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Bike riding tours are a wonderful way to explore Jamaica. Traveling by automobile just can’t provide the same experience. You miss so much, like the scents carried by the wind - the smell of the ocean, the tropical forests, the mountains, and the abundant flowers and other plants. The slower pace allows you to really see what you’re looking, to talk to local people, and to really savor the experience of Jamaica.

Blue Mountain Bicycle Tours, Ltd., located at 121 Main Street, in Ocho Rios, is one of the most well known providers of these sorts of adventures. Their specialty is a day long bike tour that begins 5,600 feet up in the Blue Mountains, which are the highest mountains in the Caribbean. Blue Mountain Bicycle Tours, Ltd., makes these tours available out of both Ocho Rios and Kingston, Jamaica, providing charter bus service from these points to the mountain for groups as large as 150, with the average group being made up of about 40 people. All necessary biking equipment is also provided, as are meals, and rates are reasonable — $93US for adults and $65US for children under 12 years of age.

The bicycle tour is all down hill, which makes it appropriate for almost all age groups - age 7 is the youngest recommended for participation — and means that you’ll be able to devote your most or your energy to enjoying the magnificent scenery. And, magnificent it is! Bikers pass through stunning mountain vistas that include the remarkable coffee plantations that produce the Blue Mountain coffee beans that are becoming well known to coffee connoisseurs for their superior taste and quality, and enjoy wild life sights that are found nowhere else in the world outside of Jamaica. They’ll see waterfalls and have the opportunity to enjoy a refreshing swim in the cool, clear mountain water. You’ll want to remember to bring a swimsuit, towel and camera.

Manfred’s Jamaican Mountain Bike Tours, located in Saint Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, offers a wonderful one-week get away tour. Participants enjoy quality lodging and excellent local cuisine on a 500 acre farming estate in Apple Valley. Each day features a bicycle tour to a different part of Jamaica, revealing parts of the country far beyond the usual tourist destinations. This experience of the real Jamaica - beyond the glitter and glitz of the tourism industries - is simply unparalleled.

In Negril, Rusty’s Xcellent Adventures offers a variety guided bicycle tours at different skill levels. Biking equipment and, if necessary, biking instructors, are available. For those who prefer independent exploration, there are numerous places throughout Jamaica that offer bicycle rentals, as well as rentals of scooters and the like.

Bicycle tours are an excellent way to explore Jamaica. In addition to enjoying the natural Jamaica, its ‘real’ people and culture, you’ll be doing so in away that has less of a negative environmental impact. Bicycle tours allow you to slow down and to savor your surroundings, collecting memories - and perhaps even a newfound cultural awareness and understanding — that will last a lifetime.

Jamaica’s natural beauty is one of the island nation’s outstanding features. Fortunately, for the people of Jamaica and the world, the nation has seen to it that a great deal of the natural flora and fauna has been preserved and protected, devoting a great deal of land to parks and preservation. There are even areas that still remain pristine and wild, untouched by the tourism industry or local development.

Blue Mountains National Park is among the most well known of the national parks and reserves. Some of the most beautiful scenery in the country is to be found within this almost 200,000-acre area. More than one-third of the plants that bear flowers in contained in this mountain range, whose peak rises to 7,402 feet, and its near by neighbor, the John Crow Mountains, are unique to Jamaica, found no other place on earth. The forests here are home to 28 species of birds and serve as a migration stop for more than 150 other types of birds. The park contains the largest remaining rainforest in all of Jamaica. Naturally, hiking and camping are the favored activities here.

Falmouth, Jamaica, is home to Swaby’s Swamp Safari. A four-acre mangrove swamp, reserve offers guided tours to view the wetlands wildlife. Among the sights to be seen several types of crocodiles native to Jamaica. Cashoo Ostrich Park is a nature reserve and working farm. There are hundreds of ostriches, hiking paths and fruit orchards. The ostriches are a big hit with children and adults alike, and the experience of seeing these large and magnificent creatures at close range is unforgettable.

