touch the road

an organic company focused on real experiences in Jamaica. It is not all about 5 starts resorts and they know it. Great staff, great tours... just lovely to have a chance to interact with the locals. My experience would not be the same without the team. You guys are awsome

My trip to Kingston could not have been the same without the guidance and services provided by Touch the Road. Before I came to Jamaica, my goal as a traveler was to be as least “touristy” as possible--meaning not exploiting, but rather learning from and exchanging with the land and the people. I also knew, as a young, white American female, that if I didn't plan this properly, I may get taken advantage of. I a few weeks before my trip, I stumbled across Touch the Road on Facebook and realized that they provided the exact service I was looking for: a tourism company that connects humble travelers with local accommodations, tours, events and cultural exchanges!They had many different trip offerings, such as group travel (meeting up with a group of other solo travelers) and solo travel, where they can create custom, detailed itineraries for your specific needs. I ended up using their individual tour guide services (including a local guide and a car that I could use on my own) and this gave me great confidence to travel around town. Not only did they connect me with countless locals, rich cultural experiences, and tranquil accommodations, but I felt a sense of righteousness that most tourists never feel. I wasn’t wasting time or money trying to guide myself around someone’s own backyard, but I was actually being lead by locals. I was being taught culture and history in exchange for supporting their local businesses. It was a true reciprocal experience that left me humbled and incredibly appreciative of Jamaica and their multifaceted culture.I am deeply appreciative of the access I was granted by travelling with TTR. They are extremely connected to the real culture of Kingston, which is not easy to understand without local guidance. For those who really care to get involved with local Kingston scenes, whether dancehall, roots reggae, creative/artistic environments, nature (yes! some of the most beautiful landscapes and wildlife surrounds Kingston), travelling with TTR is vital. Even if local culture is not necessarily a priority, staying with a TTR approved accommodation, using their transportation, and their guides, means supporting the local Jamaican economy! I recommend any traveler who wants to see Kingston to consider this incredible opportunity Touch the Road makes possible.

My wife and I decided we wanted to visit Jamaica for the first time but didn't want to do a typical all inclusive beachy resort kind of thing where you truly can't discern one island from the other so we took a different route and let TTR plan our entire week. What a great move! We spent 7 days there and had the best vacation ever. We saw and did things we would never have even been aware of had we not let TTR guide us. We can't wait to go back.

Jamaica has so much to offer the urban explorer. Yes, there are beaches and resorts. Yes, they are amazing and beautiful. But this type of resort tourism does very little for the communities surrounding them. For this reason, I chose to travel with Touch The Road where I was able to enjoy an affordable, locally conscious, unique experience. I chose to stay mostly in Kingston, except for the two day journey I took to hike Blue Mountain Peak (one hour outside of the city). There is so much to do and see in Kingston (live music, parks, museums, beaches, markets and other historical sites) and the Touch The Road team is incredibly knowledgeable about it all. They put together the perfect travel package together for me and I cant wait to visit again!