Jamaica Part 3: Montego Bay, the party spot

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Oh my, Montego Bay…..the perfect destination for a Jamaican vacation with variety. Affectionately called Mobay by locals and visitors in the know, this North Coast city is the second largest in Jamaica. It hosts the most popular airport for tourist arrivals, Sangster International Airport (MBJ), which means that your Mobay resort will be no more that 20 minutes from the airport. If you’re only in Jamaica for a short getaway, stay at a Montego Bay resort for the shortest touch down to toes-in-sand time, because you know you’ll want to be on the beach asap!

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There’s no better place on the island if you want to see and do it all. From Montego Bay, you can access most of the other key resort areas within a 2hr drive, opening up all of Western Jamaica for day trip exploration. Closer to home, Mobay proper holds many charms. Your resort is almost guaranteed to be on a beautiful beach (especially when you use Three Wishes Travel to find your perfect resort match). Scuba enthusiasts will enjoy exciting wall dives within a 20 minute boat ride. Golfers are spoiled by four fantastic championship courses. For the party, well…..you’ve come to the right place. The famous Montego Bay Hip Strip will satisfy all of your needs for local nightlife.

Let’s take a closer look at Montego Bay:

–Rose Hall Great House: History buffs will appreciate learning about Jamaica’s plantation days. The Rose Hall Great House is the most famous of all Georgian-style plantation mansions in Jamaica. Legend tells that is is haunted by the ghost of it ruthless mistress, Annie Palmer, who earned the nickname “The White Witch of Rose Hall”. According to the story, Annie Palmer practiced voodoo, enjoyed beating slaves, and murdered several husbands within the house..before being murdered by a jealous slave that she had taken as a lover. Tours are offered of the property including the option to do an evening tour, focusing on the spookier aspects of the mansion’s history. The grounds also hold the White Witch Golf Course and a zip-line excursion.

Margaritaville Mobay-The Hip Strip: Home to shopping, restaurants, and clubs, the Hip Strip is the tourist activity center of Mobay. By day, the Hip Strip is one of the city’s many opportunities for souvenir shopping, dining, people watching and is home to a couple beach clubs popular with both tourists and locals. At night, the strip heats up at Margaritaville, Blue Beat, and Pier 1. If you like to drink and dance, you’ll definitely want to check out one of these clubs during your vacation.

–Reggae Sumfest: Plan your travel during mid-July and be in Montego Bay for this annual Reggae festival. This multi-day event features popular Jamaican artists as well as international superstars. Resorts in the area sell out quickly for the festival dates…Be sure to plan your Sumfest vacation months in advance.

iberostar-grand-hotel-rose-hall-pool-view-2Accommodations in Montego Bay range from large all-inclusive resorts including luxury options for both families and adults-only, to smaller boutique offerings (both all-inclusive and not). Villas are also available. Work with me to find the best value accommodation for your needs.

Next up: Negril!

Houston, we have lift off!

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Airplane take-off

(Quick and easy destinations less than 4 hours from Houston, TX)

Extended vacations to far off destinations are exciting, but sometimes all you’ve got time for is a quick getaway closer to home. So, let’s take a look at the sunny international beach destinations accessible from Bush Intercontinental and Houston Hobby within 4 hours or less non-stop.

Jamaica: This island will always be a favorite. Jamaica’s Montego Bay airport provides access to the hotspots throughout the island, and Houston’s airports provide access to Montego Bay. Fly non-stop in around 3 hours from IAH on United and starting in November 2015, use Southwest Airlines out of Hobby.

Mexico: (Cancun, RM, Coz, Cabo, PVR) Houston’s airports provide easy access to destinations throughout our neighbor to the South.

Tulum Mayan Site
Tulum Mayan Site

-Mexican Caribbean: The always popular Cancun is just a 2 hour flight from IAH on United…and they operate flights daily. Southwest is beginning non-stop daily service to Cancun from Hobby starting mid-October. Cancun airport provides access to the entire Mayan Riviera, stretching from Playa Mujeres, just North of Cancun all the way down to the chill Southern beach town of Tulum, famous for its cliff-top Mayan site. If you don’t want to bother with the ferry from Playa del Carmen, take the non-stop flight on United down to Cozumel. This island off the coast of Mexico offers world-class scuba diving.

-Mexican Pacific: For fantastic vistas and true Mexican charm, check out the Pacific Coastal cities of Cabo San Lucas/San Jose del Cabo and Puerto Vallarta. United flies non-stop from IAH to Cabo in just under 3 hours. Southwest offers the itinerary from Hobby. Cabo, at the very tip of the Baja California peninsula, is famous for the popular Lands End Arch and some of the best whale watching (in season). Puerto Vallarta is accessible from IAH in just under 2 hrs 30 minutes via United and the non-stop is also offered on Southwest out of Hobby. It’s a charming colonial town with a rich history…and you can’t beat the spectacular “Mountains meet the Sea” views.

Beach Paradise in the Bahamas
Beach Paradise in the Bahamas

The Bahamas: Crystal clear water and white sand beaches await in the Bahamas. Plus, with easy flights from IAH on United to the capital city of Nassau, it’s doesn’t take long to find yourself on a pristine beach! As an added perk, you’ll clear US Customs at the airport in Nassau before your return flight saving an extra step (and time) when you touch back down in Houston.

Costa Rica: While I wouldn’t typically suggest Costa Rica for a short getaway, it is now in spectacularly easy reach from our Houston airports in under 4 hours! There’s so much more to the destination than a typical beach vacation that I don’t recommend anything less than a week. However, I felt it important to mention that in addition to United’s non-stop service to both San Jose and Liberia, Southwest is beginning service to these airport in the fall! San Jose, the capital, offers access to the central rainforests, volcanoes, and central coastal regions of this fascinating country. Liberia offers easy access to the Northern Pacific coast, a popular area for beach goers and surfing enthusiasts who are still looking to experience all the nature and wildlife that Costa Rica has to offer.