Jamaica Travel News

POTD: Christmas Tree, Sandals Dunn's River, Ocho Rios

A Christmas tree rings in the season in the lobby of Sandals Dunn's River in Ocho Rios.

Labels: Photo of the Day

posted by Paris & John @ 2:50 PM

Jerkfest 2007 Premiers on BET J

Airing during BET J's popular Saturday "Island Lime" programming schedule, JERKFEST showcases the spicy soul of Jamaican cooking, bringing the tastes and sounds of Jamaica through the talents of local personalities, reggae music, rhythmic dances and flavorful cuisine at Hedonism III's seaside resort location this past October.

"BET J and Hedonism III are thrilled to highlight that culinary tourism is alive, well and peppery hot in Jamaica, and are our viewers are in store for a tasteful production this weekend," remarked Cybelle Brown, Vice President of Sales and Business Development with BET Digital Networks and BET Event Productions. She added that culinary tourism also boosts economies and integrates communities with the tourism industry.

During JERKFEST, chefs and culinary experts host cooking classes and provide tips on how to add a Caribbean flair to everyday meals. Local artisans also showcase their creations, while guests interact with representatives from local food and beverage suppliers.

Airing Dates:

Saturday, Dec. 22, 3pm, 12am ET/PT
Friday, December 28, 1 a.m.
Saturday, December 29, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday, December 30, 3:30 a.m.

posted by Paris & John @ 8:02 PM

New JamaicaTripper Contest!

It's time for a new JamaicaTripper contest! We're starting the year off in a Bob Marley grove with a calendar featuring Jamaica's famous reggae artist. Check out our contest page for all the details.

And congratulations to Vickie in Mississippi; our December winner wins a personalized romance novel about Jamaica from YourNovel.com.

Labels: JamaicaTripper news

posted by Paris & John @ 2:36 PM

Air Jamaica Garners Three Awards

Paul Pennicook (left), Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Air Jamaica collects one of three awards on behalf of the airline from Graham Cooke (right), President and Founder, World Travel Awards.

At the recent World Travel Awards, Air Jamaica won numerous awards including:

• The Caribbean's Leading Airline
• The Caribbean's Leading Airline Website
• The Caribbean's Leading Business Class Airline

Labels: tourism

posted by Paris & John @ 8:12 PM

Round Hill Named World's Leading Villas

At the World Travel Awards in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Jamaica's Round Hill Hotel & Villas in Montego Bay was recognized as the World's Leading Villas for the sixth consecutive year. The event, which the Wall Street Journal called the "Oscars of the travel industry," celebrates the exceptional achievements of leading travel destinations, airlines, hotels, personalities and companies in the travel industry. The votes were cast from over 167,000 travel agencies and professionals from around the world.

Josef Forstmayr, managing director of Round Hill, accepted the award. "Everyone who works at Round Hill is dedicated to making the villa experience there wonderful. It is this commitment that has allowed us to win this award for six years. We are especially honored because our travel partners were the ones who voted for us and they have many, many choices."

Round Hill is located on 110 acres with its own private beach and features 27 secluded villas with 74 suites on a hillside that slopes down to the sea with panoramic views. Most have private swimming pools. The 36 spacious rooms in the Pineapple House Hotel on the beach were designed by Ralph Lauren, one of Round Hill's shareholders. The Spa at Round Hill is located in an 18th century plantation house on 10 acres of waterfront lawn with six air conditioned treatment rooms, fitness center and a full-service beauty salon. It was recognized twice in 2007 as one of the world's best spas by leading publications.

Rates: Rates at Round Hill start at $370 for a Pineapple House room and $410 in a villa from April 15 to December 14 and $590 and $620 respectively from December 15 to April 14, per room or suite per night, double occupancy.

For more information:
• call 1-800-972-2159 o
• visit www.roundhilljamaica.com

Photo: Josef Forstmayr, Managing Director, Round Hill Hotel & Villas with Graham Cooke, President & Founder, World Travel Awards. Photo courtesy Round Hill Hotel & Villas

Labels: Montego Bay

posted by Paris & John @ 7:46 PM

POTD: Trident, Port Antonio

Long a favorite with the rich and famous set, Trident Villas & Hotel has a new owner and soon will be sporting some new renovations. We've heard different reopening dates for this famous property (best known as the place where Robin Moore penned The French Connection); we'll keep you posted as we hear a reopening date for this scenic accommodation.

Labels: Photo of the Day, Port Antonio

posted by Paris & John @ 12:27 PM

Sandals Named the Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand

For the 14th year in a row, Sandals was named the Caribbean's top hotel brand at the 14th Annual World Travel Awards.

Within Jamaica, other top honors earned by Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts included:

• World’s Leading All-Inclusive Company – Sandals Resorts International (12th year)
• World’s Leading Family All-Inclusive – Beaches Resorts (10th year)
• Caribbean’s Leading Resort - Royal Plantation Ocho Rios, Jamaica (2nd year)
• Jamaica’s Leading Resort – Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa
• Jamaica’s Leading Spa Resort – Royal Plantation Ocho Rios, Jamaica

The World Travel Awards were established in 1993 for the purpose of acknowledging and celebrating achievements in all areas of the world’s travel and tourism industry. This year’s voting campaign reached a total of 167,000 travel professionals worldwide, including 110,000 travel agents in over 200 countries around the world. Nominations for this year’s World Travel Awards were based on the previous year’s voting.

