Our family traveled to Jamaica for a week on December 2023/January 2024. While most people visiting Jamaica choose to stay at one of the many all-inclusive hotels, we decided to DIY our trip to keep costs low. After all, we chose to go to Jamaica because we found great ticket prices!
Where we stayed
Since we would be flying into Montego Bay, we learned about the different neighborhoods and booked an Airbnb rental in St. Bran’s Burg. The house was cute and comfortable inside. As a safety feature, all windows had bars on them, and so did the outside doors.
We felt safe in this neighborhood. Joe even drove down to a convenience store the night we got there and while people were surprised to see him there, he had no issue at all.
How we got around
We booked a rental car with Sixt for the week of traveling in Jamaica with our family. Driving in Jamaica is on the left side of the road so beware of that. We’ve driven on the left side of the road in other places like Turks and Caicos and Malta, so we felt comfortable with it.
Roads in and around Montego Bay are pretty decent, but there’s stretches with lots of potholes. I’m talking about small cratered-sized potholes that will probably give you a flat tire if you hit them at normal speed. This was probably the main challenge with driving in Jamaica. Driving around potholes can be challenging when there’s no shoulder, and there are lots of people on the sides of the road. This is why we definitely wouldn’t recommend driving long distances at night unless you have a vehicle you know can handle the potholes.
What we did
During our week in traveling in Jamaica with our family, we explored some of the country’s natural areas, relaxed at the beach, and learned more about Jamaican history.
Main Street Rose Hall
This open air shopping mall was located really close to our rental. We went there right away to find food upon arrival. There were lots of cool and unique shops, alongside the typical souvenir shops. Here you can also get good quality coffee and some luxury souvenirs. We bought a couple of unique and locally-designed shirts at this store.
A highlight for our kids was finding an ice cream store that claimed to be ranked 4th in the world by National Geographic!
Samuel Sharpe Square
In the heart of Montego Bay there is a cobblestone square named after Sam Sharpe. Sharpe is a national hero and leader of the 1831 Rebellion that saw up to 60,000 of the 300,000 slaves in Jamaica demand more freedom and working wages. This square is where Sharpe was hanged in the aftermath of the rebellion.
I read other people’s experiences regarding walking to this square. Most people commented they didn’t feel safe. I don’t want to say we didn’t feel safe, but we certainly drew attention to ourselves by walking around the streets of Montego Bay by ourselves. I am happy we saw the square and that we learned more about Sam Sharpe as a result.
Harmony Beach Park
This park is free to access. There is a nice little beach surrounded by green spaces, a couple of eateries and spaces for sitting down. There are also restrooms in the park.
We were there on New Year’s Eve, and the beach was closed to the public due to the upcoming fireworks. There were also lots of carnival rides for children to celebrate the festivities. All of the rides were free of charge, which was great! Our kids had the best time playing and interacting with other kids here. This was one of those moments traveling when we were happy to be in the right place at the right time!
Doctor’s Cave Beach
Doctor’s Cave Beach is a private club that allows visitors to access the beach and facilities for a fee. We paid $8 for adult and 4$ for each kid. You can check updated entrance fees here. They also have umbrellas and lounging chairs for rent for an additional price.
We had a great time at this beach! Because they have a bar and restaurants onsite, we were able to order food and drinks to the beach while hanging out in the sun. It was perfect! There were also some giant trampolines in the water that you could swim to, and jump from. Super fun for the entire family!
Ocho Rios
One day we drove about 2 hours to Ocho Rios to visit Dunn’s River Falls Park. We went there to check out the beautiful waterfalls that flows directly into the Caribbean Sea! This is definitely a must-do destination when visiting Jamaica!
From the beach you can follow the waterfalls upstream, hanging out in the many pools along the way, and climbing up the falls towards the end. The walk and climb were not challenging and both our kids had a great time doing it!
On our way back to the entrance we made a (not so) quick stop at the kids’ splash pad. Our kids had a great time here too!
Falmouth Bioluminescence
On our way back to Montego Bay from Ocho Rios we stopped at Falmouth. This port was made famous during the sugar trade. Today, it is known for being one of the best places to observe and study microorganisms called dinoflagellates. Dinoflagellates thrive in areas were salt and fresh water combine, and glow in shallow warm water.
After reading more about the bioluminescent lagoon, we decided we wanted to give it a try. We booked a boat tour with one of the restaurants on the lagoon, and out we went to experience this natural phenomenon.
Joe and the kids jumped into the lagoon along with other people in our tour. We learned that you needed to stir the water in order to see the glow, so all of those in the water did that, and we were able to see it. It wasn’t as bright as we’d seen on photos, but it was still pretty cool to see. I would definitely recommend this activity if you are in the area!
Overnight Stay In Negril
We had originally plan on doing a day trip to Negril, but after a few days of driving in the area, we decided it would be better to spend the night in Negril to save ourselves the long drive back at night.
It took about two hours to get to Negril from Montego Bay. We booked a family room at Merrill’s Beach Resort II. This Jamaican-owned all-inclusive resort was a great deal for our family. The room was clean, the buffet food was pretty tasty and it included lots of options, and the staff were very friendly, especially to our kids. They were also nice enough to give us an early check-in and a late check-out.
Seven mile beach is one of the most stunning beaches I’ve ever been to! the water was crystal clear and the perfect temperature. Our kids spent about 5 hours straight playing in the water. They only got out because the sun went down. Definitely a must-see place in Jamaica! Also, this is where our daughter got her hair braided with cornrows.
Annie Palmer’s Rose Hall Great House
If you like ghost stories, then you’ll love visiting Rose Hall and learning more about Annie Palmer, also known as the White Witch of Rose Hall. If you plan on visiting Rose Hall, I’d recommend you book at tour in advance.
The Rose Hall Great House is a restored 18th century plantation home. It is one of the few that still exist today, as most were destroyed in the Slave Rebellion of 1831 that led to the Emancipation Act of 1833. The house has a beautiful interior and decor, but the story of Annie Palmer is what really makes this place special. Even Johnny Cash wrote a song about her!
Food
You can’t really visit a place without trying their food, right? Here are a couple of the places we ate at:
Scotchies
Scotchies is known for its jerk chicken and festival bread. Both were absolutely delicious! Festivals are a type of fried dough and it’s really tasty. Scotchies has two locations around Montego Bay: One in Rose Hall Mall, and one the other here. We ate at both, but really enjoyed the atmosphere of the latter.
Tracks and Records
Tracks and Records is owned by olympic gold medalist Ussain Bolt. The restaurant serves Jamaican food in a cool atmosphere. From their website: “At every Tracks & Records you get to experience a truly authentic combination of the best that Jamaica has to offer through our music, sports and of course amazing food.”
When traveling, we generally just eat at whatever restaurant is nearby that has good reviews. Other places we ate at while in Jamaica were good, but these two were the best.
Final thoughts…
We had a great time in Jamaica! It is a fun country to explore, and we definitely recommend getting out of the resort and exploring independently. Before visiting, we hadn’t realized how large Jamaica actually is (it is the third largest island in the Caribbean!), so we decided to just focus on the Montego Bay side of things for this trip. We would’ve liked to make it to Kingston as we are big Bob Marley fans, but that will have to wait until a future trip.
