If you told me that I would actually end up in the Caribbean in the peak of summer, I would never believe you. If you know me, then you know that July and August are the two months of the year that I avoid to travel. I love using my summer days to work, as I hate how crowded and expensive it is to go anywhere during that time. However, I had a week booked off to attend an engagement in Morocco.
I came across a last minute opening for a group trip to Jamaica and debated between the two. The motivating factor that made me choose Jamaica is that the event was only one night, whereas the trip was one full week and it aligned perfectly with my time off. Jamaica had been on my list for a while now.
I flew direct to Kingston, and decided to get there a day earlier. As someone who usually books everything last minute, including accommodation, I made an exception for this trip. I quickly realized how expensive hotels were and decided to book an AirBnB for the night, saving me over $150.
My flight got in the late afternoon, thus I did not have time to explore the city (not that I intended on it, since most people don't even stay in Kingston and it's not the safest place). I loved that they had a lounge on arrival, where I was able to grab some water and snacks. It saved me from having to go find something to eat for dinner.
The next morning, I got picked up from the AirBnB and so our trip officially began. There were several people from the group that was missing, due to the late arrival of their flight, which was due to arrive a day earlier. We decided to make our way in the meantime anyway, since we had about a 3.5-4 hour drive ahead of us.
We made our way to the town of Port Antonio, in Portland, where we planned to stay for the first four nights of the trip. Our accommodation was a private villa overlooking the ocean. The place was serene, offered panoramic views of the beauty that surrounded us, had a huge garden and came with our private chef for the duration of our stay.
We started our trip with a refreshing dip at the Blue Lagoon, one of Jamaica's natural wonders. The Blue Lagoon is a natural limestone sinkhole and acts as sanctuary for both flora and fauna. Depending on where you swim in the Blue Lagoon, you may feel the water a bit cold, due to it being a combination of the warm seawater with the freshwater springs.
We spent a few hours at Monkey Island. On the island, you can find a small beach, with a swing. When the tide is low, you can even walk to the island! Afterwards, we went back to the villa for lunch and to relax before heading to the next swim spot for the afternoon.
Picture this: a relaxing afternoon on the beach, listening to the sounds of the waves crashing, sipping on fresh coconut water, laying down in the sun. That's exactly where we headed to in the afternoon, moments well spent at Frenchman's Cove.
The next day, we started the morning with a small hike to some beautiful waterfalls. From there, we had the option of paying an extra fee to go down a "rabbit hole." I opted out and decided to enjoy a swim near the falls instead.
I especially loved that we were only surrounded by locals and sometimes, we would have the place to ourselves.
The view was spectacular and I especially loved how refreshing the water felt. Water shoes are recommended, as it can be a bit painful to walk on the rocks.
After lunch, we had some time off in the villa, before heading to another villa for dinner, where we were treated to breathtaking views right in time for sunset.
I especially loved staying at the villa, since every day we got a taste of homemade Jamaican cuisine, from a completely Jamaican breakfast spread to some delicious curry goat, fish, brown stew chicken, shrimp, rice and peas, and of course, jerk chicken.
We spent half a day at another private villa near the Blue Lagoon, where we got to kayak, swim, see turtles and play board games. We ended the day, by spending time in "Porty", or better known, as Port Antonio, in the afternoon. At this time, we got the opportunity to try Jamaican patties, shop for souvenirs and have some ice cream to cool off from the heat.
The fourth day of the retreat had to be my favourite. Despite being over three hours away, the moment we got to Stush in the Bush, where we planned on spending the day, I felt the place made up for the long drive. We were greeted with a welcome drink and a unique amuse-bouche (breadfruit tostada topped with jackfruit), and a brief introduction of the property, and history of the farm. The 8-course culinary experience is one of the best ones I have ever had. From the creativity of every dish crafted, to seeing the combination of ingredients to create the perfect burst of flavor, every bite was a chef's kiss. My mind was blown at how such a perfect meal was brought to life, with 100% plant-based ingredients.
The feast began with a Jamaican mezze spread, which included plantain and dasheen chips, roasted pumpkin hummus, jackfruit seed hummus, callaloo dip (my personal favorite), chimichurri sauce, green banana ceviche (I don't even like banana, but this was amazing), tabbouleh, plantain cook-up, yam and pineapple croquettes, pizza, and much more!
We walked around the farm, learned about the different plants native to Jamaica, saw its national bird, the hummingbird. There were some people in the group who had visited a year prior. They had planted mango trees on their last visit and we got to see its progress.
We moved to the main dining hall for the remaining courses. We got some time to explore the property and browse through the items at the small shop. The dishes for our mains included gourmet greens, grilled pumpkin arugula ricotta, roasted tomato bisque, focaccia bread, and a delicious blend of two cultures, an ackee ravioli with passionfruit beurre blanc. As a palate cleanser, before being served dessert, we got a fruit sorbet with mint. We went back outside to chill, enjoy some light music and the nice breeze before ending the night on a sweet ending. The dessert spread included chocolate cupcakes, banana bread with a chocolate sauce and beignets topped with a passionfruit curd sauce. I paired the desserts with some tea and Blue Mountain coffee, one of the best coffees I have tried to date.
The drive back to Kingston was long, but we got there in time for bed. The trip was quickly coming to an end, and leaving Portland for Kingston meant that we now moved to a hotel for the remainder of our stay. We had a long hike planned for the next day.
The hike up only took about 40 minutes, but with the heat, it felt dreadful and took a lot of energy. We visited the Rasta Camp, which was at the top of the mountain, over 300 steps up. We learned about the Rastafarai, which is an Abrahamic religion. The view from the camp was stunning, being surrounded by mountains and being cut off from the world. We got a glimpse of their temple, got to ask questions and learn about the history of the Rastas.
On our last official day, we got to have ice cream from Devon House once more, but this time at their original location in Kingston. The ice cream parlor offered some unique flavors, such as grapenut. There, they had several shops and restaurants, and thus, some people got to try curry goat burger and order more patties. We ended the day surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Mountains once more.
I never choose group trips as a first option, however after spending a week in Jamaica with a group of lovely people from all over the U.S, U.K, and Germany, I loved my time and was so grateful that I chose Jamaica over Morocco. I got to sample unique chocolate combinations and even decided to purchase them (sweet potato, banana and plantain chocolate, what?!). I ensured to visit the grocery store, like I do on any trips I go on and brought home some Jamaican snacks, tea and coffee with me.
I was unfortunately not able to make it to the Bob Marley Museum, but wasn't too deceived about that, though I heard that it is a cool place to visit, since it is his house.
I love how people in Jamaica are genuinely happy and are always trying to bring positive vibes, everywhere you go. I would love to go back to Jamaica, to explore another part of the island, such as Montego Bay, Treasure Beach or Negril.
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