"Mandeville: A little town nestled in the mountains" Mandeville by GenXVoice

The terrace of the house where we stayed looked over ginnup and mango trees peppered along the rolling hillsides. Your morning cup of coffee left you in the company of your own thoughts since there wasn't a sound for miles other than the occasional dog or goat in the background.

Mandeville is a small, over-populated town - but nothing quite as developed as its neighbor Kingston or distant Montego Bay. Friends of mine live and work here, and I always prefer travel that provides me an immersed experience with the locals. A trip to the market was an all afternoon experience spending time sitting on milk crates on the corners under shade trees sipping a beer and listening to stories from the locals. Some of the best jerk chicken and beef patties on the street corners and roadsides. The kind served to you in tin foil...and a paper towel if you're lucky. Far better than the tourist towns just down the coast.

The people here are working to provide for their families - not looking to score on tourists or entertain you for a few dollars. Here life is simply life. Local color and culture gives you a true taste of life in Jamaica before it had been adulterated by tourism.

• Pros:No tourists, all locals, and great stories over a bottle of beer.
• Cons:Few amenities. If you're looking for plush, stay at MoBay and out of the mountain villages and town.
• In a nutshell:Your "off the beaten path" taste of Jamaica.