Jamaica

Warm weather, beautiful beaches, mountains, lush greenery, reggae music, rum, Red Stripe, and jerk barbecue… if that doesn’t spell vacation, I don’t know what does!  Jamaica is arguably the most famous island in the Caribbean, thanks to its natural beauty, “no problem” hospitality, and a certain Mr. Marley (though Mr. Bond & Mr. Bolt may have helped too, depending on your demographic).

 

Getting there and around: 

Jamaica has 2 main international airports – Sangster (MBJ) located in Montego Bay and Norman Manley (KIN) located in Kingston.  Most of the famous resorts towns (e.g. Ocho Rios, Negril, Montego Bay, etc.) are located on the north half of the island, so it’s closer to fly into Sangster, though Ocho Rios does have Ian Fleming airport (OCJ), but it’s only open to flights from the U.S. and other Caribbean countries.

As it is in most (small) island countries, your main way of getting to and from the airport is by vehicle.  If you’ve booked an all-inclusive vacation, you’ll likely have a bus picking you up, but there’s also taxis and private car services/rentals.  I’ve been there twice and we’ve gone the private car route both times, through our resort membership.  This allowed me to ensure that I would have an accessible vehicle, or at least one that I could transfer into.  Most of the highway coaches/buses that I’ve seen don’t have a lift, so make sure you let your travel company or tour provider know well in advance, if you’re unable to climb the stairs.

Where I stayed (year):

Gran Bahia Principe (GBP) Jamaica (2012 & 2014) – Roughly an hour’s drive from Montego Bay and 15 minutes from Ocho Rios, this all-inclusive resort is located in Runaway Bay, on the north shore of the island, in St. Ann parish.  It’s a fair-sized resort, but you should still be able to get around quite easily on your own (i.e. there’s no need for golf carts or trams, like there are at other sprawling resorts).  The biggest obstacle that I can recall is a steep road between the activities square and the main building (which is built on a hillside), but elevators are prevalent throughout the resort, so you don’t have to negotiate that hill, unless you’re intentionally looking to burn off some of the delicious food and drinks.  That said, if you’d like to explore the entire property and have trouble walking for an extended period, you should probably bring or rent a mobility device.

As with many chain resorts, the complex consists of 2 properties:  GBP Jamaica & Luxury BP Runaway Bay (an upscale, adults-only section).  Unfortunately, the latter doesn’t have any accessible rooms, which is a HUGE oversight, considering it was just built in 2014!  But overall, the resort is beautiful and has 6 restaurants, 7 bars, and as is the case with all GBP resorts – a shopping and nightlife square called ‘Pueblo Principe’.  This is where you’ll find the nightly stage show/entertainment, disco, karaoke & sports bars, shops, and 24 hr snack bar.  

One of the best features of the resort is its lovely beach, which has the best of everything!  Water sports take place on the section of beach that’s open to the ocean, while those who prefer to lounge or swim around in calm waters can enjoy the cove and its serene setting.  This section of the beach is all sand, so it might be tough to explore with a mobility device (though trucks have matted down a solid path in some parts).  And if you go far enough around the cove, you’ll eventually get to the nude section of the beach.  But rest assured, there’s no need to worry about anybody catching an eye-full of nakedness (intentionally or otherwise), as there are plenty of trees and natural vegetation surrounding the nude area – secluding it from the rest of the beach.  So, modest vacationers and gawkers alike would need to deliberately venture into this area, to be offended or think they’ve hit the jackpot, respectively… 😉  

A definite “must do” on the resort is checking out the “Jerk Pit”.  It’s located downstairs from the beach buffet & dining area, so it’s a very popular lunch spot!  Unfortunately, the stairs are the only way to get to the grilled-fare, so you may have to ask somebody to bring you up a plate, if they’re not negotiable.  Chicken and pork are grilled and you have the choice of adding some traditional jerk sauce or “hellfire sauce” to your meal.  Both have a spicy kick to them, but are flavourful and won’t totally take your head off (it’ll clear your sinuses for you though). In fact, the hellfire sauce is a bit of a misnomer, as I find it less spicy than the regular jerk sauce, though neither will disappoint spice aficionados!

Overall, the accommodations and resort itself are quite nice! Rooms are generally junior suites, so you’ll have the choice of 1 or 2 beds, with a sitting area, dining table, and also a table and chairs on your balcony.  Accessibility is good too, with elevators and ramps throughout the property, and resort amenities grouped together on one of two levels (i.e. ground or third floor).  The accessible suite that I stayed in (both times) was located on the 3rd floor – just off of the main lobby and next to the lounge.  It had a grab bar by the toilet and a small one in the shower too, but you’ll need to bring your own shower bench (or look into renting one from an external vendor in Jamaica), if needed.  The restaurants and buffets were also nice and fairly easy to get to, but you should give the a la carte’s advance warning, if you have difficulty negotiating stairs, as I seem to recall some of them having split-level or elevated seating.  Rating: 4/5

 

What I saw outside of the resort: 

Bob Marley Mausoleum –  Located in the hills of Nine Mile (in St. Ann Parish), this attraction offers a look into the life, career, and final resting place of The King of Reggae. The tour starts out in a very small, modest museum area, where you can see the highlights and accolades of his storied career.  After that, a Rastafarian guide will take you uphill and through the gates to show you his childhood bedroom and family mausoleum – sharing stories of Bob’s early life in 9 Mile.  Pictures are allowed everywhere except in the tomb, but visitors are welcome to walk around inside and leave something meaningful behind, as a show of thanks, should they choose (there were pictures, flowers, guitar pics, bracelets, etc.). Accessibility is tricky because the compound is on a hillside and there’s a big step to negotiate, in order to get up to the mausoleum & “rock pillow” (using a sloped path along the compound wall), but I managed alright with some help. The car we hired pulled up to the 2nd gate of the compound because the 1st one lead to the admission booth and gift shop, but from there it’s all stairs, to get to everything else.  Side note: If you’d like to sample some ‘special’ tea, cake, or just the main/secret ingredient itself – the locals have you covered and can generally be found outside the gates.    

 

St. Ann’s Bay – The capital of St. Ann Parish, this town is was where Christopher Columbus first landed in Jamaica, in 1494.  It’s only a 10 minute drive from the resort and offers an authentic Jamaican experience.  There’s really just 2 main streets to check out (Main & Bravo) and outside of the supermarket and some of the shops, accessibility isn’t the greatest.  Our driver/guide was able to go into the marketplace and purchase some ‘stringy’ mangoes for us (VERY sweet and appropriately named because the long fibers get stuck in your teeth!).  And as we were leaving, we were able to see the St. Ann Parish Courthouse – one of two buildings in the town that were constructed in the late 1800’s (the church is the other).