Unfortunately, our holidays are over, we visted two new countries, namely: Jamaica and Dominican Republic and we stayed in Miami again.
The moment we disembarked in Montego Bay and left the airport we fell in love with poor and neglected Jamaica.
What enchanted us was the ocean, the beach, the food, coffee, reagge and Jamaican easy-going way of life.
We really adored the small hotels of Negril, each with its own style, well-maintained garden, incredible plants and access to a beautiful beach and warm, crystal clear ocean.
We practiced paddle boarding a lot, spotted some really huge fish swimming below us. We reacharged our batteries, found peace and quiet and inhaled a lot of weed smoke which was omnipresent.
Leaving Jamaica made us feel sad as Jamaica is a perfect place for people like us, people who don’t like the crowds and everything what is artificially created for the tourism industry.
What is more, „positively different” tourists travel to Jamaica and it was a pleasure to meet and chat with them.
Of course Jamaica is not perfect. It is normal that you will get bored with saying no to all weed vendors every day. You will be pissed off while talking to guys who want to sell you another catamaran cruise, snorkelling trip or a parasailing ride.
Sooner or later you will realize that Jamaicans are lazy and they don’t care about their beautiful nature. Their greed will put you off many times but their smile and greeting with „respect sign” will let you forgive them and yes, you would die to go there again.
The Dominican Republic … hmm, not bad after all, but we think that one visit to Hispañola is enough. We have no plans to come back there but who knows, maybe one day we will go to other parts of the Dominican Republic like Samana.
We had read so many positive comments about the Dominican Republic before our holidays there but unfortunately, they were exaggerated.
We did not find the mouth-watering food, pristine beaches and the amazing ocean. We made a mistake staying in an all-inclusive hotel full of naive idiots.
Yes, the island is green, tropical and georgeous, the weather is always guaranteed but the beach and the ocean did not convince us. I know that we saw only two parts of the country: the north east and the south but the water was opaque and there were a lot of seaweeds. Moreover, in June the ocean was too rough for paddle boarding and although it was not high season there were too many tourists.
The hotel food was always cold and tastless, the way the food was presented was messy and unpleasant to the eye but the Dominican coffee was perfect.
It is incredible but the hotel staff in the Dominican Republic was lazier than in Jamaica, the beach and pools were cleaned while the people were relaxing, the waiters and waitresses did not feel like serving the guests, the cooks were hiding and the only people who worked were the vendors.
Finally, a stay in a Spanish speaking Miami. We feel like at home there and we love to come back there. This time we stayed in Miami Beach instead of Downtown which was a perfect decision. We lived in a Historic Art Deco District in a lovely hotel called Franklin Hotel.
The hotel service was perfect, the young girl who checked us in was more than helpful. We were allowed to use our room earlier than the standard check in time, the girl from reception helped us with the safe in our room, offered a parking place, the beach towels and the beach umbrella and was willing to assist and help us in everything we needed.
Miami is a city which is always busy and noisy though the mornings are much quieter than the afternoons or evenings. There are lots of people and cars and one can feel that the city never sleeps.
Miami Beach is perfect for walking, relaxing, dining, shopping and nightlife. Everyone will find something for themselves there.
The beach and the ocean in Miami are really nice. The beach park is great for strolling, public transport is awesome, easy to use and tourists friendly. It is a must-see place.