"No problem!" is the phrase I heard over and over again when we stayed in Jamaica. It was the attitude taken on by everyone. I had never experienced "island time," it is a real thing. I hopped off the plane and was not ready for the humidity. We had also just flown a red-eye flight from Salt Lake to JFK to Montego Bay. I was exhausted and ready to take a nap. The shuttle ride to our resort was a great welcome into the next 7 days. I would need to learn to take things slow and relax. Don't worry about a schedule...it's no problem!
We stayed at the Jewel All-Inclusive Resort in Runaway Bay and opted for a room with a personal pool on the patio. It was totally worth the extra $30. The resort was well maintained, had 3 delicious restaurants and a swim-up bar in the pool (a must-have on a beach vacation). The beach was clean and beautiful. I hadn't experienced a beach where it was warm enough for me to want to get into the water. I was immediately hooked and wanted to spend all of my time there. We spent a day snorkeling and took a quick ride out on a small catamaran on the resort for our beach day activities. Schedule beach days! Every vacation needs at least a day of just laying around and doing nothing.
The resort was also amazing at arranging shuttles for you to go and explore. We decided to stick with Junior our entire trip. He showed us a great time and helped us avoid the crazy tourist crowds. We owe so much of our experience to him!
I think of this trip as being connected to the environment of the island. We spent so much time in the water or exploring the jungle. It was the perfect vacation. We knew that we wanted to do some type of waterfall hike. Dunns River Falls is a huge tourist attraction in Jamaica. When we suggested that to some of the staff working on the resort, they suggested that we go to the Blue Hole instead. They said it was way less crowded and much longer of an experience. We told Junior and we were off. When we showed up we were the only ones there. When we arrived to the start of the hike I couldn't help but take a moment to soak it all in. But before I knew it we were hiking, actually more like swimming, our way through the jungle and climbing up waterfalls. Eventually we were joined by another group at the largest waterfall you walk down. Everyone was given a rope to help them down. But not me, the other tour guide grabbed my hand and said "Start walking." I was so freaked out, wouldn't I slip and go plummeting into the water?! He promised me I could do it, and 20 very cautious steps later I had walked down a waterfall and was jumping into the pool below. Best experience EVER!
The next thing I had to do was go horseback riding through the ocean. It has always been on my bucket list! Junior came through again and took us to a place on the side of the highway. We again were the only ones there. I love that because your experience isn't rushed. We were escorted through the town and down to the ocean but the sweetest kids. It was so fun to have them show us how they would spend the day and their favorite parts of town. Chris had a male horse that was ready to go running. Once we were done going through the ocean, they let Chris run with the horse. I spent a good part of the day laughing at how surprised Chris's face was when he saw how fast the horse could go.
The Spirit of Reggae Tour takes you up to Nine Mile where Bob Marley lived for awhile as a child. It is the most touristy thing that we did and it was not my favorite experience. Nine Mile is up in the mountains, which is a pretty drive and gives you a different perspective on the island. I loved seeing where someone with so much influence grew up. But if you aren't a die-hard Bob Marley fan, I think you are better off skipping this tour. It is a little too stressful compared to other things you can do.
I can't believe it has taken me so long to talk about the food! You have to experience jerk chicken. Scotchies was where Junior took us and it was amazing. I was a little worried because I can be a complete baby with spice, but it had just the right amount of kick to it. Jamaica has a lot of stray cats and I know you aren't supposed to pet them, but I was missing my dogs and there was a little cutie at Scotchies so of course, I made friends. Junior also made a pit stop to the Fire Hole. This is just a little body of water that has so much acid in it, you can light it on fire. We were only there for 5 minutes, but it was fun to see.
The last thing we did was the Luminous Lagoon. This is a natural wonder caused by small microorganisms that emit a flash of light when they are touched illuminating the water, which is called bioluminescence. This tour was a great thing to do at night to get out of the sun. They even allow you to get into the water, which took me a good 10 minutes to do. I was worried there would be something lurking in the water. I was glad I did though. Every movement you made lite up the water. The boat trail was the most amazing thing. There was so much movement in the water that stirred them up to the brightest level. After the tour it's party time. You can buy drinks at the bar and watch a fire show. Of course my cousin and I got called up to do the limbo. I struggled badly and made a promise to myself to do more yoga once I got home.
Jamaica was amazing and I recommend spending time on the island. I think the cruise ship way would be fun. But I think I would feel rushed to get everything in. Two other recommendations, bring an underwater camera, and maybe something other than just a GoPro. I didn't want to lug around a big camera the whole time. But I found myself getting frustrated with the fish eye lens on the GoPro. It also would have been much easier to get a good photo of the luminous lagoon with a different camera...lesson learned.
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