Montego Bay
With its honking horns, crowded sidewalks,
and tangle of souvenir stands, Montego Bay qualifies as a typical
Caribbean tourist mecca. But the scene at Mo Bay's posh resorts is a
slice of the island's British colonial past: Polo ponies canter on
carefully clipped lawns; white-gloved waiters serve high tea beneath
striped awnings. Fortunately, though the Brits left behind their
accents, they did not leave behind their weather. "It doesn't
rain in Jamaica," sniffs a tour-bus driver during a rare
sprinkle. "This is liquid sunshine."
Passion, murder, spirits, and voodoo rule at Rose
Hall Great House, the old haunt of "White Witch" Annie
Palmer. After guides fill you in on the mansion's soap-opera past, sip
a rum-spiked Witches' Brew at the bar — you might spot the ghost of
one of three husbands Ms. Palmer viciously murdered.
Shoppers can unearth a few worthwhile finds — bootleg reggae tapes,
primitive paintings by local artists — in downtown Mo Bay. But
exercise restraint at the arts-and-crafts market. Those knit rasta
hats and mahogany salad bowls will drop in price if you pretend to
walk away before purchasing.
Offbeat Adventures
If only the trees could talk at Good Hope
Plantation, a restored 18th-century great house perched on a hilltop
45 minutes from Mo Bay. Part-owned by music-industry mogul Chris
Blackwell (who now owns the chichi Island Outpost hotel
group), Good Hope has hosted countless fashion magazines and
vacationing celebs since it opened in 1993. Day-trippers are welcome
to tour the property and soak up its 360-degree views of the wilds
beyond.
Call 1-888-336-8133
for reservations.
Ask for Penny
For a total change of pace, sign up with Mountain
Valley Rafting for an afternoon on the Great River. You'll feel like
Katharine Hepburn and Bogey on the deck of the African Queen as your
guide poles your handmade bamboo raft past working coconut and banana
plantations.
Island Eats
So what if it doesn't have the most refined name
— the Pork Pit is the place to find Mo Bay's juiciest, spiciest jerk
barbecue. The eatery's roadside location, outdoor picnic tables, and
inexpensive lunch tabs round out the unpretentious picture. You can
also scare up some pretty impressive jerk — plus curried shrimp and
escovitch chicken — at the Day-O Plantation, where owner Paul
Hurlock sings for his guests.
Charged up from great food and spirit-lifting
music, you'll be ready to explore. And whether that means rafting down
a mountain river, exploring an outdoor market, or strolling along a
golden beach, you're in for one intoxicating adventure.
Call 1-888-336-8133
for reservations.
Ask for Penny
.