This was my second year in a row taking a child-free trip to Jamaica just after Christmas, and I genuinely think it might become a tradition. I love my daughter, but having a short break knowing she was back in London, safe, happy, and with family gave me the space to fully relax. After the grey UK winter, the sunshine, slower pace of life, and a little rum were exactly what I needed to refill my cup.
We flew from Gatwick to Kingston with British Airways, using Avios as always to bring the flight cost down. The flight was originally meant to be around ten hours and was then announced as nine. Once onboard, there was an issue relating to the lights on the aircraft, which meant we were delayed on the plane for two hours while engineers dealt with it. By the time we finally landed in Jamaica, the journey had taken around eleven hours. We landed at night and still had a two-hour drive to our accommodation, making it a very long travel day, but knowing a week of sunshine was ahead made it feel worthwhile.
Kingston airport is not what you might expect from a capital city airport. It feels a little dated, but at the end of the day we arrived safely, which is what matters most. Flying into Kingston was significantly cheaper than flying into Montego Bay, which is why we chose it. It is worth noting that the drive from Kingston to Discovery Bay is on a toll road and has very little lighting. If you do not like driving in the dark, this is something to consider when planning your trip.
SIX days before we were due to fly, our original Airbnb cancelled on us, saying they had no electricity due to hurricane damage. While I understand the wider situation, the hurricane happened months earlier, and being told so close to our travel date was frustrating. Their response was also quite rude, and I would not recommend booking with them.
The Airbnb we rebooked was located in Discovery Bay, within a community called Camelot Village, and it was genuinely lovely. Although Airbnb stays are not my personal preference when it comes to wanting a lazy, fully switched-off holiday, I did really like this one. The house was clean, well maintained, and comfortable, and I honestly had no complaints at all about the property itself. Even though Airbnb is not my preferred style of accommodation, if I were to stay in Jamaica again and needed to book an Airbnb, I would absolutely stay in this one again.
One thing I noticed while searching for Airbnbs is that many properties do not list carbon monoxide detectors. This is something I now always check, and I strongly recommend bringing your own carbon monoxide detector on every holiday, not just when staying in an Airbnb.
The Airbnb we stayed in had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room with a TV, a dining area, and a fully working kitchen. It also had a washer and dryer, towels, toilet roll, and shower gel provided, so it felt very hotel-like in that sense. What was missing for me was the food and drink side, which is exactly why I prefer all-inclusive resorts. They may seem expensive, but if you eat and drink enough, they often work out better value overall. The property also had 24-hour security, which was really important to me and helped me feel safe throughout the stay.
During the trip, we visited Margaritaville, which has very overpriced drinks but a beautiful private beach. It is especially good for families as the water is calm, shallow, and sectioned off. We also went to Flavours Beach, which was nice but small and not particularly accessible. Puerto Seco Beach was one of the highlights of the trip. It is just minutes from where we stayed and is absolutely stunning. Entry was 2,000 JMD, which was just over £9 per person, with children under four free. We were with locals, so we paid the local price. Tourists are often charged more, usually around US$20, but it is still well worth visiting.
For a child-free night out, we went to 8Rivaz, one of my favourite lounges in Jamaica, and it is always worth a visit. We also went to Ominous, which was quieter than expected when we visited, but the venue itself is really nice. Another must-see was Blue Hole, which is absolutely stunning. As with many attractions in Jamaica, tourists tend to pay more than locals, so it is worth checking platforms like GetYourGuide to see if you can find a deal or booking directly if you are confident doing so.
As this was a child-free trip, I have not focused on family-friendly activities here, but you can find plenty of those in my previous Jamaica posts. When booking excursions, I always recommend either using GetYourGuide for convenience or booking directly with local providers so your money goes straight back into the local community.
Overall, this was a lovely, lazy, and much-needed holiday. It gave me exactly what I needed after a busy year and reminded me how much I value slow travel and sunshine. As you can probably guess, my next trip to Jamaica is already booked. In fact, the next two are booked, and next time I will be back at a resort, so stay tuned for another full all-inclusive hotel review.
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