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Getting there: Cinchona is about 20 miles from Kingston. Take Hope Road to the Papine market, where Gordon Town Road snakes up into the Blue Mountains.

The last few miles are best traversed on foot, but if planning to drive, a four-wheel drive vehicle is a necessity. Try Island Car Rentals in Kingston. (Phone 876.926.8012/5991.)

Finding the gardens is difficult, as there are no roadside directions. It's best to get directions from a local guide or follow those laid out in books such as Blue Mountain Guide, edited by Dr. Margaret Hodges and published by the Natural History Society of Jamaica in 1993.

Lodging: Note that camping inside the gardens is not allowed. If you want to catch a Blue Mountain sunrise, your best bet is to camp at Clydesdale, an old abandoned coffee farm, in space reserved by the Forestry Department of Jamaica. (Phone 876.924.2667 or visit www.forestry.gov.jm.) There is safe drinking water and a natural pool in the Clyde River.

For those who prefer to sleep indoors, a variety of inns, hotels and even private homes offer lodging within reasonable driving distance of the gardens.

Information: For more information on the botany of Jamaica, or to brush up on your identification skills before a trip to Cinchona, a good place to start is the Institute of Jamaica's Botany Department. (Phone 876.922.0620-6 or visit www.instituteofjamaica.org.jm.)

For general tourism information, visit www.jamaicatravel.com.