This is the time of year where those of us up north definitely start thinking about where we’re going to escape to come winter. If you’re lucky enough, you’ve already got plans to hop a flight to warmer climates! Me? Well, I already did that about a month ago when one of my girlfriends and I jetted off to Jamaica!
Our trip was arranged by the ladies at Hotel Mockingbird Hill who wanted to give us a taste of the REAL Jamaica – not the kind you ‘experience’ from inside the confines of the all-inclusive resorts, but the kind of tour that immerses you in the culture of the island.
Which is how we started here – one night at this beautiful, historical plantation home called Sussex House, just outside of Ocho Rios.
We were greeted with those bright blue shutters and a coral entryway, so you know I was in design heaven right away.
Set up high in the hills, the property has a stunning view from the porch where our hosts welcomed us with refreshing june plum juice (so delicious!) and a quick tour of the property.
We arrived at dusk, when the sky was changing colors so quickly I could hardly capture how magnificent it was. This is the view from the pool, which is to the east of the patio and just down the steps from our bedroom.
I loved the mix of bright colors here and there with dark woods and that old stone wall. Eli and David – the owners – were so delightful and charming, treating us to some traditional Jamaican meals as we talked about our travels and got to know them.
This feature in one of the guest bedrooms was my favorite – they had put plexi over the stone wall where it needed to be sealed off so that you could still see it… I had to share!
Our bedroom stepped out onto a patio that led to the pool…
Which we thoroughly enjoyed the next morning before Eli took us off to the local market with her! Our final stop before we headed off on our next adventure was a long lunch at Miss T’s Kitchen which did not disappoint!
From there, we took the Knutsford Express (a nice air-conditioned way to travel the windy roads of Jamaica!) to Port Antonio for the next leg of our stay… which we’ll tell you all about tomorrow!
