Posted June 11, 2009 by Kate Hamman
The word "Jamaica" conjures images of sandy beaches, tropical drinks, and a hammock with your name on it. Now you can truly get away from it all by traveling to the southeast corner of the island, where you'll find Treasure Beach, with its waterfall adventure, secluded cottages, and fresh seafood.
Play
YS Falls: Hop aboard a tractor-drawn jitney, where you'll encounter thoroughbred horses en route to YS Falls. Once you arrive at the 120-foot, seven-tiered waterfalls, you're welcome to swim about in the cool water of the pools. A lifeguard is on hand, and you can change privately at the falls. Admission costs $14, and includes the ride. Try to get there early as the falls are a hot spot for tour buses later in the day.
Stay
Jake's Resort in Treasure Beach: Jake's 38 cottages incorporate natural elements of the sea, sky, and garden, while providing the utmost in privacy. Stay in one of the ocean view rooms, and you may have a deck that juts out over the water. The boutique resort offers several reasons to hang out on the grounds, including a games room, an on-site massage therapist, and a Jamaica-influenced restaurant. Rooms are a steal at $95 per night for a garden-view during the off-season, and $115 per night during the high season.
Eat
Little Ochie: Just east of Treasure Beach on Alligator Pond, you'll find Little Ochie, where you dine on thatched-roofed boats on stilts. While you hover above the sand, you can watch fisherman haul in their day's catch from the ocean just steps away. Everything is made-to-order, and you can choose to have your seafood steamed, fried, or just dry. Prices depend on the weight of the item you choose.
To search for flights and compare prices to Montego Bay, which is home to the South Coast’s nearest major airport, please use our price-comparison tool.
(Photo: Island Outpost)
Posted May 19, 2009 by Carl Unger
Air Jamaica announced a new $25 baggage fee for the second checked bag. Yawn, right? Little late to the party, Air Jamaica! Airlines have been adding these fees for over a year. And by keeping the first bag free, Air Jamaica actually joins the ranks of more lenient U.S. carriers like Southwest and JetBlue.
But it's not the $25 that has Air Jamaica in the running for Most Absurd Fee Ever. It's this, from the airline's press release announcing the new fee: "Passengers are guaranteed delivery of the free baggage allowance on the same flight on which they travel. All other bags will be transported within seven days, and must be collected from the airport. The status of these bags may be tracked online at www.AirJamaica.com/baggage to determine when they may be collected." The policy affects only two routes, New York-Grenada and New York-Barbados.
If you just did a spit take while reading that quote, well, that will teach you to drink while reading the BookingBuddy blog. But yes, you read correctly. Air Jamaica's new policy is that baggage you pay to check will arrive within seven days, while your free baggage arrives with you.
Let me try to make some sense out of this. The airline is clearly trying to discourage people from checking multiple bags, likely in the hope of simplifying its business and saving money. This is the driving force behind baggage fees in general. And to further unburden itself of the task of transporting baggage, Air Jamaica will now do so at its convenience, not that of its paying customers.
Alright, I tried—this makes zero sense. If anything, you would expect the bags you pay for to receive special attention. Instead, Air Jamaica is taking your money in exchange for a downgrade from the service you normally receive for free.
And that, my fellow travelers, is simply absurd.
(Photo: airplane-pictures.net)
Posted March 5, 2008 by Heather Gilbert
I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but I’ve officially become your non-official expert on nakations. And as for today’s musing, well, this is not your mother’s nakation (assuming your mother is a free-spirited naturist who plays naked volleyball). It’s a Hedonism Resorts
nakation.
Hedonism is teaming up with E! Entertainment Networks to film a “Wild on E!” special around their “Ms No Swim Suit” contest, being held from March 9-15. According to the press release, "12 dynamic female contestants representing social clubs and travel organizations from around the U.S. vie for the 2008 Ms. No Swim Suit crown."
If you’re worried that this competition is just based solely on how you look in your birthday suit on the night of the event, fear not. Apparently “the entire week is filled with activities designed to allow the lovely contestants to win the favor of visitors, including Naughty School Girl Night, the evening Bareware Competition, the Naked Fashion Show, Pajama Night, Mardi Gras Night, Toga Party Night, and the Dance Finale. At this pageant, flirting with the judges is not only accepted, it's encouraged!”
Phew! I was starting to think that a contestant who hadn’t even put in her time choreographing a dance routine, modeling nudity in a fashion show, or romping around dressed as a naughty school girl might have a shot at the crown.
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