Jamaica - Flashback Part 1

I just realised that I have left my Bob Marley CD in Hubs' car.  This wouldn't be an issue, if it wasn't for the fact that said car has just been traded in!  Fingers crossed, I'll be able to get it back. 

I guess you're probably sitting thinking 'why is she rambling about a lost CD?'  Well, this particular CD was given to me by Hubs shortly after we returned from our Honeymoon, in Jamaica, in 2010, when we had visited Bob Marley's house.  

And, even though it was 3 years ago, I figured I would dedicate a post to this beautiful Caribbean Island (does it make sense now?!).

We flew to Jamaica in late October (24th, to be exact) which is just at the end of hurricane season. 

We stayed at Hotel Riu Tropical Bay in Negril.  We chose Negril as it was a quieter part of the island, compared to Montego Bay or Kingston and we were looking for somewhere that would offer us complete relaxation. 

We landed at around 8pm local time, having flown for 10+ hours, so it's fair to say we didn't explore the hotel grounds too much on the first night! 

And then we were up at 5am the next day (yay for jet lag!), so headed for a walk along the beach to watch the sunrise. 

The beach was beautiful, well kept and peaceful.  If you carried on walking, about a mile or so away from the resort, there was a lovely beach market with locals selling all sorts of products (we picked up a picture and a few pieces of handmade jewellery to take back as gifts). 

The hotel itself was beautiful, although the decor was a little dated (this may have changed since we were there!).  The staff were very helpful, the food was great and the whole place seemed so chilled out.  We picked up a well-used Jamaican phrase while we were there - 'Irie'.  It means 'no worries' - just relax and everything will sort itself out.

There were four restaurants in the resort.  As they weren't at maximum capacity while we were there the restaurants opened on alternate evenings - two one night and two the next. This wasn't a problem as we still got to experience them all (more than once!) during our 14 nights there. 

We were looking for relaxation, but even I can't sit on my bum doing nothing for a full 2 weeks!  So we were pleased to find there was a whole range of excursions to keep us busy.   We opted for the trips provided by Riu, which pushed the price point up a bit, but at least this way we knew we would be well looked after and get what we were paying for. 

Our first trip was to Rick's Café, about 20 minutes by boat from the resort.  

A gorgeous little cove surrounded by rocks, it was absolutely buzzing with locals and tourists.  We grabbed a beer and sat beside the cliff side watching people throwing themselves from the tops of trees into the water below.  You can just about see a man in the tree up there, ready to jump. 

This picture gives a better perspective on exactly how far he was going to be jumping!  I thought I would include a helpful arrow too...

After a few hours soaking up the atmosphere, we sailed back to the resort.  Watching the sun set, over the sea, was breathtaking. 

Our next excursion was horse riding, on the beach.  My horse was called 'Playboy' and we trekked down the beach for about 20 minutes before stopping for some photos.  Playboy wasn't very cooperative and was more concerned about getting his best side than mine! 

We also got the opportunity to go swimming on the horses, which is one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had.  We left our camera with the tour guide on the beach so he could get a snap for us. 

The horses were so relaxed and lovely that this day was my favourite of the whole holiday - it was truly a dream come true! 

This post is getting long!  I think I'd forgotten how fabulous Jamaica was and how much I had to talk about!  There's still Bob Marley's house, YS  Falls and The Appleton Rum tour to include...  I think we should call it a night for now!  

Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings - check back again soon for part 2! 

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