Labels: tourism

posted by Paris & John @ 3:55 PM

POTD: Village of St. George, Port Antonio

One of Jamaica's most unusual shopping areas, the Village of St. George in Port Antonio combines several architectural styles into one. Although it began as a shopping area for visitors, diminished tourism in Port Antonio has resulted in many of the St. George shops being converted into offices today.

Labels: Photo of the Day, Port Antonio

posted by Paris & John @ 3:48 PM

POTD: Bob Marley's Meditation Rock

This stone, located at the Bob Marley House and Mausoleum in Nine Mile, was made famous in Bob Marley's song "Talking Blues." Used as a meditation spot, Marley sang:

Cold ground was my bed last night
And rock was my pillow, too.

Labels: Photo of the Day

posted by Paris & John @ 11:54 AM

POTD: Mento Band

A local mento band performs at Sandals Whitehouse using some traditional instruments like the rumba box, a thumb piano the player sits atop.

Labels: Photo of the Day

posted by Paris & John @ 12:18 PM

POTD: Slot Machines, Hedonism III

Jamaica doesn't have full casinos like Aruba, Puerto Rico, or the Sint Maarten--you won't find any table games here. You will find slot machines, however, at many of the larger resorts. Some have a separate indoor room set aside for slots; here Hedonism III has an outdoor area set aside for the machines near the main pool (and the waterslide just behind the machines).

Labels: Photo of the Day

posted by Paris & John @ 6:46 AM

Couples Resorts Offers Wedding Customization

We're received word that Couples Resorts has launched the new “Weddings by Couples” with an emphasis on customization, personalization and choices. In addition to the free wedding service currently available to guests, the revamped wedding program allows couples to choose their wedding date online at any of the four resorts, register for their honeymoon, register for Romance Rewards and even spread the word on the resort’s unique message board.

We've done a vow renewal at Couples Ocho Rios (our reception, above) and can say they do an excellent job with everything from the wedding venue to the reception. Ours was simple and just like the free wedding package offered to guests with a small wedding cake and sparkling wine; the minister did an excellent job as did the on-site wedding coordinator who helped set everything up for us.

Couples Resorts allows a lot of customization, whether it is a private ceremony on the beach or a lavish, inspired affair for friends and family. Many of the options available for customizing weddings are complimentary, such as the personal service of a wedding coordinator, bridal bouquet, boutonniere for the groom, sparkling wine, two-tier cake and his and hers half-hour massages.

“Each wedding is as distinctive as the couple and the ability to create their dream day to reality is Couples Resorts dedication,” stated Randy Russell, chief romance officer and senior vice president of sales & marketing. “We know how meaningful the wedding day is and we offer the perfect setting for brides and grooms to live out their dreams – free of worry and hassle.”

For more information:
• visit www.couples.com/weddings

Labels: Negril, Ocho Rios, weddings

posted by Paris & John @ 3:38 PM

POTD: Dolphin Cove at Treasure Reef, Ocho Rios

One of our most memorable experiences this year was the opportunity to swim with dolphins at Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios. Located near Dunn's River Falls, this well-run operation offers deep and shallow water opportunities in various price ranges as well as shark swims and stingray swims. Here John does the dolphin pull, drawn through the water by two of many dolphins who live here.

Labels: Ocho Rios, Photo of the Day

posted by Paris & John @ 3:29 PM

POTD: Fishermen's Boats near Alligator Pond

The beach off the popular restaurant Little Ochie, located on the South Coast near Alligator Pond, is dotted with colorful fishing boats. Much of the seafood served at the restaurant comes straight out of these boats, just yards from the indoor/outdoor restaurant.

Labels: Photo of the Day, South Coast

posted by Paris & John @ 8:50 AM

POTD: Bloody Bay, Negril

In Negril, the beaches of Bloody Bay, lined with all-inclusives, are quieter than the public stretch of Seven Mile Beach. On the beach, you're free to walk as far up as the high water line, walking past other resorts.

Labels: Negril, Photo of the Day

posted by Paris & John @ 4:50 PM

Grand Lido Offers Babymoon Package

Want to squeeze in one more trip to Jamaica before the baby comes? Here's a package you should check out: the five-day/four-night Babymoon Package at Grand Lido Resorts & Spas.

The Package: The package includes personal training sessions for him and specialized in-room manicures and pedicures for her. Couples can enjoy time together with a rejuvenating foot massage for two, or reserve a hammock on the beach for romantic sunset viewing. Guests who stay five nights or longer receive an additional spa credit of up to US$350 per room.

The Babymoon package additionally offers future savings with a 10 percent discount at any of four family-friendly affiliated properties when the couple brings along the newly expanded family!

Rates: The package is priced from US$2,200 per couple.

For More Information:
• visit www.superclubs.com

Labels: Negril, Ocho Rios

posted by Paris & John @ 9:19 AM

POTD: Island Village, Ocho Rios

If you're coming to Ocho Rios for the day on a cruise ship, you'll be right by Island Village, a shopping and dining area that was built by Chris Blackwell of Island Records (and was Bob Marley's former producer). The village is home to many small boutiques selling Jamaican art, clothing, and souvenirs as well as some duty free shops with jewelry, cigars, Harley Davidson items, and rum. You'll also find Margaritaville Ocho Rios here as well; it's always busy and is located right at the water's edge.

Labels: Ocho Rios, Photo of the Day

posted by Paris & John @ 3:52 PM