Montego Bay Marine Park is another well known nature reserve. Visitors will find sharks, several species of stingrays, moray eels, and numerous other types of fish. There are coral reef formations and dense areas of mangrove trees, which serve as home to a wide variety of wildlife. Excellent scuba diving and snorkeling draw many visitors to this park and reserve.

The Royal Palm reserve is set in the Great Morass swamplands. There is an abundance of wildlife living in the Great Morass’s 7,000-acres of wetlands. Among these diverse creatures are numerous crocodiles, and a wide range of birds, including herons and egrets, living amongst the mangroves. Also located in the Great Morass is the Negril Watershed Environmental Protection Area, dedicated to tropical preservation and protection.

Marshall’s Pen was a plantation in the 1800’s. Today it is a bird sanctuary that welcomes visitors both for group tours and the average day tour. Many of the birds native to Jamaica can be seen here, as well as visitors from migrating flocks.

While most of Jamaica’s travel destination fame has to do with the more traditional joys of sun, sand and surf, as well as the fabulous luxury resorts and hotels, there are amazingly natural and beautiful places on the island. Parks and reserves are numerous, as are opportunities to see the natural flora and fauna at its best and most undisturbed.

In addition to its thriving tourist industries, Jamaica is also home to a variety of other factories and industries, some of which produce products that are known and respected internationally. Several of these factories offer tours that are really quite interesting, allowing the visitors to see a different side of Jamaica than that which they would ordinarily get to see by sticking to the traditional tourist sights throughout the island.

Mavis Bank Coffee Factory, located in Kingston, Jamaica, is one of these interesting places, offering day tours and group tours to the public. Blue Mountain coffee beans are considered by many connoisseurs throughout the world to be among the highest quality coffee beans in the world. These are the coffee beans that are processed at the Mavis Bank Coffee Factory, run by a family whose roots in the Jamaican coffee business go back generations. Visitors will enjoy a tour through the facilities and see the various processes that these famous beans go through before reaching the coffee international market.

High Mountains Coffee Factory also offers day tours and group tours. At this factory, visitor will learn a great deal about the roasting process and taste a sample of their fine quality coffee. Located in Mandeville, this factory produces the second most well known coffee variety in Jamaica. There is a gift shop at which, among other things, coffee beans roasted on site can be purchased.

Also in Mandeville is the Bammy Factory, which produces the Bammy, which is an integral part of Jamaican cuisine. This traditional cassava cake is often served with fish. This, and the nearby Pickapepper Sauce Factory at Shooters Hill can be toured by appointment, and are sure to please those with an interest in traditional Jamaican cuisine. For those whose taste leans towards health foods, a tour of the West Indies College’s Westco Foods Factory will prove to be a rewarding experience.

The Magic Toy Factory is found in the very small town of Walderston. It is housed in an old, red house in a rural setting. The grounds are beautiful, with gardens featuring lovely orchids. Beyond the gardens are forests. A variety of items are produced here, many by hand, including jigsaw puzzles, earrings, pins and plaques. Prices are reasonable, and the products are interesting and often quite unique.

In Williamsfield, the Pioneer Chocolate Factory offers tours by appointment. It’s a wonderful chance to purchase some of the best chocolate made on the island, in addition to learning about the chocolate making process while touring the scrupulously neat facility.

Touring the local factories and industries is an educational and interesting experience. In addition to learning about how both internationally respected products and local favorites are produced and enjoying some great samples, you will get to meet local residents outside of the traditional tourist settings. This may be one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. By purchasing local goods, you’ll not only enjoy unique, quality products, but also you’ll make an important contribution to the local economy.

Jamaica has attracted the interest of those from far away places for centuries. First inhabited by native peoples, including the Arawak, Jamaica then spent time under Spanish rule before being possessed by the British. The wealthy classes of these European nations controlled vast territories in Jamaica, building large and profitable plantations, increasing their wealth with profits made on export products. They built fabulous mansions and homes, many of which still stand today, restored and open to tourists.

