Back in April, I spent a week at a resort in Runaway Bay along Jamaica's north coast with my best friend. The one time we ventured off the resort, we went to Ocho Rios where we snorkeled and climbed Dunn's River Falls. We, like so many visitors to the island, didn't venture beyond the coast. Earlier this month, I found myself back in Jamaica, this time on a cruise ship stop. Not wanting to duplicate what I had done in April, my husband, my parents, and I decided to explore an area of Jamaica beyond its beaches. Bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae provided the perfect opportunity for just that.
The Martha Brae is a river in northwestern Jamaica. Located in Trelawny Parish near the town of Falmouth, the river is approximately 20 miles east of the more well known Montego Bay and 40 miles west of popular cruise ship port of Ocho Rios.
During Jamaica's 18th and 19th century plantation era, the river was used for transporting sugar and other crops from the plantations upstream to the port town of Falmouth. From there, the crops were loaded onto ships sailing to Europe. The river no longer serves as a means of transporting crops, but due to its constant flow, it provides water to many local towns and towns in the western part of the island. Even when much of the island is experiencing drought, apparently the Martha Brae continues to flow. The locals say that it never runs dry.
There are many variations as to how the river got its name. Our tour guide requested that each of us ask our raft captains how the river was named and during our ride back to Ocho Rios, each couple reported what they had been told. Interestingly, none of the explanations were the same. Some were told that Martha Brae was the first and last name of a woman; the raft guide R and I had said that the river was named after a couple - Martha was the wife and Brae was her husband. However, despite all the inconsistencies, there was one constant - that Martha was probably a witch who practiced voodoo. The gist of the legend goes something like this: Spanish settlers were looking for gold on the island and enlisted the help of Martha. She led them to the gold which was located in a cave hidden by the river. Before the Spaniards could collect the gold, Martha used her powers to reverse the flow of the river, trapping the settlers in the process. Some say that she also died as a result.
Raft trips begin at a starting point called Rafter's Village where there are restrooms, an outdoor bar, an herb garden, and a shop or two selling souvenirs. The launch site is a short walk away from the village.
Each 30-foot bamboo raft carries two passengers and a raft captain. According to our raft captain, the rafts can weigh upwards of 700 lbs. and typically last 4-5 years. Much to my surprise and delight, the raft R and I shared felt very stable as we boarded and disembarked the craft and throughout the one-hour float. It definitely didn't feel flimsy! Using a bamboo pole, our captain steered and sometimes propelled the raft in the gentle current to Martha's Rest, the ending point 3-miles down the river.
Rafting on the Martha Brae has been a popular tourist activity for 40 years. It has been said that such notable celebrities such as Chuck Norris, Queen Elizabeth II, Spike Lee, Kenny Rogers, Patrick Ewing, Johnny Cash, and Usain Bolt have taken raft trips down the green tinted river.
My excursion down the Martha Brae was very relaxing, tranquil, and quite a dramatic departure from the snorkeling and Dunn's River Falls excursion I had taken in April. R, my parents, and I all enjoyed the peaceful float down the river under the lush, green canopy of trees and I have no reservations recommending this excursion. It provided me with an opportunity to see a part of Jamaica that I hadn't seen before and to interact with some interesting locals.
Out of convenience, I booked our excursion through our cruise line, MSC. I'm assuming that most, if not all, cruise lines that port in Jamaica probably offer Martha Brae rafting excursions but I can't say that with 100% certainty. The tour is also available through private shore excursion operators. For more information on this uniquely Jamaican experience, click here.
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| The boarding/launch site. |
Each 30-foot bamboo raft carries two passengers and a raft captain. According to our raft captain, the rafts can weigh upwards of 700 lbs. and typically last 4-5 years. Much to my surprise and delight, the raft R and I shared felt very stable as we boarded and disembarked the craft and throughout the one-hour float. It definitely didn't feel flimsy! Using a bamboo pole, our captain steered and sometimes propelled the raft in the gentle current to Martha's Rest, the ending point 3-miles down the river.
Rafting on the Martha Brae has been a popular tourist activity for 40 years. It has been said that such notable celebrities such as Chuck Norris, Queen Elizabeth II, Spike Lee, Kenny Rogers, Patrick Ewing, Johnny Cash, and Usain Bolt have taken raft trips down the green tinted river.
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| My parents on their raft. |
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| A Martha Brae traffic jam. |
My excursion down the Martha Brae was very relaxing, tranquil, and quite a dramatic departure from the snorkeling and Dunn's River Falls excursion I had taken in April. R, my parents, and I all enjoyed the peaceful float down the river under the lush, green canopy of trees and I have no reservations recommending this excursion. It provided me with an opportunity to see a part of Jamaica that I hadn't seen before and to interact with some interesting locals.
Out of convenience, I booked our excursion through our cruise line, MSC. I'm assuming that most, if not all, cruise lines that port in Jamaica probably offer Martha Brae rafting excursions but I can't say that with 100% certainty. The tour is also available through private shore excursion operators. For more information on this uniquely Jamaican experience, click here.
Looks very leisurely.
ReplyDeleteThat looks so relaxing and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThat is great. Love the photos. Never heard of it and I like to see new things.
ReplyDeleteThat looks like fun.
ReplyDeletedropping by from the OurWorldTuesday linkup
That looks like a wonderful way to saunter down the river!
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted to have you join 'My Corner of the World' this week!
My Corner of the World
Looks like fun!
ReplyDelete