The Surprise of Jamaica
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Jamaica Explored
"The Caribbean had never been very high on my dream list of travel destinations. But if I knew then what I know now about Jamaica ..."
Discover the treasures of Jamaica that made one writer rethink her travel wish list.
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Newcastle Views
Our first stop was for lunch at a hilltop restaurant near Newcastle that charged way too much for pork chops spooned with tropical chutney. But the views of sprawling Kingston below were worth it -- the city laid tucked between emerald hills and an azure sea like some jewel in an Aztec crown.
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Hummingbirds in Jamaica
God Birds -- Phoenix-like hummingbirds with long black tails and jewel toned bellies -- flitted at feeders hung in the shade while cool winds blew up from the valley.
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It's All About the Bean
The Old Tavern Coffee Estate, an inconspicuous family-run coffee outfit, has been producing some of the smoothest beans in the world since 1968. Despite its location, right on the main road, the Twyman family's plantation is easy to miss, with no sign out front. That's just how the owners like it, too.
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Hidden Falls
Reach Falls, on Jamaica's east coast, is one of the country's prettiest cascades -- and not nearly as crowded as Dunn's River Falls on the north coast.
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Where They Do It Right
You'll find Jamaica's most renowned jerk center a bit east of the Blue Lagoon in Boston Bay. At open-air stalls, men tend to the smoking goodies (pork, beef, chicken and fish marinated in thrillingly hot spices), which are stacked atop rows of bamboo and grilled from beneath.
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Swimming in Solitude
The Blue Lagoon (yes, that same watery wonderland where Brooke Shields frolicked as a young lass in the movie of the same name) is a natural swimming area about 7 miles east of Port Antonio. Here, warm currents from the ocean swirl with icy water pumped from underground streams that feed the turquoise-hued lagoon.
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Port Antonio
Port Antonio is the chief town on the northeast side of the island. The surrounding beaches are some of Jamaica's finest, and the stretch of coast east to Long Bay is considered the most rugged in the country. Rather than mass tourist resorts, it's all about small family-run guesthouses and boutique lodging in this part of the country.
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Driftin' Away
It's worth detouring slightly inland to line up a rafting trip along the Rio Grande river. The seven-mile journey takes about three hours, as your guide pushes you on a bamboo raft along a gurgling river that cuts through pristine rain forest.
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