I am so late!!! Please forgive me!! I went on a baecation to Montego Bay for my 25th Birthday August 3rd-August 7th. My birthday was on the 5th. Let me just say we had an amazing time!!! The food, employees, tour guides, and the OVERALL Jamaican culture was life changing. We stayed at the Hotel Riu Palace Jamaica Resort (Adults Only) and it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The lobby was so colorful, the employees were so ready to greet us, they brought our bags to our room, and the scenery was breathtaking!!! We were next to the other Riu hotel where they have live shows, clubs, and other fun things to so. You know I can’t post my travels without giving you all some tips that I’ve learned from planning my trip, traveling out of the country, and must-go places in Jamaica!!
- Look at Reviews & Pictures! – This is just the obsessed person in me but it’s really really important to look up where you are staying. I literally stalked my resort and looked at the pictures daily to make sure that that’s where I wanted to stay. Pictures are everything!! They suck you in before the price! If you feel like you can’t take a selfie in that room or in the resort in general, then it’s not for you! The customers don’t lie. If their stay wasn’t bomb they will let you know in the reviews section. Read the good and bad then make your decision. If different customers has the same bad experiences, then I would take that into consideration!!
- Book ahead of time!– If your birthday is in August, don’t wait until May to book your trip. That’s a big NO NO. Your trip is suppose to be paid in full at least months before your trip. Your birthday is the same every year and the only thing that changes is the day it falls on. If you know for sure that you want to go somewhere, I would book it at least 5 month in advance. It’s less stressful and the payments are spread out!
- Adults Only but…– It’s calmer, relaxing, the drinks are stronger, and no obnoxious kids running around. I liked the Adults Only but at times it was too quiet for me. I like to step out of my room and have a lot of things going on or seeing families having fun with their kids. If you do stay at an Adults Only resort, you should make sure that you’re next to a family resort where you can go over there to their events and night life. The perks is that they can’t come to your resort but you can go to theirs =).
- FACE YOUR FEARS – If your phobia is water, being on a trip would force you to face your fears!! You’ll get in the pool because it’s there, go further in the ocean than you normally do because it’s that beautiful, or you may climb waterfalls because you know that you’ll never have the opportunity to do it again. I’m not saying to jump off a cliff without a life jacket when you don’t know how to swim but take toddler steps!! Dunn’s River Falls is a MUST!
- Stay 5 Days!!– To this day I regret staying for 4 days! The first day we didn’t get settled in until like 3ish, then we ate something, and later got ready for dinner. We had about a day and a half to actually chill on the resort during the day. The next two days were excursions then after that, it was time to go. If you plan on going on trip, I recommend you stay at least 5 days so you can have a balance of relaxation and adventures!
- Try different foods! – My boyfriend was the king of trying different foods on this trip. If there’s a fusion restaurant, try something other than chicken or steak!
- Check-In!!– OMG one of the worst nightmares about flying with someone is the fear of not being able to sit with each other on the plane. Even though this is very hard to do and the last thing that is on your mind is leaving but you should take some time out to check in to your flight. No one likes boarding in Cs!!
- Bae > – He or she will always come through. There’s nothing like going on a trip with your significant other and experience things for the first time together! The person that you talk to everyday is there with you and the last thing you’re worried about is what’s going on back home. There’s nothing wrong with a girls or guys trip but BAEcations are just the way to go sometimes!!
There are so many more things to consider but I wanted to give you my 8! I hope you enjoyed this!
Black girl out,
Shanella B
Look at my next post of the pictures from our trip! —–>
ablackgirlstale 