure of society, the power of religion and the many problems our world faces I feel that we are sure to meet again and this is the beginning of a great friendship.

We drove past a lot of things on this tour of Jamaica but we can plan a custom Jamaica tour and vacation for you and your party so that on your next Jamaican vacation you can see just about all of the variety that Jamaica has to offer and every major city just like Reinhold and Ana did on the last two days of theirs.

Black River Safari and Irie Tours is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

No matter how often I find myself on a Black River Safari it is a treat to me each and every time. I had the pleasure of taking Angus and Kelley on a tour of the South Coast of Jamaica with stops at Black River and YS Falls. Our trip to Black River from Negril was short and sweet and we were at the Black River tour location before lunch.

We got the full tour with tons of information about the local ecology and the Black River ecosystem. The big draw on the river are the Jamaican Crocodile which can only be found here in Black River in small numbers. These rare animals spend their days cruising the rivers in search of food which often comes in the form of chicken carcasses tossed out by the Black River safari guides and tour operators who keep the crocs well fed.

The crocodiles in Black River are so tame and predictable that tour guides will often jump in the water or at least hand feed them for your enjoyment. There are sections of the river that are crocodile free where visitors can take a swim in the cool clear waters of the Black River. The river is called black because of the peat settled on the bottom but the river water is actually pretty clear although they say you should filter it before drinking.

A Black River and YS Falls tour is a wonderful way to spend the day traveling the lesser developed section of the island and the South Coast of Jamaica on a full day tour with stops in Scotts Cove or Middle Quarters for fresh fried fish and bammy or delicious hot boiled “peppa shrimp” and a real taste of Jamaica.

Purple Cattleya Orchid at Black River Jamaica

Irie Pontoon Riverboat Tours on Black River Jamaica

White Egret birds and Jamaican Wildlife at Black River Safari

Santa Cruz Mountains from Black River Safari Tour

Red mangrove at Black River Safari Tour Guides

Black River Dread Locks in Red Mangrove Tree

Jamaican Water Lily on Black River Safari

Black River Basin

Jamaican Crocodile with mouth wide

Angus and Kelley with JamaicaMAX Tours

Eco tours in Jamaica at Green Castle Estates is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

Jamaica has a number of large and grand estates but few compare to the size and grandeur of Green Castle Estates in Robins Bay, St Marys Parish on the North Coast. Green Castle is 1600 acres of all the best that Jamaica has to offer in natural beauty and landscapes. The estate dates back to the 1600′s with deposits from Taino Indians in select locations that date back another 1000 years.

Green Castle Estate carries a lot of the history and culture of Jamaica and is a wonderful location for a number of eco tours and natural attractions.  The property is now managed as Greencastle Tropical Study Center (GTSC), a not-for-profit organization formed to provide learning opportunities to students and visitors and economic and social benefits to rural Jamaican communities, through the integration of conservation, ecotourism, education and community development.

The property owners have developed partnerships with locals who now run a number of businesses on the estate. We found one of the largest orchid exporters in Jamaica with a huge selection of the most beautiful flowers. They also have a large plantation of coconut palms that are used in the production of coconut oils. There were numerous fruit and vegetable farms and also a large cattle producer on site.

The large open green spaces and lush tropical foliage make for some of the best birdwatching in Jamaica and the property is home to many of the endemic species on the island. The study group has confirmed most of the rare local birds have been seen on the property and we had the pleasure of seeing quite a few in our short time there.

The Green Castle home is available for rent and tours are available of the various businesses being run. We spent a day checking things out and were left wanting so much more. We’ll have to get back to Green Castle for a longer more thorough review of the place. If you’re looking for a unique vacation in Jamaica then do contact Green Castle Estates for a chance to visit a great

Jamaica MAX [rating:4]

Cranbrook Flower Forest in St Ann Jamaica is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

I love the natural unspoilt beauty of Jamaica and I visit as many parks, gardens and nature reserves as I can. I much prefer the off beat attractions in Jamaica then I do the more popular attractions such as Dunns Rivers Waterfalls and other well known locations. I prefer hidden gems like Cranbrook Flower Forest on the North Coast of Jamaica in St Ann.

The flower forest is home to the very best in Jamaican foilage and the tropical gardens are some of the finest in country. The variety and number of blooming flowers will simply amaze you and the range of colors is an absolute delight. I was so impressed with the Jade Vine that I use the photo of me before it as my profile picture on my online social profiles. The vivid Jade green colors of this hanging vine are just incredible and even almost unnatural when you consider how rare the shade is in nature. It may well be unique as far as I know. I have never seen such a brilliant green blue color in any other plant.

The lush forest is powered by a riverhead which opens up to the White River and you can enjoy a wonderful swim in the brisk cool mineral spring waters or even hike up the river as it Cranbrook is central to Ocho Rios and Montego Bay and makes an excellent day trip from either city. You would find it closer to Ocho Rios though and a shorter more enjoyable day from this popular tourist city in Jamaica.

