Brought to you by the Jamaica Tourist Board.
Vanessa here! Head of growth at Love Stories TV and resident bride-to-be. If you emailed me any time between June 15-27, then you probably got my out-of-office reply because I was in JAMAICA! My mission (besides drinking as many rum punches as I could get my hands on) was to scope out Moon Palace Jamaica in advance of THIS EPIC GIVEAWAY we just launched with the Jamaica Tourist Board. One grand prize winner will receive an all-inclusive trip for two to the gorgeous Moon Palace Jamaica, and I wanted to check it out beforehand so I could give you all the deets.
The Jamaica Tourist Board planned the most epic day for my sister and I! It started with a gorgeous drive through Ocho Rios (the region on the east side of the Island where we were staying) to Yaaman Adventure Park where we toured the gorgeous property and had a private cooking class! The class was set overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The views were breathtaking, and the Yaaman Adventure Park team somehow manage to turn us into authentic Jamaican chefs in just under an hour — my jerk chicken was SO GOOD. If you ever find yourself in Jamaica, this excursion is so worth it!
Next, our driver David took us to Moon Palace Jamaica. (Note: David is with Paradise Travels and he was amazing! Call them and ask for him if you ever need a driver). The moment we pulled up to Moon Palace, we felt like royalty. We were greeted by the sweetest staff who confirmed our reservation and offered us fresh pineapple juice, cool towels to offset the Jamaican heat, and a flower … which was just a nice touch! As we sipped our fresh juice in line, waiting to check in, I could not help but notice how magical the lobby was. Seriously, if I could have camped out there for the full 24 hours, I would have been content. Little did I know, it got better!
We went up to our room, which had a partial beach view, a well-stocked mini bar, a super comfy bed, and (most importantly IMO) robes and slippers! Talk about luxury! The all-inclusive package (which you can win HERE) includes a stocked mini bar + fridge as well as 24-hour room service. You could be tempted to just stay in the room… But don't do that! There is so much to see on the stunning grounds.
Dinner was great! Since we only had one night at the resort, we decided to hit up the buffet so we could try as many things as possible. But after dinner we passed by the on-site sushi bar and just had to stop in for another snack ;) The fish was delicious, and the sushi chefs were so much fun to talk to. It was the perfect after-dinner dinner.
After sushi, we headed out to the entertainment area, grabbed a couple drinks (mojito for me, dirty banana for the sis) and watched a VERY IMPRESSIVE Michael Jackson tribute. I am a MJ superfan, and this performance rivaled Vegas. Entertainment ended around 10pm. We grabbed one final drink in the lobby then called it a semi-early night. Well, not before we ordered room service, of course. Since we knew we had to check out the next day, we wanted to make sure to be up early to enjoy breakfast, meet with their on-site wedding planner, and take in a few hours of sunshine!
The next morning we met with Trudy-Anne, Moon Palace Jamaica's wedding coordinator, who was an absolute treat! She gave us a tour of all the potential wedding locations, indoor and out, and answered all of my bride-to-be questions regarding a wedding at MPJ, and, if I'm being honest, pretty much made me wish I was planning a destination wedding.
We spent our last few hours enjoying piña coladas in the sunshine overlooking the water while catching up on emails. Did I mention there's free, resort-wide wifi for guests? But I'd encourage you to unplug and take it all in, because this place is truly magical.
That about covers it! If I can offer you two pieces of advice they would be, one: Don't miss out on our GIVEAWAY and the chance to experience this for five days straight, and two: Definitely add Jamaica to your bucket list. It's perfect for destination weddings, honeymoons, baby moons, family vacations, anniversary trips -- you name it, there's something for everyone. It is the home of all right, after all ;)