We had a wonderful one-week (7 nights) vacation in Jamaica. We stayed at Couples Tower Isle which is about 10 minutes from Ocho Rios. The resort is smallish, about 270 rooms and just the right size for us.
This YouTube video sums up the experience.
Front lobby
We had a comfortable room located in a quiet area overlooking the ocean. The room was comfortable and the view was quite something. The balcony was quite private.
The food was wonderful easily the best we have had in the Caribbean. Through the week we did not dine once in the main dining hall but took advantage of the specialty restaurants of which there are three; one offered Asian cuisine while the other two, the Veranda and Eight Rivers serve great meals with all the accoutrements and thoughtful service. On two mornings we had breakfast in our room. Local dishes combined with North American fare satisfied us on each day of our vacation.
Main pool
See my travelogue of the resort at YouTube at this link. You may have to copy the link into your browser
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE48hKllsrI
The resort was all-inclusive but no tipping was permitted. Not once did I see a tip passed to the staff. It is such a relief not to have to tip. At other resorts my wife and I are always wondering what is enough. Tipping in Cuba and the DR was always a hassle though it did not overshadow the vacation in the least just a minor inconvenience. Not here. A gratuity is included in the price so the staff are not left out.
Sea wall on west side
The weather was iffy for the first two days with a little rain and windy conditions but things improved through the week. In general the weather did not disappoint. The temperatures were in the high 20s and low thirties, perfect for us especially given the terrible winter weather at our home in Nova Scotia this winter.
Excursions for us included a catamaran tour of Ocho Rios, the sights and sounds of the Blue Mountain area and a shopping trip to Ocho Rios, a true tourist trap which came as no surprise to us.
While there I bought some Cuban cigars for a decent price and we just had to get a supply of Blue Mountain coffee.
Nude sunbathing locale
If you are into au natural sunbathing Couples is the place for you. Tower Isle is the place to be to bare all. Not for us though, we are too timid. Anyway those who dared raved about it.
So, a great trip, we cam back rested if a little sunburned. We have fond memories of our trip and chalk it up as another successful vacation in the Caribbean.
