Get ready to cross these must-do experiences off your Jamaica Bucket List!

Jamaica truly is a vacation like no other. The vibrant island is bursting with unique experiences and adventures.  It’s time to make your bucket list travel dreams a reality. For a limited time, you can cross these must-try experiences off your Jamaica bucket list for a fraction of the cost! Check out the latest deals in each of our resort areas.

Get up to 65% off  at over 50 hotels all across the island

 

Check out JAMGETAWAY  for discounts on travel dates between September 1 and December 1, 2024.

 

Book by August 16, 2024

Here’s our Jamaica Bucket List of MUST-DO experiences for your next trip.

1. Experience the Luminous Lagoon

One of only four in the world, Jamaica’s Luminous Lagoon, just outside of Montego Bay, is the ultimate bucket-list experience for any traveller. Your night tour begins at Glistening Waters Marina, where you board a glass-bottom boat that will take you out to the lagoon. The bioluminescent bay is home to micro-organisms that emit light when disturbed, causing the water to glow as you move about and swim in the lagoon. This natural phenomenon has fascinated scientists and adventurers for years. Learn the history and science behind one of Jamaica’s most stunning natural wonders.

2. Taste the world’s most expensive coffee

High up in the cloud forest of the Blue Mountains, mist-covered coffee farms cultivate the beans that make what is, pound for pound, the world’s most expensive coffee. You can find authentic Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee on the menus of many hotels and restaurants around the island. To get closest to the source, coffee estates and farms in the Blue Mountains offer tours to share the history and process of cultivating the coffee, as well as the strict regulations that maintain its excellent quality.

The Blue Mountains are close enough to Kingston’s city centre for a day trip. Book by August 16, 2024 to score big savings on your hotel with the JAMGETAWAY promotion.

3. Walk in the footsteps of a music legend

Jamaica is the home of Reggae and, of course, Bob Marley - a global megastar whose life and legacy inspired the 2023 biopic, One Love. The song for which the movie is named was recognized by the BBC as ‘the song of the century’ and Time magazine dubbed Exodus the 20^th Century’s most important album. Don’t miss the chance to walk in the footsteps of the legend on your Jamaican vacation.

In Kingston, the Bob Marley Museum and Trench Town Culture Yard are must-visit spots to witness the spaces in which the singer lived and recorded his music. See memorabilia from the singer’s life and career, including his gold and platinum records, and the very spot of the infamous assignation attempt on his life in 1976.

4. Eat authentic Jerk

Jerk is one of the world’s most iconic foods. Its smoky, spicy flavours are often imitated in fusion dishes all over the world. But authentic Jerk is made with a heady blend of spices and, most importantly, scotch bonnet pepper. The meat is marinated and then smoked slowly over pimento wood to prepare a dish so satisfying, so distinct, you’ll want to have it for lunch, dinner, late night snack, and breakfast the next morning!

And don’t stop at just chicken! Jerk pork, lamb, even vegetables are delicious paired with sides like festival (a sweet fried dough), bammy, roasted breadfruit, or rice and peas.

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Honourable mention for a bucket-list meal goes to Ackee and Saltfish, another iconic pairing that is Jamaica’s national dish. The ackee fruit has been compared to softly scrambled eggs in texture and, when paired with saltfish, makes for an unforgettable and delicious breakfast.

5. Bobsled through the rainforest

Talk about a unique experience! Mystic Mountain Rainforest Adventures in Ocho Rios is the place for awesome family fun and thrills. Its most famous attraction is the Rainforest Bobsled. Inspired by the story of the Jamaican Bobsled team that first competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics Games, this wild ride sends you soaring through the forest canopy in, of all things, a bobsled! A handbrake allows you to control your speed as you take in views of the coastline.

Other popular rides are the Sky Explorer and the Ragamuffin Ride. Ziplining, waterslides, and a hummingbird garden are also on property. Book your stay at a hotel nearby so you can spend all day taking in the rainforest adventures. Check out the JAMGETAWAY promotion for up to 65% off at select hotels in Ocho Rios.

