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I just spent one week exploring the beautiful island country of Jamaica, and am excited to share some insights with you in this blog post so you can plan a dream trip of your own! Jamaica has several different regions to visit. This blog post is going to focus on the west side of Jamaica, covering the main tourist hub — Montego Bay. I have a similar article focused entirely on the Negril and South Coast regions if you’d prefer something a bit more off-the-beaten-path. In the future, I hope to revisit Jamaica to go to the Ocho Rios region. This is where most of the waterfalls are located! However, if you’re looking to soak up the sun on the whitest of beaches or splash in the Caribbean’s turquoise water, this guide is for you. Let’s dive into where to stay near Montego Bay.
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Know Before You Go: Jamaica Edition
Here are a few simple facts about traveling to Jamaica to help you prepare for your upcoming visit!
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Language
Jamaicans speak English, however, there is an island dialect that you may have trouble understanding. One phrase you will hear often and learn to love: yah mon!
Currency
The local currency in Jamaica is JMD, or the Jamaican Dollar. If you’re visiting a resort, USD will be widely accepted and favored. You do NOT need to exchange currency in the airport. However, you should carry some cash with you to tip hotel staff, drivers, tour guides, etc.
Weather (Best Time Of Year To Visit Jamaica)
The weather in Jamaica is hot and humid year-round. It’s a tropical climate, so expect strong sun and temperatures in the low 80s – mid 90s, depending on the season. I visited in mid-August and it was definitely 90+ F everyday with a UV of 7+. The warmer months also tend to be the rainiest — it’s not abnormal to experience daily sun showers or thunderstorms in the afternoons. Don’t worry, they pass quickly.
Pro-tip: Hurricane season in the Caribbean is from August – November. Additionally, the most popular time to visit Jamaica for tourists is during the winter months. This is when prices will be the highest, so plan accordingly!
Wi-Fi / Phone Service
All-inclusive resorts around Jamaica will all provide high-speed Wi-Fi that will work throughout the property. Additionally, if you have an international phone plan, it should switch on when you land no problem for data and phone calls. My favorite phone carrier for travel is T-Mobile’s Magenta Plan!
Transportation
It’s not recommended to rent a car in Jamaica. Similar to my stay in Barbados, Jamaicans drive on the opposite side of the road, tend to speed, and cut around each other very often since there’s no road lines. I would also avoid taxis. Stick to the resort shuttles!
Water
You can brush your teeth with the sink water in Jamaica, but I would stick with bottled water at the all-inclusive resorts for drinking. Stay hydrated!
What To Pack For A Trip To Jamaica
Not only is Jamaica a vibrant Caribbean island, it’s an independent country! I was actually in Jamaica on it’s Independence Day of August 6! The country just celebrated its 62nd year of independence from the British. I’m not just sharing this because I like to include some historical context in my blog posts, but because you’ll need your PASSPORT! This is the #1 thing you’ll have to pack for your trip to Jamaica.
Additionally, don’t forget your beach essentials: SPF, swim suits, a cover-up, a hat, in addition to some shorts / tops / sneakers for an excursion (or some pickeball!). I would also pack 2-3 outfits that fit the Resort Evening dress code for dinners. This means collared shirts for men, dresses / skirts / slacks for women, and a nicer sandal, heel, or dress shoe (no flip flops). Now that you have some basic information for Jamaica, let’s dive into Montego Bay specifics!
Pro-tip: You’ll want to pack some activewear and a bathing suit for your excursions! For example, this half-day tour from Montego Bay includes ATVing, horseback riding, ziplining, AND a catamaran cruise!
Where Is Montego Bay?
Montego Bay is the main tourist hub of Jamaica. It’s located in the northwest region of the island, and is where you’ll find the most all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica. It’s also where the country’s main international airport is located – the Sangster International Airport, which services flights on most major airlines to most US cities, Canada, and even direct to London Heathrow.
Montego Bay is not, however, the capital of Jamaica. Kingston is — which is located on the eastern end of the island. There have historically been some safety concerns with Kingston, so I would recommend avoiding this area if you’re visiting as a tourist. Instead, spend your time right in Montego Bay (some of the best all-inclusive resorts are only 10 minutes from the airport!), or venture to the far western and southern coasts.
