Welcome

Visit with Jamaica's Rastafari people. Warm and welcoming, they are happy to share with you their values of equality, healthy living and connectedness with nature.

Located just outside Montego Bay, Rastafari Indigenous Village is a living cultural center that offers you an opportunity to experience the Rastafari way of life.

Whether you choose a half or full-day tour, you'll have the unique opportunity to connect with Rastafarians, and learn more about their culture and values. You'll be introduced to drum makers who create traditional drums by hand, using techniques that have been passed down through generations.

You can tour an organic vegetable and herb garden and learn more about why the Rastafari choose to follow a vegan diet, and what are its benefits. You can then have a meal with the Rastafari, and taste for yourself.

A small store offers traditional handicrafts and jewelry. The tour concludes with a performance of traditional drumming and singing in the center of the village.

The Experience

Here's what to expect during a full or half day tour

These are some of the activities and experiences available at the Rastafari Indigenous Village:

This tour is great for:

Hiking
Music
Handicrafts

About Rastafari Indigenous Village

Rastafari is rightly associated with Jamaica, for the religion was born here in the 1930's. Rastafari is an Abrahamic faith that adheres to much of The Bible, though Rastafaris worship Haile Selassie I, former emperor of Ethiopia.

Rastafari culture rejects many of the conditions of modern society they consider degenerate, including materialism, oppression and sensual pleasures. They refer to this corrupt version of society as "Babylon," which is directly opposite of "Zion," the promised land, often considered Ethiopia.

Arguably the best-known Rastafari is the late Bob Marley. The international star introduced much of the world to the tenets of Rastafari, including the smoking of ganja (marijuana), which the Rasta consider a spiritual act. The sacramental smoking of ganja became legal in Jamaica in April 2015.

While many Rastas choose not to cut their hair, and wear dreadlocks, it is not an absolute for believers.

Ital Cuisine

The Rastafari believe in the importance of balance with nature extends to food, as well. Health and wellness are important to the Rastafari people, who have developed their own living science called "ital."

"Ital" means pure or natural. Ital food is vegan, meaning no animal products are involved. It is prepared without artificial flavors or additives. Here at the Rastafari Indigenous Village, most the ingredients come from the village organic garden, where they are cultivated naturally without fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.

The Rastafari also follow the ancient tradition or using herbs as a part of general health and wellness. There are more than 300 herbs in the Jamaican indigenous herbology. Rastafari use herbal medicinal in these various traditional ways, including daily herbal (or bush) teas, herbal juicing for vitamins and minerals and herbal charms and energy enhancers.

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