Day 4

A bit overcast this morning, but still very hot. It is a perfect morning for shopping in Playa del Carmen! I will make sure to bring back some vanilla.

Day 2 and 3

We have spent the lst couple days relaxing by the fantastic pools here and the beach. The Iberostar Paraiso Beach is a very larg resort, so we are getting a lot of walking in! The Mexican show last night was fantastic!

Christmas in the Mayan Riviera

We are sitting at the airport waiting for our flight to Cancun. This will be the first time we have gone away on a sun holiday at Christmas. I have actually enjoyed not having to stress about preparing for Christmas this year. I will try and keep you posted once we arrive.
Posted by Susan

Jamaica November 2011

Getting to Jamaica was a bit exhuasting....we left Vancouver at 11 pm and arrived in Toronto at 615 am. We had a 4 hour layover that we spent at the Plaza Premium Lounge. We arrived in Montego Bay at about 230 pm and enjoyed some time in the Sandals lounge where you have free drinks...depending on the room category you have booked at Sandals/Beaches you get more amenities.

Off to Sandals Whitehouse....a long, 2 hour bus ride on a road filled with potholes!  Beautiful resort, all oceanview rooms, very large property. The rooms were very large, very comfortable bed and nice jacuzzi tub as well. This is a very isolated resort...excellent if you are just going for rest and relaxation on an incredible beach!

Our next stop was Beaches Negril. This resort is about an hour from Sandals Whitehouse. This is a very large family resort. The beach is beautiful....part of the 7 mile beach and the water is incredible. This resort has 1, 2, 3 or 4 bedroom connecting rooms...excellent for large families travelling together. A great waterpark and lazy river. The Sesame Street characters are always around to see the kids and they put on a great family show in the amphitheatre.

 

We toured the Grand Pineapple Beach resort. This is in Negril and is for budget travellers. It is a very small resort with limited amenities, entertainment and dining options.

 Part of the resort is on the beach and the other part is across the road. The pool is in the section across the road. It is a very small but incredible beach, again because it is in Negril.

The rooms are very basic but clean.



Beaches Sandy Bay was one of my favorite resorts although the rooms could use some updating. The rooms are large, some loft units and some with kitchenettes. I did find the pool area quite small but with that beach, who needs a pool?

Sandals Negril is a very high end resort, again on the 7 mile beach. Some parts of the beach are quite narrow but overall, amazing. It is a very active resort during the day, lots of young couples but a bit quieter in the evening. The rooms are beautiful...especially the swim up rooms with butler service. Incredible and on the best part of the beach, as well.

Rics Cafe is a great tourist attraction. It is located in Negril, about a 20 min bus ride. Here you will find the best place to see the sunset as well it is where the locals and tourists can do some cliff jumping.

We were fortunate enough to visit one of the local schools that is part of the Sandals Foundation. It was an incredible experience and certainly makes you appreciate what you have. The kids were adorable...we all brought gifts and school supplies for them. The school we visited was located in Negril.

We headed off to Montego Bay which is about an hour and a half from Negril. The first resort we stopped at was the Sandals Carlyle. This is a small, intimate resort located near the hip strip. There is no beach at the resort but there is a small public beach across the street. They do provide a shuttle to the other Sandal Resorts where you have full access to the beach, restaurants, etc. This resort has the highest repeat clientele of all Sandals resorts.

The Sandals Montego Bay is a beautiful, large resort. The only thing that may stop clients from going here is that it is located right next to the runway of the airport. Once we were there, I didn't really notice the planes but it may be a deterrent for clients which is too bad because it is a beautiful resort.



The Sandals Royal Caribbean is another one of the smaller resorts. The beach is not very good here but the resort itself is very nice. This is the only Sandals resort that has its own island. You can take the boat over to the island and enjoy a nice dinner at the Thai restaurant. It is a very unique feature.

Our last 2 days were spent at the Sandals Grande Riviera in Ocho Rios. Ocho Rios is about 2 hrs or so from the airport. While in Ocho Rios we also toured the Sandals Royal Plantation. This is another very small resort for more high end clients. There isn't much of a beach here and the sun seems to disappear early in the afternoon. The rooms only have french balconies so not a good resort for a client who likes a full balcony. You can also hear the music from the nearby Sandals Grande Riviera which could be a problem for some clients.

Beaches Boscobel is another of the family resorts. It is a very large resort on a hill so it may not be best suited to those with mobility issues. The kids waterpark is fantastic and all of the Sesame Street characters are here as well...with the exception of Big Bird. He is only at Beaches Negril because of his height!



Sandals Grande Riviera is a huge complex. Part of the resort is on the beach and part is across the street on a hill. Across the road is a magnificent pool...it is massive! On this side you have all of the butler suites and room categories with private pools. The beach is quite narrow although there is a one section by the pool that is quite wide but the area near the water is narrow. I enjoyed this resort but I found that our room location was not ideal...it was right near the walkway between the restaurants and bars so it was quite noise late at night. The rooms were fantastic but the beds are quite high off the ground. This is the resort you would go to if you like golf as it is included and is a short ride from the hotel.

Jamaica is a great destination and the Sandals/Beaches resorts are pretty incredible. Next time, I look forward to enjoying more of Jamaica and exploring the area.