Stay Lifehacks

Relish the morning Jamaican-style through a complimentary breakfast of local specialties like ackee and saltfish or fried dumplings. It’s delicious and very authentic which many of the larger international hotels forget to carry in their service packages. Besides, it does create a great chance to speak with the friendly kitchen crew and get a real feel of warm local hospitality.

Route taxis have to be taken to get around Ocho Rios like a local. Just walk out to the main road from your hotel, and flag down a red license plate taxi; these are collective taxis following fixed routes and are very inexpensive. Just say, for instance, from the hotel to downtown or to the main attractions like Dunn’s River Falls, it costs just a fraction of what a private charter taxi charges you. Just tell the driver your destination when you board. It’s a very safe and fun way of traveling and does let you travel in Jamaica.

For the most fantastic trip one must go and see the Blue Hole – aka ‘Cool Blue Hole’ or ‘Secret Falls.’ Much less overrun than its big brother, Dunn’s River Falls, it proposes the opportunity to swim in mind-blowing blue mineral pools, jump off waterfalls and explore caves. A great hint on doing this is hiring a local driver for a half-day trip to take you there because it is quite an elusive find otherwise. It’s an amazing experience just a few minutes from the hotel.

To finish off your evening outing in town, there’s no other choice but Miss T’s Kitchen located at the heart of Ocho Rios. There is good local fare close to the hotel, but Miss T’s is a bit more upscale while still very authentic with excellent service in a beautiful garden setting ‘a wide range of delicious, modern Jamaican dishes – the perfect solution to a special dinner in celebration of your Jamaican holiday.