7 Tips for Your Trip to Jamaica during the Pandemic

 1.             PRE-ARRIVAL COVID TEST - Vaccine or not, you need a negative covid test within 3 days of your departure to Jamaica.  You can upload your documents to your airline profile but I also recommend printing out a copy to speed things up at the counter! 

2.             ENTRY DOCUMENTS - Jamaica requires a visitor application. You can find this at travelauth.visitjamaica.com  Caution: It will say you must remain in quarantine for the duration of your stay. This is normal! Jamaica created what they call the resilience corridor that includes a long list of businesses that adhere to the country’s covid standards. Every tourist attraction and tourist hotel is included and you can move about freely anywhere in this bubble. 

3.             CURFEW - Jamaica is currently under a 8:30pm curfew until June 3rd. This means the country shuts down at that time and you must be back at your hotel. This is critical info for planning. Start your days early to maximize your time.  This includes a 6:30pm beach curfew - and this sucks because it doesn’t get dark until 9pm!  Be sure to check visitjamaica.com or with your hotel for updates on the curfew.  With June 3rd right around the corner, you want to be sure they don’t extend it. 

4.             CASH - Most excursions accept cash only unless booked online. Make sure you bring plenty or use the ATM. Remember there are daily limits on withdrawls. USD is widely accepted. 

5.             SWIM SHOES - Invest in a good pair of swim shoes. Most things to do are outside in water, sand or rocks. Sandals are not the move for excursions - you will thank me later. 

6.             LOGISTICS - Montego Bay, Negril and Ochos Rios are not next door to each other. Montego Bay is where the airport is. Negril is about 1 hour 30 minutes east of Montego Bay.  Ochos Rios is about 1 hour 45 minutes west of Montego Bay.  Ochos Rios and Negril are about 3 hours and 15 minutes apart. What does this mean, PLAN!! You will spend 3 to 4 hours in a car depending on where you are staying. Excursions are all over so planned days are the most efficient way to conquer this. I suggest day trips where you go one location and knock out lots of stuff in that region that day. You can hire drivers or taxis and the cost for our day trips were about $200 for each location and he was willing to make multiple stops and wait on us at each excursions. 

7.             RETURN COVID TEST - A negative covid test is required to get back into the US. Some hotels provide it for free with your reservation depending on your length of stay, some will not. If you are getting it at your hotel, make arrangements for it at check-in so you don’t have to scramble to get it in during the middle of one of your last days.  You can also get a test at the airport for $50 USD with results within 15 minutes. Just make sure you arrive early enough to factor time in for the test, results and security. 

Take The Risk or Lose the Chance: Capturing the Perfect Pics on Vacay

Ever been scrolling through IG thinking “my vacay pics don’t ever look like these!”? Theirs look like they bought the island while yours look like you got invited to a free birthday party?  Yea, well let me help you fix that!

My friend Jacque and I just got back from a trip to Croatia and one of the most memorable things about this trip was the photoshoots we did.  I know it sounds superficial to comeback with 200 pics of yourself but let’s be honest, everyone wants that perfect picture especially with a breathtaking country like Croatia as your backdrop.  Plus, every photographer will tell you it takes 20 shots to get one. 

So, what made this different from all the other trips with pics?  It was our first time not caring about who was looking. We took our time, acted like we were the only two in the entire city and got the best shots of our lives because of it.

Dubrovnik is known for being one of the key filming sights for Game of Thrones and 

we owned it! 

People on the street stopped and admired, other tourist copied our photo ideas, one guy asked if we were models and our hotel maid asked us for haircare tips because us curly girls that looked nothing like anyone around us were stopping traffic around every corner we turned. 

We had a blast and with the dopest natural backdrop.  No filter necessary.  The cobble stone, azure waters and orange tiled roofs were perfect already.   

My advice, stop over and check out my post “best electronics to travel with” and leave all your insecurities at home because they don’t know you!

Blog #3 “Winter Came and I Slayed that Bih”. My review of Dubrovnik Croatia (Game of Thrones Film Site) and Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Anyone who really knows me, knows that Game of Thrones is my show! I’ve been a fan since day one (more like 2015 but that’s still well before all the hype).  Anyhow, this year Jacque and I decided to take our annual trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia.   I know what you’re thinking; I can’t even pronounce Du-brov-nik let alone know where it is so how did you choose there?  Lets just say the coastal aspect and Game Of Thrones connection gave it the nod.

Day One. We land at 8:30am after the 2-hour flight, grab our bags and sprint to the shuttle trying to be the first through passport control.  Grabbed some local currency from the ATM and called an Uber.  Tip: Always check to see if the city has Uber.  Lots of times its more reliable and much cheaper than a taxi.  Unfortunately, the Ubers kept cancelling on me so after two attempts we hopped a cab to the hotel for early check-in.

