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Date:  February 7 - 18, 2011
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Leaders:
Susan Godshall and Wilmer Martin
 

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Highlights of Jamaica
January 15 - 24, 2010
Highlights of Jamaica

With Tour Leader Wilmer Martin

This tour is planned to cover a good portion of the Island of Jamaica and take persons to parts of Jamaica where TourMagination usually has not taken groups. Highlights included will be Negril, Mandeville, Ocho Rios, St. Portland Parish and ending in the capital city of Kingston. Wilmer Martin will be the leader, along with our favorite Jamaican driver-guide, Audley Nugent, who loves to show you his country and explain the culture and Jamaica’s natural beauty. You are invited to join the group which will be limited to 15-17 persons to see many highlights of this scenic island and meet the beautiful people who live there. You’ve been to Jamaica before? “No Problem.” Come again and see other places you may have missed the first time.

Click here to read past blog posts about this tour.

Friday, January 15

TourMagination will help you book a flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica where the tour begins. During slavery, and well into the 20th century, Montego Bay functioned as a sugar port. National hero, Sam Sharpe, a slave and preacher in MoBay, began the anti-slavery movement that resulted in the famous Christmas Rebellion of 1831. We will pass the memorial to Sam Sharpe as we travel through Montego Bay on our way to Negril where we will stay for two nights.

Saturday, January 16


Negril Coastline
Named by the Spanish in 1492, Negril is a shortened version of the word for Gorilla. The name is thought to be a reference to the black cliffs south of the village. The well-known Seven Mile Beach in Negril is actually only a little more than four miles long, stretching from the Negril River to Rutland Point. We will want to see the Crafts Market, the Negril Lighthouse and perhaps get a glimpse of the Royal Palm Preserve. You will have some free time to enjoy the beach, considered one of the top ten in the world.

Sunday, January 17

On our way to Mandeville today, we will have our own worship service. We will travel through the coastal town of Bluefields, one of the first founded by the Spanish; Black River; and make a stop to see YS Falls, a spectacular seven-tiered waterfall surrounded by lush vegetation. Mandeville is a quiet, restful mountain resort, a little over 2,000 feet with a cool climate (70-75° F during the day). The town is often likened to an English village with handsome stone buildings and stone-walled pastures. Once a sleepy country town, Mandeville came alive 40 years ago when the potential of the red earth of the surrounding countryside was wedded to the world’s demand for bauxite and its end product of aluminum. Now eco-tourism is ushering in another stage in the town’s development. We will stay in Mandeville for two nights.

Monday, January 18


Mandeville Courthouse
Today in Mandeville we will visit the Maranatha School for the Deaf at Top Hill which offers deaf students a unique community, as most deaf children are born to hearing parents who do not fully understand or are not a part of the deaf community. The school was begun by the Virginia Mennonite Mission Board and is now administered by the Jamaica Mennonite Church. We will learn about their good work, as well as about the Mennonite Church in Mandeville.

Tuesday, January 19

Today will be a travel day and drive through the hills of Jamaica as we make our way from Mandeville to Ocho Rios (Spanish for “eight rivers”). We will make stops along the way and Audley will have much to share about his country as we travel. Relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. We will stay in Ocho Rios for three nights.

Wednesday, January 20

This morning Audley will acquaint us with the Ocho Rios area as we take a plantation tour, learn about the Mennonite churches and explore the town and haggle with the vendors at the crafts market for a unique Jamaican souvenir. We will have a free afternoon in Ocho Rios to relax, golf, read, shop, visit, etc.

Thursday, January 21


Dunn's River Falls
Ocho Rios is the home of Dunn’s River Falls, which cascades down approximately 695 feet into the sea. Are you up to climbing the falls? (Bring an old pair of sneakers). We want to visit Walkerswood Caribbean Foods Ltd. to learn about the spices and seasonings they produce. Other stops today could be at Harmony Hall, a 150-year-old great house, to see the best of Caribbean art and crafts, and Lloyd’s Ceramic Shop.

Friday, January 22

On Friday we will travel along the northeastern coast to St. Portland Parish where we will see banana plantations and make a stop at the hot springs at Bath near St. Thomas. We will continue on to Kingston, Jamaica’s capital and largest city, and our last destination, where we will stay for two nights.

Saturday, January 23


Jamaica sunset
Kingston is located on the southeastern coast of this island country. It faces a natural harbor protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island. Audley will have many things to show us in Kingston such as the Waterloo Mennonite Church and the University of West Indies. We will visit Port Royal, once the center of shipping commerce, to learn about its importance in the past and its role today in the Jamaican tourist industry as many cruise ships make a stop here.

Sunday, January 24

All too soon it is time to bid Jamaica “Farewell” and fly back to our home cities in North America.


For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .
 
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