The lady at Smurf’s Café in Treasure Beach gave me a friendly smile, “Wah Gwaan?” she asked. Hot spot for breakfast in the beach community. This is how I get my first meal of the day from the Smurfs during my stay. Omelette with Akee or Callaloo. Freshly prepared and especially delicious.
“Everything is fine,” I replied to the usual greeting from the Patois of Jamaica. And I keep searching in my repertoire: “Irie!” I proudly say – it means something like “beautiful” or “good”.
German-born Ricarda Daley (38) also used this local word. He started his own business with his wife Ian in 2014. The couple offers small, private and individual tours that can be booked in German or English under the name Irie Holiday Tours.
The trained physiotherapist, who grew up in the Dresden region and lived in Bavaria for a long time, first came to the Caribbean island as a backpacker in 2010. “Then I met my future husband through my friends. For him, it was love at first sight, I needed time.” Remembering with an immigrant smile, Ian proposed through Skye. And since the two of them didn’t want a long-distance relationship, Ricarda quickly moved to Jamaica, where she’s happy today. Nothing lacks, occasionally. A little winter would be nice.” Just a week. Then it’s good for me again,” adds Ricarda and laughs.
Deserted beaches at Treasure Beach
The Daleys currently live in the tourist spot of Montego Bay, but eventually bought a piece of land in Treasure Beach, where they plan to live. “Building a home here in Jamaica is a lifetime activity,” Ricarda says thoughtfully. He explains that inflation is very high. “You never know what the next week will look like and whether you can afford it.”
Ricarda’s husband is a contractor and continues to work with Irie Holiday Tours. “It’s a game of time, but things are going well for us,” says Ricarda happily. First of all, the Germans book with them, but Ricarda also took a lot of Swiss people across the island. However, Americans make up the largest proportion of tourists.
Ricarda then shows his group what the travelers want to see. It is flexible and adjusts its routes according to the wishes of its customers. For me it’s Treasure Beach, Black River and Pelican Bar where he took me for two days. The small, sleepy fishing village to the south consists of several coves: Billy’s, Calabash, Fort Charles, Great and Frenchman Bay. Treasure Beach is known for its community tourism, as you get in direct contact with the locals here. It’s a different way of travel, and the beaches also testify to this otherness – sometimes white, sometimes black sand marked by lava. At Treasure Beach I collect the most beautiful shells I can find in Jamaica, and I’m on deserted, desolate beaches that I rarely find anywhere else on the island. Here everything is a little quieter, time seems to pass more slowly.
Spectacular views from the Strawberry Hill Hotel
But Ricarda’s favorite place in Jamaica is the Blue Mountains, whose highest peak is 2256 meters, making it the fifth highest mountain in the Caribbean. I also enjoy this area when I stay a few days at the famous Strawberry Hill. The hotel is owned by British music producer Chris Blackwell (85), whose family includes James Bond writer Ian Fleming (1908-1964) and producer of Bob Marley (1945-1981).
The property offers stunning views of Kingston on one side and the Blue Mountains where one of the world’s most expensive coffees comes from. You can sleep peacefully near the bustling capital, surrounded by lush green mountains. I immediately understand why Ricarda was so impressed with this region.
“Many of our visitors combine stays with a few nights at our sister properties, The Caves and Golden Eye, on the beach,” explains Ricardo Bowleg, 53, Managing Director of Strawberry Hill. Not many Swiss would stray here, as most travelers would automatically associate Jamaica with the Caribbean beaches. “Many just want the beach experience, where you get great scenery, hiking opportunities, the best coffee on the island, pure relaxation and proximity to the city,” the general manager says enthusiastically.
Enjoying the view from the infinity pool. As night falls and the setting sun turns the lush greenery a reddish hue, Kingston begins to turn on its lights. A magnificent sight that will be engraved in my memory forever!
Colorful and vibrant Kingston
I also enjoy the proximity to the city and take a detour to Kingston. Here I am greeted by Ueli Bangerter, Honorary Consul General of Switzerland and Managing Director of Swiss Stores, and Jessica Cargill, Swiss Stores Tour Guide and Operations Manager. Both left their homeland of Switzerland to start a new life in Jamaica. Ueli knew early on that he would one day follow his uncle, who came to Kingston as a watchmaker in December 1958. He got serious in 1998: “I’m not the big winter type anyway and I’m not missing anything here in Jamaica.”
Even Jessica has nothing. He has not been at home in Switzerland since he abandoned his karate sports career and emigrated in 2013. “I will fly back at the end of next year. My friends and family have been visiting me often in recent years.” Back then, Jessica gave herself a year—it’s almost ten now. And she has no plans to leave the island again,’ she adds with conviction.
Both Jessica and Ueli are the faces behind Swiss Stores, which opened in downtown Kingston in the 1930s. It was originally the Swiss who sold quality watches and jewelry in Jamaica. This went well for a while, but today only leftovers on offer in the corner shop. “After the financial crisis of 2008, we were not in very good shape. We had to rethink, and as a hotel manager I quickly opened the F&B DownTown restaurant on site,” says Ueli.
Once upon a time there was a jewelry store. In the future, a kind of cultural center will be built next to the restaurant. “We want to present mainly local things and art here,” says Ueli. The location is perfect, just around the corner from the colorful Water Lane where street artists are creating great works. Kingston Creative offers tours on this subject where you can get a deeper insight.
Portland is a true favorite
Jessica can also be booked. It offers personalized tours around the island. The East Swiss’s favorite recommendation of Jamaican descent is the Parish, named for Jamaica’s 14 administrative districts, and Portland, where his family also comes from. “Portland is so authentic. Under no circumstances should you miss the bamboo rafting there, Jessica says enthusiastically. But she also emphasizes the mountainous region: “You can have a wonderful hike in the Blue Mountains and the landscape is like something out of a fairy tale.”
But what she loves most is the variety of her new home. Beach vacations, a break in the green interior, vibrant multicultural cities – you can find it all in Jamaica. “Culturally, Jamaica has a lot to offer. The Bob Marley Museum is a must-see, Kingston is full of musical experiences, delicious food and great rums to taste.»
Spectacular natural wonders, beautiful beaches, delicious rum, throbbing reggae and above all the hospitality of the locals fascinated me on my journey to the Caribbean island. If you dare and go on a search, you’ll find remote places where mass tourism has yet to be untouched and you can’t help but admire like me. Jamaica captivated and captivated me with its diverse landscape and relaxed vibe.
This post was created as part of a press tour.