Tapioca Village Retreat pulls you back to nature
IT’S A village all right. However, it’s not one of the typical villages where people live permanently or where familial roots are embedded. Tapioca Village Retreat is a place where people go to spend time, for peace and sobriety, privacy, and to make connections, business or otherwise.
Less than an hour from Kingston, through the storied Junction artery, it is nestled near the main road in the Devon Pen area of the Wag Water River watershed in St Mary. The location and the setting, at the foot of a hill, are ideal for the purposes for which it was created.
And as accessible as it is from the main road, it is an extremely quiet space. All around is greenery, with the spot being surrounded by a mountain range which seems to touch the sky during misty and foggy moments. The vistas of the trees on the hillside through the mists are dreamlike – so near, yet so far.
LUSH SCENERY
Fruit trees and flowering plants are scattered around the well-kept grounds, where tame pigeons rest their wings and colourful village roosters strut their stuff. Warbling, crowing, chirping – cooing, and the chorus of nocturnal creatures – nature sounds – are what visitors are most likely to hear. Across the road the greenish Wag Water River meanders as the bamboos on the hillside wave and dance.
No wonder its tagline is ‘We bring you back to nature’, and according to Erroll Sinclair, managing director, and patriarch of the family-operated property; it is not just a place, it is an experience.
Thus, guided hikes to the river and rafting can be arranged. There are also nature tours in which guests are educated about the variety of plants in the area. A standout is the annotto tree, which produces brown pods of seeds that are used for culinary purposes.
To support the rustic ambience of the reclusive place are various types of cosy accommodations offering different levels of occupancy. There are two dorms – one for males, one for females, each accommodating 25 people.
Multiple – occupancy guest rooms, as well as accommodations for individuals or couples are also available. While the catering is for mainly groups, it is not unusual to accommodate couples and individual guests.
Other features include gazebos, kitchens where guests may
prepare their meals themselves, a games court, conference room, meeting space, a mango-shaped swimming pool, and a little shop. Every village must have one. They are also ideal for weddings and other special occasions.
Sinclair said that the property has been up and running since about 2008. According to him, only “bush” was on the spot when he acquired it in 1993. It evolved into a getaway for family and friends, who saw the hospitality potential that it had.
Moreover, there was no stayover accommodation in the region, where the famous and popular Castleton Botanical Gardens is located. Sinclair thought a retreat would be a welcome business in the area and a natural complement for the botanical gardens.
Despite the gardens and the natural features, Sinclair, a wellknown professional chef and caterer, believes the strongest pull for Tapioca is the authentic Jamaican food that it provides, with chocolate tea, ‘blue draws’, and sweet potato puddings being staples. And he still puts on his apron and hat to work some culinary magic.
Much of the food served comes from the farm nearby. Eating what they grow is a philosophy by which the business operates, and when
Hospitality Jamaica visited, farm attendant Ewan Stamp arrived from the farm with a big bunch of green plantains on his head, and machete in hand. Jelly coconut, guava, June plum, sugar cane, passion fruits, and others are also in the village.
“It is the way to go,” Sinclair said.