Suggested prereading: Jamaica: A Tale of Four Visits, Part I
Our first two visits to the Caribbean gem were separated by a mere 12 months, so imagine the pain and agony of having to wait six more years for our third visit.
I’ll give you a minute to dry your eyes.
Visit: 3
Reason: Our first mutual spring break in over a decade
Trip Nickname: The Battle of the Bulge
Thrilled to finally have the same spring break week, we set off for the airport where a new and different kind of travel nightmare awaited us.
Read more: When Bad Things Happen to Good Travelers, Episode 2: The Jamaica/Airport Curse Strikes Again
Travel agent screw-ups aside, this was a great trip. As I mentioned in Part I, because I was aware that the husband would be diving daily, I went in with a set of realistic expectations about how our days would play out. What I haven’t mentioned much is food. I’ve heard that some all-inclusives have mediocre food. Not this place. It’s fabulous, it’s abundant, and it’s free. (Ha! Of course it’s not, but at an all-inclusive it sure can feel that way.)
As it happens, I love food, and I especially love really good food. And I doubly love really good food that feels free. If you doubt me, how’s this for proof: in our first two trips to the island I gained anywhere from 7-9 pounds.
Each time.
Luckily, it always came off when I returned to reasonable calorie consumption back in the real world, but I never liked this aspect of these trips.
We’ve always engaged in daily exercise at the resort. In fact, we first chose Couples Swept Away because it was named one of the top Caribbean resorts for “active couples.” They have a great indoor/outdoor gym facility, parcourse, squash, running track, and fitness classes. But this time, I really went to town. Taking advantage of the husband’s SCUBA absences in the mornings and the resort’s multiple class offerings, I worked out 2-3 times a day. I imbibed and ate without let or hindrance, but the scale didn’t budge. I had finally cracked the All-Inclusive Weight-Gain Code!
They say that, when it comes to weight loss, it’s counterproductive to reward your successes with food. You should, they say, find some non-food way to reward yourself. I think a trip to Jamaica meets that requirement. Unfortunately, it would be—go back and get your tissues—seven years before I could claim my reward.
Visit: 4
Reason: It was time. And to claim my reward.
Trip Nickname: The Danger! Danger! Visit
A few days before we set off on our Death Valley Christmas trip, a colleague walked into my classroom and asked, “Have you heard the news about Jamaica?”
Me: Uhhh, no . . . what is it?
Her: Oh, errr, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.
Me (with rising panic): Now you have to tell me!
Her: They’ve declared a state of emergency.
Whereupon I abandoned the conversation, spun my chair 90 degrees, and began typing on my keyboard like a madwoman.
Long story short, the Jamaican government had declared a state of emergency in nearly all its parishes—including the ones we’d be landing in, driving through, and staying in—due to increasingly high organized and gang-related crime. They’ve done this, I discovered, several times since we’d last visited the island. Further research revealed this fun nugget: Jamaica is considered the Murder Capital of the Western Hemisphere (the husband refuses to believe this, saying Haiti probably doesn’t release its own troubling statistics).
My fact-finding mission also told of the US State Department raising its travel warning rating for Jamaica to either a three (“reconsider travel”) or a four (“do not travel”), depending on the area, down to specific neighborhoods and even intersections within neighborhoods. Sure enough, we’d be driving through a number of those “do not travel” areas. More dire warnings followed:
- All-inclusive resorts are not immune to this violence!
- A contract killing occurred at a resort on the other side of the island!
- Rapes and sexual assaults are something to fear!
Now, the husband didn’t dub me “Head Safety” for nothing. I’m something of a worrier, so discussions ensued, alternate destinations were entertained, school lunch periods were given over to scouring the web, and fingers were twiddled in nervousness.
But d’ya know what? For the life of me, I couldn’t find a suitable alternative that even came close to matching all the things we love about Swept Away. Further, the Canadian and Australian bodies that issue travel warnings kept theirs at a level two for Jamaica. And then common sense took hold: thousands of people vacation in Jamaica every single year with nary an incident, and crime can happen anywhere.
So we went.
And d’ya know what else? I felt perfectly safe the entire visit, just like every other time we’ve been there. Now granted, we weren’t wandering the streets of Negril at midnight or strolling the back alleys of Kingston with wads of cash hanging out of our pockets. And I’m certainly not dismissing the grinding poverty and crime that many, many Jamaicans live with every single day.
I’m merely saying that I needn’t have been such a Nervous Nellie.
In fact, the biggest danger we faced was swimming in the ocean the day after a full moon, which brings certain otherworldly creatures closer to shore.
I know there is some controversy surrounding all-inclusive resorts throughout the world, and for every pro there is probably a con, and maybe several cons. We generally don’t consider ourselves “resort people,” but obviously there is something special for us at the small, intimate, non-gated, non-wristbanded, tier- and membershipless, full-of-return-guests Couples Swept Away.
Jamaicats scratched my purr-baby itch:
We have no plans for a fifth visit at the moment, but I daresay that Swept Away hasn’t seen the last of us.
Respect.
It’s lovely that you’ve found somewhere you both enjoy and love to return to.
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Indeed it is, and it’s also great that it’s only a four-hour flight away instead of halfway around the world. Thanks for reading, Sheree!
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Pleasure
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We’ve yet to do one of those all inclusive resorts, and seeing that we like to explore different areas and sights Jamaica might not be for us. But it’s beautiful and as long as that particular area is safe, a perfect destination .
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So far so safe! I’ll keep going back and checking on the situation for ya!
