Boone Hall Oasis offering the convenience of 'near country'
Published:Monday | July 23, 2012 | 12:00 AM
Barbara Ellington, Public Affairs Editor
Nestled in the cool vistas of Stony Hill St Andrew, Boone Hall Oasis has been the lure for many Jamaicans for close to 20 years. People just love to take the journey, especially on a Sunday, for brunch. But lunch and dinner are also served from Thursday to Sunday every week, as long as there are orders.
Boone Hall Oasis is among the best locations in the Corporate Area for a lavish theme wedding. It is also the go-to location for parties, festivals, retreats, photo/film/commercial shoots, cook-outs, fun days, picnics and, more recently, as a camp site. In recent months, owner Stephen Jones has expanded the location across the Wag Water River that flows through the property.
"We acquired the 21 acres just over a year ago and can now offer campers, hikers, church groups and others a huge space for picnics," Jones told The Gleaner as he guided us on a walking tour of the property. The additional area has electricity and floodlights are everywhere, bathrooms and enough space for more that 2,000 persons. There are nature trails and there is very little humidity in the atmosphere as the bamboos and other trees plus a pond with lilies and fish, in addition to the river, keep things cool.
There are many positives about Boone Hall Oasis: there are hardly any mosquitoes, it's very cool all day, there are lots of nooks and crannies, you are at one with nature, you can either bring your own food or have all meals catered at an additional cost and to use the venue, you simply have to call the office and discuss your needs and the details.
"You can sit on a rock and read, you can check out the natural pond and the three springs or spread your blankets and towels for a private picnic," Jones added.
The Future
Jones has many big plans for the future development of Boone Hall Oasis which include:
- A stage and amphitheatre
- Gazebos and hammocks in the trees
- A conference room close to the restrooms
- A spa and general area
- Small cabanas
- More use of the river
Users of the expanded site can play games like six-a-side football, volleyball, netball, and all the usual board games like dominoes and cards. "Whatever the guests need, we will provide it, just consider this your memorable day in paradise," Jones said confidently.
The new walking trail will be educational as well. "We will be labelling all the trees on the property so that hikers know what they are partaking of up here," he said. We saw: enough coffee to supply the kitchen at least part of the year, ackee, guava, annatto, coconut, lychee, breadfruit, lemons, purple banana, otaheiti apple, rose apple, mango, custard apple, star apple, jackfruit and sweet sop among the many trees growing there.
CONTACT: 4 River Road, Stony Hill, Kingston 9, Jamaica. Tel: 876.942.3064, Email: info@boonehalloasisja.com