December 11. Sure, beaches and massages bring forth a welcome dose of serenity while on vacation. But on a recent trip to Jamaica, I found that bamboo rafting is another excellent way to leave your worries behind.
Bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae River is an immersion into Mother Nature’s therapeutic side. The 30-foot rafts were once used to transport sugar to ocean ports but now move tourists along the jade-green waters of the lushly foliaged Martha Brae.
The tour starts at Trelawney, about 45 minutes from Montego Bay. The three-mile trip takes just over an hour, and an SUV returns guests at the end of the journey, which costs $35 per person.
The rafts, which guides propel by pushing off the river bottom with a long bamboo pole, are fabricated from towering bamboo trees that provide a canopy over much of the river. It was a slow day on this particular trek, and quieter than normal, according to our guide, quiet enough to hear the wind blowing. At one point our captain asked if I wanted to momentarily take the helm, but I declined; I was far more interested in relaxing.
Source: Travel Weekly