Ocho Rios is another popular area to visit in Jamaica where you can find several more all-inclusive properties, such as the brand-new Sandals Dunns River Resort & Spa. This is also where some of the island’s best waterfalls and adventure activities are located. I didn’t personally visit this area on this trip, so I’m going to focus my recommendations on the west end!
Pro-tip: There is another, smaller international airport in the Ocho Rios region that offers direct flights on airlines like American Airlines to cities like Miami, but the best flight options are into Montego Bay.
Airport In Montego Bay, Jamaica
As mentioned above, Montego Bay is home to Jamaica’s largest international airport. Using the airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica is by far the easiest way to get to Jamaica! There are loads of non-stop flights from major US cities on airlines like JetBlue, Southwest, and American Airlines.
Once you land at the airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica, I recommend staying at an all-inclusive resort so you don’t have to worry about public transportation or a rental car. I wouldn’t recommend taking taxis in this area and Jamaicans tend to drive quite fast, so I wouldn’t rent a car either. Instead, it’s seamless to board a shuttle at the airport and get dropped off right at your resort!
If you want to leave your resort during your stay in Jamaica, there are other shuttles that can bring you on excursions. More on this below.
Where To Stay In Montego Bay, Jamaica
Montego Bay is home to two of the most popular Sandals all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. Sandals Montego Bay is actually “where it all started”, and is the chain’s flagship resort. Both are located just <10 minutes from the international airport by shuttle and about ~5 minutes from each other by shuttle. That means you can “stay at one, play at two” and visit both for dinners, beach time, etc. Here’s some information about both!
Sandals Montego Bay: Overall Resort Review
I stayed at Sandals Montego Bay for three nights (the minimum!) and LOVED IT! As mentioned above, it’s literally behind the airport so it’s super convenient to reach once you land. Sandals has rotating shuttles that will bring you right from the private Sandals lounge within the airport to the lobby, where you’ll be greeted upon arrival with cucumber water and a cool, damp towel. If you’re staying in a Club or Butler level suite, you’ll be directed to Club Sandals check-in.
Sandals Montego Bay offers all three tiers of suites — Luxury, Club, and Butler. Rooms can be booked with a tropical garden view or ocean-front. Some of the Butler suites here even have swim-up pool access and lounge chairs on a private patio! As with most Club-level and Butler-level Sandals suites around the Caribbean, you can also expect a signature Tranquility Soaking Tub for two on your patio or in your bathroom.
Sandals Montego Bay: Recommended Suite
The room that I stayed in that I couldn’t recommend more was the Beachfront Oversized Butler Villa Suite w/Outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tub! This Butler-level suite was located right next to the Jerk Shack and the swim-up pool bar, a stones throw from the beach, umbrellas, and hammocks. It had a private patio, soaking tub, king-size bed, HD Smart TV, and en-suite bathroom featuring a walk-in rain shower and additional soaking tub.
Aside from the luxurious amenities included, the best part about this suite was definitely the butler service. We had two butlers at our disposable during our stay — McCoy and Mikal and both were FANTASTIC! Not only do the butlers bring your luggage to your room, they really go above and beyond to make sure you don’t have to lift a finger during your stay.
Here are some examples of special touches and surprises they left for us:
- Drew a bath with bubbles, flowers, and fresh towels to soak in after the beach
- Chocolate cake, cheese, crackers, and champagne delivered daily in the afternoon
- We called McCoy to bring mimosas to our beach chairs one morning, and he did!
- They reserved and set up beach chairs for us each morning outside of our room with fresh towels, floats, and a cooler with waters, wine, etc.
- Made dinner reservations
- Pre-booked a photoshoot
- & so much more! The butlers will give you a phone to use during your stay to call them with any questions or special requests.
If you’re interested in booking this suite for yourself, here is a link to the room!
Sandals Montego Bay: Restaurants & Activities
There are 12 restaurants located at Sandals Montego Bay, and an additional 9 more at the Sandals Royal Caribbean, which is a short 5 minute shuttle ride away. For breakfast, I recommend grabbing coffee at the Café de Paris and then enjoying the breakfast buffet at the Bayside Restaurant. I had an omelet and smoothie custom-made each morning, and loved every bite / sip. There’s a beautiful outdoor terrace with umbrellas to eat at.
