Montego Bay, Jamaica

Yay, Jamiaca is finally here. I don't know about you but I have been the most exciting about blogging about this trip then any of my others (I've loved them all though...)

Back in March, P surprised me with a trip to Jamaica for our one year anniversary (I seriously married the most AMAZING guy!) I had been to Jamaica long ago and don't even remember where it was that we went, (I think it was Ocho Rios) but all I could remember was how amazing and beautiful the beaches were and how crystal clear the water was. My memories served me correct and as soon as we landed we were ready to hit the beach! A fluke March snow storm, bringing almost 6 inches of snow to Dallas the day we left was the prefect excuse for us to get the hell out of dodge and head to warm beautiful Jamaica!

We flew directly from DFW to Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was such an easy flight, only about 2.5 hours and we used some miles to upgrade to Business Class (FYI, try using your miles to upgrade to business/first class. Its a great way to use some of your miles and you don't have to clean out your miles bank account!). The Montego Bay airport is very large and they have a lot of direct flights from DFW and other large airports.

On the way to the resort, seeing the country side

Rose Hall-Ritz Carlton, Montego Bay

We stayed at the Rose Hall- Ritz Carlton, Montego Bay. It is so perfect, its only about a 10 min drive to the resort from the airport and as anyone that has ever traveled to Jamaica knows, when traveling to a lot of the Sandles properties it is typically a few hours drive to get to your resort! There is nothing wrong with traveling to get to the perfect place but I would recomended Jamiaca (espeically Montego Bay) as a great extended-weekend vacation and when you are short on time, its nice to have a direct flight and a short taxi to your final destination!

The front entry of the resort

The Rose Hall is a great resort to stay in while traveling to Jamaica! The exterior memicks the grand english plantations that used to sweep the country side of Montego Bay (and there are still some remaining).

When you arrive at the Ritz, you are instantly greeted with champagne and VERY helpful attendants. Your luggage is sweeped away so you do not have to deal with it and it magically appears in your room later (I HATE dealing with luggage so I am instantly impressed when this happens!)

The lobby is very colorful and inviting. Still mimicking the english plantations, the lobby reminds me of a formal living room in an old plantation. There are large window that look out onto an expansive lawn with the pool area in the background.

The view of the resort from the pool area

Here is the view from the pool area and the lawn I talked about earlier. Everyday around 3pm there was a kids soccer game on the lawn (P was very upset he could not go and join in the fun!)

Pool area

Of course we checked into our room and instantly threw on our suites and headed for the pool/beach! It was a little late in the day so we decided to grab a drink and just relax by the pool. It was so crazy coming from a blizzard (by Texas' standards) and a few hours later we were in warm tropical weather and on a beach.

I will say, the Pina's are not as good as they are in Cayman (a little disappointing) but none the less, I threw caution to the wind and indulged in Pina's all week :) The guys out by the pool are so nice and helpful. P and I were desperate from REAL jerk food so we kept asking the pool guys where their fav was... more on that later ;)

The next day we headed for the beach. I will be honest, the beach is not THAT great. It is very rocky and the water was very cold (the water temp could have to do with the fact we were there pretty early in the season.) The ocean water is crystal clear and the sand is as white as you can imagine. It was much prettier to look at than to enjoy though.

The resort provides a lot of water entertainment. You can rent kayaks, hobi cats, sailing and wind surfing lessons and snorkeling equipment. Rose Hall provides beautiful cabanas for rental as well. It is the prefect way to enjoy the beach without worrying about getting too much sun!

BEAUTIFUL! Can't wait to go back!

They have full wait staff and bar service on the beach... for all the Pina's you will be ordering! Plus, its not a true beach experience without buying some local goods...

We bought cups, glasses, and randomly he threw in an ash tray for free

Next up... FOOD