Recap: Our Honeymoon in Jamaica
As eager as I am to blog about our incredible, all-inclusive, nine-day honeymoon at Secrets St. James in Montego Bay, Jamaica, a feeling of sadness lingers knowing that it’s over.
But life must go on.
Before I dive into the details, I must say that I’m really happy we chose Jamaica. When deciding where to go on our honeymoon, we debated between Jamaica and Mexico. Our travel agent spoke so highly of both that it was a hard decision to make. But when our agent described how friendly and fun the people in Jamaica are, it’s really what swayed our decision. Our agent was on point, and we don’t regret our decision at all.
So, here goes. Our honeymoon in Jamaica:
Palm Trees and Reggae
We spent a good amount of time soaking up the sun and swimming in the water. The crystal clear ocean water instantly attracted me. Absolutely beautiful. Matt and I found ourselves continuously looking in the water for shells, which we found lots of small ones.
We also found a spot near a jetty with different small fish of various colors.
The ocean water was warmer than the pool. But we made our way to the pool a fair number of times, taking advantage of the swim up bar and playing catch with a football. I can’t recall the name of our bartender, but I will never forget his sense of humor. He made us an assortment of fruity mixed drinks and shots with absurd names that left me laughing nonstop. And since it was all-inclusive, you don’t have to ask for a drink, it’s really just handed to you. I have to say their mojitos are out of this world. I also found myself continuously asking for a Dirty Banana or Bob Marley.
When lying on the beach or by the pool, I couldn’t get over the beauty of the natural scenery. Clear blue skies, the sun shining, palm trees all around, and reggae music playing in the background.
Dunns River Falls and Dolphin Cove
There are a ton of excursions and activities to enjoy off the resort, and Dunns River Falls and Dolphin Cove are among the top.
First, we climbed Dunns River Falls. This famous flowing waterfall near Ocho Rios, Jamaica extends 600 feet. The water falls over several rocks, many large, with various lagoons scattered throughout. It’s bordered by tropical foliage, looking much like a rainforest.
With our group of about 15 people, we started from the base of the falls and climbed our way up, hand-by-hand, guided by a competent and experienced staff member. You carefully step on rocks as the water falls down. Although not hard, it’s a bit scary if it’s your first time and you have to find balance stepping on one rock to the next. It became easier the further we climbed
As we walked upwards, we found areas to take a break and walk around in the water, looking up at the next climb and watching the water fall down.
We made it about half way up when the tour guide asked my husband and me to stand in front of him, turn to face him, and standing next to each other to fall back into the water. I panicked, thinking I was going to hit a rock (or ten). But we fell backward and splashed right into the water. There are many deep areas of water throughout. There are also several spots to stand under the water as it comes down. The climb lasted about an hour. When we were finished, looking down from the top, it was beautiful.
We dried off and headed next door to Dolphin Cove where we met Zeus, a 6-year-old dolphin, born and raised in Jamaica. He danced for us, gave us each a high five, and wiggled his flipper. The best part was swimming with him. Matt and I took turns swimming away from the dock into the water. We put our arms out in front of us to signal for him, and Zeus came towards us. He popped his head up with his pectoral fins out. We held onto his fins as he swam on his back in the water and brought us back to the dock.
He was so much fun to meet and swim with. I felt like he could understand everything that was going on and everything we were saying. It has always fascinated me how much we have in common with dolphins.
After swimming with Zeus, we strolled around the jungle and met a ton of birds.
We walked towards the water and over the dock saw Nurse sharks, a very interesting species of sharks.
Food, Food, and More Food
So. Much. Food.
And so worth the calories!
When we arrived Saturday we ate at the international buffet, World Cafe, since Saturday nights they have their seafood buffet. The food was incredibly fresh and delicious.
Usually, for lunch, we ate at our hotel buffet, or one of the smaller restaurants by one of the pools: Barefoot Grill, Seaside Grill, or Oceana.
They have an assortment of dinner restaurants. Portofino, an Italian-style restaurant, was my favorite. I tried Jamaican food for the first time at Blue Mountain, a Jamaican Caribbean Cuisine. Despite being very sensitive to spicy food, I HAD to try it since we were in Jamaica. My mouth was on fire but my husband certainly enjoyed it. El Patio, a Mexican Cuisine restaurant was good, too, but also spicy. Wednesday night we made reservations at Himitsu and ate hibachi. There is also a contemporary French cuisine restaurant, Bordeaux, but we passed on it. A little too fancy for our liking, but we heard good things about it.
Snorkeling and Seashells
Snorkeling came included and was available three times a day. We went two times with a tour guide. I loved being able to look down into the water and see the beautiful coral and plant species. We came back with a few big seashells, too.
Massage and Spa Day
We started Wednesday off with a massage. This was included in our honeymoon package, which we upgraded. We each enjoyed a 50-minute massage, in which I nearly fell asleep because it felt so good. I also got a facial and Matt got an exfoliation. We then made our way to a steam room and sauna before enjoying the hot tub. I never felt so relaxed.
Romantic Dinner on the Beach
We booked our romantic dinner on the beach for Thursday (included in our honeymoon package). We were seated right next to the water, which was a little below us, and across the water, we could see more of Montego Bay lit up at night. Our table was lit with candles and there were candles surrounding our table on the ground, too. The host poured us each a glass of wine. I ordered a filet mignon and lobster tail. Matt had bacon-wrapped filet mignon. The food was out of this world.
Dessert included cherry cheesecake and chocolate cake.
We ended the night lighting a Chinese lantern and watching it float in the sky.
The Nightlife
There was always something to do at night. Movies, live music, dancing, shopping, and even a mini casino where we spent some time gambling and shooting pool.
We also made our way to Desires Music Lounge. Let’s just say I relived some of my college years.
I loved walking around at night to hear the water and see the resort. The resort at nighttime was stunning.
Christmas in Jamaica
I admit I forgot it was December since the weather was warm and sunny as opposed to cold and bitter in Jersey. But seeing the Christmas decorations lit up at night reminded me.
Morning Sunrises and Breakfast in Bed
Saturday morning we woke up to breakfast in bed (also included in our honeymoon package). On our last day, Sunday, we woke up early and went outside to watch the sunrise. Although we couldn’t really see the sun from where we were, we watched the sky grow lighter.
A Bittersweet Goodbye
We had to leave the hotel at 12:20 p.m. on Sunday. So, after watching the sunrise, we headed to the beach to make the most of our time. It rained on us, but it only lasted less than 10 minutes and the skies cleared right up. We swam in the water and dried off before making our way to our room to gather our things and head home.
Jamaica was hands-down the best choice we could have made for our honeymoon. The resort was well-kept, the staff was super friendly and helpful, the drinks and food were out of this world, and the activities and things to do were endless. We were never bored and thoroughly enjoyed our nine-day stay. If you haven’t been to Jamaica and are looking for somewhere to go, I highly recommend Jamaica. You won’t be disappointed.
