Jamaica Trip Day 1: What You Should Know when Traveling to Jamaica

---

Travel Day:

Today is travel day! My family and I packed up and left our Arizona home at 6:30 A.M. for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. However, we probably should have left sooner because the airport was incredibly busy and since we were traveling internationally, it takes extra time to have the required Covid-19 PCR test checked.

---

Tip for You:

Check the Covid-19 restrictions in the country you are flying to. Most will require a PCR test 3 days before you fly out. Ensure that your testing site uses a lab in-state and has a return time of less than 3 days to make sure your test comes back in time. Give yourself extra time at the airport to have your test documents looked through or try VeriFLY (I did not use this) which is a bit quicker.

---

After security we got snacks, boarded the 1st plane, and the rest is a mystery to be because I zonked out. I awoke to the passing out of customs forms and the automated airplane voice screaming at me to close my tray table for landing.

Me Zonked Out :)

Let me just say, the Miami International Airport feels HUGE! I definitely got all my steps in for the day while perusing all the restaurant options. I settled on some food and settled in for my 3... no 4 hour layover (my flight was delayed an hour). This was prime movie watching time and I will not spoil anything but you REALLY should watch the movie Tenet, it's a 2020 Christopher Nolan film with amazing actors including John David Washington, Robert Pattinson (*Edward Cullen*), Elizabeth Debicki, and Kenneth Branagh. Tangent aside, the flight from Miami to the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica was only an hour and 40 minutes, but again, I slept the whole time.

Customs in Kingston was a breeze since the airport is so small and our bags made it through both flights. We previously arranged a driver to pick us up and take us on the 2 hour drive across Jamaica to the GoldenEye Resort in Oracabessa on the North side of the island. I was surprised to see that our driver drove on the left side of the street with the steering wheel on the right side of the car! However this is related to Jamaica's history as a British colony until 1962.

---

Tip for You:

Make a plan for airport pick-up. Check if Uber-type services are available, if taxi's are a safe mode of transport in your destination country. If they are options for you, it is smart to know where these services pick up ahead of time, especially if the airport is large. If you want to rent a vehicle, make arrangements ahead of time to ensure there are cars available and make sure that you would be comfortable driving a car in the country (manual transmission or driving on the opposite side of the street). If you are uncertain about the previous options, it may be easiest to request transport through the hotel you are staying with, hire a driver third-party, or ask a friend to pick you up if possible.

---

Jamaican Rum Cake

On the way our driver told us about the realities of life in Jamaica and Kingston in particular. He told us that the Jamaican social hierarchy is not based on race but rather on wealth class. Your wealth class can be hard to break out of in Jamaica because there is no public school system, meaning that starting from PreSchool, parents must pay for their child's education. On economics, we learned that the Jamaican dollar has lost value as 1 US dollar is equivalent to about 148 Jamaican dollars and gas prices are quite high at approximately 4.7 USD per gallon. The countries main industries are Bauxite mining, tourism, agriculture for export like bananas, sugar, and coffee, and famous Jamaican rum.

We arrived at a gate with no signage, but after crossing through the nondescript entrance we were in the paradise that is the GoldenEye Resort. We were all exhausted by this point, so we settled into our villa situated on both the Ocean front with immediate beach access, and the peaceful lagoon.

---

International Travel Tips:

1. Check Covid-19 restrictions in the country you are traveling to. It is likely that you will need a PCR test 3 days in advance to fly, so schedule the test before your trip.

2. Arrange for pick-up from the airport or research if/where you can find taxi's or a Uber-type service.

3. What to Bring to the Airport:

​Passport

Covid paperwork

Mask

Visa (if nesessary)

I cannot wait to share more adventures and tips from my Jamaica trip with you!

Always,

Paris