Mobay - Your Gateway to an Unforgettable Jamaica Experience

Jamaica’s capital city may be Kingston, but Montego Bay is inarguably its tourism capital.  This year marks 40 years since Montego Bay, which has been steadily growing in popularity and stature, regained its city status which had been revoked some 139 years ago under colonial rule. 

This gateway city to your vacation dreams ranks among the most popular destination for American tourists and remains the island's most popular resort area, attracting 34 per cent of all stopover tourists.  Not bad for a relatively tiny dot on the global map, huh?

There are two major ways for visitors to enter Mobay: by sea or by air.  And while, in my opinion, it is much better to fly in and spend a few days, if you opt for cruising, you are just as welcome and will still have many options to become briefly acquainted with this bustling resort area in the few hours before your ship sails.  Think of it as a test run for when you are ready to return for the full Jamaica experience.

Jamaica has a well-earned reputation for being the most versatile vacation destination in the Caribbean.  Whatever your interest - history, culture, cuisine, shopping, adventure, wellness, golf, wedding, honeymoon, there is something to suit every taste, every style, every desire.  The genius of it is that you don’t even have to venture outside of Montego Bay to satisfy any of these.

Yes, Montego Bay is definitely on the beaten path and the epicenter of tourism action with just about every amenity you wish for in a well-earned vacation.  It is for this very reason it is widely known as “The Complete Resort”.

Allow me to take you on a virtual journey through this resort area we affectionately call Mobay for a small sampling of its vacation offerings.  I say small because trying to list everything would require at the very least, quite a few sunny afternoons at the beach bar, sipping on some amazing libations our local bartenders are so fond of concocting. 

Let’s go with my preferred option and fly into Sangster International Airport, a first class port of entry, equal in rank to just about any airport of its size.  Expanded and upgraded with world class eateries, shops and other amenities a few years back, this airport may be essentially considered an attraction in its own right.

Photo courtesy of MBJ Airport

Once your flight lands, if you (or your travel professional) did your homework, you would most likely have opted to add the services of Club Mobay to your vacation package. Club Mobay Airport Lounge, operated by VIP Attractions, was earlier this year, named the Caribbean’s leading airport lounge at the Annual World Travel Awards for the eighth consecutive year.  Be sure to select the bundled arrival/departure service.  You’ll see why later.

Photo courtesy of VIP Attractions

I like to refer to the very professional ladies and gentlemen who staff this service as our “Ambassadors of First Impressions”.  Their warm smiles and friendly greetings, not to mention the ease with which they aid you in bypassing those long lines for expedited service through immigration and customs, are enough to ensure that the tone is now set for a marvelous Jamaica vacation.

Photo courtesy of VIP Attractions

If you have a few minutes to spare before boarding your transfer, I highly recommend a short stop at the Groovy Grouper Restaurant for a piping hot beef patty and a cold bottle of Red Stripe Beer or, for teetotalers like me, a bottle of Ting or coconut water.

Jamaica is well-known for a wide array of accommodation to suit every occasion, style and budget, in all six of its resort areas.  However, selecting Mobay for your stay is a great introduction to the island and the best way of ensuring the shortest transfer to your accommodations and quickly finding your way to the swim-up bar or a lounge chair on the beach.  But, as we like to remind everyone, we are much more than sun, sea and sand, significant and delightful as those are.

Let’s talk cuisine.  Yes, I have repeatedly confessed to being an unrepentant Foodie.  I have absolutely no issues with dining on ackee or callaloo with fried dumplings and plantains, accompanied by fresh brewed Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee for breakfast every morning.  So, if it happens not be on my hotel’s offerings on a particular morning, I would have no problem heading over to the Pelican Grill, an off property dining option where these traditional Jamaican favorites show up on the daily menu.  The lunch and dinner menus are equally delightful to the appetite and stomach.

