Jamaica - review my itinerary

Ahleckz

Ahleckz

Ahleckz

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Review my Itinerary. 11 nights drive. Treasure Island, Blue Mountains, Kingston, Negril.

Going to Jamaica in November! Welcome any tips, must sees, etc! We love food, spice, beaches, relatively easy hikes, cocktails and just chilling. We want to avoid the mega resorts, all inclusive and eat good food and relax. We fly into Montego Bay and are hiring a car. We're mid 30s and more into chilling with a beer and cocktail than partying hard.

Hotels are booked for everywhere bar Kingston. Should I stay? Just visit as a day trip? We've got two nights in the Blue Mountains which tbh id be up for cancelling and skipping Kingston and the mountains but it's non refundable and I guess I ought to see Kingston!

The plan:
* Fly into Montego Bay and drive down and spend 4 nights in Treasure Beach.
Will go to Pelican Bar for my birthday, and just lounge at the beach.

* 2 nights in Blue Mountain
Long drive, so probably stop at Hellshire for lunch.
Enjoy coffee, do some hikes, splash in the waterfalls, BBQ some food and stare at the stars.

* 1 night in Kingston
No hotel booked yet.
Bob Marley, Art Murals, Devon House

* 4 nights in Negril
Seven Mile Beach, Appleton Distillery on the way (break up the drive), maybe a boat tour.
Fly home from Montego Bay.

Anyone got any suggestions, critique? I had fancied going to Boston Bay for jerk but feel it's a bit far. Obviously skipping the north coast but don't think it's got much for us.
Keen to hear about any food recommendations or must sees.
 
suggest you just try all foods some you will love some you will like some not so much

if any body offers you dranko call dranko batty rum dont its strongest rum known to man a cap top can ruin your weekend

other than that and sun screen i think you going to be busy enouth look out for sellers on the road side some of the best food out there
 
Thanks! Had a Google, and yep looks like the 'wash', which is the first spirit out the still before diluting..I've had scotch whisky wash and it's not pleasant so probably avoid that!

Yea, going to shove everything in my mouth! Oh er.
 
If you're into James Bond and/or Bob Marley, you can stay at the Goldeneye Estate...
Formerly the home of Ian Fleming himself, and the location that inspired many James Bond novels (as well as being where most of them were actually written), it was also once owned by Bob Marley.

GoldenEye - Luxury Resort in Jamaica

Once the home of renowned author Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond. GoldenEye is now one of the best luxury hotels in Jamaica featuring ocean and lagoon view villas, cottages and huts.
www.goldeneye.com www.goldeneye.com
 
Oof. Timing.

E: I'd check travel advice over the coming days, you may want to reassess your plans as it sounds like it may potentially be the worse hurricane recorded.

If they're in the unfortunate position of clearing up and looking for people I'm not sure flights of tourists will be going in ahead of aid.

Fingers crossed it's not that bad and Jamaica survives.
 
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If you're going to (assuming still going with this storm. Keeping a close eye on it) Negril you should always check out Ricks Cafe.

Depending where you stay in Montego bay you can find some exceptional jerk (especially jerk pork) in some little shacks under the name of Scotties. You may have to ask the locals where to find them but whenever I go back, it's the first place I eat from!

Shameless plug, in Montego Bay my family own the largest bakery, Flagstaff Bakery, heavily biased but they make the best hard dough bread around.
 
Yea, it's some bad timing. I cancelled the hotel in Treasure Beach yesterday as had free cancellation up until midnight and I'm not convinced the hotel will be there!
Following the hurricane today and I must admit Negril/Montego Bay doesn't look that badly impacted currently so suspect it'll still be on but think if so it'll likely be that we just stay in one area.
Fingers crossed for the locals, hope its as good as it can be...
 
Junglist said:
If you're going to (assuming still going with this storm. Keeping a close eye on it) Negril you should always check out Ricks Cafe.

Depending where you stay in Montego bay you can find some exceptional jerk (especially jerk pork) in some little shacks under the name of Scotties. You may have to ask the locals where to find them but whenever I go back, it's the first place I eat from!

Shameless plug, in Montego Bay my family own the largest bakery, Flagstaff Bakery, heavily biased but they make the best hard dough bread around.
Click to expand...
This is good intel! I love baked goods so I'll try and see your fam. I'll name drop you...
 
Ahleckz said:
This is good intel! I love baked goods so I'll try and see your fam. I'll name drop you...
Click to expand...

I actually got the name wrong. I meant Scotchies. As in scotch bonnet pepper!

My Uncle, well, great uncle, is usually in there if they're open. It's often very busy though as it's basically on a main road. There's a place not too far away from it that also does the best patties and they serve them up in cocoa really light and fluffy cocoa bread. Absolutely worth having a proper Jamaican patty the way they're supposed to be eaten!

If you're a fan of KFC, get a Jamaican KFC. It's even nicer than the American ones and infinitely nicer than the ones we have in the UK. Still get the choices of extra crispy, spicy, BBQ and original. It's just much nicer. Or just some traditional Jamaican fried chicken
 
Ahleckz said:
Yea, it's some bad timing. I cancelled the hotel in Treasure Beach yesterday as had free cancellation up until midnight and I'm not convinced the hotel will be there!
Following the hurricane today and I must admit Negril/Montego Bay doesn't look that badly impacted currently so suspect it'll still be on but think if so it'll likely be that we just stay in one area.
Fingers crossed for the locals, hope its as good as it can be...
Click to expand...

I returned back from Negril yesterday. Was only there from the 26th... Ridiculous it wasn't cancelled. I wish I had just not gone and taken the financial hit like about 100 people did on our flight.
 
inogen said:
I returned back from Negril yesterday. Was only there from the 26th... Ridiculous it wasn't cancelled. I wish I had just not gone and taken the financial hit like about 100 people did on our flight.
Click to expand...
Oh, tell me more. Was it that awful?
 
Ahleckz said:
Oh, tell me more. Was it that awful?
Click to expand...
widespread damage to roads and infrastructure and disruption to electricity and other utilities services, including internet. There are also shortages of food and water and access to currency. Access to healthcare in worst affected areas is limited. All Western parishes have suffered significant damage. The worst affected parishes are currently Westmoreland, St Elizabeth, St James, Hanover and Manchester. Exercise caution if you are travelling within Jamaica.
Click to expand...
www.gov.uk

Jamaica travel advice

FCDO travel advice for Jamaica. Includes safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences.
www.gov.uk www.gov.uk

They have a lot on their plate at the moment.
 
Montego Bay got hit quite badly. Luckily our house only lost a few shingles off of the roof and a window.

Probably Definitely not a holiday destination at the moment
 
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