Wednesday, April 25, 2012

irie days in jamaica

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Hi friends! Life has been busy since we got back from Jamaica, but in such lovely and positive ways. I went away on a girls weekend/soccer tournament and I've also tried out five new restos in the past three weeks (including Taste, Farm, & Corso 32). I'm really into joie de vivre'ing!

But on to what I really want to share with you: my fashionably late Jamaican vacation post.

Did I mention that this was our first trip to Jamaica? I have to say it was paradise. Negril's casual, laid-back pace and tropical beauty were a feast for the eyes and soul (especially for this sun-starved lady).

We stayed at Couples Negril, which is an all inclusive resort (highly recommend!). This is fairly uncharacteristic of us, as we’ve always extolled the virtures of travelling off the beaten path.Our trip to Costa Rica last year was exactly that kind of trip. But y’know what? There is a place for all inclusive resorts in a person’s travelling repertoire. Especially when said person (in this case, me) is in dire need of tranquility, rejuvenation and most importantly, not having to worry about a single thing.

Couples Negril had all of those things covered, along with romance, delicious food and hospitality. Speaking of hospitality, the resort staff were fantastic! One of our favourite parts of the trip was getting to know these incredible people, especially Kadeen, Syan, Nordia, Tiffany & Celia. They were lovely! As an aside: while we were getting our dance on at the Ultimate Dance Party (cheesy name but oh-so-fun!), Nordia told me I had rhythm. Hellooo! I can dance, peeps. (:


In Jamaica, we were able to take our relaxation to a new level of bliss. It was truly the most perfect tropical holiday. I would go back in a reggae (heart) beat.
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Vacation highlights:

  • Noshing on all kinds of tasty Jamaican delights, including: ackee & saltfish (Jamaica’s national dish), curried goat, dumplings, callaloo, bun, fried plaintains, jerk pork & chicken, festival, roasted breadfruit & soursop (my new fav fruit)
  • Our first ever couples massage at the resort’s award-winning spa - divine pampering!
  • Watching local kids jumping from 40 foot cliffs into the sea
  • Going down the slide during our sunset catamaran cruise
  • Discovering the Silver Birds Steel Orchestra. Their rendition of Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" was amazing!
  • Meandering along soft white sand with my best {boy}friend
  • The sound of tree frogs at night
  • Swimming in the warm crystal clear cerulean sea
  • Devouring four books while relaxin' in "my" hammock
  • The delicious pink, purple and orange sunsets

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I hope you've enjoyed perusing these pictures as much as I've enjoyed posting them.

Happy Wednesday, friends! I sure have missed you.

xo Dajana

24 comments:

  1. Oh soooo lovely!! Those pictures look amazing...so glad you got everything you needed / wanted out of the holiday. Hope you are refreshed!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Heather. I really did get everything I needed & wanted out of this vacation. Thanks again for the packing tips! (:

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  2. Replies
    1. Grazie J! There's so much to love about Jamaica. Ting soda, for example. (:

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  3. Wonderful. I just added Jamaica to my bucket list :)

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  4. It looks GORGEOUS!!! Thanks for posting the pics!

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed seeing them. (:

      p.s. Thank you for stopping by! I love having new visitors.

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  5. Gorgeous shots Dajana! Love your photography.
    I totally agree too...while it's fun to be adventurous and do something different, sometimes I just want to vacate and rest up. All inclusives are perfect for that!

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    1. Grazie mille, Amy! I used my iPhone 4 & the Camera+ app.

      As a bonafide Aries, I love and crave adventure but I've also realized that resting up is lovely, too.

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    2. seriously you took these photos with your iPhone!?? Amazing. Dang, I need an upgrade!! I just might have to let Alice hold and er, drop my current phone more often...

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  6. Oh wow! Gorgeous pics! I'm glad you had an amazing trip!

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    1. Hvala, Belle! It was so nice to get away from it all. The not cooking part of the trip was also a huge plus for me. (;

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  7. Wow, D, these photos are AMAZING!!! So beautiful! Sounds like you two had an amazing trip, Couples Negril looks incredible.

    p.s. you got a reso at Corso 32!?? Was it worth the wait?

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    1. Merci, C! We had a super time, friend. I especially enjoyed feeling zen for an entire week. That's partially because road rage, snow and deadlines are nowhere to be found in Jamaica. (;

      p.s. Yes, we FINALLY went to Corso! It only took years to get in. The arancini & crispy polenta were delish. I'll tell you more about it on our next visit.

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  8. now i am torn, here or Sandals in St Lucia. Do you mind telling us which accommodation you had and who you flew with? thank you gorgeous lady

    V

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    1. Hi V! These pics are tempting you, aren't they? (;

      As for your queries, we stayed in a regular room and we flew with West Jet. There is one downside to travelling to Jamaica - there aren't many direct flights, so you may end up losing a day for travel. I think this is one of the reasons so many Canadians choose to travel to Mexico - which is a short & relatively painless flight.

      If you need to know anything else, send me a DM on Facebook. I'd be more than happy to tell you more about the resort. (:

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  9. You look so adorable in your tank/hat combo.

    But that's all I can write because I am SO JEALOUS of your trip!

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    1. Hvala, Marianne! The tank top is actually a dress from H&M and it was only $20. Hello!

      Would you be even more jealous if I told you that Jamaica does wonders for us curly-haired ladies. No crazy frizz - just soft luscious curls and waves. Another reason to visit.(;

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    2. Why yes, I am EVEN MORE jealous! Your hair does look divine.

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  10. Thanks for sharing these gorgeous photos! It looks like a wonderful vacation. That sunset shot is perfect.

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    1. So glad you enjoyed seeing them, Kristin. The sunsets (and vacation) were heavenly.

      Welcome back from Paris, friend!

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  11. Your pictures look so great - thanks for sharing them with us. It looks like you both had a lovely time. Reading your post made me a little nostalgic. My family is from Jamaica and I truly love to visit especially for all of the great foods that you mentioned. Your post made me very homesick for my mom's home-cooking.

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed seeing pics of the motherland, Natasha. Where in Jamaica is your family from? Does your mom still live in Jamaica?

      One of my closest friends is Jamaican and we also have a fairly large Jamaican population in my city. There's even a few places where you can get delish patties and oxtail. Jamaican food is delish!

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