Reviews – Life of a Jamaican

Aquasol Beach Review!

With sand so white it may discriminate against you, air so clean it may reverse the effects of smoking and with wind so gentle, so consistent, it will blow your sins away, Aquasol Beach and theme park will not disappoint.

The beach stretches about 100 meters. There is another 100 meter stretch on the left side which seems to be out of use.

Purchase a ride in the glass bottom boat!

Volley ball court.

Life guard on stand by.

So many features, unfortunately not all were up and running when I visited.

Food, drinks and ice cream on sale!

Opens 9am to 6pm.

These landscapes make awesome wallpapers!

Feet of a Jamaican 😉

There is a barrier in the water where the depth ranges from a little under 3 feet at the shallow ends to over 6 feet deep at the center.

An outside shower is usually expected at the beach. Get that sand off!

Cost 400 JMD for adults and 300 JMD for children.

Video Panorama:

Unfortunately most of the proposed features were unavailable but even so it was still a very good beach.

I give Aquasol a rating of 7/10.

– Aldeam Facey 2015

Blue Hole Review

I haven’t been in a lot of holes, and by no means do I consider myself a ‘holey’ man but of all the holes I’ve been in, it is now official, blue hole is my favorite hole. It may be wide and deep, but when I dived in – head first – I didn’t want to get out.

At 30 feet deep I would never recommend jumping in without a life jacket, unless you are an EXTREMELY good swimmer!

Swinging and diving in is the dangerous, yet most fun feature of the “main hole”. There are also a few mini caves under the falls which are really cool!

Designated lifeguards are not available! The tour guides can swim and do offer assistance (primarily to females) but you are, for the most part on your own.

There is a fun hike to the other falls. The water is not as deep here, approximately 15 and 20 feet respectively for the last two images.

The fun is found in the very real danger! YOLO?

The blue hole was more fun than I had expected. My suggestions for improvement however are:

Increased safety – Paid lifeguards and more available life jackets. Life jackets are provided upon request with the $500 (JMD) entrance fee however they are in limited supply!
What would make this more fun is a zip-line!

Remember to tip the tour guide for their service! That’s how they “eat a food”. My tour guide swam with my camera, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to take most of these photos.

I give Blue Hole river and waterfalls 8/10 I highly recommend it!

– Aldeam Facey 2015

The Pearly Beach Review!

The Pearly Peach is located in Ocho Rios St. Ann, right next to the Laughing Waters. I entered the ‘Pearly Gates’ for the first time exactly two weeks ago. I didn’t know what to expect but I really enjoyed the experience.

The beach is equip with two lifeguard watch towers.

Two volleyball ‘courts’.

Adequate space for a football game.

And if you feel the need, you may walk down to the left end of the beach, just to laugh at the neighboring waters.

The beach is just about 110 meters long by my subjective estimate.

At the shore there is a roughly 10-15 degree incline.

There is a safety barrier placed in the water where it is just a little less than 5 feet deep.

There are excellent bathroom facilities and adequate space for picnic or storage of baggages for large groups.

I had a fun day playing a hilarious game of “Starvey”, volley ball etc. It was quite entertaining to see adults playing “Dandy Shandy” a game I ruled in my childhood.

Take a quick look at the beach here:

It’s a good beach, but as is expected, you have to bring the vibe. My only critiques are:

1. One small section had some leaves and other plant debris. Fallen leaves are unavoidable but frequent cleaning can solve this problem.

2. I’m not a fan of the incline at the shore.

With that said I give the Pearly Beach a very strong 7/10.

– Aldeam Facey 2015

Lyssons (UWI) Beach Review

Lyssons Beach is owned and operated by the University of the West Indies. It is located along the coast of St. Thomas across from St. Marguerite’s Hospital.

Lovely landscapes.

Adequate bathroom/changing room facilities.

Seating and shade.

The beach stretches about 100 meters with light brown sand and a shore with almost no incline. There is usually a lifeguard on stand by. The water’s depth is not consistent and may get deep quite suddenly. At the time I visited there was even an old tire in the water!

It is okay for a south coast beach, one cannot expect much more in south west Jamaica. But a few additions (volley ball court, barrier or depth indicator in water) can improve the experience.

The cost to use the beach is listed below (subject to change at the discretion of the UWI).

This beach is best used for events such as beach parties or a group retreat.

I give Lyssons Beach a rating of 5/10.

– Aldeam Facey 2015