Steel Drums And More!

I’ve been to Jamaica over 150 times and – from the scenery to the music – it’s still one of my favorite places to travel.

They’re known for their jerk spices, made from the local Scotch bonnet pepper, which has a very distinct flavor. I know most of us who visit will go home and try to cook the way that they do on the island, although we likely won’t have much luck. They also have the most incredible coffee, harvested from the Blue Mountains there on the island. It’s known as one of the top 5 best coffees in the world, and whatever resort you’ll stay at will likely have some there for your to enjoy. And there’s so much fruit, they live off the land! There are mango trees anywhere, you can just pick one and eat ‘em fresh.

I especially love the unique instruments there. I often attend weddings on the island, and the calypso music and vibes are so different than a traditional church wedding. Steel drum bands can be heard everywhere, and they set the tone for being in the Caribbean. And there’s a ton of little reggae bars and huts, so you can go and hear local music all around the island. One of the things I’ve noticed while strolling on the beach, is that a lot of the locals will make their own instruments. You can tell they’ve handmade them because each is so different. They love their music, so they’ll jury-rig something together if they need to, so they can play.

On the mountain side of the island you can find ziplining, ranching, arial, atv, waterfall hikes, and lots more outdoor adventures. And, of course Jamaica has beautiful beaches all over, with tons of water sports available. The 7 mile beach in Negril is the premier location for a destination wedding. In fact, there’s a cliff where the 7 mile beach ends, and you can find Rick’s cafe, this famous local bar and restaurant that’ll play reggae from afternoon until sunset. You can go and hear the music, and watch people jump off the cliff into the ocean at sunset.

Whatever you do in Jamaica, you’ll want to go back and try something different. Everyone does.