Certainly the most famous of these colonial era great houses is the Rose Hall Great House, located on Rose Hall Highway, which is a short drive outside of Montego Bay. The lurid rumors and supernatural tales that have been associated with this house for centuries have excited imaginations for generations, inspiring several novels and books to feature it as a backdrop. The home was built by John Palmer, originally of Britain, during the latter part of the 18th century. At one time, it was a vast plantation, where 2,000 slaves tended the sugar cane and other crops.

The wife of John Palmer’s grandnephew achieved notoriety through the rumors of numerous murders, sexual impropriety of - what was then - the highest degree, abject cruelty to the slaves of the plantation, voodoo, witchcraft, and her own violent death. Known now as the White Witch of Rose Hall, some believe her restless spirit still wanders there today. Tours are available every day between 9am and 6pm, with the final tour of the day starting at about 5:15pm. There is an admission fee of $15 for people 12 years of age and older and $10 for children 11 years and under.

Another late 18th century home of interest is the Greenwood Great House, located on Route 1A, a short drive outside of the Montego Bay area. This remarkable example of Gregorian influenced architecture was the home of Richard Barrett, who was the cousin of the famous poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. This 14 room structure retains more of its original feel than do others of the era, as it has endure less renovation processes and still contains a great deal of the original furnishings, oil paintings and household items, including fine china. Among these is a collection of musical instruments that is simply amazing to see. Not surprisingly, the family library is a part of the tour, and has books dating back to the 1600’s. This lovely, historic home is open to the public daily, from 9am to 6pm. There is a $12 admission fee for those 12 years of age and older, and a $6 fee for children 11 and under.

There are many more of these great houses that are open to the public for tours and exploration. Among them are the Seville Great house and Heritage Park, in Saint Ann, home to numerous artifacts and relics of interest and includes views from a variety of perspectives in Jamaican history, the Brimmer Hall Estate in Ocho Rios, and the Appleton Estate.

These beautiful structures, shadowed by the oppression of the people upon which they were built, hold an important place in the history and culture of Jamaica. Any one of them is certainly worth an afternoon’s time to marvel and contemplate.

The natural beauty is one of the most important factors that have made the Bahamas a celebrated vacation destination for decades. Preserving that beauty is important to the Bahamas, not only because it is good for tourism, but also because it is right. The numerous nature reserves demonstrate the commitment the Bahamas has to maintaining the safety and diversity of their wildlife. Grand Bahama Island is home to many of these fine reserves.

The Rand Memorial Nature Center is a beautiful 100-acre reserve that is found on East Settlers Way, just a short distance from Freeport, on Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas. It serves as the headquarters for the Bahamas National Trust, which is a nonprofit organization devoted to wildlife preservation and conservation.

There are many trails to walk and many fine plant and animal sights to see. On the first Saturday of every month, there is a bird-watching tour. This broad expanse of pineland is home to many species of birds, and among the most flamboyant to be seen is the West Indies Pink Flamingo. On the last Saturday of each month, there is a wildflower walk, in which participants tour the site, taking in the tropical colors and scents of the local flowers.

Also on site are fascinating exhibits and educational programs designed to familiarize participants with the native flora and fauna. There is a gift shop with many informative books and creative souvenir and gift items. The reserve is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm. Admission costs $5 for adults and children 12 and over. For children aged 5 through 11, the rate is $3 and children under 5 are admitted free of charge. Guided tours of the ground can be arranged by appointment.

Another favorite nature reserve is Parrot’s Jungle Garden of the Groves. This 12-acre garden and nature reserve is located at Midshipman Road and Magellan Drive, and is home to an incredible variety of plant life, including literally ten thousand trees. There are many types of birds that make their home here, including cockatoos, macaws, and the white-crowned pigeon. In addition to a small waterfall, cool bodies of water, lovely lawns to wander, and a playground, there is also a petting zoo. There are a wide variety of animals, including pygmy goats, pot bellied pigs, and raccoons. This is an excellent destination for families, as it is quite child friendly, full of things to look at and to do.

The garden is open daily from 9am to 4pm. There is an admission fee of $9.95 for adults and children over the age of 10. The rate for children aged 3 to 10 is $6.95 and those under 3 are admitted free of charge.

