Jamaica Tours, Guides and Vacations

I have been considering a trip to another country just to see some new place with the kids. We have some travel time planned soon but no travel plans as of yet. i set the time and money aside to make certain we did make the trip but I have been very undecided about where I want to go. I have considered making the trip just to see some of the historical sites in Mexico such as Teotihuacan or some of the other ancient pyramids there or maybe a trip to South America somewhere like Costa Rica. I have a friend who just went there from Jamaica and he says its much nicer there. He seems to dislike Jamaica after having some hard times here.

I guess a part of things would be finances. I searched for mexico hotels online and found a lot of stuff available. I kinda prefer taking a locals tour and staying with friends or family but not knowing anyone in many of these places puts me at a disadvantage. I thought about a trip to Cuba and found some hotels in Cuba listed on EasytoBook.com but I don’t think I’ll make a trip there with the kids. I think my first trip to Cuba should be alone so I can get a feel for things before I drag the whole crew along. I understand travel to Cuba from Jamaica is a pretty simple hush hush thing and there is not much risk in getting caught. The Cuban government has an interest in us visiting and they don’t want us to get in trouble for it. I understand you can fly in on a State drivers license or passport and it will not be stamped.

EasytoBook.com turned out to be a very useful site with lots of hotels around the world. I can visit my buddy Ian and book a stay in some nicer Dublin Hotels at decent rates but i doubt it. He never answers my phone calls so why should I pay him a visit?

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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.

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Finding vacation beach rentals or just simply a room in Negril is easy enough but finding a cool spot to chill by the beach at an affordable rate year round is a trick unless of course you know Joseph at Westport Cottages right on Norman Manley Blvd. If you know about his international hostel and affordable beach accommodations just across the street from Negril Beach then you know where to go for one of the best values in an inexpensive room in Negril.

Budget travelers from around the world call Westport home during their stay in Jamaica and many have returned annually for many years. Some are simple backpackers looking for a cheap room near the beach for the night but many others are long term guests visiting Jamaica and the Negril area for a month or more. Still others are simply budget conscious vacationers looking for quick easy access the the world famous 7 Mile Negril Beach with it’s pristine white sand , crystal blue seas and year round sunshine.

No matter where they are from I have met some of the most interesting people while staying at Westport Cottages and it seems something about the place attracts an eclectic if not fun crowd of guests to get to know. The place is quiet and clean with daily room preps from none other than “Sista” the head of housekeeping and grounds care. She’s a kind honest woman who makes sure you sleep on clean sheets and a well kept room.

The rooms are rather basic and just what you need if you plan on spending most of your time actually visiting Negril and the beach. If you looking for a plush air conditioned place with tv and lots of other stuff then look elsewhere. If you are looking for an inexpensive beach rental nearby Negril Beach with a laid back and super cool atmosphere then call Joseph at Westport Cottages or use the Contact Us page for more details on where to stay in Negril Beach.

Rooms for rent in Negril Beach at Westport Cottages

Shared kitchen area at Westport Cottages

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We decided we wanted a vehicle and began looking for one over a month ago now. A new car was out of the question and the used car market here is pretty poor but I found that you can get a car here for as low as $1000 US and I figured what better way for us to get around than our own vehicle. As we started looking it became more apparent that what we really wanted was a van so we could go on our own tours and so we decided to spend the money and find a van for sale in Jamaica. Well there are loads of vans and buses for sale using the Gleaner Classifieds but as you can see the average price is above $500,000 Jamaican dollars or about $8000 US which was quite a bit more than we had to spend.

I found that you could find used cars for sale in Jamaica at lower prices but they go fast. There are used car dealerships in Jamaica in major cities such as Kingston, Montego Bay and even Mandeville but the market is more for newer cars in the 2003 and newer model years. I wanted to spend less than $200,000 or about $3000 US on a vehicle and I felt we should be able to buy a decent running vehicle at that price. You can forget finding anything like that at a dealership in Jamaica. It simply does not exist and most won’t even have a car on the lot under $350,000JA. I was however lucky to find a 1996 Nissan Vanette for sale in the Gleaner one morning at $220,000 and I jumped in a bus and ran to Kingston to buy it. It took me two weeks to do so but I finally bought a van for less than $200,000 and got it insured and registered in my name. Dealing with the motor vehicle transfer was much fun also. I had to have insurance on the car in my own name before I could register it. I was lucky that i bought the car from a nice Jamaica family and they had already taken care of much of the paperwork necessary. You will have to have the Title signed by someone form the Tax Collectorate, a Certificate of Fitness which seems to be like a vehicle inspection and Insurance which set me back $28,000JA. I bought a new set of tires for it just because I feel safer on them but we’re on the road finally.

I’ve had the van for about two weeks now and I have put over 2500 KM on it thus far in trips to Kingston, Sav La Mar and all over the South Coast and Westmoreland Parish. Buying a car in Jamaica is pretty easy actually and a great way to see the country. Learning how to drive a right hand drive stick shift van on the left hand side of the road was a whole different story and I was involved in a minor accident on my first drive home from Kingston. Some guy clipped the side of the van pulled the rear tail light off but I already had it fixed and I even went to court over my traffic ticket but pled guilty when the cop who pulled us was sitting next to the juge all buddy buddy like. I knew there was no reason to even argue the case and I accepted a fine of $4000JA for “Careless Driving” as I was blamed for being on the wrong side of the road on a road with no sides. Thats the way things go in Jamaica and I knew there was no sense in fighting it. I left the courthouse and drive to Roaring Rivers with the kids and had a blast. I love our van and so do the kids, maybe one day you’ll come for a ride with us here in Jamaica.

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