Jamaica

Flying to the Caribbean in February to escape the British winter had never seemed like a better idea than when we boarded our 10-hr flight to Jamaica, leaving behind the freezing cold rain and gale force winds of Storm Dennis in the UK to swap for balmy heat, swaying palm trees and white ribbons of fine sand next to azure seas. In hindsight, this was just pre-covid so our last trip away before the pandemic, and timed so that we arrived back just before the world went into lockdown.

Our hotel, Bahia Grand Principe, is situated in Runaway Bay, around halfway between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. No frills, it provides great family friendly accommodation with all-inclusive food and drinks. The BBQ jerk chicken with rice and peas served by the pool at lunchtime was a daily feast, and I have been learning to cook this similarly since I returned home. The à la carte offerings were mediocre, although the fresh cooking station at the Teriyaki restaurant was delicious and the chef put on a great show, keeping the attention of the kids and wowing us with their skills.

The best thing about Bahia Grand Principe was the outdoor areas. The pool is massive and snakes around the resort, providing hours of fun for the kids, who never seemed to tire of chasing a ball around. They also loved the swim up bar with mocktails on tap. There is a newly built water splash park with slides for smaller kids, which is ideally located just behind the beach. The beach areas are out of this world with shallow, gently sloping white sand and crystal-clear sea, ideal for snorkelling. A floating lobster bar (not included with the hotel AI) appeared most lunchtimes in the bay, and we could swim up to enjoy a freshly caught lobster lunch and ice-cold beer, amazing.

An absolute highlight was a visit to ‘The Blue Hole’, also known as Island Gully Falls, Irie Falls, or The Cool Blue Hole. This series of natural limestone sinkholes, near Ocho Rios, gets its name from the deep azure hue of the waters. It was exciting making our way through the lush rainforest to walk to these Secret Falls. We’re still talking about this trip at home, and my son has asked to revisit one day. It was one of the best things we have done together on holiday, a real treat. We spent several hours scrambling, climbing, jumping, cliff diving, swimming, rope swinging and exploring this jaw-droppingly beautiful spot in the deep jungle, surrounded by nature. Our private guide took lots of videos and photos for posterity and made sure we safely navigated the complex of pools, waterfalls and rapids whilst making it super fun for the kids.

We sadly never made it to the famous Dunns River Falls, as our catamaran engine died en route, leaving us floating at sea and needing to be towed back to port. An adventure that we had not expected but isn’t that what travel is all about?! Whilst in Jamaica, we jumped at the chance to visit The Bob Marley Museum, located at the former home of the reggae legend. Bob’s home is filled with rich memories and treasured mementos, which seek to preserve the life and accomplishment of this great Jamaican and outstanding musician. Our friendly, funny and knowledgeable guides escorted us through the grounds, which include the main house, exhibition hall, theatre, gift shops and the One Love Café. All the original rooms have been kept as they were when Bob lived here to ensure authenticity.

Whilst in Jamaica, I could not resist a visit to nearby hotel Beaches Ocho Rios, which is the family brand of Sandals Caribbean all-inclusive resorts. We spent the day enjoying the hotel’s excellent family friendly facilities. The kids spent all day busy on the water park slides, snorkelling and endless banana boat rides (all of which are included) and I sat back and soaked up some sunshine and cocktails, along with a tour of the whole hotel and various room categories, so I could see what they offer.

We travelled back on the upper deck of Virgin's 747 which was worth every penny of the £30 prebooked seat charge. The upper deck cabin has a 2-2 configuration of seats and only 10 rows of economy seats, and 10 rows of premium. The smaller cabin size means it is much quieter with lots more space. We had more legroom than seats downstairs, plus there is a wide gap between the window seat and the window, which Virgin have cleverly filled with a storage chest, so all blankets/ pillows/ bags/ shoes can go in there to clear more space. I also thought the service was better and more attentive on the upper deck, as the crew had fewer passengers to deal with. I'd recommend.

We all agreed: Jamaica is a destination we’ll come back to again and again, hopefully as soon as possible. A family getaway in February half-term to escape the UK in the winter months, grabbing some much-needed Caribbean sunshine vibes is on the do list for as soon as possible!