A TASTE OF JAMAICA | MY THREE WEEK EXPERIENCE

Joy-Ann
Oct 12, 2017
4 min read

Hey loves,

It’s 03:07am to be exact and here I am reminiscing about my holiday to Jamaica- Take me back please!

Why was I awake so early you ask? Well to be entirely honest…It all started with a toilet break. But moving on quickly, I really contemplated writing this post. I came to realise that I had 1000 videos and hardly any post worthy pictures.

Anyways, with a little bit of persuasion, mixed with holiday blues, my love for writing and you guys of course, here I am in the beautiful month of October sharing parts of my experience with you.

WHY JAMAICA?

As much as it burns me to say this, Jamaica is one of the most popular islands in the Caribbean. Whenever I say I’m from Montserrat people usually respond “So, you’re basically Jamaican”. Which tends to get pretty annoying at times. Nevertheless, I’ve always wanted to visit the beautiful Island and it’s now been crossed off my bucket list.

WHO I WENT WITH?

Who I went with can be taken with a pinch of salt. I was invited by my friend Tasha but we didn’t fly out together.

Hey Tasha.

In fact, I flew out on my own for the very first time via a connecting flight. I DO NOT recommend connecting flights unless:

You want to save money.
You’re staying overnight
Not concerned about your luggage making it to your final destination lol.

My flight info: London Heathrow – Toronto Pearson – Jamaica Norman Manley

A direct flight would've cost me £1300. However, I paid just under £900.

I didn’t stay overnight but there was a one hour delay due to staff members being late. On the plus side my luggage made it safe and sound.

MY EXPERIENCE!

I shall start off by stating the obvious, Jamaica is such a breath-taking island with a very vibrant culture. Luckily for me, I was able to experience both the real Jamaica and the touristy parts. When I say the real Jamaica, I mean the parts that you’d only visit if you have family or friends living there.

The view from a balcony in Clarks Town.

Clarks Town:

Clarks Town was where I spent most of my days (If you sang ‘chillin out, maxin, relaxin all cool’ then we can definitely be friends. But, honestly Clarks Town became home. I met Tasha’s friends and family and they truly welcomed me with open arms. When I first met them I was a tad shy though. I was in a completely new environment and really didn’t want to say the wrong things. Eventually, I warmed up and questioned why I was moving so shy in the first place. I must say that being around such friendly individuals enabled me to get an authentic feel of the island.

Life is easier when you're chilling.

Tasha's cousins

Coconut water and jelly time!

A child's innocence is what we should strive for.

Clarks Town is also where I stuffed my face with so much food!

"Photography is about capturing souls not smiles"

There were so many dishes to experience. I can’t even tell you what dish I devoured the most because I literally ate everything. When it came to snacks, there was a period where I was completely obsessed with cheesy beef patties, cheese bread and donuts.

BBQ chicken, rice and peas and pasta.

Scoops of happiness.

Did someone say party? Okay, no one said party but I need to express that Jamaicans can throw a great party in any space. Whether it be a tiny barber shop or a huge car park- they really make it work. The parties I attended were all LIT!

LIT= When something is turned up or popping – Urbandictionary.com

A few generals.

Jackson town:

I’m about to call this place ‘photoshoot spot’. Me and friend initially went Jackson Town to check out her uncle’s new bar but ended up having our very own photoshoot. I mean, the sun was shining, our melanin was popping and her uncle’s shop screamed colours.

Ocho Rios:

Some may call it embarrassing, some may call it cute but the first time I tried lobster was in Ocho Rios and it really didn’t disappoint!

I was shocked to say the least as i'm pretty 50/50 with seafood. It really was the perfect meal to end a long day of outfit shopping.

Excited much?

This was delicious.

Had to make a quick stop...

....for the love of my life; Guinep.

Negril:

I went Negril for Dream Weekend which is a music festival that lasts over 5 days. It was partically exciting as each event had a different theme.

Dream weekend events.

Beach chic.

All black.

Red & white.

Besides my phone being stolen, the festival was honestly the highlight of my holiday. We stayed at a beautiful hotel, attended back-to-back parties, ate good food, drank loads and soaked up the sun.