People often think that going on a vacation means you have to go somewhere far away. You can go on a vacation anywhere.
I sat down one morning and decided to plan a vacation in Jamaica. After looking at a few places, I decided that my first excursion would be Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
I had to think about all the things I would need for the trip and the attractions I would go to, then plan accordingly.
I came up with my list very quickly with the assistance of the internet.
Things Needed for Vacation
- Transportation
- Food
- Hotel
- Attractions Fee
- Shoes to Climb Dunn’s River Falls
I came up with only three attractions because I had only two days. I had to make it short and sweet.
The second thing was to work on the budget. I assumed that going to only three places would not be expensive and I was so right.
Transportation – $20 USD
Food – $50USD
Dunn’s River Falls – $10 USD
Hotel – $110 USD
Green Grotto Caves – $10 USD
ATV Tours – $75 USD
Shoes to Climb Dunn’s River Falls – $20 USD
I knew where I was going and how much it cost. I just needed a date(period I’ll be going on the trip) and to go through the details with a fine tooth comb. I finalized my plan and the date was set. I’m always excited to go on adventures so I couldn’t wait for the day to arrive. The trip was planned for a weekend as I didn’t want to cut into my work time. My method of transportation was the public transportation system. I took a taxi from my home to downtown Kingston for $100 JMD, walked about ten minutes to the bus park then I headed off to Ocho Rios.
Heading off to Ocho Rios.
The journey to Ocho Rios was surprisingly comfortable, as normally the bus conductors (Yes, we have bus conductors that assist the drivers to fill the bus with passengers because the competition is stiff.) would over-flow the bus with passengers.
I was next to a seat by the window of the bus so I could see the beauty of the country as we transitioned from condensed buildings and homes to lush greenery and fresh air.
I arrived in Ocho Rios within 2 hours of driving. The fare was around $500 JMD (not sure of this figure but it could be less). The resort was about five minutes walk from the Ocho Rios bus park. I found it easily with the help of Google maps.
Photo: Entrance to Ocean Sands Resort
If you’ve noticed, I arrived at my destination and it was around $600 JMD. That’s roughly $5 USD. I hurriedly checked in the resort and went back out to the town to get dinner. There were numerous food options available. I had to literally stop and think about what I wanted to eat, then went in that direction.
On my way to Captain’s Bakery and Grill I saw a supermarket. I went in, got cereal and milk for Breakfast the following morning.
It was a good idea, as it lasted for two days so I didn’t have to worry about Breakfast. I also, got free tea from the resort. The milk, cereal, a coconut water, a pack of cups and spoons cost only $750 JMD.
My dinner at Captain’s Bakery and Grill was fried chicken, fries,a grape soda and a slice of Black Forest Cake. The cake was $450 JMD and I don’t remember the exact figure for the meal but everything came up to about $1,200 JMD.
If you are calculating with me, you can see that the bill is nowhere near $5,000 JMD ($45 USD) and I have done so much already.
When I went back to the room, I realized that there was a balcony and a view of the Caribbean Sea. The view was nothing but spectacular.
I specifically set my alarm just to take pictures of the scene at sunrise.
Photo: View from Balcony
The first order of business for the next morning was to get breakfast then head off to the Wilderness ATV Tour.
Trust me, it was worth every penny. (More Information will be provided at a later date on Wilderness Tours.) The lineup was Wilderness ATV Tour, lunch, Dunn’s River Falls, then Margaritaville.
We were ready just in time for the tour guide to take us over to the attraction. I was a bit intimidated and scared at first to ride the ATV(All-terrain vehicle) as the tour guide was going way too fast and I was worried that I would forget some of what he was saying. After a good fifteen minutes of instructions and few trial and error of riding the ATV, I finally got the hang of it. It felt like riding a bike(not that I’ve ever been on a bike but it felt like it). I felt happy and free.
The tour guides got set up and we were all ready to go. I had no idea what to expect. Based on what the tour guide was saying about not looking back, watching out for animals crossing, passing a river etc. I figured that it was an off-road experience….To be continued.
