“It’s real life, even though it’s a dream world. That’s Jamaica,” says a voice over an advertorial video produced by the Jamaican Tourism Board in the early 1960s. The island gained independence in 1962, and for the first time in centuries, was able to decide on its own how to run its “dream world” in real life. As the newly independent country worked to establish […]
Visit this Shop in Kingston for Tips on Healthy Living
Here in Jamaica we pride ourselves on leading a healthy, natural lifestyle. But Princess—she doesn’t give her last name—takes that mindset to the next level. For nearly 20 years, she’s run a small herbal shop at the Crossroads Market in downtown Kingston, selling natural remedies to maladies from the common cold to stress, anxiety and, she says, cancer. Outpostings visited to talk to Princess, who […]
Meet the Artist Who says He is The Visual Bob Marley
Jamaican artist David Marchand in his studio, with his painting “The Dread and the Tourist.” Ask Jamaican artist David Marchand when he had his big break and he’ll tell you that at the age of 72, he’s still waiting for his moment.To the Jamaican art community, however, he’s one of the most influential figures in the burgeoning movement. He’s also one of its most colorful—some […]
Jamaica’s Most Pristine Farm Launches Delivery Service
“I want to leave behind a legacy,” says Luis Rojas, Pantrepant Farm manager. Rojas came to the farm as an exchange student from Costa Rica’s Earth University, and has spent the last four years helping Island Outpost founder Chris Blackwell manage his farm in Jamaica’s Cockpit Country. Rojas has backed Blackwell’s mission to sustainably grow products for Island Outpost guests, supplying the restaurants at GoldenEye […]
The Best Restaurants Around GoldenEye
People might know Oracabessa as the site of Jamaica’s most beautiful coral reefs, or the home of GoldenEye, where Ian Fleming wrote all 14 of his James Bond novels. But many visitors don’t know that the sleepy beach town and the surrounding area has some of the island’s best restaurants. Here are three of our favorites. The Bourdain-approved spot: Chris’s Cook Shop Restaurant Chef Chris […]
Meet the Man Saving Jamaica’s Sea Turtles
Mel Tennant came to Jamaica in 2003, purchasing a home overlooking Oracabessa’s Gibraltar Beach, and expecting to enjoy his retirement in tropical quiet. The following year, Tennant observed turtle tracks on Gibraltar Beach for the first time. Further investigation led him to find that most of the adult turtles were either killed and their nests dug up. The destruction of a critically endangered species would […]
How One Jamaican Art Gallery Made Being an Artist Cool
In Jamaica today, art is literally everywhere—from roadside murals and dancehall signs to an abandoned warehouse-turned-art-exhibit.. But only in the last few decades have artists found local support for their talents. In the 1950s, Edna Manley founded the island’s first art school (which would later become the Edna Manley College of Visual and Performing Arts). And in the 1970s, the National Gallery of Art opened […]
These Ads are so Beautiful You’ll Want to Hang Them in Your Home
Tourism posters have one job: sell their destination. A few weeks ago, we shared Jamaica’s most iconic tourism poster—Sintra Bronte emerging from the water in her Jamaica tee shirt, which definitely fulfilled its duties. While not all posters promoting the island have enjoyed such fame as that 1972 campaign, they’ve still shown Jamaica to be the gorgeous destination we call home. Beginning this month, we’ll […]
The Incredible Story Behind Jamaica’s Most Famous Poster
You may not know her by name, but you’ll recognize Sintra Bronte. After starring in the Jamaican Tourism Board’s 1972 promotional campaigns, she quickly became a Jamaican icon, as synonymous with the island as Bob Marley’s “One Love.” There’s just one issue: Bronte, seen emerging from the water in a clinging red tee-shirt with “Jamaica” printed in black in all-caps lettering, isn’t Jamaican. She’s Trinidadian. […]
Peter Tosh Museum to Open this Summer
This summer, Kingston’s newest museum will open, honoring the late reggae legend Peter Tosh. An internationally renowned musician, social activist and advocate of the Rastafari religion, Tosh died at the age of 42 in 1987 during a tragic home invasion. A self-taught guitarist and keyboardist, he earned fame as a founding member of the Wailers band with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer. Together the three […]
Nine Places to Experience Jamaica in North America
The one dreadful part in every vacation is the moment you realize it’s time to head home. This is especially true when your holiday consists of beaches, dazzling sunsets and practically living in paradise (aka Jamaica). But worry not—we’ve rounded up a list of the best ways to experience Jamaica if you live in North America. Atlanta, GA Negril Village Inside a renovated 1907 […]
Inside London’s Little Jamaica
London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. It’s home to global citizens from all over the world—making it a truly international city. It’s also home to more than 800,000 British Jamaicans, those who were born in Jamaica or who are of Jamaican descent. Brixton, a multiethnic community in south London, has become an enclave for many Jamaicans. (Jamaica was a British […]
What’s in Your Luggage Can Change a Community
It’s the night before your flight, and you’re deciding what you can ditch so your suitcase isn’t overweight. There are some items that you could never leave behind; maybe it’s your sunglasses, or fancy hair products. For Rebecca Rothney, it’s pencils. Rothney was in Kenya and visited a health clinic that did not have a stethoscope, so she packed two in her carry-on luggage. The […]
Jamaica’s Newest Drink Trend Has Nothing to Do with Rum
It’s impossible to visit Jamaica without seeing copious bottles of Red Stripe, glasses of rum punch and flasks of rum. Yet wine, not typically the drink of choice, is now becoming more and more popular throughout Jamaica. Just a few years ago, it was nearly impossible to find wine at local restaurants and bars. A few hotels on the island offered a (very) modest wine […]
The Most Authentic Souvenir Shop in Jamaica
We’ve already introduced our readers to Ras Malekot, a devout Rasta, poet, writer, craft maker and recording artist. He took us deep into the Blue Mountains to visit his home and talk about the Rastafari movement. Here, he gives us a tour of his variety shop at the foot of the mountains in Kingston, just down the road from our Strawberry Hill hotel. Mount Debre […]