6. Hang out on a bar in the middle of the sea

Perhaps one of the most unique experiences is Floyd’s Pelican Bar just off Jamaica’s South Coast. The bar is made of driftwood and is mounted on stilts on a sandbar in the Caribbean Sea. What began as a hangout for fisherfolk, quickly gained popularity and now welcomes visitors from all over the world who leave behind mementos from their home countries on the walls of the bar.

A quick boat ride from the dock takes you up to the bar. You’ll be greeted with music, food, and good vibes. Layout on the wooden deck or take a dip in between bites of fresh seafood. It’s an incredible place to watch the sunset with a cold Red Stripe in hand.

If you're staying on the South Coast, you can easily arrange a trip to Floyd's. Accommodations in the area include boutique hotels like the bohemian Jakes Hotel and the ultra romantic Sandals South Coast. Both properties are part of the JAMGETAWAY promotion, offering discounted rates for a limited time.

7. Encounter Rastafarian culture

Visit Rastafarian Indigenous Village to personally connect with the philosophy, values, and practices of the Rastafarian way of life. It’s a truly unique cultural experience that can only be had in Jamaica - the birthplace of the movement that gave rise to the religion of Rastafari. In Montego Bay, the Village community members share their organic farming practices and ital cuisine – entirely plant-based, with little to no salt – with their visitors. Learn to make authentic drums and natural soaps by hand, with techniques passed down for generations. There’s live music and dance as the tour ends with a celebration of traditional Rastafari music.

8. Visit one of the world’s most haunted places

Rose Hall Great House and its rolling estate are stunning; boasting historic architecture, preserved interior, and panoramic views out to the Caribbean Sea. But the beautiful structure bears a dark and deadly history. If you’re truly fearless, take the Haunted Night Tour to hear the legend of Annie Palmer, the White Witch of Rose Hall. Palmer was a cruel mistress, who tortured enslaved Africans and committed multiple murders before being killed by her enslaved lover.

You can stay close to the beautiful Rose Hall at beachfront resorts like Jewel Grande, Hilton Rose Hall, and Hyatt Resorts. The ultra-luxe Half Moon is just a stone’s throw away. Book by August 16 to save up to 65% off your hotel using the promo code: JAMGETAWAY.

9. Help save the sea turtles

Get connected to the most endangered sea turtle population in the world.

Sea Turtle Conservation is championed by resorts such as Half Moon, Jakes, and other entities like the Oracabessa Sea Turtle Project. Their programs support sustainable practices and education to improve environmental consciousness for both residents and visitors. At Half Moon, staff are trained and licensed to build new habitats and enforce regulations under the Jamaican laws that protect the species. During the hatching season, which lasts from June until late summer/early fall, visitors can take part in turtle releases to help the tiny hatchlings make it safely from their nests to the water. Releases are held at turtle breeding sites across the islands north and south coasts. The efforts of these groups have resulted in thousands of Hawksbill and Green Turtle hatchlings being safely released over the years. Participating in a turtle release is truly a life-affirming experience as you get up close to these incredible creatures and watch them begin a lifelong journey. 

10. Climb the world-famous Dunn’s River Falls

No Jamaica bucket list would be complete without mention of what is perhaps the island’s most iconic experience. Dunn’s River Falls is one of only a handful of travertine waterfalls, which means the falls are naturally terraced to create what looks like giant stairs interspersed with natural pools fed by spring water – perfect for relaxing.

Climbing the falls takes just about 90 minutes, and since Dunn’s River Falls is one of only a few waterfalls in the world that empties into the sea, visitors can also enjoy the white sands of the Caribbean at the base of the falls. Looking for more adventure? Zipline over the falls for an adrenaline rush and incredible views of this spectacular natural wonder.

Easily accessible in Ocho Rios, day tours are easily arranged for adventurers staying in Montego Bay or Kingston. Check out the latest deals for discounted rates at over 50 hotels and resorts.

There's so much to see, do, and taste in Jamaica! It's the perfect time to book your next vacation with great rates on accommodation through August 16, 2024. Be sure to see the full list of participating hotels and resorts so you can book while rooms last!