Here for the travel advice and not to read my life story? Jump to Travel Recommendations for the tl;dr [too long; didn’t read] to plan your trip to Kingston now!
For most tourists, Jamaica is a stop on a cruise ship, or perhaps even a stay at an all inclusive resort in Montego Bay. I remain staunchly anti-cruise and anti all inclusive. Plus, flights to the capital city Kingston from Miami are cheap and quick, so my husband and I decided on a weekend trip to visit Jamaica for the first time.
The trip ended up being memorable, but also a bit of a misadventure. Kingston is not an especially tourist friendly town for newcomers, and this was not an especially well planned trip. We only had one full day, and I had delayed planning. I had hoped that we would just figure it out once we arrived. Plus I figured, if Jamaica is laid back, I should be laid back too. While at times this more laid back and last minute attitude has served me remarkably well while traveling, other times, not so much. This was one of those other times.
A well thought out plan would have really helped in this situation, especially given how precious little time we had on the island. I assumed there would be plenty of readily accesible options of things to do and we could just ask for recommendations. As a result, we wasted a lot of precious time wandering around unsuccessfully looking for that perfect jerk chicken, perfect dance club, or perfect reggae bar. We did manage to find more than enough things to do. And once we did, the experience was always top notch. And when, not if, I go back I now know what I would do again, and what I would do differently.
Travel Recommendations
What I would do again
Stay at the AC Hotel Kingston, Jamaica
It was pure dumb luck that we chose to stay here for this trip. At first glance it appears to be a nice enough, mid-range, centrally located hotel like any other. It has a decent breakfast buffet, a decent pool, and a decent bar. It is not an especially luxurious hotel. This also means it is not especially expensive. There is nothing that really sets it apart from any other number of hotels I have stayed at.
But there is a good reason I would recommend staying here over any other hotel in the area. Every time I went to the lobby there was something different. An artist exhibit or a fair of local handmade goods. At night the lobby was packed not just with guests of the hotel but people out on the town having a drink, both locals and visitors. I met someone who came to visit her father in Kingston regularly and she told me she always stays there. I would have never guessed it, but it really is the place to be in Kingston.
Visit the Bob Marley Museum
This museum is one of the most recommended things to do in Kingston for a reason. I even found tours bussing people into the city from Montego Bay just to visit. I am not the biggest reggae or Bob Marley fan. What got me in the door was actually Marlon James, one of my favorite authors in recent years. His book A Brief History of Seven Killings is a historical fiction centered around the assassination attempt of Bob Marley by the CIA in 1976. The book spans several decades with a sweeping account of the factors leading up to the violent political turmoil taking place in Jamaica during that time.
The museum itself is the former residence and recording studio of the artist. You can purchase tickets ahead of time, but we just showed up in the morning and were able to purchased a ticket in person. You can only visit the inside of the house as part of a tour, which start every 30 minutes and last 1.5 hours.
We had some time to kill before the tours started, so I bought some drinks from the Rastas working the concession stand that were predictably very patient as I predictably struggled to understand the ticketing system required to order a drink. There were mango trees everywhere, with ripe mangos that had fallen and burst on the ground.
The house has been well preserved, the walls lined with family photos, albums and music awards. Our guide led us in singing some classic Bob Marley songs between bouts of explaining the trajectory of his career. I was especially struck by the relationship between him and his wife, Rita. They were 21 and 20, respectively. Rita already had one son, whom Bob adopted. They would both gone on to have children with other people throughout their relationship. Rita toured with Bob as a backup singer and was a successful musician in her own right.
She was shot in the head during the assassination attempt and survived. I knew this before the tour but what I didn’t know was that it was probably only because of her locks that she survived. How she wrapped her hair at the time protected her head and prevented her death. The kitchen has not been remodeled, we saw the bullet holes in the walls from the assassination attempt at part of the tour.
After the tour we visited the weed store that is part of the grounds, where they even have a smoking lounge if you make a purchase there. Pro tip: they only take cash and there is no ATM, so make sure to bring some with you!
Visit Emancipation park
Emancipation park is centrally located and is most know for the 11 ft bronze statute, Redemption Song. It also features a track and a bandshell. I recommend going in the morning or evening, as there is little shade and in June at least, the heat was unbearable.
Eat a Patty
I had a whole laundry list of foods to try, including the Jamaican version of the empanada, the patty. There are many local chains but people tend to agree that the best one to try is Tastee Patties. They make only one thing, patties, in chicken or beef. Every Uber driver that we talked to on the island insisted that the KFC is better in Jamaica. We tried it, but to me it tasted the same.
Go on a Harbor Cruise
Loose Cannon Tours operates a weekly Friday evening and Sunday day cruise. The price includes food and unlimited drinks. Neither are particularly good, but this was by far the funnest thing we did in Kingston. The crowd was a mix of tourists and locals celebrating a special occasion. The catamaran leaves from a boat slip near the airport and sails for about 20 minutes before reaching a little strip of sand known as Maiden Cay. Signs around the boat are there to remind everyone to be respectful of the family friendly atmosphere. But that didn’t stop the group of girls celebrating a birthday from going so far as to twerk in a headstand while the boat was moving on the way back, much to everyone’s delight and my personal amazement.
Pro tip: The tickets were sold out on the website by the time we decided to go the night before, but we messaged them on WhatsApp and were able to go no problem.
Shop at Coronation Market
This open air market is the biggest in Jamaica. It seems to sprawl endlessly. Vendors sell everything from fresh produce, meat and fish to clothing, toys and electronics. It is a fun experience to walk through but I do not recommend going when I did, Saturday around noon. Literally any other time is probably more enjoyable. The market is probably always hot and crowded, but it was so hot and crowded when I went that we had to leave early.
Another thing to keep in mind is that there isn’t much else to do in this part of town. I figured since it is located in the downtown district near the harbor there would be some brick and mortar stores or restaurants nearby. But from what I was able to find it is strictly the market, housing, and office buildings.
What I would do next time
Dance at Kingston Dub Club
If you are looking to dance, this iconic dance club is only open Sunday nights unless there is a special event, so plan accordingly! We missed our chance to visit so learn from our mistakes.
Pro tip: We visited serval other dance clubs over the course of the weekend. The party starts late so don’t plan on arriving before 11 pm.
Explore Ocho Rios
Located on the northern side of the island and only about an hour’s drive from Kingston, Ocho Rios is the perfect spot for a day trip or to stay a night or two. This area features all kinds of different water adventures, from the thrill seeking adventure of tubing and zip lining to the tranquility of exploring the Dunn River waterfalls or being pushed around in a bamboo raft in the Martha Brae river. This is definitely one spot I will be coming back for.
Relax at Strawberry Hill
This luxury hotel sits above the city in the hills outside of Kingston. I would have loved to go for a day visit. You can book a service at the spa which allows you to explore the grounds. Or you can always go all out and treat yourself to a stay in one of their picturesque villas.
Hike the Blue Mountains
Hiking in the Blue Mountains is something that an acquaintance from Jamaica recommended to me before we arrived. But I really didn’t plan ahead of time, and the tours that I was able to find once I was already in Jamaica offered more of a a coffee plantation experience, something I had done just a few weeks ago in Comuna 8 in Medellin. Comuna 8 is much lesser known than Comuna 13 but shares a similar history of violence and revival through tourism, but with a focus on coffee tours instead of murals.
However, with proper planning there is lots of hiking to be had in these forest covered mountains. There are options for everyone. Everything from a casual day trip to starting out at midnight in order to summit the tallest peak on the island in time for the sunrise.
Leave a Reply