Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

Former Prime Minister Edward Seaga, and his wife Carla, along with these children, take time out on Sunday for some leisure on this chairlift as they sample Mystic Mountain, the nation's newest attraction. - photo BY Richard Morais

Beautiful and scenic island that it is, with its marvellous beaches, and natural allure, Jamaica and its tourism players have not been keeping abreast of the international trends in marketing tourism. We have opted instead to rely on the beaches as the primary attraction.

There have been some exceptions to that tired old formula, and in this regard, Couples Resorts does come to mind, as does the SuperClubs brand with its innovative approach to niche marketing, that simultaneously targets a variety of travellers, with its varied products and its approach to in-house entertainment.

In recent times, however, more and more entrepreneurs have been stepping into the breach and have been doing a remarkable job in augmenting the tourism product, via value added-attractions, as is the case with Chukka Tours, Dolphin Cove, Cool-Runnings Water Park, and only last week, the addition of Mystic Mountain in fabulous Ocho Rios.

fabulous attraction

Many mango seasons ago, American Mike Draculich dared to dream. His dream - that of adding a world-class attraction to Jamaica's tourism product, to augment the existing natural attraction, and thus, increasing the appeal of destination Jamaica, by diversifying base attractions!

Well, my darling dears, last week, his dream materialised into one fabulous reality, as he partnered with the Hon Horace and Norma Clarke, and Carnival Cruise Lines, in bringing to fruition, and my dears, how! Dovecakes, we are talking a simply fabulous attraction here!

Dears, after months of construction, Rainforest Bobsled at Mystic Mountain, officially opened its portals and under a constant drizzle too, that at times was a downpour, but luvs, y'all never would have thunk it, if y'all were in attendance, as the rains, did not stop the opening but rather provided graphic visualisation of the name of the new attraction. In essence, guests were atop a 'mystic mountain', and majestically so!

Guests accessed the facility, by taking the Sky-Explorer - a chair-lift, that transports guests above towering trees, while affording a most awesomely picturesque view of Ocho Rios and its bay, that was postcard perfect, the sense of mid-air suspension, occasioned by the slowing of the lift, adding just the right sense of thrill, associated with living fabulously on the edge, and then some! As dears, we are talking a breathtaking experience!

It's like an ascent into the heavens that is a thrill-seeker's dream, and made manifestly more so upon arrival at the summit, as the signature attraction the bobsled ride travels along stainless steel rails, on a 1,000 metre ride through the forest.

And if that does not get you humming, then there is the Zip-Line Tranopy Tour - a literal tree-to-tree tour of designated areas of the forest, facilitated by platforms that allow for effortless gliding at a pace and space that makes for a rush or hush, depending on the fortitude of the particular explorer.

ALL ABOUT THE experience

Dears, we are talking the ultimate tropical escape here with a fabulous twist being the prospect of fine-dining at the R2, at a 700-square foot restaurant, owned and operated by Chef Jose Riquelme and Chef Ravi Anne Kiran, you know we are talking hot-to-trot here and a must do-go-see and enjoy for the entire family!

My darlings, with such novel offerings, y'all know that last Saturday's official opening of Rainforest at Mystic Mountain was the only game in Ocho Rios.

There were speeches, overviews, welcome and declarations, but for many in attendance it was all about the Mystic Mountain experience, and Luvs, this was a treat of the fabulous order and grand too!

Among the notables spotted were: Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett; MP Shahine Robinson; Tourism Director Basil Smith; Custos of St. Ann the Hon. Radcliff and Norma Walters; Custos of St. Mary the Hon. Bobby Pottinger; Frank Pringle; Chinese Ambassador HE Chen Jinghua and family; Monsignor Richard Albert, who offered-up the official invocations.

We spotted the principals of the new attraction: Horace Clarke OJ and Norma Clarke; Johan von der Goltz, chairman Rainforest Aerial Trams and Mrs Belle von der Goltz; Mike Drakulich and companion, the elegant Barbara Lulich and son Michael Sam Drakulich; Josef Preschel, Rainforest Aerial Trams; David Candib, Carnival Cruise Lines; Graham Davis, also of Carnival Cruise Lines; SuperClubs VP Sue MacManus; Onesto and Josie Maffesanti; Stafford and Marilyn Burroughs of Dolphin Cove; Dr and Mrs Garfield Munroe and Ms Sonie Murray all of Cool Runnings Water Park in Negril; Dr Osmond and Anna Kay Tomlinson; Eva Myers; Herman McLarty and wife Mrs Dorothy Pine-McLarty; Dr Blossom O'Mealy-Nelson; Milverton Reynolds; Laura Vincent Heron; Merrick and Camille Needham; Bunny Francis and his brother-in-law David "DJ" Johnson; Carole Guntley; David Shields.

Also out were: Zachary and Tamara Harding; Ian Neita and Stephanie Neita; Rosie Johnson; Katrin Casserly; Richard Bourke and his daughter, Samantha Bourke; Wayne Cummings; Pat Wright; Horace and Dominic Peterkin; George and Venella Passmore; Ian and Cathy Kerr; Clifton and Anna Reader; Charmaine Deane; Brian Sang; Karen Dodd; M Peggy Quattro, of Reggae Report; the charming Sophia Leahong; Gerri Royes; Kanhai Condison; Bea Miller; Marcia Erskine; and Brian Roper, who was the official MC for the occasion.

One of the main players behind Mystic Mountain attraction. Horace Clarke gets ready to take the bobsled ride with Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett behind him.- PHOTO BY Keisha Shakespeare

Milverton Reynolds (left) and Joseph Preschel at the official opening of Mystic Mountain in Ocho Rios, St Ann, on July 19 . - Keisha Shakespeare/Staff Reporter