After a morning of exploration and adventure, it’s time for lunch.  Did I hear someone say “Jerk”?  Follow me to Scotchie’s, a really ‘chill’ setting with rustic ambience and great jerk fare, where you can watch your chicken or pork cooked to perfection on a bed of fiery pimiento wood, behind the counter. Side dishes of rice and peas, bammy, roast breadfruit, fried plantains, fried dumplings are scrumptious additions to the menu.

Another great pick, mostly patronized by locals, is the Pork Pit…just in case you want to be where the Jamaicans hang out!  

My all-time favorite spot however is the Jerk Hut at the Holiday Inn Montego Bay.  The hut, located by the beach, along with a friendly accommodating chef and simply delicious food, is the perfect place to relax, have a drink, eat and make a new friend or two. 

The ultimate in fine dining can be found at the charming Sugar Mill restaurant located at the famed Half Moon Hotel.  Opened only for dinner, you get to choose from a selection of signature dishes and sample from their award-winning wine cellar which boasts nearly 150 super varieties from across the world Reservations required.  

Photo courtesy of Half Moon Sugar Mill Restaurant

For lovers of nature and culture, I recommend the Rastafari Indigenous Village half-day tour to learn about the history of Jamaica's Rastafari movement and belief system.  See craft and cooking demonstrations and join the local community in daily activities which include healthy living and harmony with other species.

Another cultural tour option is Ahhh…Ras Natango Gallery & Garden, an authentic Jamaican gallery with original fine art paintings by world renowned artist, Ras Natango and other local artists. It features a restaurant, gift shop, a very scenic garden tour, bird watching boasting 18 of Jamaica’s 28 endemic birds on property and optional art classes.

Photos courtesy of Ahhh...Ras Natango

Your inner shopaholic will delight in the wide array of offerings, from the elegant Shoppes of Rose Hall, located on the “Elegant Corridor” to the craft and gift shops found on Mobay’s famous “Hip Strip”.  Always on my shopping list are packs of our world-famous Blue Mountain coffee, specialty soaps, candles, oils and traditional Jamaican sweet treats.

Many resorts in Montego Bay offer Spa and Wellness and naturally, Wedding and Honeymoon packages. Jamaica is, of course, renowned for Destination Weddings. 

If you have a keen sense of adventure and the nerves for it, try the Flight of the White Witch, a zipline canopy tour crisscrossing through a densely forested area about 1,200 feet above sea level while providing an amazing view of the Caribbean coastline.  As for me, my fear of heights will lead me towards the calmness of river rafting or a catamaran cruise ending at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.

Photo courtesy of Christopher Wright

Other attractions include a tour of the famous Rose Hall Great House, former plantation and home of the infamous White Witch, Annie Palmer.  Nature lovers will enjoy a visit to the Rockland Bird Sanctuary or the Animal Farm & Nature Reserve.

Avid golfers will be absolutely thrilled with Jamaica’s 10 picturesque championship courses featuring undulating greens and well-trapped fairways, providing a true test of the game.  And five of the best are located in Montego Bay! https://www.visitjamaica.com/things-to-do/activities/golf/  

Photo courtesy of Christopher Wright

There are enough events taking place year-round, so plan your trip to include one or two. Here are just a few:

May:  Mobay City Run is another addition to the increasingly popular charity runs on island.  I guess this is only natural for a country that has gained international recognition for having the fastest people on earth.  Join the fun, contribute to a worthy cause and get firsthand experience of the amazing sights and sceneries along the racecourse.

July:  Reggae Sumfest, touted as “The Greatest Reggae Show on Earth”, features a lineup of local and international artistes, an all-white affair, dancehall explosion and beachfest;

August: Mobay Jerkfest features highlights of authentic, traditional Jamaica food, jerk style, children activities and stage show.

So, how was your journey?  Not ready to leave? Neither am I.  There really is a whole lot more to see and do, but alas, go we must.  

Now, as your departure approaches, you will be very happy that you took my advice and selected the bundled service from VIP Attractions.  It will help to mitigate the real pang you are now feeling about leaving this gem of an island.  

