Three Weekend Getaways to Montego Bay

A lot of people absolutely love Jamaica.  I gave it a try and I kept trying it.  I have to say, it’s not my favorite place.  I found it to be expensive and there to be very little to do.  I much prefer the beaches in Cancun to the ones in Montego Bay.  I don’t want to say never again on Jamaica, but it would not be at the top of my list for a winter getaway.  I do have to say the people are very fun and kind and the food is good.

Here are the details of my three separate trips to Jamaica.

Trip 1-Stayed in a nice hotel

We stayed at a very nice hotel on the first trip.  If staying at a resort is something that you like then I would recommend this place-Coyaba Beach Resort.

After two hours on the beach, I became bored and had to get out and do something. We phoned up the driver who had driven us to the hotel and ask that he show us around.

 

We returned to our hotel for dinner.  After breakfast the next morning, we went for a stroll and came upon an area a few feet down the road from the hotel where fish were being sold. The area proved to be a good place to take photos as well.

The man scaling fish asked us to buy some fish.  When we told him we had no place to cook it, he suggested that we go to his farm to buy some marijuana. That was a resounding, “No!”

Trip 2-Stayed on the”Hip Strip”

On our first trip to Jamaica, our driver pointed out the Hip Strip to us.  So we decided since there was very little to do at the place we stayed the first time we would stay at the Hip Strip this time.

We arrived at our hotel, enjoyed the view and checked out the pool.

We walked around a bit and saw the sites below.

We went to the Hip Strip which just turned out to be a lot of souvenir shops run mostly by Indians.  The shops all seemed to sell the same stuff.  I couldn’t figure out how they could stay in business unless all of them are owned by the same person.  We ended up going to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Restaurant. This turned out to be the only “spot” in the Hip Strip.  We were bored to no end.  The next morning we awoke, booked a rental car on Priceline and went to the airport to pick up the car.  We drove to Ocho Rios and had a decent lunch with a view of the beach.

When we got back to Montego Bay, we drove around a bit.

Overall, we were bored on this trip too.

 

Trip 3-Tried an all-inclusive

I gave Jamaica a third attempt.  I though all-inclusive must be the way to go.  That’s what people who love Jamaica must do.  So I booked an all-inclusive.  I never have been a fan of the all-inclusive concept.  For me the fun part of traveling is exploring the area.  Yet, I booked it anyhow.  I must say that I didn’t like it.  All the food was served buffet style and drinks were served in four ounce glasses that were gone with two sips.  Disappointed, my son and I walked to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville where I spent a lot of money just so we could have a fun atmosphere. On the way there, some guy stopped me and asked if I wanted to buy some marijuana.  I was so upset to think he would ask me that in front of a child.

Below are a fews shots of the beach area at the resort.  The actual hotel was across the street from the beach area that was run by the hotel.

I don’t want to say never again, but compared to my weekends in Cancun it would be hard for me to put Jamaica at the top of my list.  Being hustled to buy souvenirs and pot was a turn off for me as well as the lack of restaurants in Montego Bay.  I am in no hurry to go back.

~Bella