Events: Jamaica Reggae Film Festival 2011

The 4th annual Jamaica Reggae Film Festival is fast approaching and film buffs from all over are anticipating its arrival. Set for May 23-27 at Studio 38, Trafalgar Road, New Kingston. Held each year by the Jamaica Film Academy the Reggae Film Festival attracts productions from all over the world that are part of a growing genre of films depicting aspects of Jamaican culture, music and history and the ways in which this music culture has impacted the world. The event includes premieres, seminars, competitions, new digital media work, live music performances and star-studded gala events.

A main focus of interest at the festival this year is the Make A Film In 24 Hours competition, in which teams will use any media to make a 5-minute film in 24 hours and compete for prizes including cash, Jamaican vacations and entry in international film festivals. Entries in the 2011 Reggae Film Festival have come from the USA, UK, Antigua, Poland, Brazil and Catalonia, with the largest number of entries from Jamaica whose 11 entries include animation, short and long features and documentaries. This year’s festival includes five films by female directors, including the short features Dinner by Tameka Jarvis-George of Antigua, and Reckoning by Jamaican film student Jovel Johnson.

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April 30, 2011 at 5:56 pm | Kingston | No comment

Weddings & Honeymoons: Weddings at Hummingbird Hall, Jamaica

Jamaica’s seductive natural beauty has a way of bringing couples and romantics from all over the world to bask in the warmth of the island sun and make official their commitment to each other. From its tranquil oceanfronts, to its majestic waterfalls Jamaica is packed with settings simply ideal for a wedding even the angels would envy. Hummingbird Hall is one such gorgeous wedding venue nestled on Montego Bay’s Rose Hall Estate – the wonderland of weddings in Jamaica.

( via Hummingbird Hall )

Located just 15 minutes from Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport, the land on which Hummingbird Hall sits once formed part of an extensive plantation owned by many, including the infamous Annie Palmer. These days, as the select White Witch and Cinnamon Hill golf courses, the Estate is now magically botanical garden, “Ocean Course” and the location of Hummingbird Hall. The venue is a 21st Century Jamaican Great House and its history is an extraordinary confluence of Jamaica’s colonial past and progressive future. Conceptualised by an internationally acclaimed novelist and her daughter; with its substantial pool deck, infinity pool, flowering garden, gazebo and international collection of art and artefacts – Hummingbird Hall really does have the air of a luxury tropical retreat of the well traveled.

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April 29, 2011 at 3:56 pm | Montego Bay, Weddings & Honeymoons | No comment

Where to Visit: Reggae Beach, Jamaica

Located on the border of St. Ann and St. Mary, about 10 minutes east of the vibrant Ocho Rios, nestled in lush tropical greenery is the 1/4 mile stretch of white sand known as Reggae Beach. A famous Jamaican landmark, this breathtaking picture-perfect spot is a tiny slice of heaven. Lounge chairs are lined along the seashore, some grouped amongst shady random clusters of hundred year old almond and palm trees, while others are arranged closer to the waters edge. If you’re looking for a beach that doesn’t get crowded then this is the place to be.

( via )

Enjoy soft reggae music and great Jamaican hospitality as you cool out under a palm tree with a fresh fruit cocktail from the “Village Beach Bar”. Or try some succulent Jamaican-style fish, lobster, conch or spicy jerk chicken from the grill. Capture a golden tan while drifting peacefully across turquoise waters on a lie-low float. From waving fan coral to colorful clownfish and graceful rays, you’ll find plenty to look at while snorkeling the bay’s reefs. Kayak the coastline or hike the natural trails or experience a seaside massage. Try the seasonally fresh native fruits like Mangos, guineps, guava, ortanique, sugar cane, pineapple, papaya or naseberry. Challenge a friend to backgammon, checkers, or join a domino game. Reggae Beach has it all.

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April 20, 2011 at 3:04 pm | Ocho Rios, Weddings & Honeymoons, What to Do, Where to Visit | No comment

Where to Stay: Breezes Runaway Bay Resort & Golf Club, Jamaica

Situated on the North Coast of Jamaica on 22 acres of beachfront property in Runaway Bay. Approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from the Montego Bay airport. Breezes Runaway Bay Resort & Golf Club is a lush, tropical playground with quiet coves, endless beaches and shady hammocks around every corner. With 266 guest rooms including 30 brand new oceanfront rooms and suites and 236 newly refurbished rooms and suites this is one of the world’s truly great escapes.

( via Breezes Runaway Bay Resort & Golf Club )

Here, you’re free to be yourself. Skim across the crystal blue Caribbean on a catamaran cruise. Enhance your skills at their video-assisted golf and tennis schools. Experience the best scuba in Jamaica at their Gold Palm 5 Star PADI facility.Take up golf at their private, PGA-quality Golf Course, which has been the home of the Heineken World Cup Western Hemisphere Qualifying Tournament and the Jamaica Open. Or, just spend your days in a comfortable lounge chair while the warm, tropical sun dissolves your stress like the ice in a Piña Colada. Best of all, Breezes Runaway Bay is brilliantly designed to keep you as close to the action as you want to be, without compromising the peace and quiet you crave.

