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- Booking
Our Tour Guide will pick you up at your hotel/guest house in Kingston and travel into:
- The Blue Mountains to tour the Craighton Coffee Estate and Great House. The narrow road is winding as we climb the mountains, but the scenery is not to be missed. At Craighton we will tour the coffee plantation and hear all about the history, cultivation and processing of coffee, before enjoying a freshly brewed cup. We leave the mountains and return to the city.
- The Hope Botanical Gardens, here we do a heritage tour of the gardens & the Chinese Garden.
- Gratuity is optional.
- Confirmation will be received at the time of booking.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Bring cash for the purchase of meals and gifts/souvenirs.
- This tour involves using some stairs (moderate exhaustion).
- In December & January the temperature tends to be a little cooler than normal.
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Itineraries
Fact #1
Blue Mountain
Craighton House was named after its first owner, George Craighton. It is believed to have been built in 1805. Since its construction, the house has undergone extensive renovations, but this has not detracted from the dominant character of the building. Situated approximately 2,600 feet above sea level, the house commands a good view of its surrounding environs. Many renowned persons at one time or another were associated with the house. Among these were, Sir John Grant who was a former Governor of Jamaica, the Earl of Elgin, Sir Henry Blake who was the Governor of Jamaica in 1880, and Marion North whose paintings, some of which were done at Craighton, are displayed in the Marion North Gallery at Kew, Great Britain.
On the three-hundred-acre estate, 400,000 coffee plants are grown. The coffee is harvested by hand between the months of September and January every year by two hundred harvesters who scramble up and down the steep hills. Following the harvesting, the cherries are processed, roasted and bagging for export. To hear all about this process this tour is a must. After you have sampled a cup of real Blue Mountain coffee, purchase some to take home with you, it is time to return to Kingston.
Fact #2
Hope Botanical Gardens
Known as the Royal Botanical Gardens. In 1873, it was established by Major Richard Hope, who was a commander in the British Army. He was given an estate for his part in taking control of Jamaica from the Spanish. The Hope Gardens is spread across 200 acres of land & It is currently the largest botanical gardens in the Caribbean.
At the north end of the gardens, there is a large beautiful lake with a restored ancient bridge over it. This lake is filled with water lilies and other stunning water plants. Towards the center of the gardens, there is an interesting natural maze. The walls of this maze are made by shrubs that were planted and groomed into this puzzle design.
A tour of the Chinese Garden, given to the people of Jamaica by the Chinese Government on the occasion of 50 years of Chinese industry in Jamaica is also included. Lunch is available at a restaurant in the gardens, before returning to hotel.
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