Dose of Prose
I recently traveled to Jamaica for the first time and it was a trip that I’ll never forget. This trip was so special to me because it was much needed and long overdue. I was experiencing burnout from finishing my MBA and dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a freelancer. Check out my post that details the truth about freelancing if you haven’t already. Anyway, to be honest, I haven’t gone out of the country in over a decade. Finally getting the chance to wake up everyday in a new environment felt surreal to me. I’m so thankful and grateful that I had the chance to go on this trip. I hope there will be many more travel experiences to come.
As a blogger, freelancer and digital creator, I would be remiss if I didn’t document my experience with pictures, videos and of course, words. Today’s blog post is all about Jamaica! Whether you are currently planning a trip to Jamaica or have interest in going there in the future, this post is for you. I will give an unfiltered, honest review of my Jamaica trip including where I went, what I did, culture differences, and more. I’ll also share some travel tips that you can apply on your next international trip. If any of this peaks your interest, keep on reading! For those who are more visual/auditory learners, I gotchu. Check out my Youtube video that recaps my Jamaica trip as well. Click the image below to watch the video.
About My Stay in MBJ
I went to Montego Bay, Jamaica and stayed at the Secrets St. James resort. My trip was relatively short: 4 days and 3 nights. The first day was mainly a travel day as I was coming from Los Angeles. I flew through Delta airlines going from LAX – ATL – MBJ. Once I arrived in MBJ, I went through customs, grabbed my luggage and a car picked me up to take me to the resort. I checked in and got settled in for the night.
@styleprose On vacay in Montego Bay 😎☀️🏝 #jamaica #vacationmode #blackgirltravel #travelnoire ♬ Alé Araya x Aisu unreleased – Alé Araya
Excursion – Catamaran
The second day of the trip was an excursion day. If you want to book any excursions, make sure to book them in advance! I went on a catamaran excursion, but also wanted to ride horses in the water. Unfortunately I was unable to do the latter because I didn’t book it early enough. I guess that gives me something to look forward to for next time, right? 😉
If you’re not super familiar with or into water activities like me, you’re probably wondering what a catamaran is. A catamaran is a type of boat, specifically a sailing boat. On this particular excursion, you got on the boat, sailed off into the water and once the boat reached a certain point, you had the option to get off the boat and go snorkeling. This excursion was booked through Dreamer Catamarans . The boat was clean, had bathrooms, snacks, drinks and the service was great. I’d recommend checking it out!
However, I’d be lying to you if I said that this excursion was all fun and games (for me). As I said before, and if you know me in real life, I’m not very adventurous. I don’t love heights, turbulence, rollercoasters or any other wild outdoor activities. So getting on this catamaran was out of my comfort zone to stay the least. But, I never regret trying something new. In the beginning of the boat ride, the boat was was going against the water, so the boat felt like it was bouncing on the waves (similar to a jet ski).
@styleprose I was lowkey fighting for my life in the beginning of the boat ride (motion sickness 😂😭) but once we got into steady water everything was fine. It was good to get out of my comfort zone and try new things! #boatlife #catamaran #montegobay #jamaica #blackwomentravel #travelingwhileblack ♬ Dude – Beenie Man & Ms Thing
I had butterflies in my stomach and was holding on for dear life. I was also somehow sitting in the main splashing zone of the boat. Now don’t get me wrong, I expected to get wet from being on a boat…but I definitely did not plan to get soaking wet. Picture this: you feel dizzy, stomach is doing backflips, salt water in your mouth and eyes, can’t move, stressed and full of regret. Yep, that was me.
Don’t let my ~aesthetic~ social media posts fool you, I definitely saw my life flash before my eyes on this boat ride. However, it wasn’t all bad. The chaos was only in the beginning. Once the boat got on steady waters and people got off to go snorkeling, I was fine. The point I’m trying to make here is, if you expect the catamaran to be an experience where you can sit and look cute on a yacht, you are sadly mistaken. Trust me, I learned the hard way. Would I do it again? Maybe, but most likely, not. You don’t know what you don’t know, and now I know…a catamaran excursion is not for me.
Fun in the Sun
The third day was spent on the beach, which is where I spent the majority of the trip. It was so great to sit in stillness for a bit, listening to the sound of the waves. For the first time in a while, I felt that I could fully relax and unwind. The resort had a variety of games available that you could play such as chess, Connect 4, Cornhole and more. At night, there was always some form of entertainment happening ranging from circus performances to musical numbers. In sum, there’s never a dull day in Montego Bay. Whether you want to get your tan on, kayak in the ocean or listen to someone play the steel drums, there’s something for everyone in Jamaica!