We booked four nights at the Sheraton Dubrovnik that I paid for with points. Platinum status gave us an upgrade and early check-in so right away we dressed, grabbed breakfast and requested a hotel arranged car to travel 10 minutes away to Old Town where everything was. 

First thing up, The Game of Thrones Tour!  Tip: I recommend doing city tours the first day because they usually give you a good idea of landscape and you have the rest of your days to return anywhere you want to dive into more.  Dubrovnik did not disappoint! The tour gave us lots of history on the city and hit all the popular GOT sights like Fort Lovrijenac, The City Walls and all the ins and outs of Old Town.

I remember one specific moment thing how much felt like a nerd recapping our favorite moments of episodes and speculating future ones. It’s cool though because the show is worth it and I’m in Croatia!

I’d have to say Dubrovnik is one of the most picturesque cities in Europe. You won’t need filters for any of these photos! The waters are the prettiest version of azure around and the ancient architecture is the perfect sidekick. The weather was cool, no bugs, no humidity (my curls were popping ALL DAY) and the sun was glistening off this skin of mine!

Day 2. Another early start.  The day before on the tour, Jacque and I noted a few spots we wanted to get back to for pics. Tip: Get to venues right when they open early in the morning for the best shots with no one in them. For venues that don’t have restricted entry, go just after sunrise. Jacque and I have always been into photography for our trips so we couldn’t wait to test our new tricks behind the lens. Can we say winning?!?  Basically got the whole city to ourselves!  

Check out my post:

“Winter Came and I Slayed that Bih”

for a look at the best vacation pics of my traveling.

Already feeling accomplished, we had the entire day left so we booked a quick boat trip to the Island of Lokrum. 

The boat ride started out a little cloudy and cold but within 10 minutes of being on land the sun decided it wanted to cooperate.  Lokrum was dope!  Peacocks and rabbits were roaming free.  There was a botanical garden, a monastery, a dead sea and tons of other hidden gems that we opted out of only because we were ready for lunch.  What we did catch before leaving was my favorite things on the island bar none.  Sitting on the Iron Throne and taking pics on the rock formations.  

Sidenote: Most all of our time was spent in Old Town but we did hit a cute modern area called Babin Kuk which had lots of great restaurants and bars!

Day 3-4. No good trip is complete without a spa day and that’s exactly what we did on day three since rain help narrow our options. Our final day was our two for one so we rented a car and headed to Bosnia.  Tip: always hit two locations on your trip to maximize long travel. 

And that’s it, another city crashed by curls!  

Look below for an idea of how I paid for this trip and an itinerary for each day.  If you’ve ever been to Dubrovnik, Mostar or the Kravic Waterfalls, share your experiences or pics below!

Length of trip: 4 full days (Thursday-Monday) 

Do they Speak English:  Yes

Flight:Turkish Airlines($323 paid in full with cc points) 

Hotel:Sheraton Dubrovnikincluding free breakfast ($115/night paid I full with Marriott points)

Day 1 - Old Town

Game of Thrones Tour

City Walls

Explored city streets

Lunch:Sebastianin Old Town (highly recommend)

Pre-Dinner drinks: Buza Barin Old Town (amazing view, subpar service)

Dinner:Protoin Old Town (highly recommend)

Day2 - Old Town

Pictures in the Fort Lovrijenac

Lokrum Island Tour

Lunch:Tutto Bene(sufficient for quick lunch. Pizza is cool, wings not that great.)

Cable Car- Attempted but was closed du to maintenance. 

Dinner:Shizukuin Babin Kuk (highly recommend)

Day3 (Rainy Day)

Spa day at the hotel 

Lunch:Pull Over Bistroin Babin Kuk (Highly recommend)

Dinner: Room service

Day 4 - Mostar/Trebeinje/Kravica Waterfalls 

Avis Car rental- including green card for country access. (Paid cash - 1449kn/ $218usd)

Day trip to Bosnia 

Kravica Waterfalls

Old Bridge

Crooked Bridge

Museum of War and Genocide in Old City

Dinner: Ruzmarin Gastro Bar (Dubrovnik)

Blog #2 The “I know they said I need all this to start traveling but what do I “need, need?” Post

“Start where you are. Use what you can. Do what you can.” -Arthur Ashe

Let’s start off by stating what you don’t “need, need”.  

A travel buddy

A whole bunch of money

A passport 

Travel Buddy

So you can’t find anyone that will actually follow through on a trip with you.  Everyone is too busy, too broke, or too scared. Well, welcome to the internet!  A place where you can find an endless number of travel groups with experts on solo travel or seasoned travel groups that will let you hop right in. Here is one of my favorites! 

Black Travel Movement

Another great option, if your’e like me and still a little hesitant to travel alone or with strangers, is going to visit your travel buddy.  Every year I fly overseas alone to meet up with one of my college teammates who lives abroad. Scroll through your mental rolodex and think of who you know that lives in a cool place and ask can you visit! 