Once you check in with your airline, make your way to the Club Mobay desk, hand over your voucher and allow yourself to be escorted through airport security to the lounge where you can relax before your flight is ready for boarding.  The lounge comes complete with Wi-Fi, tasty refreshments, liquor, business center and even a spa.  And by the way, they serve up a heavenly glass of chocolate martini.  My friend Brenda swears it's the best-made on the island and I make it a point never to argue with her wisdom!!

Take some time to browse the gallery of framed pictures depicting highlights in Jamaica’s history or persons who have made significant contributions to the culture and development of Jamaica.  And don’t worry, your Club Mobay agent will make an announcement when your flight is ready for boarding.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour.  Oh, did you know that Jamaica has a remarkably high percentage of repeat visitors?  Walk good and come back soon, but for real next time so you too can join this special group of happy repeaters in the very near future.

One Love!💕

My Jamaica Bucket List - Negril Lighthouse

 When I think of Negril, inevitably my mind conjures up images of long walks along the famous Seven-Mile beach,  glorious sunsets, pulsating beats of reggae music, the excitement of diving from the cliffs of the renown Rick’s Café (in spectator mode of course) , excellent seafood from the likes of Pushcart and Cosmos Restaurants, just to name a few.

But, as with the rest of Jamaica, this little resort town boasts its own fascinating history along with its historical monuments.  A featured structure is the Negril Point Lighthouse, built in 1894 and situated at the extreme end of the island.  I have always viewed it from the distance of cliff-side hotels but never “up close and personal”.

So, I have now added this lighthouse to my bucket list.  If my aging legs will allow, I want to climb to the top and get the panoramic 360 degree of picturesque Negril and the glorious sunset from its lofty height.  Perhaps in preparation, I should start using that dreaded stair-climber at the gym!

For more fascinating information on this historical landmark, click the link below:

http://www.jnht.com/site_negril_point_lighthouse.php

Falmouth Food Tour Continues to Tantalize the Taste Buds

If you were to accuse me of the sin of procrastination, I assure you I would have absolutely no defense.  I would humbly bow my head and honestly acknowledge this failing, at least in the area of writing.  In the past few weeks, I have been digging up and reviewing many half-finished articles and vowing to myself to get cracking on completing at least some of them.  

Last weekend, a way too short but fun-packed trip to Jamaica, coupled with strong urging from dear friends strengthened my resolve and in the review process, I came across this one article I wrote subsequent to a food tour I did in 2016 that was actually complete!  There have been some changes in the tour since then but I have decided to publish as is with foot notes of the changes.  Here goes...

It seems fated that by “bestie” and I would follow in each other’s footsteps.  In our earlier years, fresh faced and ready to conquer the world, I followed her into the field of diplomacy.  Years later, the tables turned, we both changed course and she followed me into the world of tourism.

They say hindsight is 20-20 and they may very well be right because it makes perfect sense now.  The summer months we used to spend in Ochie at Turtle Beach Towers, the lunch hours in New Kingston, asking for “samples” from various eateries, the quick sneak next door to the Pegasus for “high tea” and the memorable moments we use to share in general all seemed to have centered on food.  Let’s face it; we were genuine Foodies in the making.  We just didn’t know it yet!

My Bestie and I

The Crick Sisters

Today, my friend Janet Crick, and her equally brilliant sister, Dr. Anne Crick are proud co-owners of Jamaica Culinary Tours.  Their pioneer tour, the Falmouth Food Tour, is based in the beautiful Georgian style town of Falmouth, a place steeped in history.  I myself simply could not have conceived a better idea than pairing history with food, especially in Jamaica, renowned for, among other things, its cuisine - brilliant, Jan!

Not to be too cliché…well, yes I am being that, but nonetheless - the proof of the pudding is in the eating and knowledge is power for sure.  So, armed with my straw hat and these however unnecessary excuses (that nobody who knows me believes), I found myself on the food tour.  Let me say at the outset, I felt no guilt whatsoever because I was, and still am persuaded that the two and a half hour walk more than made up for the calories I consumed on this historically-based scrumptious tour.  Yes, I am fooling myself again.