Cranbrook Flower Forest is open year round and closed only for major holidays. The grounds are the perfect place for weddings, parties and even a simple picnic. You’ll find yourself in another world and alone with yourself and some close friends or family in one of the most serene and inviting places you can imagine.

Cranbrook Flower Forest in St Ann Jamaica

Rafting on the Martha Brae River in Montego Bay Jamaica is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

Rafting on the Martha Brae River is one of the original Jamaica tours and river rafting is one of the most popular attractions in all of Jamaica. With the number of scenic river trips in Jamaica it’s pretty easy to find an eco adventure in the rivers and waterfalls of both the North Coast and South Coast Jamaica.

With the popularity of the North Coast as a major tourist attraction in Jamaica the northern attractions are more popular with the majority of tourists to this Caribbean country. The Martha Brae is one of the most beautiful and popular rivers for rafting in Jamaica and it’s proximity to Montego Bay have been apart of that but the river itself holds 100′s or years worth of good memories from travelers all over the globe.

The tranquil waters of the Martha Brae River received its name from an Indian legend, Martha Brae. The story is that she took the secret of a gold mine location to her grave, instead of offering it to the Spanish. After leading them to this river, legend claims she used magic to change the weather, causing her and her Spanish captors to drown.

River rafting tours are available from Negril, Mobay and Ocho Rios with average drivetimes around 1.5 hours and river rides lasting about 1.5 hours. Enjoy a relaxing ride or swim in the refreshing spring fed river for an exhilarating experience. Trips run all day from about 9am until 5pm with afterrnoon beig the busy time of day. The rafters village is built to handle large crowds and to find 10 or 15 full tour buses in the lot is a common site.

Contact Jamaica MAX for more details on river rafting tours.

Scuba dive Jamaica with Negril Scuba Centre is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

Jamaica offers some unique travel adventures and scuba diving the Caribbean Sea is one of the more popular sports vacations in Jamaica.

The Caribbean is well known as a dive destination with hotspots like the Cayman Islands and Cozumel Mexico just a short distance away. Jamaica’s waters are not quite as nice as many of our neighbors but the diving is considered well worth the effort by those who venture out with a Jamaican dive shop on a proper trip to one of the many scuba dive attractions in the country.

Jamaica has a number of popular dive locations on the North Coast with both Montego Bay and Ocho Rios offering a wide range of great dive vacations. The Widows Maker Cave is the most popular dive in Mobay. The cave starts in about 35 feet of water and goes down to about 80 feet. Most people enter the cave at 80 feet and slowly rise through the cave to exit through a chimney 10 feet wide at the 35 foot mark and you can also go in the opposite direction by entering through the chimney and swimming down to the 80 foot depth. Ocho Rios has the wreck of the Kathryn which is a 140 foot Canadian mine sweeper from World War II which was sunk in 1991 by a Jamaican dive company as an artificial reef and dive attraction. Its a popular dive spot for first time wreck dives and intermediate divers looking for a new adventure.

Negril is the laid back side of the island but don’t let the image of beaches and bars fool you, there are a number of extreme adventures in and around Negril which is known for the best diving in Jamaica. Scuba diving is a dangerous activity which requires certification on specialized equipment before any reputable dive operation will take you out. There are different types of certification and even different organizations and standards that you can be certified with. PADI is one of the most popular diving certification programs and the standard here in Jamaica. Much of the diving in Negril is run from scuba shops at local resorts but the best diving in Negril is with a professional dive shop that caters to certified divers.

If you already have your dive certification you won’t want to tag along with the resort divers because they usually spend their time on easy dives. You’ll appreciate contacting an independent scuba dive operator like Negril Scuba which will be able to build a custom itinerary around your certification level and personalize your dive vacation.

Negril Scuba began as a small resort shop but has grown into a professional dive shop with three locations in Negril offering the best scuba diving in Jamaica. Owner David Wallace started running dives from his fathers resort, known in those days as Mariners Inn, after a guest told him that the diving in front of the property was “better than sex”. Today the property is known as Negril Escape but David still has his dive shop and they still run daily dives from the convenience of the resort for guests who book dive vacations.

Negril Scuba also offers two beach locations with boats taking dive trips to the best dive spots off Negril Beach including reef diving and night dives. Advanced divers usually opt for dives at locations such as “The Arches” and “The Throne Room” or one of the many wrecks in the area including an airplane and shipwreck. You can visit their website for a list of all the dive sites in Negril or just give them a call and book a dive vacation in Negril for your next adventure.

Benjis Paradise at Roaring River Head Westmoreland Jamaica is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

It could only be more perfect if the name were Alfie’s Paradise instead of Benjii’s Paradise but sadly Benjii got there first and made it his place before the rest of us found out about the river head of the Roaring River and one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been.

