An exhausted James Bond awakens from his tropical slumber by a sound he cannot at first identify. Where is he? And what has awakened him? Confused, he rises from his sandy bed beneath a canopy of leaves. He blinks to clear his vision, seeking the source of the sound. He stares, almost uncomprehendingly, as a beautiful, blonde water nymph emerges from the gently lapping turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea; it is her singing that has wakened him. “Underneath the Mango Tree”, she sings, an old Jamaican folk song that seems to please her as she clutches seashells she has gathered from the ocean floor.
He startles her as he sings the next stanza; she stares at him suspiciously. “Are you looking looking for seashells?” Honey Ryder asks him defensively, her hand hovering over the knife tucked into the belt of her bikini . “No. I’m just looking” he replies, perhaps one of the more memorable lines from Dr. No, the very first Bond film, with Connery’s smooth delivery setting into motion a decades-long fascination for all things Bond. Fans quickly fell for 007’s dry-humored quips, outlandish gadgetry, eye-popping “Bond girls” and last, but not least, his increasingly exotic forays into exceptional and stunning locations throughout the world as the Broccoli family and Harry Saltzman sought to make each subsequent film even better and more scintillating than the previous one.
In the case of Dr. No, the tropical paradise of Jamaica was the setting for much of the film, and in this particular scene, the absolutely stunning stretch of beach known as “Laughing Waters” ignited the imaginations of a whole generation of young boys and girls who vowed that one day they would travel the world to see such places for themselves. At least that’s what happened to us – and why we have a James Bond Crush!
The Blue Mountains
From the rolling tapestry of the Blue Mountains, home of the famous Blue Mountain Coffee and trees weeping with an abundance of delicious tropical fruit, to beautiful white sand beaches and coves kissed by the translucent Caribbean Sea, Jamaica could easily fit anyone’s description of paradise. Add the hip-swaying appeal of Reggae, Calypso and Ska, the refreshing taste of a cold Red Stripe beer, as much sweet and juicy seafood as you can handle, and some of the world’s best Rum, and you have the perfect Caribbean island destination.
It is also, however, a very special place for fans and followers of the adventures of James Bond. After all, it was in 1962 when Sean Connery and Ursula Andress awakened the world’s sense of wonder and awe for all things Caribbean in “Dr. No” as described above, a movie that set into motion a series of films that now span more than 50 years. Of note, Jamaica was once again chosen as a location in 1973 for “Live and Let Die” when the late Roger Moore was introduced to the world as the new 007.
Laughing Waters
While many of the locations from both films are well known and frequently visited by movie aficionados’, one in particular has remained elusive and near impossible to explore. You guessed it. The stunningly beautiful beach where Bond met Honey Ryder, now known as Laughing Waters. In 1962 and the days of Dr. No, this deserted paradise was more than a meeting place for beautiful, Swedish mermaids and shell collecting. It was the gateway to the mysterious and fictitious island of Crab Key, a location only accessible to Bond when he hires a native islander named “Quarrel” to sneak him ashore.
But Where is Crab Key?
While Crab Key existed only in the minds of enraptured movie goers, the spectacularly idyllic stretch of beach immortalized in Dr. No does exist, and it remains just as stunning and deserted today as it was in 1962. Quite possibly one of the most beautiful places of natural beauty we’ve ever seen, the shimmering stretch of powdery sand is rimmed on one side by the lapping aqua waves of the Caribbean Sea and graced with the beauty of wide, shallow waterfalls on the other, tumbling in frothy splendor all the way from the heights of the Blue Mountains to form natural, crystalline freshwater pools, perfect for dipping and frolicking. A large part of why Laughing Waters is so spectacular is because you will seldom see anyone there, except for a guard who sits amongst the trees beside the waterfalls, effectively stopping any curious visitors from accessing anything except the beach and pools, and happily saving the area from becoming another tawdry tourist destination like Dunn’s River Falls, just a few minutes by boat down the coast. Hint, if you are nice to him, perhaps an ice-cold pop or a Red Stripe from your cooler will change any potential scowls to a warm smile.