For lunch, there are a few casual options – the Jerk Shack, the Mariner, and Dino’s Pizzeria. All three of these can be found at other Sandals resorts too. The Jerk Shack is known for its authentic Caribbean cuisine… you can’t leave Jamaica without trying the jerk chicken! The Mariner has sandwiches, burgers, quesadillas, etc. Dino’s offers pizza! All three offer outdoor dining right near the beach / pools.
At Sandals Montego Bay, there’s Soy Sushi and Toyko Jo’s for Asian cuisine. Tokyo Jo’s has stir fry dishes and Soy offers dozens of sushi rolls and appetizers to choose from. There’s also a Caribbean restaurant, Italian restaurant, and Butch’s — the steakhouse that requires reservations for dining.
Pro-tip: There’s also an overwater bar called Latitudes that has OVERWATER NETS to lie in! This area is a vibe at night too (several fire pits on the dock!), but I recommend getting a piña colada and tanning here during the day!
Amenities included with your stay are: Tennis + pickleball courts, a fitness center, several pools, a hideaway hot tub, kayaking, paddle boarding, sailing on Hobie Cats, snorkeling, and day + night entertainment. There’s also the Red Lane Spa and candle-lit dinners, which can be added to your stay for an additional fee.
If you’re interested in exploring the area’s coast, I recommend a catamaran cruise with Island Routes! Island Routes is the best way to explore the Caribbean islands and book an excursion through Sandals Resorts. There’s a desk right in the main lobby to schedule your tour! Most of them will leave right from the resort dock.
You can also book local excursions online, like this half-day tour that includes ATVing, ziplining, horseback riding, AND a catamaran cruise from Montego Bay. Talk about an adventure!
Have I convinced you to book a stay of your own yet? You can book direct with this link!
Planning a honeymoon? Check out honeymoons.com, the number one site for all-things honeymoons and romantic travel, for additional resources and information.
Sandals Royal Caribbean: Overall Resort Review
Sandals Royal Caribbean is the sister resort to Sandals Montego Bay and is located just 5 minutes away by shuttle. The shuttle runs on the hour and on the half-hour for most of the day, so it’s easy to bounce between the two. I went over to Sandals Royal Caribbean for dinner one night and took the last shuttle back before 10 pm. The shuttles are free. Planning a honeymoon or a romantic trip away? You can read a complete overview of the Sandals Royal Caribbean on honeymoons.com!
Sandals Royal Caribbean: Recommended Suite
Sandals Royal Caribbean also offers Luxury, Club, and Butler suites with a SPECIAL TREAT too — overwater bungalows!!! If you’re looking for a once-in-a-lifetime accommodation experience, check out the Over the Water Private Island Butler Villa with Infinity Pool at Sandals Royal Caribbean.
These first-of-their-kind (truly: the first in the Caribbean Sea!), suites include floating hammocks, over-the-ocean glass floors, private infinity pools, outdoor showers, stylish mahogany king-size beds, round-trip luxury airport transfers, 24/7 in-room dining, and access to a personal butler to handle your every need. I didn’t get the chance to stay in one (maybe one day!), but I did visit here to take some photos. How beautiful is this area at golden hour?
Sandals Royal Caribbean: Restaurants & Activities
The overwater suites are accessible via 2 minute dragon boat ride from the mainland to Sandals’ off-shore private island. Aside from the suite and a few beaches, there is also a bar, pool, and restaurant on the island. We ate at the Royal Thai for our last dinner of the trip and LOVED it! They have incredible spring rolls and a coconut cream curry dish I recommend trying.
Aside from the private island, Sandals Royal Caribbean also has a pizzeria and a few casual lunch options of their own, a café, an Italian restaurant for dinner called La Tavola and a French restaurant called Le Jardinier. They offer similar amenities as the Montego Bay resort, in addition to day + night entertainment.
If you’re interested in booking your stay here, you can use this link!
That brings us to the end of this all-inclusive resort review for the Montego Bay, Jamaica area! Of course, there are dozens of resorts and hotels to choose from in this area, but I do think Sandals has the best reputation. It is voted the #1 best in the Caribbean! For this reason, I recommend booking one of the two resorts mentioned above for Montego Bay. If you’re interested in staying in the Negril or South Coast areas, you can continue reading this blog post next.
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