Ten Things to Know Before You Hit The Island

If you’re heading to Jamaica for the first time next week, you might be feeling a little apprehensive about this much-talked about Hanson event, which is now in its seventh year. So, as a semi-veteran (I have attended four BTTIs so far, 2015-18), I thought I’d share my Top 10 tips for a smooth and fun vacation at what some of us refer to as Hanson Summer Camp.

#1

Give yourself a chance to acclimatise to the Caribbean sun: wear plenty of sunscreen and take some breaks in the shade. Looking like a lobster for the rest of the event sucks, and looking like a lobster in your picture with the band sucks even more. Don’t forget that sunscreen even if the sky is overcast: last year I ended up with sunburn one side of my body just from sitting at the swim-up bar drinking shots to keep warm in the dreadful weather.

#2

It’s easy to get carried away when you first get to the all-inclusive but take it from me and pace yourself with the drinking: you don’t want to spend the evening semi-comatose in your room when everybody else is out socialising. And on no account ever drink two shots of neat gin battery acid at a Jamaican resort, even if it was brought to you by a friend to celebrate some great news you’d just received* (I’m looking at you, Kaitlin).

Go easy on the beverages

#3

Be chill (1). If you want to camp out from the crack of dawn to get a front row spot, by all means, camp out, but leave the Regular Hanson Show Combat Mode at home: the Island is not the place for line drama, hand numbers and scowling at other fans if they’re getting half an inch closer.

#4

Be chill (2). Stampeding towards the guys the moment they appear on the horizon will only make them want to leg it as fast as possible. Act normal and they might actually stop and chat to you. [I know that this will fall on deaf ears, but I had to say it anyway].

Talking to Zac in 2016

#5

Be prepared for unwelcome changes to your digestive system. All those sugary cocktails can play havoc with your gut and you might find yourself using the bathroom too much - or not enough. Pack some Imodium and a few sachets of Fybogel just in case. You don’t want to get to Pictures day looking like you’ve swallowed a watermelon - and yes, I speak from experience - I learnt my lesson in 2015.

#6

Roll with it. Plans go awry on the Island - nothing quite goes the way expect it, for some reason, so just go with the flow and take the opportunity to meet new people, go to dinner with someone you don’t know very well, talk to staff, explore the resort. Sitting on the sand for hours on end to preserve your spot is not going to be the kind of memory you’ll cherish for months on end when you get home. Again, I speak from experience: I missed out on the banquet under the stars in 2016 to save my spot and no, it wasn’t worth it.

#7

Decide on a ‘go-to’ drink that can be made quickly so that you won’t have to wait for ages for a Piña Colada as the show is about to start. Mine is Appleton and Coke, and ordering it with a dollar bill in your hand gets you swift service from the overworked bartender who will spot the golden combination of an easily made drink + tip.

#8
Due to an unknown universal law, Pictures Day at BTTI will always fall on the sunniest, hottest day of the entire event, even if you had monsoon weather until the day before. Therefore, dress accordingly and bring a hat for when you’re lining up in the sun. If you’re planning to wear Spanx under your dress, you have been warned. On the plus side, shapewear will make you sweat so much that afterwards you’ll feel like you’ve just had one of those slimming body wraps.

#9
If there’s a song you’d really like to hear and you get a chance to speak to one of the guys, do ask them if they could play it: they may well accommodate your request. (However, yelling your request during a set is mightily annoying).

#10
Share the love: tip the staff, but have a chat with them too. Find out about someone’s life, make a connection. Over the years, I’ve had some great conversations with the bartenders at the swim-up bars, Sophia, the beauty therapist at the spa, Uriah, the groundskeeper I saw every morning on my way to breakfast as he tended to the gardens. I’ll never forget chatting with our waiter Rogelio at the buffet in Cancun, despite the fact that he didn’t speak English and my understanding of Spanish is non-existent. On the last day, we hugged and took photos together. I looked like crap, so I won’t post it, but that brief connection with someone from a different part of the world, with a very different life to mine, will be something I’ll never forget.

These are just my top ten tips but everybody has their own - everybody experiences BTTI differently and there is no right or wrong way to do it: it’s your vacation. Just remember why we are all there: to hear some great music under the stars, in the company of friends and people from all over the world. If you’re like me, those memories will keep you going for the rest of the year and when you’re back on the daily grind, looking at those BTTI pictures on your commute to work will be guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

So go and pack that bag now, hit that Bob Marley playlist and get ready for an unforgettable time in crazy, beautiful Jamaica.

Back to the Island is an event hosted for Hanson by Island Gigs