Traveller's Chronicles: First Stop: Trelwany

To begin our tour of Jamaica let's talk about what defines this land of wood and water. To answer this question, I left the flat, dry Kingston and embarked on my journey to the lush hills of Trelawny; my final destination Chukka Good Hope Estate.

As I approached the rustic stone cabin, my initial thought was "where's the fun here?", nevertheless I reluctantly proceeded. Upon entering the cabin, the first thing to capture my attention was the array of historical artifacts but it was not until later on that I would understand the true significance.

This is my friend, (he was more scared than me guys).

After a quick check in I made my way to the zip-line area. I don't know about you but zip-lining is scary and I was unsure but I was willing to risk my life flying through trees once again, against my better judgement, paired with the cajoling of my friends I decided to try it out.
The friendly staff made my preparation for this daring stunt more enjoyable. I spent the next half hour zooming through trees, and by the third line my fright changed to excitement as I was beginning to have the time of my life  

After my daring flight I had a newly found taste for 

heights, so next I advanced to the challenge course. 

Imagine being meters above the ground dangling by the wire: jumping, swinging and crawling from obstacle to obstacle; well that was my reality and I LOVED it. In retrospect, I believe this was my favorite activity and a must do at Good Hope.

After I conquered the challenge course, it was time for the thrill-seekers' favorite, the Dune Buggy. Sadly, with no Driver's license I was but a passenger on this experience (Pro Tip: bring your license guys) nonetheless I still had an amazing time. 

If you love going fast and you're not afraid to get dirty, this is DEFINITELY for you. The buggy ride was full "splats" and screams (not from me 😼) and an occasional fruit fight if you're sneaky and creative (better know how to dodge an orange... ). Also, if dune buggies aren't for you, the ATV option is also available and can be just or even more thrilling.

After my adventure through the bushes, I felt as though my thirst for fun was now quenched and I was ready for the other aspects of Jamaica. 

As I pondered what to do next, an aroma guided my feet towards the dining area. What greeted me was nothing short of Jamaica. Jerked chicken, rice and peas, steam vegetables and a festival; just thinking about it makes my mouth water all over again. To truly have the Jamaican experience you MUST experience the spicy jerked delights.



I had the fun and the food, so now it was time to experience a bit of history. I left the dining area and headed towards the Great House.

The exterior was beautiful, dated yet elegant, the lush green grass called at me to roll around in it. As we explored the house, the light creaking melody of our every footstep against the wooden floor could be heard. The view from inside was breath-taking and overlooked the entire estate with a lush hilltop backdrop.

As we made our way through the house, the tour guide informed us of the long history of the estate, which is more than 200 years old, and the owners that lived there (one owner was even buried in the house). The estate went through many hands and was used in both rum and sugar production (which explains the artifacts from earlier). The Great House was even used in the past, as a guest house for couples on honeymoon. The Great House experience opened my eyes to a part of Jamaican history and by extension, culture.








The tour was over, the fun had ended, the food was delicious and now all that was left to do was relax, so I made my way down to the pool. The rest of my day was spent lazily, with me by the pool chairs, the occasional dip, at the slide or a walk up the water fall.

            Good Hope Estate, a real Jamaica experience, somewhere with fun,food,culture and at the same time relaxing. 

              *Join me at my next stop...and leave a comment with your favourite Jamaican landmarks and/or sightings.*                                                                                                                                                     

 Bye Bye Travellers :)