Jamaica’s sun, sand and music
When Cape Breton Singer/ Songwriter Bruce Guthro wants a winter break, he usually heads to Jamaica. We met the nine-time East Coast Music Award winner on our non-stop Sunwing flight from Halifax and then quite often during our week at the Riu Palace Tropical Bay, a five-star family resort in Negril on one of the nicest beaches we’ve ever seen. This was Guthro’s seventh trip to Jamaica. He and his wife, Kim, come back to this tropical island because it’s very safe (at least if one stays away from the capital, Kingston) with great food, excellent swimming and outstanding entertainment. “I talk with many of the musicians who walk the beach and perform for donations each day,” he told us, “and they’re all fantastic. An incredible level of musicianship.” The white sand beach in front of the low rise, three-storey buildings of the Riu Resort was surprisingly wide with lots of palm trees for shade and more than 900 loungers, enough for every guest. Unlike many resorts, the beach was never overcrowded. There’s no seaweed in the warm, crystal clear Caribbean water and it’s totally free of rocks or coral. The water remains shallow out to the buoy barrier, no more than chest or neck high. Some like that but others, like Bruce Guthro and ourselves, wish the water was a bit deeper for better swimming. The six Riu Resorts in Jamaica are exclusive to Sunwing and we were impressed not only with the direct flights down and back from Atlantic Canada but with the overall quality of our Negril property. This was our first Riu resort and it had most of the attributes we look for in an excellent, allinclusive resort. Thanks to an extensive $35-million renovation in 2018 most of the public rooms and all of the 452 suites looked and felt brand new. Our large, comfortable room was decorated in tasteful colours of cream and beige with turquoise accents. The super kingsize bed had great reading lights and the television included a wide variety of channels, including CBC. Closet and drawer space was generous and the large bathroom included a shower with both a traditional and rain shower head. The mini-fridge was stocked daily with complimentary soft drinks and beer (Jamaica’s Red Stripe, of course) and there was a bar-style liquor dispenser for rum, gin, vodka and low-end Scotch. Excellent cuisine is vital for a top-quality all-inclusive resort and The Riu Palace Tropical Bay was outstanding. Buffets can often be boring but we were impressed with the wide variety in the main dining room, particularly the Caribbean and traditional Jamaican fare available at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Many guests stuck with North American dishes but we relished the chance to eat ackee and salt fish, Jamaican patties, curried goat, braised oxtail, plantain and rice with red beans. Wonderful jerk chicken is available at the buffet but there’s also a jerk shack on the beach with a superb chef, Jolly, who prides himself on his spicy and tasty product. Employing 74 chefs and cooks, the Riu also has four specialty restaurants, no extra charge, that do not require reservations. Just come when you want. If it’s full, they’ll give you a remote buzzer. We enjoyed the Japanese, Italian and steak house restaurants but especially loved Krystal, the fusion restaurant with an extra level of presentation and service. We enjoyed braised sea bass with miso, lamb with yellow curry and cannelloni with braised ossobuco. The steak house is the most informal specialty restaurant (shorts and T shirts allowed). Our first New York strip loin was tough but it was happily replaced by an excellent fillet. The Caribbean lobster was especially good. In addition to the beach musicians, the Riu has nightly on-stage entertainment. Most shows have a Caribbean focus (the Jamaican theme was especially interesting) but touring specialty acts, like the Michael Jackson show, are very popular. Sunwing has a full-time rep at the resort to solve problems and offer optional tours. We chose a delightful rafting adventure on the Grand River. In earlier days, 30-foot-long bamboo rafts were used to transport bananas downriver. Now these sturdy rafts have been fitted with comfortable, elevated chairs for two and an experienced guide poles his way downriver, navigating mild rapids and pointing out the remarkable flora and fauna. After our week in the sun we prepared for our ride back to Montego Bay airport and the Sunwing flight to Halifax. We asked Guthro if he’d recommend Jamaica and the Riu Palace to fellow Maritimers. “Definitely,” he said. “The service is fine. The food is always good. We will be coming back for sure.”