mom & daugther jamaica trip
sept 1 - 8 2016
hurricane season
- 8 day all inclusive purchased on expedia.ca
- $1,950 per person (not included excursions)
- Hotel gym & spa, seven a la carte restaurants, buffet, grill and cafe
- Couple's Resort
- Flight with WestJet with layover in Toronto. Approximately travel time 9-10 hours.
nice to knows
COMMUNICATION
- Everyone communicates through whatsapp
- Did not purchase a SIM Card
- WIFI in some areas
MUST EAT
- Jerk chicken
- OX Tail
- Fresh Coconut
- Local Fruits
- Jamaican Patties
- Red Strip Beer
- Blue Mountain Coffee
GENERAL
- Peak Season December to April
- Hurricane Season June to November. We only had one day of rain and one thunderstorm that lasts for an hour or two.
- Locals are super friendly and nice however there are "aggressive" men but didn't have any negative experiences.
- Be street smart, stay in popular and known areas and you will be fine.
TRANSPORTATION
- Before getting into the taxi, agree on a fare or make sure they have a running meter.
- If you are staying in a resort, walk just outside of the gated area and catch a taxi. It will be cheaper than catching it from the resort
- Recommended to book excursions with an tour company, it will usually include resort pick up/drop off and lunch.
- Most resorts will have free shuttle to and from airport.
MONEY
- Most places will accept USD
- Exchange money at the airport
bike tour
Two and half hour private bike tour with tour guide Carlious just outside of the resort. Stopped by Papa's truck to drink local fruit jucies, and ate fresh almonds from the ground.
scuba diving
Swimming in a giant fish bowl, the water was crystal clear and we were surrounded by all the colours you could imagine. Biggest regret is not having a waterproof camera.
yoga
what do you do when a thunderstorm hits in Jamaica? you run back to your room and do some yoga and wait for the clouds to clear.
coconut & jerk chicken
all day everyday. don't lick your lips, they will burn from the spicy jerk chicken.
catamaran cruise
Best day of the entire trip. Catamaran Cruise from Montego Bay to Negril. My favourite part of the cruise was interacting and watching the crew on the boat, they were so full of life and so happy. They were working so hard to make sure we were having fun on the boat and it seemed so effortless. The thing that stuck out to me the most was that they were having so much fun as well.
snorkelling
We stopped in the middle of the ocean to snorkel, the catamaran crew started doing tricks off the boat and of course i joined them.
rick's cafe
The last stop was at RIck's Cafe, famous for watching the sunset, and cliff jumping. No words can describe how I felt those few moments jumping off a 35ft cliff, doing backflips off a lower cliff and ending the night watching the sunset into the ocean.
sunset
Rest day between each adventure, we ventured out of our resort and walked around the main strip in Montego Bay, We finished the day by watching the sky turn from light to dark.
dunns river
Our second adventure of the trip, first stop Dunns River. This is a "must do" in Jamaica and I can appreciate why but it was packed with people. It was like herding cattle. I am happy I went but probably would not do it again.
bamboo beach
Second stop, Bamboo Beach for lunch.
Tubing
Last stop, Tubing down the river. It was nice but was not nearly exciting enough for an adrenaline junkie like me.
luminous lagoon
Our last full day, it was rainy most of the day so we hung out by the pool, ate food and relaxed. The last adventure of the trip was to visit the Luminous Lagoon. What an unreal experience, this is where fresh and salt water meet. When the water is disturbed the microorganisms glow. It felt like you were swimming in a pool full of pee, one moment it would be cold and the next would the water would be warm. Highly recommended.
stand up paddle boarding
We had to squeeze one last thing in before we left, I got my mom out to SUP and we were trying some SUP yoga. Hard af.