So why is Laughing Waters guarded and off-limits to just about everyone on the island? Managed by the St. Ann Development Corporation and its parent company, the Urban Development Corporation, a government body that owns and operates some of the island’s most lucrative tourism attractions, the Jamaican Government keeps the area closed to the general public, although like anything else in this world, you can gain access for a stiff price – in this case by renting the villa for a private function such as a wedding. It’s worth noting, though, that the guards seem only intent on guarding the actual property itself, making a visit to this pristine paradise difficult, but not impossible.
Much like James Bond hired Quarrel to sneak ashore Crab Key, we hired our own guide, Lipton Baily, courtesy of the Hermosa Cove Villa Hotel, who picked us up in his small fishing skiff at Hermosa Cove’s beach with a strong, sturdy teenage boy to take us to Laughing Waters for an afternoon.
A Short Boat Ride From Hermosa Cove
The half-hour or so by boat from Hermosa Cove along the coastline of Jamaica’s gorgeous North Coast is a beautiful ride as you skim the waves, the salty ocean breeze flipping your hair back and tickling your hot skin with tiny, cool droplets. We were happy our guide was so experienced as the water all along the coastline is shallow – we wouldn’t have wanted to get stuck on the rocks or destroy any of the coral. After about half an hour the coastline starts to change from developed sections of hotels and restaurants on cliffs to more dense vegetation and, aside from the portion where Dunn’s River Falls is located and tourists throng the beach in unappealing masses, the coast begins to look like an untouched paradise. We hugged the shore a little closer to see numerous waterfalls emptying over rocky ledges into the sea, mingling the cool, fresh mountain water with the warm water of the sea.
We were also happy that our guide had brought along a strong, young man that he was training to work with him on the boat, because as we approached Laughing Waters, even though the water did not seem rough a little further out, as our captain maneuvered closer to the shore, the rolling of the tide got a little rough, threatening to pitch us all out if it wasn’t managed just so. Being dumped out of the boat into these beautiful waters was not in itself upsetting in any way – it was the camera equipment and our cell phones getting dunked and/or lost that was the scary part! Never mind though – with some shouted instructions we made it over the last few waves, close enough to jump out of the boat and sink into the silky soft sand with technology unscathed.
Rushing Waterfalls Fill Your Ears
There are really no words to describe how spectacular Laughing Waters is when you are standing there with warm water lapping your feet, the sound of rushing waterfalls filling your ears, and the sight of nothing but shimmering sand, sparkling pools of mountain-fresh water, and lush vegetation blowing in a light tropical breeze. Our captain wanted to give us some time to enjoy privately, so he took the boat back out but within sight, telling us to wave when we were through.
I secretly did not want to leave. We walked in the sand hand-in-hand, dipped our feet in sweet, cool mountain-water, and sat in the welcoming shade of a luminous-green tree. We waved at the guard in the tree; he waved back with a tolerant smile. I could not imagine having this as my office view! Spreading out our beach towels we ran into the ocean, floating on the waves, dunking our hot heads below the surface to cool our overheated brains, drunk on the sheer beauty and splendor of this place. We sat for awhile on our towels, indulging in Red Stripe beer we had put in our knapsack, then dipped once more in the clear freshwater pools, gasping a little at the cool temperature, but feeling absolutely refreshed and alive in the most beautiful sense of the word. I searched for seashells, but unlike Honey Ryder, I was not successful. We watched our footprints fill with water and then disappear with the next wash of tide. Like our footprints, it was time for us to go.
Hermosa Cove, Jamaica’s Villa Hotel was fantastic at arranging private, unique Jamaican experiences like our visit to Laughing Waters. I highly recommend them.
TRENDING: My James Bond Crush – Goldeneye, Jamaica
We reluctantly beckoned for our Captain to come back, taking one last, longing look at this little Garden of Eden, sad to leave it behind but so happy we’d had the chance to see it with our own eyes, just us, sharing these beautiful moments with nobody else around – except the little man in the tree. We waved goodbye, and he waved back with a smile. Perhaps one day I’ll apply for the job as “Chief Guardian of Laughing Waters”. Sounds like a rather sublime and poetic job, don’t you think?
The James Bond 007 films are copyright of Danjaq LLC and the United Artists Corporation, and are licensed by EON Productions Limited. The James Bond novels are copyright of Ian Fleming (Glidrose) Publications Limited.
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