The Bahamas has much to offer when it comes to wildlife exploration. Nature reserves are plentiful and easily accessible. On Grand Bahama Island the nature reserves are home to numerous species of birds and animals, exotic plants and flowers. For those who have an interest in eco-tourism, Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas is sure to provide exciting and memorable experiences.

The Bahamas are made up of several small islands spread out through a wide expanse of ocean. In the early days of the European settlements, the lighthouses served an essential purpose, guiding ships to shore in the darkness. During night storms when the overcast sky was unable to be used as a navigation tool, the lighthouse was what brought the ships in, sometimes meaning the difference between life and death for the ship and its crew and cargo. Some of these lighthouses still remain and can be visited today.

One of the best known of these lighthouses is found in Hope Town, on Elbow Cay, which is part of the Abacos of the Bahamas. This lighthouse is a remarkable red and white structure, and was opened in 1863. It is one of three lighthouses in the world, all of which are found in the Bahamas, that still operates in the old-fashioned way. The light is powered by kerosene and run by hand. The lighthouse keeper must adjust the cables and weights that keep the kerosene flowing properly. Due to the special lens inside, the light from this lighthouse can be seen up to 17 miles out into the ocean. Visitors are welcome to make the 101-step climb up to the top to admire the view.

Andros, of the Bahamas, is home to the Bird Rock Lighthouse, known especially for the ospreys that make their homes there. It began its operation in 1876, built by the British. It was run by hand, withstanding storms, hurricanes and even tidal waves. But, it did not withstand progress. In 1978, it became automated, ending its near century of continuous occupation. Soon, even the light was gone. However, in 1999, the light was relit and the restoration of this landmark lighthouse became a project of local interest and importance. The end result of the restoration efforts is a fascinating guesthouse that also houses a small museum devoted to the history of the area.

On the northern part of San Salvador, another island of the Bahamas, there is another of the rare kerosene lit lighthouses. The light at Dixon Hill Lighthouse was first lit in 1887, and it continues to be run by the manual efforts of its keepers. It is 83 steps to the top of this lighthouse, and visitors are welcomed.

Yamacraw Point, which is on New Providence Island of the Bahamas, is home to another lighthouse. The location is notable for its beautiful view of where the sky meets the sea, and the equally lovely beach that makes it possible to contemplate that distant meeting point in complete comfort and peace.

Lighthouses once were a vital part of the seafaring life. The lit beacon allows ships to find land in difficult dark weather, as well as prevented them from running aground upon a tiny island in the middle of the night. They remain an important part of nautical history, standing as a reminder of those brave travelers, who navigated the seas with simple tools and their knowledge of the sky above. Lighthouses throughout the world are being restored with loving attention, but the Bahamas are home to most those that are still run the old-fashioned way. Visiting one of these fascinating historical landmarks adds a nice touch to any Bahamas vacation.

Eleuthera Island of the Bahamas could be said to be the first among many. While that phrase could certainly be used to describe its many watery charms, it is also a phrase to be used quite literally. For, Eleuthera was the very first of the many islands that make up the Bahamas to have a permanent settlement. Those early colonizers arrived in 1648, pursuing their vision of religious freedom, a concept held within the name they gave the island. Eleuthera is a Greek word meaning freedom.

Those who enjoy nature’s many wonders will have a lot to admire on and around Eluthera Island. There are caves, and underwater geological formations and reefs that attract divers and snorkelers from all over. The beaches are beautiful and the fishing is outstanding.

The caves draw many visitors. However, for safety’s sake, it is better to use a guide in the mile long Hatchet Bay Cave. In addition to a variety of other cave-dwelling wildlife, Hatchet Bay Cave is home to many bats. Preacher’s Cave, which is found on the northern part of the island, has a church-like size. Other geological sites of interest include Glass Window, which is a rock formation that frames a spectacular marine view.

The Current Cut is one of the more popular snorkeling sites, due to the reef area, which serves as a haven to a variety of marine life. The Devil’s backbone is another favorite reef area, shallow enough for easy exploration. Divers favor Ocean’s Hole, a diving site popularized by unique rock formations and other interesting sights.

