Our Honeymoon in Jamaica
What wedding celebration would be complete without a romantic honeymoon?! The Monday following our wedding we traveled from Iowa to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. I had never been out of the country and neither of us had been to an all-inclusive resort so we were both pretty excited. Plus, we had that newlywed bliss. Ah, yes! We stayed in Negril at the Couples Swept Away resort. We chose Negril because of the sandy white beaches (some areas in Jamaica have rocky beaches). We chose Couples based on some recommendations from coworkers and our travel agent. The resort was homey, the staff extremely friendly and the atmosphere relaxed. Pair that with endless food and drinks and we have a winner in this girl's book. There were six restaurants, beach flag service and two swim pools. Our room was on the upper level and had a view of the ocean (through the tall palm trees). While there, we met several couples who were married on the same day us. One of the couples we met on our first full day there happened to be from none other than Carroll, Iowa. We ended up chatting with them most of that day and spent some additional time with them over the next couple days. The husband, Dave, had a pale complexion just like Ryan so they both enjoyed the shade under the palm trees while the wife, Danielle, and I took in some rays. You weren't typically going to find us on the beach most days while we were in Jamaica, however. I can enjoy laying out with my feet in the sand, reading a book and taking in the sun for a little while. But not for the entire time. I need adventure! Luckily, Ryan is a good sport and we found plenty of thrills in Jamaica. Some of the things we did included ziplining through the jungle, snorkeling, swimming with the dolphins and taking a ride on a catamaran. We also enjoyed a bonfire on the beach, massages, Bob Marley shots at the swim-up bar and a beachside buffet dinner.
It was a romantic, relaxing and fun honeymoon. You only experience this time in your life once (hopefully) so we tried to make the most of it. The best part I have to say was taking it all in with my new husband as my travel companion! Yeah, mon!
The view from our room during the day.
And at sunset.
My handsome groom!
And his bride.
After a warm outdoor diner and red wine (our teeth nicely stained).
The beach
Drink, please!
Showing off our beach bods.
Martinis with our bartender friend, Kirk.
Ziplining!
Catamaran fun
We swam under here.