Meet Trish

“Kongo Girl” Trish runs Bush Life Jamaica, a dream, back-to-nature accommodation experience, just up the road at Oracabessa. No ordinary hotel or guesthouse is this...

What is Bush Life?

A small eco-friendly grassroots B&B; huts, hammocks and tents in a natural holistic setting. We can accommodate more than 10 in comfort. Rejuvenation is paramount — we leave the stress of everyday life and get back to nature, encouraging guests to reconnect.

So this isn't a regular 9 to 5 — how do you fit it all in?

Up with the roosters (or cockcrows as we say in Jamaica). Most days I walk to our famous James Bond Beach for a swim. I do my reflection and meditation. The good friends I cultivate keep me balanced, like Mama Orah, Abba and my mother — my foundation.

Describe what natural cuisine your guests might expect...

Potato pudding or breadfruit roasting on the wood fire, cornmeal to coconut milk, curry rundown, bush tea, or chocolate tea straight from the mortar... as primitive as possible! As plant-based lovers of all nature, we honour and respect our food.

What, if anything else, would you really love to do?

So many projects right now. Launched this year, Barrel of LoVe accepts donations from abroad to ship barrels to Jamaica to distribute to children and their families — clothing, food, school supplies. Other things too... our free Mount Zion Summer Youth Camp, organic farm, sustainable community and OMO Children's Village.

What changes to Ocho Rios would you like to see?

I would love to see Ocho Rios become more green, more responsible… we need to recycle more, and people need to take more responsibility for the environment. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Do carrots scream when you chop them?

Our organic carrots are happy to join in a medley of other veggies to create a delicious meal... if you ask a carrot for permission with love, it will respond with a silent ‘thank you’ and an abundance of health benefits.