“The stars shine so bright, but they’re fading after dawn. There is magic in Kingston Town” – UB40.
In December 2022, I finally went backpacking in Jamaica. Those were tough times due to COVID restrictions. At the time I was even blocked from my flight from Dominican Republic to Jamaica due to a passport switch. It is easily solved though if you research and nab your C5 Card for Jamaica in advance to ensure your arrival is as smooth as non-crunchy peanut butter. At the time, even backpacking Marley required facial covering. Mask loyal.
In the end, I transitpacked (fakepacked) Turks And Caicos away, and then as dusk broke over the Caribbean, myself and my backpack landed finally, here in Kingston, Jamaica.
Obviously the Marley and the Bolt were high on the agenda here for Kingston Town, but I also did a pilgimage to Raheem Sterling and watched some football there. Here is a hasty top 10 from the spice of life tonight.
1.Bob Marley’s House And Museum
My main sight and attraction was of course Bob Marley’s house. I have covered it before in an epic backpacking Bob Marley’s House and Museum article. Don’t miss it. I even got to have a local Red Stripe beer in Marley’s garden, got live music in and a full tour of the legend’s home. What a man!
2.Usain Bolt’s Tracks And Records Bar
There was no way I was skipping a beer and dinner at the famous Usain Bolt’s bar. As a bonus, there was live football on. An absolutely brilliant bar which has to be on your list.
The most nuts thing about backpacking in Usain Bolt’s Bar in Jamaica is the service was SLOW as f**k. Usain should get in there and serve up the spiced chicken in 9 seconds. The chicken tacos and spiced beer were top notch though, after the delay!
3.Cell Block Record Studio Tour
To get a record studio tour in Jamaica is pretty sensational – the home of reggae, ska and dancehall music. I hung out with Syl Gordon and got a full tour of Cell Block Record Studio, which famously recorded a lot of hits in the 1990s. Stay in the Dancehall Hostel in Kingston to organise this.
4.Reggae Boys National Stadium
As a football fan, a visit to the Reggae Boys National Stadium had to happen! It was a massive stadium, it was closed and empty but the security guard kindly let me in – wow!
5.Caribbean Sea
Obviously when backpacking the Caribbean, I end up in the sea a lot. Here, I merely had a beer by the Caribbean Sea and dandered down the seafront past a famous statue, Negro Aroused.
6.Kingston Murals
Downtown Kingston is an artist’s treat. What a city for murals. On many corners, colourful art everywhere. This really is a creative place for the modern whackpacker like me. Of course Marley features in many.
7.Sir William Grant Park and Square
This major Square and Park is the centrehold of the city. Vibes all around are music pumping out, lads smoking reifers and beers being sunk. Chilled out as hell here!
8.Kingston Craft Market
I headed to the colourful and famous Kingston Craft Market obviously for some souvenir hunting. I am still a tightskate cheap whackpacker so apart from postcards, stamps and fridge magnets, I didn’t splash out on Reggae boy kits. I did get my brother Daniel a Reggae hat, authentically from Kingston.
9.Bob Marley Statue
As well as Bob Marley’s home, there is also a standalone separate statue to the king himself. So naturally I checked that out too.
10.Local Neighbourhoods
I visited 3 local neighbourhoods – Hughenden, Maverley, Downtown and Queensbury.
In Hughenden I watched a live football match, did a bar crawl and in Maverley I even ended up in a bar that has topless Friday! I was there on a Wednesday but the girls had no issue showing me their topless photos from the previous week. It was nuts!
I loved my time in Jamaica and although it was short I did a lot in my 4 days there, although Montego Bay was skipped as I was there during COVID and I was PCR test loyal in and out of test centres.
