Travel Diary: Jamaica — Modishly Mackenzie

The second week of April Chris and I took a quick five day trip to Jamaica. Saying it flew by way too fast is an understatement, and just goes to show how much we really enjoyed our time there! The crystal clear water was the most beautiful I've ever seen and the people's positivity was so uplifting. It's safe to say "ya mon" will be my new phrase for the next couple months.

We did Montego Bay for three nights and Negril for one—I think that's part of why our trip was so amazing. It's nice to experience different cities and have a change of scenery. Driving through Jamaica, it was really interesting to see how the natives live, like seeing all the little handmade shops and young kids going to and from school (they all wear uniforms!). I love to see how others live throughout the world.

Montego Bay was the more fast-paced location for us. Since we stayed at the all-inclusive Riu Reggae, we indulged in a lot of drinks and food (duh, that's what vacation is for). The only con would be that the drinks were incredibly watered down and the buffet/restaurants weren't very impressive, but that seems to be a common theme with any all-inclusive. The beaches were picturesque with white sand, tons of beach chairs and an abundance of water activities. Also, the resort was recently renovated so the rooms were super nice and clean! The excursion we ended up doing was bamboo rafting down the Martha Brae River—seriously soo peaceful and I loved being around all the greenery. Talk about jun-goals.

Negril was more zen and relaxing, with a pinch of adventure. We stayed at the Rockhouse Hotel, which honestly looked like it could be out of a movie—so surreal. Each room was an individual villa cliffside, with an outdoor shower and private tanning deck. You could jump right off your room's patio into the glimmering blue water. The food left us pretty speechless... I have to especially mention the coco bread they used for their sandwiches (DROOLING 🤤). Since we were only there one night, and rain kind of threw off our plans, we did not get to see the Seven Mile Beach or visit Rick's Cafe. Those are definitely on our list next time we go!

The last thing I'll mention is be prepared for Jamaican's perception of time. They run on island time—no rush and not a care in the world. I thought I was bad, but they definitely one upped me 😂 If you have a taxi or excursion planned, bet on it beginning later than scheduled. We almost missed our flight home because our taxi driver was over an hour late!