Jamaica Me Crazy - A Travel Review

I've just returned from Jamaica and what better way to remember my time out there than write a blog post to go into our ever-mounting travel section! With its chilled-out vibe, happy people and clear blue waters, Jamaica is textbook Caribbean.

Having been lucky enough to go to Australia in March we wanted a 'bomb-out' summer holiday where we literally lay on a sun bed and relaxed – Jamaica is certainly the perfect place to do that! We decided to book with Thomson Holidays for ease and chose the Grand Palladium Resort and Spa in a lesser-known part of the island, Lucea. Lucea is a small unspoilt town on the island's northwest coast away from the usual tourist spots of Negril and Montego Bay.

After the nine hour flight (with Thomson long-haul not feeling that much different to short-haul!), we were luckily upgraded to an ocean view room as we had two special occasions to celebrate during our two-week stay. The ocean view made all the difference with a private balcony and views stretching out over the Caribbean Sea. Lucea was quite a way from the island's main attractions, for example climbing the Dunn's River Waterfalls was on our list of things to do but we didn't fancy the six-hour round-trip! We wanted a quiet holiday though and Lucea met our needs as well as having lots of facilities in the resort such as a spa, watersports, tennis and four pools to keep us entertained.

One really memorable thing was just how friendly and happy the Jamaican people in our resort were. We would walk to breakfast with the sounds of the gardeners singing their very own reggae tunes and people would stop to say hello or offer us a freshly fallen coconut. The most common phrase was 'no problem mon' and it did seem like everyone was on beach time... maybe it was the 'special tobacco' we could smell occasionally or the rum punch which was on tap - we'll never know!

We were slightly concerned about the weather when booking our holiday for the end of August into September but we actually looked forward to the daily 2pm rain showers giving us the chance to play a game of tennis or relax in the indoor spa and have a much-needed break from the sun. The sun was so powerful, it definitely seemed hotter there than in any other country I've visited so P20 and lots of it was needed for my skin. I saw many people burn despite them loading up on sunscreen. Another product which helped my tan to develop was Cowshed's Spearmint Exfoliating Sea Salt Scrub - I used it twice a week so stop peeling and to nourish and protect my skin. Gorgeous!

Jamaica was just how I'd pictured it... luscious green plants everywhere dotted with the most colourful flowers I've ever seen alongside a backdrop of the ocean as clear as a swimming pool. You appreciate the daily rain as it clearly keeps the island vibrant and full of life.

I've not travelled all-inclusive before because, as I've said in previous posts, I really enjoy getting to know a country and the culture of the place. Let's just say my first all-inclusive experience (the food and organised entertainment in particular!) was memorable, it's not for me but I'm happy I got to travel to the stunning island of Jamaica all the same!

Highlights

• A daily non-alcoholic ice blended Piña Colada drink by the pool to kickstart my day!
• Gaining total relaxation with days slowly drifting into nights and the inability to work out what day it was!

 Must-dos

• Devour a plate of Jerk Chicken on the beach with a side of Scotch Bonnet spicy sauce... or if you're a veggie like me try the traditional dish of Gumbo
• Visit Montego Bay - I could see the twinkling lights of this vibrant place from the balcony and really wish I'd spent some time there

Peace mon, Jane x