Money

Let me start by saying I work hard for my money and because of that, I like to hold on to it!  With that being said one of my ultimate goals in life is too travel like a millionaire on a low-class budget.  I’ll dive further into how I manage to do this in a later post but for now I’ll share with you the basics.  

First look for free.  Who can you stay with, do I have enough loyalty points or travel credits for a free flight, can I cook meals or get free breakfast with my stay while there?  Some or all of these can usually be achieved with just a little thought and planning. 

Second, look for deals. Timing in travel is key. Having a list of destinations you want to go and eyeballing them for when deals pop up can be the difference in thousands of dollars. If your situation allows you to choose when you’d like to vacation, definitely try going places outside of peak season. 

If you’re like me and you have restricted slots of time for travel, accumulating loyalty points can be a godsend.  Even if you can knock off one to two days of hotels or buy one leg of your flight with points, that’s more cash you will have to spend while there. Use sites like Airbnb or Hotwire for the best hotel deals.  Use the explore option on Kayak for random dates or ITA Google Matrix for specific dates to find the cheapest flights across all airlines. Find local spots to eat away from the hotel so prices are less likely to be inflated.  Figure out what you can afford and adjust whichever of the three you have to in order to find your sweet spot. 

Passport

Yes I said it, you don’t actually have to have a passport to start traveling outside of the U.S. (but it definitely expands your options). Here’s a quick list a few places you can go when you’re pointlessly holding off on paying the whopping $145.00 for your access to the world (*Note Sarcasm, just buy the passport). 

1. San Juan, Puerto Rico

2. St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 

3. St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

4. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 

5. Hawaii*

6. Alaska* 

*While these last two are still one of the 50 states, they are so isolated and serene it feels like another country.  Obviously no passport required! 

To start traveling, the most important thing you need is desire.  Lodging, food and travel methods come on every range of the spectrum.  Find what fits your budget and GO!  

Have you ever taken a trip solo, on a low budge or to a place outside the 50 states with no passport?  If so, share your experience/advice below!

Blog #1 The “Girl, How Did You Start Traveling Like That” post.

Let’s set the scene. It was 2008 the year of Lil Wayne Lollipop and quiffs.  —What’s a quiff?  Don’t worry, I never knew the name of those either but they made me feel fancy even though I was clearly still basic.—  

*snapsback* I’m a junior in college, play for the basketball team and the coaches have just informed my squad we’ll be taking a trip out of the country.  Wait for it.......FOR FREE! Christmas in Cancun. 

Over the next couple months my school would cover the cost of my passport, all travel expenses and a daily per diem. In hindsight, it was a pretty artificial way to be introduced to international travel because in real life, the average person doesn’t get many all expenses paid international excursions; but hey I’m not complaining!

Anyway, later that year I went on to experience my first run in with culture outside the U.S.  Afterwards, there was no doubt I wanted to experience that again but of course my 21-year-old self had so many more unimportant things to focus on in life. So, my new found love for travel would lay dormant and peasant life would continue to exist.  It would be 6 years before I left the country again.

Fast forward to 2014.  I’m now an assistant coach at the University of Northern Iowa. My college basketball career has long ended and adulthood is in full swing.  Up to this point I’ve made a laughable number of declarations for traveling abroad with friends, that turned out to be nothing more than glorified travel dreams, planned out to a tee.  I’m sure we all can attest to the concept of great planning and zero follow through. Anyway, finally some true potential; I was presented with an opportunity to participate in a mission trip to Guatemala.  

Sign me up!  I recruited my sister, we asked all our family and friends to donate to our cause and conquered a week long emersion in the most raw and uncut version of poverty stricken Central America.  Now, the amenities and lodging arrangements weren’t the luxury vacation you’d always dreamed of but the natural landscape was one of the most beautiful things I had ever laid eyes on!  The people were nothing short of amazing and the cultural was one I’ll never forget. This trip to Guatemala was everything I hoped it would be! 

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Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

International trip number two was done! Once again on somebody else’s dime but this time I’d for sure been bit by the bug. From here on out, I wanted this over and over again and I was willing to travel even if it meant spending my own hard earned coins to do so.

2019.  2 passports, Global Entry, elite airline and hotel status, 4 continents, 17 countries and 45+ cities outside the U.S. on my travel resume. Don’t call it a come back!  

So that’s it. That’s the way I started traveling the world. Someone introduced it to me and after seeing what a small part in the world we play and how rewarding the accumulation of other cultural experiences can be, I started doing it on my own.  I’m Tiffany Camille and this is your introduction!

Want to know how I travel the world whenever, wherever and however I want without breaking the bank?  Well, welcome to my blog. See you next post :-)

Traveled Countries: 

Guatemala 

Mexico

France

Italy

Spain

Belarus

Thailand

Indonesia

Turkey

Switzerland

Australia

Greece

Turks and Caicos

Canada

Croatia

Bosnia and Herzegovina