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This was such a well-written and fun read! Swept away sounds like a great resort. We’ve never been to Jamaica, but it have friends and relatives who love vacationing there.
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Thank you – that made my day!
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This sounds lovely and I love how you tell the tale. But since you are a veteran of visiting Jamaica, let me ask this: is there much actual sightseeing to do in Jamaica, or is it all resort sun-n-fun?
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Great question (and I’m not just saying that because I’m a teacher 😉 ). I just looked and looked for some blog posts I read recently here on WP about a couple’s journey by car around the island, but I just can’t find them. But yes, you can explore the island outside the resorts. If you’re ever in doubt, always check Atlas Obscura (.com).
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I enjoyed reading your adventures, but you should not make out with jellyfish – ha! Ouch!
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Haha. Noted. 🙂
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I think this sounds like a fantastic place to be. Glorious amounts of food and activities to counteract the calorie intake, swim up bars, and beautiful beaches….although jellyfish kisses sounds much cuter than the reality of them. Loved visiting Jamaica with you today! 🙂
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So true – jellyfish are not good kissers. Thanks for joining me on the trip!
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How is the diving? It must be pretty good if the husband dives so much. Is it included in the all-inclusive fee??
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If you aren’t certified, you get one free dive. If you are certified, it’s 100% included. The diving in Jamaica is ok. There are definitely better places in that part of the world, but it’s not awful.
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And it’s ‘free’!!
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Right… “free.” 😉
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Gah, I can totally relate to the post-trip weigh-in. Sometimes, it’s hard to maintain a proper diet, especially if you’re on someone else’s schedule, like a guided tour or something. These are the times that I appreciate my home routine so much more!
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On our guided tour of Laos and Cambodia, they gave us SO MUCH FOOD, and we felt bad not eating it because we didn’t want to come off as these greedy Western wasters. It was actually a piece of constructive criticism we gave the company upon our return.
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Looks like a wonderful time in Jamaica! It’s a country I’ve yet to visit, but I’m happy you had a lovely return. 😊
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Thank you!
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You’ve found your place and nothing is going to deter you from it. I’ve never been to an all-inclusive resort but your experiences do make me wonder what we’ve missed. I want a Watermelon Martini, btw. That list was amazing.
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And they list the ingredients, so try it at home! 🙂
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I saw that and plan to do so. 🍸
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I’ve heard great things about Couples Swept Away. Honestly, I’m surprised there aren’t more of them. The one in Negril is the only one, right?
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There are four Couples resorts on the island: 2 in Negril (Couples Negril is a few miles away from Couples Swept Away) and Tower Isle and San Souci are probably a good 3.5 hours from Negril – closer to Ocho Rios, I think.
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Sounds lovely, and there are times when one needs a break from independent travel to enjoy a resort or cruise. I enjoyed this fun and entertaining post, great photos too!
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Thanks so much! I agree with you – I like all kinds of travels and sometimes you just need a plain ol’ vacation.
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I totally understand the joy of a resort from time to time, it is just such an easy travel option for a break without any hassle or worry – and sometimes, that’s exactly what we need. Jamaica looks beautiful.
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100%!
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That’s a killer martini menu. I’m kinda leaning toward the Seduction Martini, just because. Don’t read anything into that.
You’re brave for still going with all the civil unrest happening. My parents once had a trip to India booked, but cancelled when a similar situation occurred over there. I felt bad for them so I treated them to an Indian dinner, and they absolutely hated the food. Maybe it’s a good thing they backed out of that trip!
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Oh my God, I laughed out loud when I read that! I ADORE Indian food, but I’ve heard that the Anglicized Indian food we eat doesn’t really resemble authentic Indian cuisine, so who knows if they would have liked it. I had a colleague whose husband used to have to go to China on business trips. When she’d go pick him up at the airport she always brought a PB&J sandwich because he hated eating over there, particularly because it was a cultural expectation that the Chinese business host orders for the visitor, so he was served all sorts of interesting animals/animal parts he would never have ordered on his own, and of course he had to eat it all so as not to offend…
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Reminds me of my first job out of college. I went to work for a Tokyo-based manufacturing company and my Japanese boss insisted on popping my sushi cherry. He took me to lunch and ordered all kinds of things a sushi novice would avoid like the plague. Octopus, eel, squid…you name it, it was there on my plate, practically squirming it was so fresh. I ate it out of politeness but did not enjoy the experience. Figured I’d never be a sushi fan after that, but lo and behold, I started dating a girl whose parents owned a sushi restaurant, and all that changed. Funny what lust will do to a fella! She and I didn’t last long-term, but my love affair with sushi did.
Still not a fan of octopus though.
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Forgive me if I’ve mentioned this to you before, but if you watch My Octopus Teacher, you never will become a fan of octopi. You will a) bawl your eyes out, and b) vow never to eat these amazing creatures again. 🐙
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If it works, it works. No need to explain why you love that place so much! I can see it in your photos and the joy in your writing. You’ll be back! Mel
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I always come home from pretty much any vacation easily declaring a 10-pound weight gain. I’ve been on a good few all-inclusive vacations where I was facing an onslaught of rich, high-calorie food and drinks available 24 hours a day. I know that just because I am away doesn’t mean that I should abandon all of my dietary morals when it comes to how I eat. But I usually end up going overboard and filling up my plate multiple times, or ordering double or triple portions.
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Yep. Exactly. Again, glad I’m not the only one. Misery (in the form of weight gain) loves company!
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