Lime Cay

Lime Cay is THE beach you need to go to when you are in Kingston. It is located on a small island not so far from Port Royal. To get to this beach, you have to drive passed the Norman-Manley International Airport, and turn right just before the Morgan’s Harbour Hotel, which leads you to the parking lot. The place looks sketchy but you don’t need to worry, you really are at the right place. You pay 1000$ JAM (10$US) at the small bar down at the marina, for your round-trip boat ride to get to Lime Cay island.

When they decide to leave (no regular schedule, Island time ;) ) they will help you get into a small or medium boat. The 15-20 minutes boat ride is sometimes very bumpy and you cannot wait to get there…. hopefully alive. Haha but seriously, as soon as you are on the beach, you know it was worth it. You can agree with your ‘’captain’’ on a time for him to pick you up. You can also take their phone number, but they are usually punctual and reliable.

Lime Cay is the only place near Kingston where the water is so beautiful and clear. I recommend bringing water shoes since there are sea urchins on some rocks and Erik can tell you that…it hurts when you step on one. You also need to bring your own lunch and drinks since there is no restaurant anymore. Phone service and 3G Internet is available on the island, YES! Lime Cay is busier on Sundays and feels like a party island but you can also have the place to yourself on weekdays! For a day at the beach, Lime Cay is the nicest option in the area.

Rooms On The Beach, Negril

When my friend visited us in Jamaica, I had to show her the beauty and fun of Negril. I wanted a safe but cheap hotel to stay on the Seven Mile Beach, close to everything. Rooms On The Beach was the perfect place for this. Beach was nice but unfortunately a cold front made the sea a little too rough for swimming which was really unusual for Negril. There was also lot of hustlers on the beach, which is part of the bad reputation of Jamaica. At least the pool was really nice and overall we had a great time. 

I was glad we had our own beach towels because the two times we asked for theirs, they didn’t have any. You have a small breakfast included; a pastry, two slices of bread with grape jelly, fruits, juice and some coffee if you are lucky ;). Service is really slow, but if you arrive early, if you are not stressed at all and you are not already starving to death… it’s fine. I recommend to bring or to buy snacks and drinks to help you survive until lunch. The restaurant now serves lunch and dinner except on Wednesday evenings (?)… Their menu looked good but we already chose to eat elsewhere (Rick’s cafe, oh yeah!!). So, Rooms On The Beach has a great location in Negril, you just need to not have any expectation for service in general. I would rate this one 6 out of 10. But keep in mind that Negril makes everything worth it rain or shine.

***Bring your own shampoo...because no...they don't have any in the room....and yes it is kind of sad...

Frequent Flyer.

Working in the hotel industry made me deal with a lot of frequent flyer guests. I tried to make them feel at home and be friendly but somehow they didn’t always seem open to talk to me. Now that I have experienced what it is, I can actually understand. When you are travelling for pleasure once or twice a year it is something else. When you do travel more than 6 times a year, I think you can call yourself a frequent flyer. You know some airports by heart and have favorite spots to chill while waiting for your connecting flight. You have a favorite airline with a frequent flyer reward program and your privileges are your only source of happiness while travelling. You try to be patient when your flights are late and you are either sitting for a very long time on an uncomfortable seat or running to find your gate. Sometimes, you miss a flight and you have to rebook and wait again for the next one. You deal with all kinds of people sitting next to you in the plane. Are they smelly? Do they have a cat or a dog onboard? Are they with a kid kicking in the back of your seat? Are they talking too much? Are they complaining to the flight director for everything? Are they more important than anybody on this flight and have to get out first for their connection? And when all of this is over, you finally try to find a ride to your hotel or home. A day of travelling is really tiring. No wonder some guests are exhausted, frustrated or stressed at the hotel. I discovered some travelling tips to make things easier and those are my favorite:

Wear something smart, fashionable and comfortable:

-    http://laurenconrad.com/blog/post/style-guide-how-to-travel-fashionably-style-tips 

-     http://www.indochino.com/product/The-Frequent-Flyer-Charcoal-Blazer

-     Get some nice gear in the luggage department…and this!:

-  http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemID=17230&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C4%2C494%2C539&iProductID=17230

Pack your carry-on like a boss :

-  http://thefeministbreeder.com/why-subscribe/how-to-pack-a-carry-on-like-a-boss/

-       Be respectful of the flying etiquette as much as you can: - http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/a-guide-to flying-etiquette

Use technology to help you out along the way :

- http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/shop/50-ultimate-travel-apps-so-far-353352

Tips for feeling at home in a hotel :

- http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/tips-for-feelin-151223

And my personal tip? Take a few drinks on the plane or at the airport…it will help to relax along the way ;)

Visit in Canada.

With no other VISA than a tourist, I have reached my stay limit in Jamaica, which is 3 months. It is now time for me to visit home in Canada!! You cannot imagine how much I need this. I never stayed so close to my limit and I really started to feel homesick. Now, I’ll get to see my family and friends! This trip will also be my first time flying Air Canada as a Prestige member!! Possible upgrades and visits to the airports lounge! Those kinds of privileges really make the difference while travelling. Haha but this is so crazy when you think I was not travelling at all, not so long ago! I will be back in Jamaica in 12 days ready to write you guys some new posts! Right now, here is one about travelling often.

Rick's Café Negril

When you have the chance to visit Negril, Rick’s Café is THE spot to spend an afternoon and have lots of fun!! It is a place like no other; a bar, a restaurant, with live music shows, a pool, a souvenir boutique, an amazing view of turquoise water by the cliffside, famous sunsets AND OF COURSE CLIFF JUMPING. All of this guarantees you will appreciate your experience at Rick’s Café. Drinks and food are presented in a funny way in their menu, here are some examples: 

We'll respect you in the morning.

No orgies please.

My favorite items are the Spicy Chicken Dip and the Frozen Key Lime Cheesecake; a-ma-zing. Erik’s favorite is the Jerk Chicken and Waffle, sounds weird but it is really good!  You always need a Red Stripe or a signature drink on the side of course ;)

On my first trip to Jamaica, I jumped from the 35 feet platform at Rick’s because I always like the rush of cliff jumping. This one, I will not do again…haha I probably broke my tailbone and I had pain when sitting for the next 6 months after this. I am not saying not to experience it yourself but just be warned that you can hurt yourself pretty bad. Now, every time I go back, I just watch or jump from a lower platform. :)  Here is my hurtful first jump back in November 2011...

For those not crazy enough to jump, ‘’professional’’ divers will ask customers for a contribution to reach 20$US and give a show by jumping from the highest point. Here is a video.

Overall, I think Rick’s Café is a must when you are visiting beautiful Negril. This one is a 10 out of 10! Cheers!