A week ago, my hubby and I chose Montego Bay Jamaica for our next vacation spot. We wanted a tropical destination but a close one. We realized it was only about 3 hours away from Dallas which is close. We picked S Hotel after seeing on social media how it looked and how close it was to the airport being 6 mins. We wanted to sign up for what the call club Mobay but it was full. Apparently, it gives you faster access and other benefits like a lounge at the airport. Getting there on a Monday, the airport lines were not bad but leaving the airport on a weekend or maybe it’s the timing was hectic. The lines were so long so I’d say give yourself 2.5hrs – 3 hrs at the airport.
Anyway from the airport, you can get into well organized system of taxis and we were at our location. If you’re into smoking “certain things”, your driver might chat with you about this after all it’s legal there.
S hotel where we stayed at is a small all inclusive boutique hotel right on the beach. The hotel has red accents and some beautiful older cars in the front with the history of what the cars are. For example the 1953 convertible singer was the actress Katherine Hepburns car when she visited then. Every floor of the hotel has a statue of some famous Jamaicans like Bob Marley, Usain Bolt and many others. I thought the initial look of the hotel from the outside was ok. Aesthetically, it could look better, cute but could be a cuter building I’d say about 7 or 8/10 but the interior details, decor, the food, the service, the water (beautiful blue, seaweed free), entertainment (something nightly and sometimes during the day), and everything else was perfect at 10/10. The hotel always has a buffet option but also restaurants where you can make reservations and order off a menu. It also has an all inclusive cafe on site and 2 pools. I’d say S hotel was not a “party crazy hotel” but also had some chill, relaxed yet fun atmosphere.
While at the hotel, you can ask the staff for excursion info and if interested, you can be picked up for a day trip to other cities such as Negril etc for fun. There’s a lot to be done for fun and exploring in Montego Bay and Jamaica but we just wanted to relax by the pool and beach which was what we mainly did except for a bamboo river raft tour which we opted for. We decided to do this and the staff connected us with a guide who had an Instagram page and WhatsApp and we were able to chat with him on the day trip details. You want to do your homework to make sure it’s a reliable person preferably with a website or social media page. He picked us up at about 9 am, took us to a souvenir shop on route to rafting. He said since the shop was not on the main tourist strip, prices a bit lower. I also needed to get some water shoes which I’d say to take with you if planning on doing water activities and of course sunscreen. The bamboo river raft was at the great river where you can get anything from food, drinks, a hookah, a lime stone foot or body massage etc. They have other locations for the bamboo raft tours and this was just one. We thought the actual float time was a bit short but overall a great experience. On our drive back, we did a bit of sightseeing and stopped at a local restaurant and enjoyed some local favorites.
Jamaica was a foodie’s dream destination spot among many other things! The food was very reminiscent of African food with lots of curry, goat meat, oxtail, rice and peas, beans, bammy (cassava), ackee and saltfish, porridge, soups, patties, jerk chicken & jerk everything and of course many fresh seafood options!
Also, the desserts were so good, best coconut macaroon I’ve tasted yet, lots of fresh fruits some not common to the US like naseberry and then the drinks! Red stripe being their delicious light local drink and the Bob Marley a colorful sweet option which I’d say is a must to try!
I loved seeing that the tourists were a mixed crowd with different races from different countries enjoying this beautiful country. By the way, you can use your American dollars freely there as it’s accepted everywhere. Don’t forget to tip for everything even a little is not so little and appreciated.
We didn’t know what to expect before visiting Jamaica but we’re pleasantly surprised and impressed. We loved everything and will be going back more. You should give Jamaica a try!
