Jamaica... the re-re-redo!!!
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To understand the significance of this trip, you’ll need understand why it happened in the first place. Long story short, my first trip to Jamaica was nothing short of traumatizing. A trip that was intended to be a girl’s trip to destress ended up being the most stressful solo trip I have ever taken. For the full story, click here.
Fast forward to 5 years later, a person who started out as a social media mutual, was now a very real friend and also extremely fond of Jamaica. Sakita and I had only met twice in person prior to planning this trip but I am sooooo grateful that she persuaded me to go back. Due the pandemic, I hadn’t taken a real vacation since 2020. Needless to say, it was time. Sakita let me pick the dates and the resort where we would stay. After Googling myself crazy and reading endless reviews, I landed on Ocean Coral Spring All-Inclusive Resort. I’m so happy I did.
It was scheduled to rain our entire stay but neither of us cared. It was still summer and we were happy that the rain would help keep us cool. Talk about optimism. Our plan was simple. Eat, sleep, and REST. We only planned one excursion which was still very relaxing — rafting at Martha’s Brae. It was my first time doing such a thing and it was a beautiful experience. Our raft leader was personable and gave us so many bits of Jamaican history throughout our ride.
The resort was GORGEOUS!!! Fully equipped with several restaurants, a sportsbar, nightclub, bowling alley, private beach, piano bar, and more, there was no reason for us to even leave the property. The staff was polite and the rooms were very comfortable. The food and drinks were pretty mediocre but that’s expected at an all-inclusive resort that caters to travelers from all over the world. The best food we had at the resort was at the Indian restaurant called Thali. Aside from that, I thoroughly enjoyed my stay. I slept in, hung out at the pool, watched a Serena Williams match at the sportsbar but my favorite part of the trip was bonding with a friend over our mutual desire to be the best people we can be personally, professionally, and otherwise.
I know that some people book trips and expect nothing but adventure from start to finish but I’m not that person anymore and this wasn’t that kind of trip. The older I get, the more I appreciate not returning from my trips more tired than when I left. I enjoy ease, moving slowly, and really soaking up my surroundings. To help restore my energy, I unplugged from social media during the trip. I didn’t even take calls nor respond to texts from anyone back home. I used my time to focus on me and my mental health. This trip to Jamaica served its purpose beautifully and I’m happy that the re-re-REDO was much better than my original time there. For cost details, check out the trip recap at the end.
As always, thank you for reading.
Trip recap…
Room: $722.18 for 4 days, 3 nights in an Ocean View room
Roundtrip Airfare: 23,000 Delta SkyMiles + $141.76 (ATL>MJB)
Pros: The resort was beautiful with a variety of things to do. The room was spacious, clean, and very comfortable.
Cons: The food and drinks were lackluster.
Tip: Usually for international trips, I would recommend exchanging your USD for local currency. For Jamaica, I would suggest taking USD as it is easier to track your spending and tipping.