Explore Jamaica

Arrive in Kingston today. Due to the number of evening flights into Kingston, your Leader plans to do the welcome meeting on the morning of day two, and will leave a message in reception with details on timings and everything else that you'll need for the day. There are no activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Kingston at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Kingston's International Airport (airport code: KIN), approximately a 15 minute drive from our hotel. Should you miss the meeting, your leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, you can relax and soak up the Caribbean views and try out a local Red Stripe beer.

Our day begins with a drive north out of the city on increasingly winding and unmarked roads, heading upwards into the Blue Mountains. Among coffee lovers, this place is known for its fine (and, when exported, expensive) single-origin coffee, and our destination here is one of the area's best known coffee plantations. Here, way up in the Blue Mountains, we see how coffee is grown, harvested, and brewed. We will be guided around the Georgian home, as well as the coffee fields surrounding the estate, before ending the trip with a cup of freshly brewed Blue Mountain Coffee. The National Park itself is enormous, spanning four of Jamaica's parishes and covering the eastern part of the island in breathtaking mountain scenery, which we'll witness during our visit today. On our return to Kingston we visit the Bob Marley Museum, situated in the colonial house where the legend of reggae lived from 1975. For anyone interested in music, the museum is a great look into the mind and inspiration of one of Jamaica's most famous residents. The rest of the afternoon is free in Kingston. You may wish to visit Trench Town or Tuff Gong Studios, and continue your Bob Marley odyssey, or see a superb showcase of Jamaican art at the National Gallery. Alternatively, spend some time at Devon House, the 19th Century home of George Stiebel, the first black millionaire in the Caribbean. It's now a collection of local cafes and restaurants, and a good place for a lunch spot - as well as proudly serving some of the best ice cream in the Caribbean (well worth a try!).

With a leisurely start this morning, we'll travel to Charlestown for lunch and a unique history lesson, as we learn about the story of the Maroons. Since the 1700s, pockets of Maroon settlements have existed in Jamaica - escaped or freed slaves who were able to fight off the British and be granted a treaty of relative autonomy within the region. On our arrival we'll visit the village and discover a bit more about these amazing people, their historical legacy and way of life. We'll also taste some traditional Maroon food before continuing to Port Antonio.