The beaches of Eleuthera are simply superb, nature at its best and most natural. Pink Sands Beach is a favorite for diving and snorkeling, as well as wide open views of surf and sky. Gualding’s Cay is an isolated mile long beach with glistening white sand, surrounded by fragrant pines. The snorkeling is great, but its privacy lends a special enjoyment to swimming and sunbathing.

There are several resort communities on the island. These include Bannerman Town, which boasts an impressive view of Mt. Alvernia from its pristine beach. Rock Sound is the classic picture-postcard perfect seaside town, with well kept, richly hued cottages and homes, accented by very green gardens and very bright tropical flowers.

The food is good on the island. Jack’s Outback serves Bahamian cuisine at its finest from a very clean little establishment. Prices are reasonable, and meals are served every day from 9am to 10pm. Sammy’s Place is a must experience eatery, as much for the local crowd it attracts as the excellent food it serves. Located in Rock Sound on Albury’s Lane, Sammy’s Place serves a variety of fare, some Bahamian food, some Creole influenced dishes, some just plain good eatin’ and is open daily, from 7:30am to 10pm.

As a vacation destination, Eleuthera Island is aptly named. This is a location in which visitors have the freedom to be at peace and the freedom to enjoy the perfect atmosphere for recreation and relaxation.

Bike riding tours are a wonderful way to explore Jamaica. Traveling by automobile just can’t provide the same experience. You miss so much, like the scents carried by the wind - the smell of the ocean, the tropical forests, the mountains, and the abundant flowers and other plants. The slower pace allows you to really see what you’re looking, to talk to local people, and to really savor the experience of Jamaica.

Blue Mountain Bicycle Tours, Ltd., located at 121 Main Street, in Ocho Rios, is one of the most well known providers of these sorts of adventures. Their specialty is a day long bike tour that begins 5,600 feet up in the Blue Mountains, which are the highest mountains in the Caribbean. Blue Mountain Bicycle Tours, Ltd., makes these tours available out of both Ocho Rios and Kingston, Jamaica, providing charter bus service from these points to the mountain for groups as large as 150, with the average group being made up of about 40 people. All necessary biking equipment is also provided, as are meals, and rates are reasonable — $93US for adults and $65US for children under 12 years of age.

The bicycle tour is all down hill, which makes it appropriate for almost all age groups - age 7 is the youngest recommended for participation — and means that you’ll be able to devote your most or your energy to enjoying the magnificent scenery. And, magnificent it is! Bikers pass through stunning mountain vistas that include the remarkable coffee plantations that produce the Blue Mountain coffee beans that are becoming well known to coffee connoisseurs for their superior taste and quality, and enjoy wild life sights that are found nowhere else in the world outside of Jamaica. They’ll see waterfalls and have the opportunity to enjoy a refreshing swim in the cool, clear mountain water. You’ll want to remember to bring a swimsuit, towel and camera.

Manfred’s Jamaican Mountain Bike Tours, located in Saint Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica, offers a wonderful one-week get away tour. Participants enjoy quality lodging and excellent local cuisine on a 500 acre farming estate in Apple Valley. Each day features a bicycle tour to a different part of Jamaica, revealing parts of the country far beyond the usual tourist destinations. This experience of the real Jamaica - beyond the glitter and glitz of the tourism industries - is simply unparalleled.

In Negril, Rusty’s Xcellent Adventures offers a variety guided bicycle tours at different skill levels. Biking equipment and, if necessary, biking instructors, are available. For those who prefer independent exploration, there are numerous places throughout Jamaica that offer bicycle rentals, as well as rentals of scooters and the like.

Bicycle tours are an excellent way to explore Jamaica. In addition to enjoying the natural Jamaica, its ‘real’ people and culture, you’ll be doing so in away that has less of a negative environmental impact. Bicycle tours allow you to slow down and to savor your surroundings, collecting memories - and perhaps even a newfound cultural awareness and understanding — that will last a lifetime.