Advt.
Advt.
Jamaica is one of the best places in the world to travel to. Its laid back culture combined with the beaches, food, resorts and the activities make for a memorable vacation. A trip here will leave you wishing you had more sand in your teeth upon your arrival back home. Jamaica is an extremely small country located south of Cuba. If you were to look at a map and draw a straight line down from the easternmost tip of the State of Maine, through Cuba, the line would travel directly into the middle of Jamaica. Home to a very warm climate and a lot of vegetation, Jamaica also has a nasty hurricane season. This season includes the months of July, August and September, but could stretch to surrounding months as well. Although I'm sure that all of Jamaica is worth visiting (provided you stay away from the crime reputation of the capital, Kingston), Montego Bay in particular has my vote. Having taken a family vacation there in July of 2004, I hope to let you in on some of the best things about my trip.
One of the biggest attractions that "Mo Bay" offers is something that is not man built, but instead has people flocking to it, cameras in hand, naturally. I am referring to the sunsets; they are breathtaking. Montego Bay sits on the far west side of the island with an unobstructed view of red and golden sunsets sinking into the Atlantic Ocean. Seeing sunsets such as these is everything like you've seen in pictures, but so much more because you are actually standing there. Perhaps you'd look out from your balcony, or maybe even be right on the beach with the soft slapping of the small waves in your ears and the tan sand under your toes. Sunsets aren't the only thing worthy of snapping photos; Montego Bay offers picturesque opportunities wherever you go. The palm trees, the coastline, the large, dark mountains, or an isolated rain storm a couple miles away are just a few subjects for great photos and memories.
Many other aspects of a vacation in Montego Bay result in fond memories. Such aspects would include their amazing food; jerk chicken is something you must experience. Tender hunks of white meat slathered in a thick, dark, spicy marinade that will have you reaching first, for your island drink, and second, for more chicken. Another food item that sticks out from my trip was the ketchup. Jamaican ketchup is just as good on fries as it is here in the United States, but it has a certain sweet zing every time. Right down to the last few hours of my Jamaican vacation, these are the exact foods I was munching on before changing back to regular clothes and heading to the airport.
All-inclusive resorts are abundant in this tourist-driven economy, and that's a good thing considering it is your best option. No need to worry about a lack of culture at these resorts, they are only 'touristy' enough to keep you comfortable, but exemplify the atmosphere of Montego Bay completely. Resorts bring in small shopping markets weekly so that you get your fill of authentic and original pieces of work from Jamaica. One purchase I'm glad that I made was the handmade photo albums; these were a compilation of dried leaves, rustic pages, and twine to bind them together. Resorts also offer a wide range of amenities such as open bars, paddle boats, snorkeling gear, multicultural restaurants and open-aired lounges. You don't have to look hard to find entertainment at these venues. The resort I stayed was the lovely Sunset Beach Resort & Spa, it had events nightly. These varied from karaoke and Jamaican dance competitions, to turtle races and mock game shows; all were put on by the fun loving resort staff.
If remaining within the resort for the entirety of your stay does not sound appealing to you, I highly recommend taking advantage of off-property activities. When you look through the infinite number of brochures at your resort, these activities become more like adventures. If your bank account allows, I urge you to visit Montego Bay for more than one week, as there are many things that my family and I experienced, but also a number of activities we did not have time for. Some trips that we took were a tour of the surrounding town, which included visiting an extremely old church. It was on a small bus, guided by a very knowledgeable woman who said something I will never forget about Jamaica. She said, the left side is the right side, and the right side is suicide.? She was referring to the crowded street that we were traveling on, and she noticed the horrified look on her passenger's faces when they realized that the driving rules are different in this country. I also experienced horseback riding through the beautiful country side, a trip into the downtown shopping market, and a personal driver whom we hired for the day. When on a shopping trip, just remember that the country runs on the tourist dollar and they will try to get you into their store with all their effort. Also, even though Montego Bay is one of the safest places in Jamaica, be aware that there are drug pushers among you. If you maintain your smarts, you will have a tremendous time. Going off the beaten path is an adventure that you should not miss. If you would like to see the country uncut, hire a friendly taxi driver for the day and he will take you around, up and down the mountains, pick you fresh fruit, and maybe even show you his friends and family.
From personal experience, I advise anyone to vacation to the lovely country of Jamaica, but more specifically to Montego Bay. Its friendly warmth and array of activities ? both on and off of your resort property ? will blow your mind. There is so much to do in Montego Bay, but even if you don't experience everything possible, your only regret on the flight home will be to have stayed longer. You could go to any beautiful, tropical beach in the world and see the same thing; but to go to Montego Bay, Jamaica is to see even further through that crystal clear, blue water. Booking with a travel agent is a very smart way to plan your trip, but take my words and live your trip as well.
