As a new year begins I’m dreaming of the sun. Beautiful Jamaica – Part 2

After checking out of Sandals Negril we transferred back to Montego Bay to continue our trip at Sandals Royal Caribbean & private island resort.

When we arrived we were to early to get into our room so they asked us to go and grab some lunch and come back to get the room key in a couple of hours when the room would be ready.

We had lunch at The Regency this was a buffet so we got some food and sat outside. There are 8 restaurant options Bella Napoli Pizzeria 11am – 6pm – freshly made pizza, Eleanor’s a la carte dinner – Pan-Caribbean cuisine, Le Jardinier – a la carte breakfast & French cuisine for dinner, Royal Thai – authentic Thai experience dinner, The Cricketers Pub – British pub food dinner, The Jerk Shack – lunch, The Mariner seaside grill – lunch & late night snacks, The Regency – breakfast, lunch & a la carte dinner.

After lunch we were taken to our room – Beachfront Grande Luxe room this was on the ground floor of the Sandringham building. It was in a great position just steps from the beach and most of the restaurants as well as Jacuzzi near by.

This room was a little smaller than the one we had at Negril but was still very comfortable with a king size bed. As this was a deluxe room this didn’t include the Club level perks so just soft drinks in the room – this didn’t worry us if we fancied a drink we had a few bar options close by.

We had a walk round the resort and found it more compact than Negril. Everything was within easy reach and all the staff were very friendly and helpful. We checked out the pool which was the hive of activity.

For dinner we went to The Cricketers Pub were we were greeted by the lovely staff and given a special cocktail made with Pimms. The pub was very informal it had tv screens with various sports on and a bar with stools if you just wanted a drink. We had a lovely meal and the menu had a lot of British dishes including fish and chips. The bartender was keeping everyone’s drinks filled and had a great atmosphere just what you’d expect from a great British pub!

The following morning we had our breakfast in The Regency Suite, this was a buffet and had lots of choice. After breakfast we sat on the beach and I chilled out reading my book and swimming in the sea.

For lunch we went to The Mariners Beach Grill where I had Jamaican beef patties and had some drinks at the bar with other guests the bartender was fun and kept everyone’s drinks full.

For dinner we ate at Le Jardiner this had been moved inside due to the rain. I had Gratin de Moules et Petoncles which were Tender mussels and scallops, melted garlic, herb and Cognac butter for starter, Braised lamb shank for main and Crème Brulee for desert – a truly exceptional dinner our server was fantastic after we watched a bit of the entertainment where both guests and staff took part in a talent show.

Our last full day at the hotel so we wanted to make the most of it! I took a tour of the Over-the-water butler villas and bungalows. This was amazing to see these amazing rooms which had only been open since March 2017. We have had a few enquiries regarding these room types at the shop I work as there aren’t many over the water options in the Caribbean and are very popular with honeymooners.

We were taken to the private island by dragonboat and were walked along the jetty that takes you to the these luxurious suites and bungalows. “Wow” was the word everyone exclaimed as we walked through the door of the bungalow we were shown around. This room was the height of luxury every detail was fantastic. I have stayed in many resorts in the Caribbean but have never seen anything like this.

After the tour I went and found Ross to tell him about these great rooms and the island so we decided to go over and see the island together.

For lunch we went to The Jerk Shack where we had a great meal sat at wooden benches on the sand and ate jerk chicken which was extremely tasty. 

The island has its own small beach, a pool with bar and The Royal Thai restaurant which we had reservations for that night. It was a different type of restaurant from the others we had experienced but that is one of the many great inclusions at Sandals. The food on offer is varied with lots of different cuisines from around the world – who would have thought I’d be eating delicious Thai food on a private island just off Montego Bay in Jamaica? 

Once we had finished our meal we got back on the boat to the main resort just in time for the chocolate buffet! We had some sweet treats and 2 or 3 chocolate martinis, the bartender told me how to make them at home which I have tried but they have never tasted as great as he made them. 

The following morning we got up late and left our bags outside the door as instructed. We had a lovely last breakfast at The Regency on the outside decking overlooking the sea. Then we went for a walk around the grounds and saying goodbye to some of the fantastic staff we had met.

There are another 2 resorts owned by Sandals in Montego Bay – Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Inn both have different atmospheres and you can hop on the shuttles to use the different facilities and restaurants we would have loved to do this if we had stayed longer but Royal Caribbean had so many options we didn’t feel we needed to try the others with only staying 3 nights. 

We were taken back to the airport by the hotel provided shuttle bus this didn’t take long at all as the resort is very close to the Montego Bay airport – so yes you do get some aircraft noise but it is short and not as frequent as I thought it would be.

We were sad to leave Jamaica we have always planned to come on our holidays here one day and the hotels and island didn’t disappoint! It is a beautiful island with gorgeous people I hope we will be able to visit again in the future.

So where next? Hopefully back to Sandals this time I fancy Barbados or Antigua so fingers crossed we will be back in the Caribbean soon!

Last full day in paradise – 4×4 safari and African dancing.

As this was my last full day on this beautiful island I woke early and had a walk along the beach before breakfast. It was lovely and peaceful only the sounds of the sea and birds in the gardens.

Once breakfast was finished we had a walk around the rest of the hotel. We were shown the wonderful spa with all the different treatment rooms. We also saw the herb and vegetable garden where they grow their own organic foods for the restaurants. One of the restaurants is La Kaze Mama which is where you can experience authentic Mauritian cooking in a memorable outdoor setting. Another restaurant was The Beach Shack which was a rustic beach side BBQ.

We were welcomed to The Heritage Awali with the sound of drums and a cold towel. This hotel focus’ on Mauritius’ strong African heritage, walking into the hotel lobby felt like walking into an African safari lodge.

After dropping our things off in our rooms (which carried on the African theme) we met in reception and given a tour around The Heritage Le Telfair and afterwards had lunch at Gin’ja. This was a Asian street food buffet where I had some very tasty noodles. The Heritage Le Telfair has the chic C Beach club with its bar, swimming pool & beach area – the ideal place to relax in stylish surroundings.

We were then treated to a ride in a 4×4 jeep through part of the Frederica Nature Reserve we drove through some stunning scenery as well as lots of deer including some stags with some seriously impressive antlers!

That afternoon we relaxed in the pool and ordered some drinks from the lovely pool waiter catching the last of the sun before heading back to the UK the following day.

For our evening meal we were treated to a fantastic meal at Boma – this was a wonderful experience, we sat around a campfire and took in the atmosphere. We were then treated to African drums and dance entertainment including a fire show. We had a lovely time eating and drinking under the stars. After the food (and quite a lot of wine!) The entertainment guys got some of us up and taught us some moves – I love music and dancing so this to me was a great experience and just perfect for our last night.

Boma restaurant fire show
After a cocktail and chatting about the fantastic week we had all had it was off to bed and pack before our early morning wake up call for the long trip home.

This trip made me fall in love Mauritius and the Indian Ocean. Everyone I spoke to was very friendly, the Mauritian people are so lovely. The hotels were some of the best I have ever stayed in and I was truly spoilt! The memories I have taken away from this FAM trip will last me a life time.  I met some great people and I can’t thank If Only Holidays, White Sands Tours and all the fantastic hotels enough for this amazing opportunity I hope to go back one day with my husband to show him this amazing country and the lovely people, in the meantime I can’t wait to share my experiences with our customers at Stamford Independent Travel.