Fri | Apr 26, 2024

Let’s take a Valentine’s adventure

Local travel blogger Jhunelle Jureidini encourages couples to live the Simply Local Life

Published:Saturday | February 12, 2022 | 12:07 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
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Jhunelle Jureidini represents the 876 on a recent trip to Costa Rica. While there, she visited the famous Arenal Volcano.
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Jhunelle Jureidini represents the 876 on a recent trip to Costa Rica. While there, she visited the famous Arenal Volcano.
You can choose to dine outdoors this Valentine’s Day, and enjoy breathtaking views from places like the rooftop of Chez Maria.
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You can choose to dine outdoors this Valentine’s Day, and enjoy breathtaking views from places like the rooftop of Chez Maria.
Fall in love all over again with a visit to Falling Edge Falls in Bowden Hill.
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Fall in love all over again with a visit to Falling Edge Falls in Bowden Hill.
Pack a home-cooked meal or order for two and head to a garden near you for a romantic picnic, inclusive of wining and dining, light-hearted laughter and scintillating conversation.
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Pack a home-cooked meal or order for two and head to a garden near you for a romantic picnic, inclusive of wining and dining, light-hearted laughter and scintillating conversation.
A scenic and romantic ride on the Martha Brae River in Trelawny atop a bamboo-crafted love seat is the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
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A scenic and romantic ride on the Martha Brae River in Trelawny atop a bamboo-crafted love seat is the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Jureidini began her travelling journey in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since. Here she is exploring the Reach Falls cavern in Portland.
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Jureidini began her travelling journey in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since. Here she is exploring the Reach Falls cavern in Portland.
The sky’s the limit for the endless travelling possibilities around the island. Jureidini gets cozy at an enchanting lookout at Turtles’ Nest Villa in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.
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The sky’s the limit for the endless travelling possibilities around the island. Jureidini gets cozy at an enchanting lookout at Turtles’ Nest Villa in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth.
Challenge yourself and your partner to a driving adventure at Peter Rae Karting Experience at the Palisadoes in Kingston.
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Challenge yourself and your partner to a driving adventure at Peter Rae Karting Experience at the Palisadoes in Kingston.
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With Valentine’s Day splashing into Monday from the weekend, couples have more time and ways to celebrate. We asked seasoned travel blogger Jhunelle Jureidini to share sunshine or starry possibilities for lovers to tour.

Seeking options different from the typical restaurant or hotel getaway doesn’t have to break the pocket, nor do they require a great deal of planning, the expert revealed. Exploring the great outdoors and engaging in activities as a couple is important because it can unlock a deeper level of bonding and intimacy. “Observing how someone responds to new environments and situations can reveal a lot about a person. And embarking on adventures together will surely create memorable experiences and possibly much more,” Jureidini told Saturday Living.

Some of the worthwhile dates she has done while travelling include a picnic, river rafting, couples day spa, adventure parks and lookout points. “Preparing a meal together or ordering in can be transformed into a date with some extra thought and cosy additions. Package meals and drinks, then venture to a garden, river, beach, pool, or a comfy spot at home for a budget-friendly rendezvous,” she explained. Your darling will surely thank you for the thought and kind gesture.

Are you or your partner-in-love a water baby? Well, Jureidini suggests river rafting, which provides a scenic and romantic ride cruising the stream atop a bamboo-crafted love seat. Places like Martha Brae, Rio Grande, Great River, White River, and Cabarita River are lovely rafting options.

You can never go wrong with pampering your sweetheart, so make it a magical moment for two with a couples spa day. “Treatments like massages and facials are offered at a number of hotels, beach or river attractions, and, of course, full-service spas. There are even mobile spa services that can come to you,” she added. But if you’re more of the adventurous type, that is not a problem. Conquer the world together with an action-packed day at an adventure park. Main attractions like Jamwest, River Rapids, Adrenaline, Mystic Mountain, Chukka Cove, and Yaaman will be sure to give the right adrenaline rush.

And if you want to take it down a notch and just relax in good company, there are always the lookout points that offer elevated experiences of stunning views. Holywell National Park, West End cliffs, and Lover’s Leap lighthouse are a few of Jureidini’s favourite backdrops for a date.

The travel blogger began her journey officially in 2016. After seeing a beautiful photo of Reggae Falls and discovering that this enchanting place was actually located in Jamaica, St Thomas to be exact, she chased that waterfall, along with other prime-time spots and hidden gems that she jotted down on her to-go list. Capturing and sharing those priceless moments via social media saw friends and followers requesting more details. Since she always had a passion for writing, she unearthed her literary side and created Simply Local Life.

“I decided to start Simply Local Life as a creative outlet to mainly inspire locals to enjoy Jamaica. It has since grown beyond that initial vision to reach people in over 200 countries; Jamaica is still proudly one of its top audiences,” she revealed.

Some of her most memorable are snorkelling off the coast of Booby Cay in Negril, witnessing turtle nesting and hatching in Treasure Beach, Land of Oshun’s all-natural getaway in the Rio Grande Valley, and her birthday dream trip to Costa Rica last year.

Challenging but rewarding in every way, she provides a unique writing style, enticing readers with history meets honesty re-imagined to reflect their possible experience, “The blog is also highly visual and promotes a number of exclusive local discounts.”

SECRET SPOT

Jumping over the hurdle of loves versus likes online and negative feedback in regards to ‘outing’ a secret spot, she remains positive, as do her many supporters, and continues to be excited by new adventures.

With Cuba and France as her dream destinations, the full-time travel blogger listed other places closer to home that she would love to visit, “I would love to visit the Rastafarian Village in St James, hike to Blue Mountain Peak, whenever my body believes it’s capable, and paraglide from a hill on the south coast.”

Jureidini hopes to continue on her path of exciting opportunities, exceeding expectations and going places that are fulfilling by nature. For lovers and others looking for adventure, she advises that you start by seeking inspiration, and be sure to check for recent reviews and accurate images that will contribute to your expectations and make the trip worthwhile.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com