MONTEGO BAY, St James — Tamika Williams was moved to tears on learning that her family-run Ahhh Ras Natango Gallery and Garden in St James has been ranked the world’s top attraction by travellers in an AAA Club Alliance analysis of TripAdvisor reviews.

“For Jamaica to make that list, and when you look at the calibre of countries and the calibre of attractions, and then this being a small business, a community tourism business, it just floored me. Never expected it,” Williams told the Jamaica Observer.

The ranking, published in July by AAA Club Alliance, was based on an analysis by ChicksX of TripAdvisor reviews, examining the frequency of positive and negative keywords visitors consistently described as “memorable”, “breathtaking”, and “better than expected”.

AAA Club Alliance explained that the study distinguished these attractions from those more commonly characterised as overrated.

Ahhh Ras Natango was ranked ahead of more well-known attractions, including the Irish National Stud & Gardens in Ireland; Al Noor Island in the United Arab Emirates; Canada’s Cabot Trail, Stone Hall Castle, and Capilano Suspension Bridge; Florida’s Stetson Mansion; Kiambethu Tea Farm in Kenya; Australia’s New Castle Memorial Walk and SkyPoint Climb; and The Rooms in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Williams said that when she received news of the results, “Mi just cry, just sat down and cry”.

Visitors touring the Ahhh Ras Natango Gallery and Garden in Camrose, St James.

That emotion was fuelled by her appreciation for the recognition, given that the attraction is still recovering from the ravages of Hurricane Melissa which devastated sections of Jamaica last October.

Four buildings, including gazebos, a restroom, and meeting area, were destroyed. The kitchen and the work area used by her husband, Ian — an artist known professionally as Ras Natango — remain out of operation, while much of the vegetation was badly damaged.

“We are operational, but we’re not fully open. We’re doing our best. We are staying the course and trying to figure out where to go, and then just out of nowhere, this came in,” Williams told the
Observer.

She described the international recognition as “an adrenaline shot” that renewed her determination to rebuild.

“I said, ‘No man, you can’t give up. No, don’t give up,’ ” she related.

Williams hopes the exposure will bring more visitors, increase awareness, and help the family restore the property. She also hopes the story will encourage others facing adversity to persevere.

“Just keep on doing what you love, because people on the outside are watching,” she said.

A doctor bird perched on a plant at Ahhh Ras Natango Gallery and Garden in Camrose, St James.

Opened in 2008, Ahhh Ras Natango has built its reputation largely on visitor reviews and word of mouth recommendation. Williams said the attraction has consistently held the number one position on TripAdvisor’s things to do list in Montego Bay.

She believes the attraction’s appeal lies in its story and its connection to Jamaican culture.

Williams, Ian, and their adult son, Ayale, are equal owners and have managed the business largely on their own through the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Beryl in 2024, and now Hurricane Melissa.

Williams attributes their success to passion and an uncompromising commitment to every visitor.

“Our athletes do well in everything, whether it is football, whether it is especially athletics. There is a hunger in our belly when people feel marginalised and they have a dream,” she said.

“When they go on the track they leave everything there. So when every guest comes through our gate, we leave everything there,” she added.

A section of Ahhh Ras Natango Gallery and Garden in Camrose, St James.

That personal connection, she said, often leaves visitors feeling they have experienced more than a conventional tourist attraction.

“Every single guest that leaves here…they hug us up and say, ‘I feel like I just went home to my family. I feel like I had a family meeting’,” Williams told the
Observer.

Located about 2,000 feet above sea level in Camrose, the property offers panoramic views from Montego Bay towards Falmouth. Its botanical garden was created by terracing a solid rock cliff and includes an art gallery and gift shop featuring Jamaican art as well as products made on the property.

“It’s just an experience. That is what it is. It is not an attraction, it is an experience,” Williams said.

Visitors typically spend about two hours exploring the garden while learning about Jamaica’s history, culture, music, flora, and fauna.

The property is also a community resource, supporting school field trips and community activities. Williams said Camrose has also been developed as an international City of Peace.

Ecotourism remains central to the operation, with composting, rainwater harvesting, terracing, and conservation incorporated into the property.

Beautiful flowers and trees are features at Ahhh Ras Natango Gallery and Garden in Camrose, St James.

Birds have become an even more important part of the experience since Melissa destroyed much of the vegetation. With many fruit- and seed-producing trees gone, the family has begun supplementing food for hummingbirds and other species.

“We realised that even though all the trees were gone, and the birds eat fruits and seeds, and there are no fruits and seeds, we had to supplement feeding them,” she said.

The family expects it could take five to 10 years for the larger trees to return, but Williams insists the garden remains alive.

For her, the international ranking is more than an accolade.

“It is a way for me to remember that even in the darkest hour there is light,” she said.

“…the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets is just that moment before darkness gives way to light,” Williams said.