Program Reviews

The staff was wonderful and so helpful whenever I needed anything! The food was great and they made sure to include Jamaican culture into our experiences. I will definitely take back a piece of Jamaican culture when I go home. The house was always nice and upkept with everything clean and in order. The staff was always ready to handle whatever situation might arise and solve the problem quickly. I highly recommend staying with Jamaica Volunteer Programs in Smokey Manor!

Overall, I thought that the overall effort of the staff that was involved with our trip and helping us along the way was excellent. We really enjoyed getting to know each person at Smoky Manor, as they treated us with respect and helped us to get excited about the trip. The things that I feel that our group struggled with was sometimes trying the food. I thought the chef did an amazing job of creating Jamaican meals for us and that it was just hard for us to adjust so quickly. I was proud of our group for attempting to try new things, but at times we wished there were other options. When a lot of us have been out of the states before, there were more Americanized options since we might have been at resorts or other places where there was more flexibility. I thought there was a lot of variety of the activities we did and each person in our group had favorites of what we did. We learned a lot about a variety of topics, some within agriculture and some outside of it, which was good for us to expand our horizons. My favorite part of the trip was probably touring the Craighton Estate and getting to sample Blue Mountain Coffee. Additionally, I was nervous for Port Royal because I wasn't a huge history person but the tour guide definitely made it interesting.

This experience has been one I will never forget. Maureen and her staff at Smokey Manor offer the best hospitality. Some highlights of this trip include: volunteering at a local kindergarten school, visiting the Blue Mountain Coffee fields, spending the afternoon at a popular local beach, and eating the most delicious, flavor-filled food. If a raw, authentic, fun and knowledge filled experience is the goal, come stay at Smokey Manor and get immersed in true Jamaican culture in the heart of Kingston.

I loved seeing the true heart of Jamaica instead of just a resort location. I got to truly experience how Jamaica lives and breathers it was a truly amazing experience. I got to see the traditional camp of the maroons the very first free Jamaicans. I also got to experience the Bob Marley museum which was such an awesome experience because I got to stand where the legend himself lived and stood. And lastly I got to live in such a beautiful house staffed with such lovely amazing people who really made the whole trip an amazing experience.

Getting to know all the staff at Smokey Manor and traveling with them across the country of Jamaica was an experience I will never forget. Not only was the staff incredible, but the insight they gave to our journeys and stops made it even more amazing.

My favorite stop was Strawberry Hill. Seeing the Jamaican landscape and beautiful geographical location was amazing. Our local beach trip and going to church also ranked in my other top two things to do with Jamaica Volunteer Programs.

Thanks again guys for everything you did :)

I had an amazing time at Smokey Manor! The house was beautiful and the staff members were kind and friendly. Could not have asked for a better adventure! I learned more that I ever imagined!!!!!
We were able to go to a local school and spend time with the children. It was interesting to see what the school systems in Jamaica are like. The all of children were so sweet and happy to have more company. Everyone left the school feeling really good.
I was very sad to leave the house because I had sooooooooooooo much fun!! I would definitely recommend this experience to anyone!!

We had a great time staying here with Jamaica Volunteer Programs! The staff here at Smokey Manor were so great and welcoming. They made every effort to make sure we were comfortable and felt at home. The daily activities gave us an inside look into the Jamaican culture that we would not have gotten staying at a resort! I felt like I learned so much about the different aspects of the culture in just a few days.

I first want to say that from the moment I arrived at the facility that the staff was personable, professional and under promised and over delivered. The start of our volunteer trip we had some amazing food prepared by Jamaica renowned chef Auntie Louise who is a woman of few words verbally but, the love and dedication to her craft spoke volumes through the love she presented in all of her meals she prepared for our group. The warm smile,friendly spirit and knowledge that was shared with us about the culture was impossible to not to embrace by Andrene, Khadijah and Michael. The Evans family went above the extra mile when many of our team members luggage was lost, flights were delayed, they made the necessary adjustments, calls and transportation arrangements to ensure that the excursion can continue on without a hitch. Last the passion and commitment that was shown by Mrs. Evans aka Auntie Maureen in demonstrating her passion of teaching, reaching and enlightening our team with the local community's needs, the history from past to present, and Jamaica Volunteer Programs future vision was inspiring and mission essential focused that I will be spreading the word to all of my colleagues back in the USA. I highly recommend that if you have a passion for giving back, making the world slightly better then you found it, and want to learn and have fun at the same time that you contact this organization and see how you can make a contribution.

I loved being here. My group was filled with beautiful, intellectual, kind people who'll I 'll never forget. The staff was amazing people very helpful, informative, professional, and still kind and genuine. The food was amazing every morning and night and exemplified what Jamaica is. I loved traveling to the Maroon camp and dancing on stage with the kids that was a beautiful experience and I will never forget that. Also church was amazing I felt so at home.

The Jamaica Study Abroad is an excellent value of time, experience, and learning. In Kingston, Jamaica, I had the opportunity to understand the culture of the people in Jamaica and the economic landscape that forms the societal values. The Jamaican people are immersed in a rich history that shapes each aspect of their life. As an American student, this all helps me understand their motivation to work hard and how they impact the global economy. Beyond the economic aspects, the cuisine and reggae helped us understand the values they hold close to them. Understanding these values have helped me realize how they deal with adversity and challenges, and how Jamaicans make an effort to provide a better life for their own children.