From the meeting place on the gorgeous Falmouth Pier, around the town of Falmouth and back to the pier, the trail was chock full of history and food.  But since my task is to tantalize your taste buds, let’s concentrate on the food portion of the tour. 

Before even leaving the pier, we were delighted with fresh tropical fruits from fruit vendor, Carlos, including generous portions of pineapple, sugar cane and watermelon.  Carlos is a bit of a celebrity on the Falmouth pier, famous for having served sugar cane and coconut to Prince Charles and Prince Harry on two separate visits.  I often wonder if I should count myself as one degree separated from royalty, but I digress.

Photo courtesy of Jamaica Culinary Tours

Next stop, Spicy Nice, a bakery known throughout the town for arguably the best gizzadas you can find just about anywhere.  Gizzadas are tasty sweet treats, made from the ever popular coconut.  I recommend that you purchase a few to take back with you…share the love, I say! 

But we were really here for the Jamaican beef patties.  The beef patty, a meat based, flaky pastry is similar to an empañada.  There have been many new fillings created over the years, including chicken, vegetables, shrimp and lobster, the newest one being curry goat, which I am assured is delicious.  But in my mind, the beef patty remains king!

It is always a wondrous thing to see your beloved country through the eyes of a visitor. It did my heart proud to watch the couple beside me each bite into a piping hot beef patty and pronounced it amazing.  That they did not leave a crumb behind is testament to the goodness found in this simple meal.

What better way to wash this down than with ice-cold jelly coconut water, found at our next stop.  In addition to being refreshingly delicious, coconut water has the reputation of being highly nutritional and great for the heart.  I suggest you also sample the jelly within the coconut husk.  As children we used to add brown sugar to the jelly for a great snack!

It was now time to head towards the food that is synonymous with Jamaica – Jerk!  No trip to Jamaica is considered complete without sampling some Jerk.  Uchuma, a sit-down restaurant, café and bar which serves traditional, authentic Jamaican cuisine, did a fantastic job of offering up the most succulent tasting of jerk chicken with a side of festival.  Internationally famous, I am sure jerk chicken needs no introduction or explanation.  For the novices, however, “festival” is deep-fried dough made of flour, cornmeal and sugar and yes, it is quite tasty.

The final stop was Hyatt House, a 19^th Century Townhome.  There, under the surrounding ackee, mango, banana and coconut trees, their leaves swaying in the gentle breeze, we sat and chatted with the lovely owner, Anne Hyatt. 

Here, our enthusiastic tour guide introduced the guests to an array of sweet treats all made from coconut, including gizzadas, coconut drops, grater cake, etc.  Naturally, we all graciously made space in our now full bellies to accommodate this delightful end to our five course tour.

As we munched on our coconut goodies, Anne filled us in on a little of the history of Hyatt House, how she came to be there and the various changes the property had undergone over the years.  The guests had the opportunity to ask any burning questions and from their faces I could tell they were reflecting on all they had learned during the tour, the history and culture of Jamaica in general, Falmouth in particular and how these came to influence the palate, giving rise to some of the foods which they had just sampled.  Cool, huh?

This amazing tour become so successful that the next natural step was made to branch out further on the Jamaica culinary/history trail, resulting in the “Nyam An’ Guh Weh” (Eat and Leave) Tour. 

This new tour also starts in Falmouth, but ventures farther out by bus, along the northern coastline and into the garden parish of St. Ann, where the beautiful resort of Ocho Rios is located.

But I will leave you here. I have not yet done this tour though it’s definitely on my to-do list. Based on the success of the original tour, I have every reason to believe all the good words and effusive reviews I have heard about the new tour. But by now, you know me as well as my dear friends do. The new phrase (excuse) I am using is – “trust but verify”. More to come!

Footnote:  Since this article was written in 2016, Uchuma closed its doors and Peppers Jerk Center is the restaurant now used for the Jerk tasting.  AND, I had the good fortune to experience the “Nyam An’ Guh Weh” Tour very recently...my trust was not misplaced.  Stay tuned for the review.