Climbing Dunn's Falls

One of the top things to do in Ocho Rios is climbing the Dunn's Falls. So when my Carnival cruise made a stop in Jamaica last month, my friends and I decided to give that a whirl. I've seen quite a few waterfalls in my life time, but I'd never actually climbed one.

We decided not to book one of the exorbitantly priced excursions that Carnival offered, and to just wing it. We disembarked and made our way to the taxi rank at the dock where after a little bit of haggling, we were swiftly driven to the falls.

Things to Do in Negril Jamaica

Jamaica has got some pretty good beaches and that was the top most reason for me and my travel buddy to go there. But if you're like me lying on a beach for ten straight days can get a bit boring.

So here are my tips for things to do in Negril Jamaica to alternate your tan days.

• Discover the local street cuisine

Jamaica's most internationally exported dish is Jerk. Jerk chicken, jerk pork, you can jerk any kind of meat you like, really. Walking down the streets, you'll find many a jerk salesman, barbecuing it for you while you wait. And the wait is definitely worth it. Another must try stop is one of the road side kitchen you'll see, well, by the side of the road. You can pick and choose what dish you want from large pots that are being heated on rows of stoves. You can chose from dishes such as ox tail, beef or vegetable stews accompanied by rice.

• Visit haunted Rose Hall

Rose Hall is an old plantation house from the 1700s near Montego Bay. It sits on top of a hill boasting magnificent views over the sea. It is said to be haunted by Annie Palmer who lived here after she married John Palmer who she supposedly murdered. She went on a bit of a killing spree and murdered the two men she married after John including a couple of slaves she was sleeping with. That aside, the plantation hall shows an educational insight into Jamaica's past.

• Visit Rocklands Bird Sanctuary

I love this place. No busloads of tourists. Just you and a hummingbird sitting on your finger. Read more in this post I wrote a while ago. Read more here.

• Watch the sunset at Rick's Cafe

There are some busloads of tourists at this place, but it's still a good spot for sun-downers and watching the dare-devil divers jump from the boards into the natural pool is hair-raisingly mesmerising.

• Walk along the 7-mile beach

We were staying on the 7-mile beach so one afternoon we walked to Bloody Bay. There was loads to see on our way. We spotted about 5 weddings, a beach band and a bunch of naturists when we crossed the Hedonism Resort. But we also passed a collection of laid-back beach bars, lots of secluded  little coves and watched yet another colourful sunset, while enjoying a Red Strip.

Feeding Hummingbirds in Montego Bay

On a girlie Jamaica holiday, my friend and I decided to break the lazy beach routine in order to see a bit more of the country besides our beach loungers. We hired a private driver through the tour desk of our Negril hotel to take us to the Rocklands bird feeding Sanctuary in Anchovy, not far from Montego Bay.

Rocklands Sanctuary was established by Lisa Salmon, in 1962. This lady was a writer, a painter and a bird lover who spent a lot of her time feeding the birds in her garden. Within a couple of years she had attracted so many different kinds of birds that she decided to open her home and garden for visitors. She died in 2000, but her family has kept the sanctuary going ever since. You can spot many bird species here, but the main reason to go and visit Rocklands is that you can hand feed hummingbirds here. At least, I think so! It’s not a place usually visited on tours in Jamaica, which made it all the more interesting.

Our driver picked us up in the morning and took us on a long drive along the coast from Negril towards Montego Bay, pointing out several places of interest along the way. After a few hours he took us down a deserted and bumpy road which lead to what looked like the middle of nowhere. This slightly worried us since he’d already offered to be the father of our children only moments earlier. But then we saw a sign that said Rocklands Sanctuary. It’s a modest home surrounded by a secluded and lush garden.

When we entered the garden, we were greeted by one enthusiastic little hummingbird hovering right in front of me, guiding us towards the feeding area. Their wings move so fast that they can actually hang still in the air, much like a helicopter. The movements of their tiny wings make quite a loud humming noise, which is of course what gives them their name. Fritz the caretaker gave us mini-bar sized vodka bottles filled with sugar water, and with a pierced top. I was told to sit down, stick out my index finger, tilt the bottle and wait. It took a while before anything happened and just as I started to feel a bit stupid, one of them came to feed. It landed on my finger and its little claws grabbed hold. Still flapping its wings, it drank eagerly from the mini vodka bottle until it had enough and fluttered away.

Visitors do need to pay for the hummingbird experience and when we went it was USD20. But it was well worth the money, at least I think so!