It’s a perfect place to be by yourself and appreciate the natural world around you. The sound of gushing water as the river comes bursting out of the ground is as relaxing as the cool crisp waters where you can get a fresh drink while you swim.

There is not much to say about the place except that it is a place where you can spend a day loving the beauty of nature and the sounds of birds and the mountain breeze blowing through the palm trees. Benjiis is past the Roaring River attraction and well beyond where the tour bus stops. It’s a tough steep drive that on a pretty bad Jamaican road but it is well worth the 45 minute drive from Negril and a great way to spend an afternoon alone if possible or at least with close friends or family.

St Mary Off Road Bicycling Association – SMORBA is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

The St Mary Off Road Bicycling Association, or SMORBA for short, is a not for profit organization in Oracabessa Jamaica offering various services and support to Jamaican youth through their Bicycling Works program and the Jamaican Fat Tyre Festival we had so much fun at.

The Fat Tyre Festival was filmed and is being broadcast in europe now. You can see the action at Joost.com and watch the Ride Guide Bike Episode 143 Jamaica
to see just how much fun was had on your own.

SMORBA

St. Mary Off-Road Bicycling Association (SMORBA) is a non-profit organization affiliated to IMBA that is actively engaged in locating, building and maintaining bicycling opportunities on Jamaica’s famed North Coast.

Our work as a local sport development organization includes staging the Jamaica Bicycle Bash as well as numerous BMX events in St. Mary and environs.

Our flagship event is the Jamaica Fat Tyre Festival held in early February each year. This 5 day mountain biking extravaganza is an opportunity for riders from around the world to experience Jamaica’s amazing trails and fascinating culture. Profits from this event go towards our Bicycling Works! project dedicated to promoting local ownership of the emerging mountain biking sector in the parish of St. Mary.

We could use your support! If you would like to help SMORBA’s cause become a member, or have any questions we can be contacted at:

SMORBA

c/o 2 Newlin Street

Ocho Rios

St. Ann

Jamaica, West Indies

(876)975-3393

smorbaja@hotmail.com

Eco Tours and Hostel Rooms for Rent at Circle B Farm in Priory near Ocho Rios Jamaica is a post from: Jamaica Vacations

The Circle B Farm was my first choice for accommodation on our first night in the Ochi area because they were one of the few places we spoke with that still offered camping when we called them. Sadly that all changed when we arrived on site and were informed that the owner no longer offered camping because the bathroom and shower facilities outdoors were non functioning and all they had to offer us was a room for rent. The room was clean and simple and only cost $1500 for a nights stay so we took it and were glad we did. I liked the place so much we spent a second night there and enjoyed the place for another beautiful morning.

Circle B Farm is a hostel and farm operating on 140 acres of surreal beauty and lush tropical landscaping. The farm is predominately a banana farm with many other fruit trees on site such as the variety of mango and even a Giant Lemon which I have never seen or heard of before. The farm is busy but quiet for most of the day and if you stay at the rooms up front you may never know what lays in the property around you if you don’t take a walk. There are cows, goats, pigs, dogs and a donkey on site but the domestic animals are less important than the natural flora and fauna found surrounding the place. The farm has a small man made river which runs from the hillsides along the southern border and actually circles the entire facility. This running water and all the sweet smelling fruit trees keeps the area covered in butterflies, birds and insects of all sorts. The bats swirl around at night feeding on the flying insects trapped in the beams of light around the buildings at night for a pretty cool night show.

The stream runs in front of the hostel rooms for rent and around almost every building on site you can sit and peacefully enjoy the sounds of rushing water all day long from just about anywhere on the property. The running water and numerous fruit trees means that early mornings at Circle B are filled with the sounds of a dozen songbirds as they sing praise to the new day before us. One both mornings we were there it was true pleasure to stroll through the banana and pineapple fields and listen to the kingfisher and mockingbirds try to out sing each other. I’m going to need a much better camera in order to catch photos of many of the birds of Jamaica as I simply cannot get close enough to most of them for a decent shot but trust me when I tell you the air was thick with the sounds of birds and nature and it was beautiful.

Circle B is a great location to begin a number of eco tours of the area and central to the many attractions of the North Coast and Ocho Rios area. You can make it to Dunns River, White River Valley, the Bob Marley Mausoleum and much more in an hour or so from this place and its a great place for anyone interested in a youth hostel or camping vacation on the North Coast of Jamaica. For those budget minded travelers interested in tours of the North Coast and Ocho Rios but not wanting to spend more for a place to sleep then you will on the days activities then consider Circle B as a place to stay in your Jamaica travel planning.

E-mail them at: info@circlebfarm.com

or call them at: 1-876-913-4511

You can write to them at: Priory P.A., St-Ann, Jamaica W.I.

Make sure to tell them Alfred @ JamaicaMax sends his love and maybe you’ll get a special tour.