Resort Review
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that when I review something I keep it real. This time is no different. In other words, I have to tell you the good, bad and ugly of my Jamaica trip. I’ll start by saying that overall, the Secrets resort was good and I would be open to staying there again. However, it was not the best and I do feel that there are better resorts out there. I’ve linked the resort in the post so as always, do your own research and make a decision that is best for you. But ultimately, I liked the resort (but didn’t love it) and here’s why:
Don’t Go for the Food
I’m going to be very blunt here. The food was terrible. In fact, I don’t think I ate authentic Jamaican food at all on the trip, even when I went to a restaurant that was off of the resort. The food was bland, Americanized and overall just didn’t taste good. The only food I enjoyed was the fresh coconut water from the tree, espresso from the coffee shop (which doesn’t really count as food does it?), one Hibachi restaurant (yes, you read that right) and the chopped “jerk” chicken that was freshly cooked on an outdoor smoker/grill at random times throughout the day and night on the resort. The saying, you get what you pay for, is true. The resort was all-inclusive, which meant everything you ate and drank was free. Unfortunately, free ≠ good quality. I was disappointed with the food and didn’t feel fully satiated on the trip. So if you end up staying at this resort, don’t go for the food.
Maintenance Issues
I don’t know if this was an attempt to conserve energy or what, but the lights in my room would randomly go off for periods of time and then pop back on. After speaking with other people on the trip, they also complained about maintenance issues with their rooms (the AC going out, toilet not flushing, etc.). In addition to maintenance issues, there were also some infrastructure issues. Anytime it rained, the resort would become flooded. My room was on the 4th floor and when I got off the elevator after a downpour of rain, the whole floor was flooded with water. The water didn’t get in my room and the staff at the resort did a great job of quickly mopping the floors…but still, this is something to keep in mind. The resort is not the most modern place in the world, and the infrastructure doesn’t seem to be built properly for rain, IMO.
Room Layout is Weird
The view from my room was amazing, but the setup of the room was not my favorite. There was a door that opened to a shower and a door that opened to a toilet, but the layout of the bathroom itself was completely open. Imagine stepping out of the shower and there are no doors. This may not be a big deal, especially if you are alone. But even if you’re with a friend or partner, I think it’s important to note that the room doesn’t have a ton of privacy. If you book a room on the first floor, I’d make sure that the blinds to your patio are closed, because again, as soon as you step out of the shower or even if you’re getting dressed in the room itself, there aren’t any doors to keep you covered.
Everybody Wants to be a Cat
I’m not sure if this was specific to the resort or Jamaica in general, but there were a lot of stray cats roaming around on the resort. If you’re afraid of or allergic to cats, you might want to stay somewhere else. The cats are harmless and mind their business for the most part (they might try and eat your food though), but there are a lot of them. I think I saw at least 6 different cats everyday. There were also these tiny frogs that came out at night that made noise that sounded kind of like a cricket or cicada. Random, I know, but just an observation.
Cultural Differences
Next, I want to go into some cultural differences that I noticed while in Jamaica. One of the best parts about traveling for me is gaining exposure to different cultures. Here’s what I learned:
Beverages
Jamaica is known for its rum, so I recommend getting the rum punch. If you like fruity drinks with mango and pineapple, then you’ll like the punch. If not, I still encourage you to get it because the other hard liquor drinks just don’t taste as good. For beer, try their Red Stripe lager. If you don’t drink alcohol at all, get the Jamaicain orange soda. For coffee, get the Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and for tea, try out Bissy Kola Nut tea.
Weather
Jamaica is an island so the weather is tropical. Think hot, thick, humid air. Although I’m not a fan of humidity, my skin loved it. There was so much moisture in the air that I didn’t need to wear a lot of moisturizer. In fact, my sensitive, acne-prone skin was clear and blemish-free throughout the trip. Expect the temperature to be high 80s and 90s everyday, even at night. Drink lots of water and stay hydrated. I was able to keep cool by putting my feet in the water, but keep in mind that even when you shower, as soon as you step outside you’ll feel hot, sticky and sweaty, ready to shower again. The weather was something that I had to get used to at first, but reflecting back on it, I actually liked it.
Driving
I probably should have known this, but Jamaicans drive on the opposite side of the road! When I was picked up from the airport and the driver got in the car, I was thinking, why is he getting in the passenger’s seat?! Also, the roads in Jamaica in general are crazy to me. I’m pretty sure I didn’t see any lines on the road and it seemed as though all traffic lights and rules in general were suggestions. I don’t think I could drive in Jamaica. My heart was racing every time I got in a car in Jamaica because of all the honking and aggressive driving.
Infrastructure
I briefly spoke about the infrastructure of the resort and how it wasn’t modern, but it doesn’t compare to the buildings and businesses I saw outside of the resort. The drive from the airport to the resort (about 15 minutes) was a culture shock in itself. Everything in Jamaica looked so run-down, almost like a 3rd world country. Even the cars that people drove seemed old and outdated. Coming from Los Angeles, where there’s such a huge wealth gap, you’ll see mansions and Lamborghinis on one street and then extreme poverty and homelessness on the next. In Jamaica, on the other hand, I didn’t notice a difference in certain areas. Everywhere seemed equally underdeveloped. I’m curious about the labor market in Jamaica…where people live, their salaries, cost of living, etc. Something to research for another day I suppose.
