Visiting Jamaica with Babies
I know Jamaica is going through a rough patch at the moment as a state of emergency was declared due to an increase in crime recently. I only hope that these issues get resolved as it is an absolutely amazing country. Jamaica holds a special place in our hearts as my husband was born there, but had left when he was 7 years old and had not been back since. So landing on Jamaican soil was a special moment for him.
We flew to Jamaica for our Wedding and all of our 120 guests traveled from all over the World and all I can say is that they had an incredible time. So keep Jamaica on your watchlist people and go whenever its ok to travel there again as its truly magical.
Until it is more safe to go outside of the hotel resort my recommendations for visiting Jamaica with babies are as follows:
Accommodation
- Pick a hotel based on positive guest reviews. I thoroughly read through all the reviews because I knew we would have a lot of guests there, but primarily focused on the variety of food, service and accommodation reviews.
- We stayed at the Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall and it was incredible. As I planned to have our Wedding there I spent a lot of time researching hotels. If interested see my blog on tips for organising a destination Wedding.
- Pick a hotel based on baby sitting & childcare services. I called them to ask about the possibility of arranging babysitters for our Wedding guests as the guests would be traveling from abroad and they were very accommodating. They also have a kids club for ages 3-12 from 9am until 6pm I believe, but double check their website here.
- Once you have booked a hotel call and reserve a cot/crib for when you are there and a kettle.
- There were times were the hotel could not provide a kettle in the room but we were able to get boiling water from the bar and bring it up to sterilise bottles in the room.
- Other recommended family friendly hotels in Montego Bay are:
- Holiday Inn Resort
- Sunscape Splash
- Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa
Recommended items to pack
- Bring the essential items I have listed in my top 1o essential items blog
- Bring Mosquito spray. I recommend the one from the honest company or babyganics those are good for babies from the age of 3 months.
- Bring an inflatable for the baby to swim in. If your baby loves swimming as much as our Havana they will love it and it will give you busy parents a break in the pool too.
- We also bought inflatable cup holders and at times put her milk or water in it as we were in the pool a lot and wanted her to stay hydrated.
- Bring gummy non slip slippers. I also recommend this brand ´slip free uk´. These are excellent for the pool or beach and are super light.
- I always bring an extra bed sheet to put over the cot/crib mattress.
- I love the travel size babyganics dish soap. Excellent for traveling, washing baby bottles in the hotel room or airplane as it is 100ml.
- Baby friendly sunscreen
- Re-useable swim diaper & swimsuit of course 🙂
- Baby hat & swim hat
- Bring their favourite snacks if they are picky eaters. However if you look at the Hyatt Ziva the Restaurant Choicez has an incredible selection of food.
- I would recommend brining enough nappies/diapers and wipes so you do not have to go into town for them as they are quite expensive.
- If travelling with a toddler probably bring a life vest as well. Alternatively call or email the hotel to ask if you can borrow one.
Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall
Transportation
- The hotel arranges for a shuttle to pick you up at the airport to confirm that one will be there you can email jamaicaconcierge@hyatt.com. You can also take the hotel shuttle back to the airport at the end of your stay. This was free included with our stay, but I believe the rules have changed for 2018.
- A friend of André´s family drove us and a group of 20 of our friends around to see Negril, Rick´s Cafe and Dunns River. It was a lot cheaper than booking a tour. Some of our hotel guests also booked taxi´s via the hotel and then later on booked those drivers to take them on tours, all of them said the drivers were very friendly and helpful.
- Remember to bring cash so you can tip the drivers, waiters, butlers, bartenders, etc.
Jamaican Culture
- As mentioned we had an incredible time.
- The people are very friendly and helpful
- The food is really good, especially the jerk chicken spot at the Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall
- The service is excellent
- The vibe and the culture is amazing. So friendly and relaxed
- The staff were amazing with the babies. So helpful and friendly. It is a very baby friendly country.
Hope this information provided is useful and helpful for Jamaica.
Happy Baby Happy Travels
xo
Marisa Taylor & Stefania Vescio