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April 12, 2011 at 3:57 pm | Weddings & Honeymoons, Where to Stay | No comment

Travel Resources: 5 Hot Spots for Scuba Diving in Jamaica

The warm azure waters of The Caribbean Sea have a magnetic pull that very few (if any) can resist and offer a range of exciting adventures, from parasailing to cliff diving and snorkeling. Just looking at the ocean will tempt you to dive right in and the equally hypnotic island of Jamaica has some of the best points of entry to this enchanting wonderland. It is for this very reason that the island is such an excellent destination for SCUBA enthusiasts the world over.

If you’ve never had the experience, scuba diving in Jamaica’s warm blue waters is a relaxing and an thrilling activity that transports you to another world without really letting you leave the first.The island is scattered with underwater treasures ranging from dazzling corals to colourful tropical marine life and even shipwrecks. Jamaica’s underwater world is rimmed with coral reefs, etched with canyons and grottos, and sheered with vertical walls. Marine life is a kaleidoscope of living color. And, it’s all close at hand. From coast to coast, the dive sites are only a few minutes from shore. Whether you’re an experienced diver or just starting out you’ll want to check out some sites while vacationing in Jamaica, here’s a list of 5 of the island’s hottest scuba diving spots to send you on your way:

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April 11, 2011 at 1:11 pm | Kingston, Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios, Portland, Travel Resources, What to Do | No comment

What to Do: Dining at Hellshire Beach, Jamaica

Along the south coast of Jamaica visitors will find a number of narrow beaches that attract a local crowd. Hellshire Beach is the largest and most popular of them. Located just outside of the island’s capital Kingston, this beach offers a combination of natural setting, personality and local fare not found in more secluded spots. With interesting black sands, cool waters and a host of activities there’s more than enough here to keep you entertained.

( via Varun Baker )

Hellshire is most frequented by Kingstonians and residents of the neighbouring Portmore throughout the year. On the weekdays, it is lively; on weekends, it can get a bit crowded. On Sunday night, there’s a big party on the beach that starts late so you can enjoy the thumbing sounds of the latest Jamaican music mixed with the soothing sounds of the ocean into the early hours of the morning. There’s lots to do and watch at Hellshire: horseback rides, rent-a-tubes, some of the most amazing people watching ever. And of course, the water itself, which is as spectacular in February as it is in August. Yet perhaps the best part of this beach is the tantalizing food served there and dining at Hellshire Beach is a must do for anyone staying in Kingston (or just passing through).

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April 7, 2011 at 3:58 pm | Jamaican Food, Kingston, Where to Visit | No comment

What to Do: Hooves Ltd, Jamaica

Jamaica is a beautiful island offering fantastic beaches, abundant wildlife and broad expanses of rugged terrain and there is no better way to explore the mountain trails, the peaceful meadows and the sandy shores of the island than by horseback. Hooves Ltd in Ocho Rios is the best choice for horseback riding on Jamaica’s North Coast and once you’ve settled in your Jamaica accommodation (or even before) you can plan your great outdoor adventure on the island.

Equestrian lovers can choose to experience the thrill of riding a beautiful horse through the countryside and down to a magnificent beach, where your dream of riding a horse into the sea becomes a reality. This horseback riding adventure provided by Hooves Ltd. in Ocho Rios takes you along the shoreline and then into the ocean! Ride bareback into the sea or take your horse on a river walk. Explore the rain forest and historical sites including working plantations. Experienced riders will want to take jumping and polo lessons. Saddle up to experience another side of Jamaica.

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April 1, 2011 at 4:14 pm | Ocho Rios, What to Do | No comment

Fan Friday: The Top 5 Facebook Fan Comments of the Week!

It’s time for our weekly “Fan Friday” feature! Each week we select five of the best fan posted wall posts and/or comments on videos and articles posted to our Visit Jamaica Facebook Fan Page and publish them right here on Island Buzz just to let you all know we’ve been listening and we appreciate all your great feedback.

( via Varun Baker )

If you’re unfamiliar with the term; “Jerk” is a style of cooking native to Jamaica in which meats are dry-rubbed with a very hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. Jerked food is a must-have for visitors and locals alike and if you haven’t had it yet you don’t know what you’re missing! Jerk is both a marinade and a preparation technique. In its most authentic form, fresh poultry or pork meat is massaged with a concentrated spice rub infused with allspice (pimento), cinnamon, peppers, onion, thyme and garlic hours before cooking. After marinating, the meat is placed on raised platforms of pimento wood over hot coals to slowly roast for hours. Here’s how some of our Facebook Fans responded when we posted Travel Resources: 5 Places to Eat Jerk in Jamaica and asked whether anyone had dined at any of the locations listed:

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April 1, 2011 at 11:48 am | Fan Friday | No comment