Last week I attended the Sandals American Express Vacations More Knowledge 2015 conference in Jamaica.

Everyone knows I love Jamaica and last week just furthered my love affair with the island!  I am truly fortunate to have visited the island so many times and stayed in so many of the resorts over the years.

Jamaica is an island country situated in the Western Caribbean Sea, comprising the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles. The island is roughly 4,240 sq miles in area and lies about 145 90 miles south of Cuba.  It is about 119 miles west of Hispaniola, the island containing the nation-states of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Jamaica is the largest English speaking island in the Caribbean; this is one of many reasons Jamaica is such a popular Destination Wedding, Honeymoon and Vacation destination.    Another reason is the nice year round weather on the island.  The annual average temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The hottest months are in the summer, from May to September.  While hurricane season is officially June – November, Jamaica usually sees the largest weather impact in September.  The “winter” season (December to March) is appreciably cooler. Areas of high altitude have chilly times. For example, the Blue Mountain Peak has an average temperature of 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and sometimes cooler, depending on the time of year or weather.  The lower altitude (think beach!!) areas are still very nice during the winter season with an average temperature closer to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.   December through April often is the best weather for your vacation, while May – November is often the best value.

One of my favorite reasons to visit Jamaica is the people and the culture. The people are warm, kind, hospitable, and downright fun!!   Sometimes things do tend to be on “island time”, but no worries, it will get done, and it will be fun!

The main tourist areas of Jamaica are Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril.  Runaway Bay and the South Coast also have some great options for your Destination Wedding, Honeymoon, or Vacation.    Jamaica offers the perfect blend of romance, quiet time, adventure, and excitement.  There are activities and attractions all over this amazing island! Water sports – you name it, it’s here.  Hiking, river tubing, cave tubing, zip lining, Bob Marly museum, Margaritaville, Appleton Rum estate tours (tasting included!), horseback riding, golf and so much more.

Montego Bay, Jamaica is where the majority of the flights land for the vacation destinations.  Montego Bay is a lively destination with a wide variety of resorts to suit any needs.  Montego Bay offers travelers to Jamaica a fantastic opportunity to experience the hustle and bustle of an energetic island city set in the midst of absolute paradise with awe-inspiring all-inclusive resorts, myriad golf courses to choose from, wonderful shopping and more.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica is about a 75 minute ride from the airport in Montego Bay, but it is worth the wait! Ocho Rios offers a mixture of natural beauty, including spectacular bodies of water encompassed by gorgeous, lush greenery. One of the area’s best-known attractions is Dunn’s River Falls, a 600 foot stair-stepped waterfall that cascades down the mountain. A sight not to be missed!  Climbing the water falls is a great activity!  You will make friends very fast as you are part of a human chain climbing the falls!

Negril, Jamaica is on the west end of the island, about 45 minutes from the airport, and offers the most stunning beach on the island (in my opinion).   7-mile beach is a world famous stretch of the white sand quintessential Caribbean beach.   This is a hugely popular honeymoon or romance destination as it tends to be much more peaceful and tranquil.

During my visit last week, I stayed at Sandals Whitehouse on the South Coast.  This resort features 2 ½ miles of beautiful white sandy beach.  The resort is beautifully landscaped; the food and service were excellent.  It is a somewhat quiet resort, but that does not equal boring; there are plenty of activities available for you at the resort as well as off resort excursions as well.

I toured Sandals Negril; they have done extensive renovations and renovations are ongoing.  The resort looks and “feels” great!  It’s hard to describe, but the atmosphere at the resort was calming yet engaging.   I can’t wait to see the new section when it is complete; the renderings we saw for completion are amazing!  The staff was genuinely warm and welcoming, the food was excellent, the guests were all having fun, and let’s face it – it’s Negril, the beach can’t be beat!

We also toured and had lunch at Beaches Negril.  Beaches is the family friendly brand of the Sandals family.  If you will have children at your Destination Wedding, or are doing a honeymoon with your family, this is a great option.  They have a water park, Sesame Street Characters, a DJ academy, X-box, kids programs, and of course options for adults only time.

My few days came to an end with a stay at Secrets Wild Orchid in Montego Bay.  I love this resort!  The service is outstanding and the rooms are beautiful.  Secrets Wild Orchid is actually one of two resorts in the Secrets “complex”.  Secrets St James is the other resort.  Both resorts share many of the common areas and all of the

restaurants.

Each has its own unique style, yet they are a seamless transition from one to the next.  Secrets resorts are adult only resorts.  They are not couples only; (although a large focus on romance) they are also a great option for those friend getaways as well.  I was there with a couple of other travel agents and we did not at all feel out of place or like we “stuck out”.

While Sandals is certainly the most well-known resort chain on the island, there are many fabulous resorts to choose from; there is literally something for everyone!

Let me know when you are ready to experience the warmth and hospitality of Jamaica.