Sightseeing

At the Hope Botanical Gardens & Zoo, Hope Rd., you can visit a Jamaican Shangri-La, a 50-acre plot of beauty and the largest botanical garden in the West Indies. It is adjacent to the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies. The "Hope" in the name comes from Richard Hope, a British Army commander who lived here in the mid-17th century. After the grime of downtown Kingston, it's a lovely place for a tranquil stroll; attractions include a cactus garden, sago palms, an orchid house, various greenhouses, an ornamental pond, and a "forest garden," with an aviary for the "birdie" in you. On site also is a little zoo.

The admission-free gardens are open daily from 6am (some prefer to go very early in the morning) to 6pm. The zoo is open daily from 10:30am to 5pm, charging an admission of J$20 (45$) for adults or J$10 (25$) for children 4 to 12. There's also a cafe offering cold drinks and light snacks.

Between Old Hope and Mona roads, on the eastern outskirts, a short distance from the Botanical Gardens, is the University of the West Indies, built in 1948 on the Mona Sugar Estate. Ruins of old mills, storehouses, and aqueducts are juxtaposed with modern buildings on what must be the most beautifully situated campus in the world. The chapel, an old sugar-factory building, was transported stone by stone from Trelawney and rebuilt. The remains of the original sugar factory here are well preserved and give a good idea of how sugar was made in slave days. You are allowed to stroll around the campus Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

The National Library of Jamaica at the Institute of Jamaica, 12 East St., a storehouse of the history, culture, and traditions of Jamaica and the Caribbean, is the finest working library for West Indian studies in the world. It has the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and balanced collection of materials on the region, including books, newspapers, photographs, maps, and prints. It's open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, Friday from 9am to 4pm.

Bob Marley Museum, 56 Hope Rd., is the most-visited sight in Kingston, but if you're not a Marley fan, it may not mean much to you. The clapboard house with its garden and high surrounding wall was the famous reggae singer's home and recording studio until his death on May 11, 1981, in a Miami hospital. You can tour the house and view assorted Marley memorabilia, and you may even catch a glimpse of his children, who often frequent the grounds. Hours are Monday to Saturday from 9:30am to 4pm. Admission is J$400 ($9.20) for adults, J$300 ($6.90) for children 13 to 18, J$200 ($4.60) for children 4 to 12. It's reached by bus no. 70 or 75 from Halfway Tree, but take a cab to save yourself the hassle of dealing with Kingston public transportation.

Organized Tours

The best tours, the most personal, and the most comfortable are operated by Island Car Rentals, which will make arrangements to pick you up at your hotel. A minimum of two people is required for a tour. One of the most requested tours is the Bob Marley Tour, taking in the Kingston sights associated with the reggae star. The cost is $48 per person. The rental agency also conducts a cultural and historic tour of the highlights of Kingston for $58 per person. If you'd like a tour of what's left of Port Royal, the charge is $54 per person. A tour of some of the highlights of the Blue Mountains (those areas that can be reached by car-no hiking) can be arranged for $85 per person.

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