10/10 Excellent
Joel P.
8 Jan 2019
High-Ceilinged Home in the Hills
Our family of four spent 4 nights in early January 2019 and really enjoyed our stay.
This is a modern home with a high-ceilinged great room and an up-to-date kitchen perched on a hill about 1,200 feet above sea level. There is a small settlement within walking distance but the road the house is on is very quiet, with just a handful of larger homes and very very little traffic. There are two garden areas on either side of the house which has three self-contained bedrooms, each with small verandas. Much of the property is steep, with bananas and pimento trees. A loft is under construction to allow for more guests in bunk-bed type sleeping quarters but the remaining work is all internal and does not affect the feel of the home at all.
Breakfast is included and the cook, Amy, knows what she’s doing. We had the option of hiring her to cook dinners but chose to go to restaurants or cook ourselves.
Stanley Gray, the owner, is available as a tour guide and as we didn't rent a car, we spent a lot of time together and, as a result, we learned a lot about the country. He took us to the Blue Hole (worthwhile) and some local beaches and historical sites. Christopher Columbus lived in the area and there is a small and interesting museum. We also visited (and recommend) a rather hidden botanic gardens, the Cranbrook Flower Forest, that was five minutes drive up a rough road from the main coast highway.
One can walk down the hill into St Ann’s Bay township on a quiet road in a little less than an hour, or drive down in about 10 minutes. Ocho Rios is about 10 miles east of St Anne’s Bay town and you pass Dunns River Falls (a big tourist site we didn’t visit) along the way.
During the day the view is a forest canopy with a bit of the sea in the distance. We experienced very clear evenings and enjoyed sitting outside under dark star-filled skies. I highly recommend this property to anyone wanting a taste of authentic Jamaica while not being too far off the beaten path.
Joel P.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019