A Jamaican Getaway

My husband and I took a kid-free trip in the Spring, and it was pure bliss (because having some alone time is hard to get sometimes!). We spent a week in Runaway Bay, surrounded by lush green mountains and blue skies and beautiful sunsets.

Runaway Bay is a town in Saint Ann Parish on the northern coast of Jamaica and is considered one of the most naturally beautiful places on the island. It’s also located 16 km west of Ocho Ríos. There, we stayed at the beautiful Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica.

When you walk into the grand lobby of the resort, you’re greeted with nothing but smiles from the resort staff. The service at this resort was nothing short of exceptional. They truly aim to please; especially when the first thing they hand you is a welcome drink.

The resort itself is family-friendly and I was actually surprised at how many children were at the resort (including many infants). Having said that, we hardly noticed they were even there. There were no screaming or crying kids, there are plenty of kid-friendly activities, and the resort is so big that we hardly ever saw them. I guess that can happen when your resort has 850 rooms.

There are a lot of activities to do at the resort; this includes windsurfing, tennis, snorkelling, catamaran, kayaks, and bicycles. You can also check out the shopping centre or the nightly entertainment. We really didn't do any of the resort activities; we really just had a relaxing vacation and spent a lot of time by the pool and on the gorgeous resort beach. To sit by the pool all day, for three days in a row was bliss I tell you. Pure bliss!

There are also plenty of things to do outside of the resort. We went on a tour to Ocho Ríos that included a botanical garden tour, a visit to a local flea market, a visit to Dunn’s River Falls. On this particular day we had a truly authentic Jamaican Beef Patty. You really haven't had a beef patty until you've had one in Jamaica. It was ah-mazing!

On our last full day there, we took a raft ride down Martha Brae River. It was so calm and romantic. A truly perfect way to end a perfect vacation.

The vacation itself came at a really good time for Doug and I. We are constantly striving to improve our relationship and I feel like this vacation really helped us communicate and get to know each other more as a couple. We really couldn't have asked for a better destination. I would truly recommend going to Jamaica if you ever get the chance. It's such an amazing country, the people are fantastic and the food is amazing.

A truly beautiful country.