Tamarind Great House

This place is beautifully situated in a forest at the top of a hill. Lovely views from the balcony of our spacious room and the terrace. We very much enjoyed talking to Gillian the owner, Gary her son and Nicole his friend, but wished they’d offered us a cup of tea or something when we first arrived! Breakfast was excellent, but we found it difficult to find somewhere decent to have dinner in nearby Oracabessa. The roads are quite bad and it would have been better to approach the property from there rather than from Port Maria, as we did when we first arrived. Apart from this the only negative was that the bed was quite hard for us.

The bright spot in Jamaica! This inn is only 25 years old, but constructed to give the feel of a 19th century great house. The hosts, Barry and Gillian, are helpful, well informed about the area and interesting to talk to. The decor and outdoor space are not only beautiful but give a calm and relaxing feel. I could have sat on the veranda all day watching the hummingbirds feed, mesmerized by the view. The rooms are large, clean and comfortable, but not luxurious. You can arrange for meals, but none are included in the room rate. Barry mans a good bar, beer and wine are on hand too. Meals are served on the veranda and are well prepared. The ambiance is unbeatable.||Bring cash, they do not accept credit cards.

We stayed at Tamarind for three days, and enjoy every moment of our stay. The place is very clean and beautiful. The Gillian and Barry were amazing host, very kind and friendly.|The scenery was awesome, amazing view. The food was delicious, everything was fresh and grown on the farm. We will definitely return hopefully for a longer stay. |Thanks for a wonderful three days.|Chris and Cheryl.

Disclaimer.. the owner is a personal friend! I have always enjoyed coming here to this Oasis of quality here in the bush. The quality of the house is superb in regards to the design, build and decor. The rooms are tastefully furnished and comfortable. The property is beautifully landscaped and very well maintained. Your hosts are very gracious and accommodating to your needs. I love the fresh fruit and coffee in the morning!

I´ve been living in Jamaica 5 years. As soon as I knew tamarind great house it became my favorite spot to relax and disconnect from work and daily routine.||||Its charm lays in its amazing location and the magic of the architecture which carries you other, ancient times. ||||You can enjoy the company of Gillian and Barry, both amazing hosts. Their cooking is excellent and always brought to you fresh from their farm. ||||An exquisite experience.

Oh my gosh!!! This place is one word...majestic!! The pictures on the website does not do the place justice. The ride to there is complicated, but once you arrive, you feel at ease. Gillian, is one of the best host I've ever met, she and her husband was so gracious and wonderful to us. The house, the architecture it's was like stepping back in time and the rooms are wonderful, if one had to choose any rooms my recommendation, stay in either 5-7 and the view will take your breath away.||No TV or Internet but you know what? The view was worth not having it and sometimes you need to go away from the noise to reflect and meditate. And this place does it, we met wonderful guests and we went to this hidden waterfall. So therapeutic and just...in awe on how beautiful it was.||I recommend this place to anyone who just wants to get away from the noise, the technology and busy life and just be one with nature. I will be back definitely!!

We found Tamarind on the internet when desperately trying to find a stop off in the area. Ochi was pretty much full as it was a busy weekend with bank holidays either side. But good for us that we found Tamarind! ||The house is beautiful , built to a very high standard by Gillian and Barry. The rooms are all of a good size, the communal areas very spacious and the pool excellent.||Here you are living in the middle of nature, but very close to the beach resorts. While you sit having one of Gillian's lovely breakfasts you can watch birds fluttering past and take in the beautiful flowers and plants.||While we were there we went on a tour of Sun Valley plantation just down the road. Here we learnt all about the fruit and vegetables that grow in Jamaica.||If you get a chance you should also sample Gillian's cooking. We had two lovely meals as well as the breakfasts.||The only downside was that it was very hot and difficult to sleep at night: our own fault for going to Jamaica in August!

A great rebuilt colonial-style house, very big, with big rooms, beautifully located in the middle of a former plantation, with pool, garden, great views etc. It is quite a few kilometres off the coastal road, along a potholed road up the hills. Not signposted until the very last turn shortly before the premises, so be prepared with a good map or a gps (we didn't have that and it took us several interviews with the locals at night to find it). Once there, you will be impressed, though. Nice owners who care for their guests. We were the only ones there since it was end of the low season. If you want to have taste of Jamaica that is different from the mass tourism resorts along the coast, this is definitely a place to consider. Apparently also popular with local folks who want to escape e.g. the huzzbuzz of Kingston over a long week-end and enjoy tranquil hillside scenery, whilst being still close to the coast.