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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 31, 2009 - 21 Jamaica a jewel to discover S ome people visiting an all-inclusive resort want to spend every second day out and about on excursions, shopping and simply exploring. They do, however, enjoy all the advantages of the allinclusive when there. That means they should consider Jamaica as a destination because they could do a different excursion every day for two weeks on this island that is 235 km long and 85 km wide -- and not get to the bottom of the list. Many of the excursions are just half a day, leaving the rest of it to relax. You can ride a bamboo raft down a scenic river, watch a cricket match, head out to Chukka Cove for international polo, climb the Blue Mountains or find a great buy at a straw market. It was interesting asking people who were on an Air Transat Holiday why they had chosen Jamaica for their holidays. Over and over I heard it was because of prices and attractions. One couple on the way home raved about the Air Transat destination rep at the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort and Spa where they were staying. And the choices are amazing. The latest attraction is Mystic Mountain, just outside of Ocho Rios. The adventure starts with the Rainforest Sky Explorer, a state-of-the-art chairlift that sends you over the tree tops to the peak of Mystic Mount, and when you come down, the descent carries you through the heart of the tree canopy. Once you're up there, you can have a zip-line canopy adventure through the treetops. On this ride, you'll zip your way from platform to platform in the treetops. This is a guided tour that covers virgin areas of the mountain, finishing at the Prospect Plantation, again near Ocho Rios, is a 1,000-acre working Jamaican plantation. You view this in a tractor-drawn, open-air carriage with three guides who should be doing comedy at Second City. They were worth the price of admission. We saw bananas, cassava, sugar cane, coffee, allspice and watched Farmer Brown, in bare feet, climb a Coconut tree. We fed the ostriches, listened to stories of the rich and colourful history of the estate. We got to tramp through the Great House and admire the secret gardens. We all had our picture taken patting the friendly camels. It was great. Some of our group went golfing, while others looked to the spirit of reggae and followed the legend of Bob Marley. Ocho Rios is a popular cruise ship stop because it offers so much to do. Shopping may be the most popular sport in Montego Bay and the Harbour Street crafts market is a good place to start. There's lots more though, including enough golf courses to keep the golfer busy, historical treasures like St. James Parish Church built in 1765 and the Cage, an 18th century prison that once held runaway slaves. History takes the spotlight at the legendary plantation Great Houses that dot the countryside. The most famous is Rose Hall, haunted by the ghost of Annie Palmer, who murdered three husbands only to be killed by her slave lover. Most visitors wouldn't dream of going to Negril without a sunset drink at Rick's Café where entertainment is live and includes fire-eaters, jugglers and daring cliff divers. Rick's was badly damaged in a hurricane several years ago, and the new Rick's even includes a pool and dining room over the bar. It made me wish for the old rather tacky Rick's, but I was in the minority, the place was packed and everyone was having a great time. And so will you, if you visit Jamaica. You can reach Sam Iona at Sion10@live.ca. mid-station of the Rainforest Sky Explorer chairlift, which returns zipline riders to the park entrance. The big adventure though is Bobsled Jamaica. Remember when the Jamaican bobsled team was such a hit at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics? It is the closest thing to traditional bobsledding without being on the ice, claims Michael Drakulich who developed the attraction. You could spend a whole day -- there is an infinity pool, bar, dining facilities, and yes, a gift shop. Mystic Mountain is very close to famous Dunn's River Falls. When I started the climb, I looked around and everyone seems years younger than I was, making me think I'd made a really bad decision. Looking up at the dramatic 600-foot drop of cascading water was terrifying, but I talked myself into it. When you climb you hold hands with the others climbing along with you, and I carefully picked the strongest looking man I could see to hold hands with, thinking he could haul me up. He did and the next morning my arms ached from his hauling. The scariest bits are at the bottom. By the time I'd reached the top, I'd played in little pools, sat under waterfalls, slid down natural rock slides and just had a wonderful time. BEAVER TRAILS TO MEXICO: Michael Cacho took The Oakville Beaver to Mexico City and Azteca Stadium that roared with 100,000 fans in before a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Mexico and Honduras. Take along a copy of The Oakville Beaver on your next vacation and send it in for publication to Beaver Trails, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4 or e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. u outt A A sk ab o y arty our Part s o s ate Pass rate P Air Canada Vacations has 2 great deals on offer for Atlantis Paradise Island for a limited time. Stay for 4 nights but only pay for 3 nights when you book an ACV air and hotel package at Atlantis Paradise Island by 06FEB09. At the 5-star Atlantis, a Beach Tower, Terrace Room is $1,269 per person twin plus $192 taxes and fees departing 01MAR09 or between 04MAR and 10MAR09. Book by 09FEB09 and travel between now and 31JUL09 and on your return, receive US $200 back from Nassau/Paradise Island. Simply submit a completed Nassau/Paradise Island Cash-Back Rebate form with a copy of your airline tickets and hotel voucher. Air Canada operates daily, nonstop service from Toronto to Nassau. Call us for reservations and further information. Celebrity Cruises boasts an exceptional level of customer service, award-winning cuisine, world-famous amenities and accommodations that are the most spacious at sea to ensure an unforgettable cruise experience. Celebrity guests and the travel press, such as Conde Naste Traveler, consistently rate Celebrity Cruises as one of the world's finest cruise lines. You can experience Celebrity Cruises with one of these exciting cruise-only deals this winter. Celebrity Summit, 21FEB09, 7 night Southern Caribbean, ex San Juan, Ocean-view Cabin, Category Y, CAD679 per person double plus CAD44 Departure Taxes and Fees. Concierge Class, 21FEB09 or 07MAR09 CAD1,169 double per person plus CAD44 Departure Taxes and Fees. Celebrity Infinity, 01MAR09, 14 night Buenos Aires ­ Valparaiso Cruise, Category X, Veranda Guarantee, CAD1,779 per person double plus CAD247 Departure Taxes and Fees. Other cruises and dates are offered with this promotion, space is limited, call us for details. Sunwing's "BUY 1 HOLIDAY AND GET THE 2nd AT 50% OFF" continues until 06FEB09. Valid on select departure dates until 31MAR09 for air-inclusive packages from Toronto via Sunwing Airlines except Las Vegas and Florida and capacity controlled. Contact us for availability and reservations. ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND CELEBRITY CRUISES Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford Rates valid to Mar. 31, 2009 (fuel surcharge is applicable) SUNWING OFFER EXTENDED Jetways offers daily one-way and round-trip airport shuttle transfers from/to, Burlington, Hamilton and now Brantford to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Visit McTavish At: www.mctavishtravel.com (1-866-953-8929) Relax... you're with us 221 Lakeshore Road E. Voted Best Travel Agency Best Cruise Company Best Travel Agent Thanks Oakville! Hopedale Shopping Centre 905-337-2228 www.hookedoncruising.com (905) 827-1100 fax: (905) 827-4982 e-mail: travel@mctavish.com 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville To advertise here call 905-845-3824