Welcome to my travel journal: I love Jamaica. I’ve been there enough to say that it’s a destination that gives and gives. “One Love” is not a tagline, it’s a way of life. Warmth, hospitality, pride: the local people I've met on my travels to this deeply perfect island exude all these qualities. One of the reasons I love it so much is because it’s the location for my annual adult lady trip. Claudia, Julie and I have been best friends since college, and we have always made traveling together a priority. And Jamaica has turned out to be our destination of choice for our travels. We love the music, the water, the scenery, jerk anything, plantains and Red Stripe, fried fish and callaloo. This year was a milestone birthday (Claudia’s), so we decided to up the ante on our usual and go glam at GoldenEye, Ian Fleming’s old stomping ground, now a luxury resort owned by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. | Even though our trip was a bit spendy, Jamaica can be done at almost any price point. So if you’re looking for more affordable options, we have a guide for that. | | | | | Senior Director of Content | | | | |  | Beach hut bed (note netting) | | | | | Playful signage at Goldeneye | | | | | How to get from the airport to your destination: We prearranged an airport pickup with our resort. It’s a 90-minute drive from the airport in Montego Bay to Oracabessa in St Mary Parish. If you do end up visiting GoldenEye, ask for Pops to be your driver; he was a joy. (Note: Now you can fly commercially into the much more convenient Ian Fleming Airport in Ocho Rios via a new twice-weekly American route from Miami, which we may try next year.) Getting around town: In my opinion making your way around Jamaica is not easy, so if you’re a nervous driver, or don’t feel comfortable driving on the left, or taking buses, make other arrangements to explore the island beyond your hotel or other accommodation. Also, I’m a scaredy cat. Others may find it no biggie! Where to stay: I must recommend GoldenEye – it’s not cheap but if you’re celebrating like we were, you will not be disappointed. There are so many other options, though. I’ve stayed at two Sandals all-inclusive resorts, and they were both affordable and beautiful. In Negril, I recommend Skylark on Seven Mile Beach (eat at Miss Lily’s) or its nearby sibling property, Rockhouse. I’ve also enjoyed two stays at Jakes in Treasure Beach – it's unique. What to pack: Jamaica is casual, relaxed and unfussy. It's a huge relief for anyone who is stressed about what to wear or is a chronic overpacker. I feel like you could bring a bathing suit, one semi-decent outfit, a coverup, some flip flops and be done with it. No one cares what you wear, so you don’t care, and it’s all about just being there. I love it! | | | Here's what we did on our long winter weekend. Our trip was heavy on relaxing and light on excursions and activities, which is sometimes exactly what you need. It's okay to fly and flop! | | | | Pooltime + cocktails with the gals | | | | | Morning: The most important meal of the day? Breakfast. I love breakfast in Jamaica (okay, I love all meals), and breakfast at GoldenEye's waterfront outdoor Bizot Bar is divine. It serves locally sourced coffee, local vegetables grown at nearby Pantrepant farm, fresh juices, pastries and perfectly cooked eggs. How to spend the day: Today (ok, every day) is all about relaxing. After breakfast, we toured the entire property to get our bearings. Then we sat by the pool and moseyed down to the beach for a swim. They brought us drinks – GoldenEye cocktails and Red Stripes – and we just melted into the scene. Later, I had a massage at the lagoon-front Field Spa, which was divine in every way. Dinner: There was a dinner option but tbh, we were spent from the sun, so we opted for fresh fruit and plantain chips in the room (we stayed in a one-bedroom beach hut), enjoyed a few more Red Stripes from our stocked Smeg fridge, and listened to music until we couldn’t stay awake any longer. | | | | Covered in mud at the Blue Hole | | | | | Nachos and margs at Margaritaville | | | | | How to spend the day: Today is the day! A trip to the Blue Hole in Ocho Rios. We left early to get there at 9am before it got too crowded. A few things we wish we’d known beforehand: you need proper water shoes to muck through running water and the damp ground to reach the main falls and pool. They had them for sale, but we didn’t have any Jamaican dollars, so we asked Pops to cover us (he knew where we lived). We did bring cash for the entrance fee ($30) and borrowed more cash to tip Travis, our guide (required to tour the falls the falls), and to buy souvenirs or drinks along the way. There are many vendors lining the route who rely on tourist dollars. As we made our way to the falls, Travis stopped to show us flowers and birds and insects, treading up and around soggy ground and stepping across stones in our water shoes. Once we reached the actual Blue Hole, we dove in the cool, fresh water. Guides were escorting visitors up to an outcropping 100 yards above us, so Travis walked Julie up the hill, and she jumped in the water. Brave! Before we left, Travis suggested we cover our skin with the Blue Hole's mud, because of its healing and detoxifying properties. We obliged. Afterwards Pops drove us to lunch at Chris's Cook Shop in Oracabessa, for which, you guessed it, we needed to borrow more cash. Chris's is a typical roadside restaurant with few frills, a reggae soundtrack and delicious local food. We ate two kinds of shrimp, garlic and coconut curry, accompanied by rice and beans, fried chicken and more Red Stripe. Dinner: Margaritaville in Ocho Rios is an American chain of tropically-themed restaurants founded by singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffet (named for his famous song, "Margaritaville"). This is not what you'd call an "authentic" dining experience, and it is most certainly not Jamaican. But it had to be done, mostly because we’re obsessed with its “Volcano Nachos” and love its monster margaritas. It's usually a scene, but we went too early to vibe with it. This trio has never been able to go out to eat at 9pm, so as early diners, we had the place mostly to ourselves. After dark: We had it in us to stay up at the resort’s outdoor bar, Shabeen, and enjoyed specialty cocktails and shared a joint (when in Rome). The bartender took requests so we we were bopping and singing along. Heaven. | | | | Brekke sitting at Ian Fleming's desk | | | | | Bizot Bar | | | | | How to spend the day: We requested and were granted a tour of Fleming Villa, which you can rent if you’ve got the means. This is the property where British author Ian Fleming wrote his series of James Bond novels (one of which is called Goldeneye). They've gone to great pains to make this feel extraordinary, from its impeccable decor and landscaping to its expansive outdoor area with a pool and private beach. Fleming's original writing desk is situated in his old room, and I got a kick out of sitting in it. Later Julie and Claudia hit the spa (I was very tempted to go for a second treatment, but my wallet said no). After more beach time, Julie and I played tennis then hit the beach bar for delicious piña coladas. There is also standup paddle-boarding and kayaking on the lagoon as well as snorkeling in the cove. Dinner: For our last evening, we dressed in our best caftans (procured by Claudia from Amazon, especially for the trip) and enjoyed a sunset drumming performance and bonfire at Shabeen. From there, we strolled to dinner, and we were seated near the stage where a duo strummed guitars and covered Bob Marley songs. We (I hope) quietly and respectfully sang along, sipping cocktails before enjoying more fresh vegetables and fish. It was a heady evening. Afterwards we sat outside our beach hut, listened to more reggae music and sipped some Blackwell Rum to wind it down. | | Last look at the Caribbean Sea before departing | | | The end: One final turn around the property. Julie rallied for an outdoor training class that no one else showed up for, so got an unexpected private session. Afterwards she returned to our beach hut to enjoy an outdoor bath because somebody had to. We dragged our feet to check out and settle our bill (at GoldenEye you pay in advance for the room, so this was our food, spa treatments, excursion and transportation tab). We inquired about booking the same trip for the following year, and the wonderful front desk staff put us on the list for when reservations open. Then Pops drove us back to Montego Bay to fly home. We said farewell and told him we’d see him in 2025. And we will. | | |  | Love travel inspiration in your inbox? | | | Share with a fellow travel lover by forwarding to a friend. Did someone share this email with you? Subscribe by clicking here. | | | This email was sent to you by: | Lonely Planet Publications Ltd. | 1101 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707 | | | |