Language
Although the official language of Jamaica is English, most people speak Patois, which is a combination of English, French and Creole. When I spoke to people it took me a second to fully understand what they were saying, because it sounded like English, but it wasn’t quite English. I caught on to a couple phrases that you may find useful when speaking to the natives:
Ya Mon = okay, thank you, you’re welcome
Irie = alright, fine
If someone asked you, Everything irie? for example, to answer, you would say: Mi irie, which means everything is good, I’m okay, etc.
Other phrases are basically English but the words are said in a different order with an accent. For example, Where yu come from? Sounds obvious as you read it, but when said really fast and with an accent, it’s hard to decipher when you first year it.
Business
Vendors can be pretty aggressive, unwarranted and in your face when in Jamaica. I got a sense of a big hustle culture on the island, everyone is on their grind trying to make a dime. For example, when you’re in the car, at a stop light, you’ll see people in the street in between cars trying to sell you sodas and others wiping your windows. If you’re leaving a restaurant, don’t be surprised if someone comes up to you and gives you their business card or puts a bracelet on your arm trying to get you to make a purchase. My biggest tip here is to stand your ground and negotiate, negotiate, negotiate! Although it can be overwhelming, don’t let anyone pressure you or try and upsell you. Work with the sellers, not against them, and get them to bring down the price.
The airport has the lowest prices from what I saw, but buy at your own risk, as you might not get items that are authentically Jamaicain. I saw a lot of hand crafted, wooden home decor and kitchen appliances that I wanted in the airport, but the items had a sticker that said they were Made in Indonesia or somewhere other than Jamaica. You could get those same hand-crafted items from a vendor and you’ll know it’s legit not only from the uptick in price, but also because you’ll see the person carving something right in front of you.
I bought a necklace that was handmade with seashells and beads. With some negotiation, I convinced the vendor to bring down the price from $25 to $15. I could have gotten a similar bracelet at the gift shop or airport for $10-12, but you could visibly tell the difference in quality. Something to think about!
Women in Power
The last and most important cultural difference that I noticed while in Jamaica was the fact that I was surrounded by people who looked like me. Even though I’m African American and not Jamaican there was something so welcoming and comforting about being in a place where Black people were the majority. Even in the airport, there was mostly women running the airport, which is again something you don’t usually see. As someone who has gone to predominately white institutions, and is currently working in a field dominated by white men, it was nice to step out of that and be in an environment with my own people in power.
Travel Tips
I want to end this blog post with some travel tips and essentials as you plan your next trip. Thank me later!
Beware of Bugs
I was attacked by bugs in Jamaica. I’m one of those people who reacts badly to bug bites, where I swell up and break out, it’s terrible. The odd thing is that I didn’t get any bug bites until the end of the trip. I’m assuming that the bugs came out after the rain or something. I also got sunburn for the first time! I’ll admit that I was a ignorant about sunscreen and didn’t think that Black people could get sunburned. I wore sunscreen, but wasn’t adamant about re-applying it and suffered the consequences once I got home. Luckily it was pretty mild, but still bothersome. Make sure to bring bug repellant, sunscreen and some form of aloe on your next trip to Jamaica. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, try this Panama Jack relief gel, which helped heal both my sunburn and bug bites.
Go to the Club
Although I love to travel, the process of getting from point A to point B can be a pain. I don’t think that traveling should be a miserable experience and it’s unfortunate that you’re herded like cattle and treated so poorly by airport staff and security in the United States. One aspect that I loved about Jamaica was how great the hospitality was. The MBJ airport was one of the cleanest airports I’ve ever been in. When I landed, I was greeted by a lady who made me feel so welcome. She escorted me through customs, got my luggage, offered me rum punch and made the process of getting from the airport to the resort a seamless experience.
When leaving Jamaica, as I was waiting for my flight to board, I got to chill in a nice airport lounge that had a restaurant, bar and spa. All of this was provided by Club Mobay, a VIP airport service. I highly recommend adding this extra amenity to your trip. I think it’s well worth the investment. And yes, I’m a little bougie, but I’m not out of touch with reality. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with liking nice things! If you’re going to go on this trip, especially if you’re coming from far away, work smarter and not harder. Make your life easier and invest in an airport hospitality service.
Get Security Clearances
This tip coincides with the previous paragraph, but I highly recommend getting TSA pre-check, Clear and Global Entry. I don’t have the last two, but I’ve heard nothing but great things about them. Basically these security clearances make your experience going through customs and security in the airport a lot easier and faster. Dealing with customs in Jamaica compared to the United States (specifically Atlanta) was like night and day.
I honestly think that this trip marked my last time going through the Atlanta airport. I met with some of the rudest people in my life, yelling at me and speaking to me like I was the scum of the earth. It makes my blood boil just thinking about it, but my point here is that once again, your travel experience should not and does not have to be awful. You can’t control what people say, but you can control how you react. Since we can all agree that the airport and the people in the airport are quite frankly, the worst, then why not have security clearances in place so that you can avoid and minimize the BS that you would experience otherwise?
I hope you enjoyed this recap of my trip to Jamaica! For more photo/video highlights, be sure to check out my Instagram. If you’ve been to Jamaica and want to share your experience or have any further international travel insights in general, please leave a comment and let me know! I have a desire to travel now more than ever. I can’t wait to see where my next adventure takes me.
