Why a 48-Hour Trip to Jamaica?
The short answer is that it was a last-minute decision and I’ve become quite the busy bee. I was sitting on a lounger in the sun while in Aruba and thinking about how much of a good time I was having and how much I wished I could do something like this on my birthday. It dawned on me that I could. So during the first weekend of March, I had the idea to head out of the country for my birthday about 10 days later. Due to some appointments on the 11th and in-person work obligations on the 15th, I only had the 12th through the 14th to travel, celebrate my birthday, and return home. I was torn between a new destination like Turks & Caicos, or an old destination like Montego Bay, Jamaica. There were Delta flights to and from Jamaica that fit perfectly into the allotted time I had, so Jamaica it was.
The Logistics
As with many trips I take I booked the flights and hotel. Because I was moving so last minute, instead of booking activities through separate vendors, I relied on the hotel’s offerings to sort out most of my stay. I almost immediately emailed them regarding booking an airport transfer so I didn’t have to worry about that. Additionally, I knew I would have time for one excursion and I also reached out to the hotel to arrange a driver to and from that excursion as well. Because this trip was to celebrate my birthday, I also reached out to the hotel to make arrangements for a special birthday dinner on the evening of my birthday.
Where I Stayed
From the moment I started researching and I stumbled across the Round Hill Resort & Villas, I knew I wanted to stay there. It helped that most of the other all-inclusive resorts I wanted to stay at were either fully booked or had a 3-night minimum policy. The Round Hill Resort & Villas is a beautiful luxury property a little outside of Montego Bay but only about a 30-minute drive from the airport. The staff were incredibly friendly and the location is truly picture-perfect. This is actually where they filmed the movie “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and it’s been said that Ralph Lauren owns a villa here and Harry and Meghan rent villas here when they stay in Jamaica. I wouldn’t be surprised because a stay here is pretty pricy. The rooms start at 1,000 USD a night and I think a villa might start at around 5,000 USD per night. Because of that, I will say that the demographic of guests at the resort doesn’t reflect the full diversity of visitors who visit the island. It also seemed like the type of place that people come to stay for the week without ever leaving the actual resort. I won’t know for sure because I only stayed for a couple of days but that’s the sense I got. Personally, I’m very big on experiencing a country as fully as I can so I made sure to get off the resort. I would absolutely stay here again on another trip—hopefully it would be on a baecation or family vacation because it would be the perfect backdrop for something like that.
What I Did/The Itinerary
My trip was short and sweet but overall I think I put together the perfect itinerary for a short getaway. This would make a great schedule for a surprise staycation or getaway. Feel free to make changes to it based on what makes sense for the celebrant:
Day 1 AM: Departure flight
- Departure from JFK: to make the most of the day I departed for Jamaica on an 8:15 am flight. With an arrival time of around 11 am (Jamaica was an hour behind EST.) The arrival process at the airport was smooth. I had filled out the C5 form the day before but for those who don’t, you can do it at kiosks in the airport before customs.
Day 1 PM : Arrrival, Lunch & Spa
- Arrival: I arrived at the hotel via airport transfer and checked in to the hotel, if you let them know in advance there is a possibility your room will be available upon your early arrival. I only had to wait about 15 minutes before my room was ready.
- Afternoon on the water: I got dressed for an afternoon on the beach or by the pool. Of course, I had to snap some photos of my beach outfit.
- Lunch on the Resort: Because my flight was so early in the morning I didn’t quite have an appetite at breakfast time so grabbing lunch on the resort was a must.
- Spa Appointment: After lunch, I headed over to the spa on the resort for a lymphatic drainage massage
- Sunset & Room Service Dinner: I watched the sunset on the beach before returning to my room. I was too tired to go back out for dinner so I just ordered some in-room dining and that was a wrap for day 1.
Day 2: AM Photoshoot & Breakfast
- Photoshoot: I got up bright and early on my birthday to get ready for to snap some birthday photos for the gram. The sun in Jamaica was not to be played with so I wanted to make sure I was ready by 8 am at the latest to get some photos before the sun was too high in the sky for good photos.
- Breakfast: After snapping some photos I got breakfast on the resort before changing into clothes for the afternoon’s activities
Day 2 PM: Excursion & Celebratory Dinner
- Martha Brae Bamboo Rafting: I initially thought about doing horseback riding, my favorite vacation activity however I realized I had already done that on my first trip to Jamaica back in 2019. I didn’t get the chance to do the Martha Brae rafting experience which is an IG famous picture moment. Because I wanted to try something new and also because I love a good picture, I went with this. The rafting experience was about an hour drive from the resort so we set out at around noon and bought tickets upon arrival (be sure to bring some form of ID as well as $99 cash or card to pay for the experience). The experience was pleasant and very relaxing. There weren’t too many tourists that day and there was no one else on the river that we came in contact with during the experience. I’m sure it’s busier at other times but I loved that it seemed like I had the river to myself.
- Celebratory Dinner: after returning to the resort and lounging on the beach to watch the sunset, I showered and got ready for a private birthday dinner at the resort. I booked this in advance and opted for the gazebo option. I had a beautiful last view of the sunset and enjoyed my dinner before the hotel staff surprised me with a whole cake for my birthday.
Day 3 AM: Photoshoot, Breakfast & Departure
- Photoshoot: I’m trying to get in my hotel and travel partnerships bag so I took one last opportunity to take some pictures on the property before breakfast
- Breakfast & Departure: I enjoyed a lovely final breakfast on the resort before walking on the beach one last time and heading back to my room to finish packing. I took an airport transfer to the airport to catch my 12:55 pm flight back to JFK. I landed around 6 pm that day and that concluded a perfect 2 day birthday getaway.
Final Thoughts on My 48 Trip to Jamaica
Overall I felt very safe during my short time in Jamaica. I know earlier this year there had been talks about not visiting Jamaica due to the travel advisory but I don’t think I saw anything out of the ordinary. Of course, I didn’t spend too much time off of the resort but I think the same would have been true regardless of the circumstances. I would have enjoyed excursions during the day but then returned to the resort in the evening. I think if you are generally a cautious person (which I am because growing up and living in New York City requires it) then you will be fine.
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15
