Jamaica invented all inclusive holidays and they are still incredibly good at it. The success of the brand is dependent on strict adherence to a credo of individual attention. In the evening waiters bring bottles of champagne to the rooms, barefoot dinners are served at the water’s edge, couples lie together in the shining blue pools and the moon shines down with all the certainty of something that has spent millennia presiding over romance.
Last year they added the Riverside suites to the Sandals resort in Negril, where the gathered couples from round the world can have their own swim-in access to a long pool that snakes its way around the Sundowner bar, their matching sunbeds emplaced in the water and shrubbery framing the beach palms beyond.
This being an all inclusive package, the Appleton’s rum and coke are calling from the minibar. The champagne is on ice on the balcony beside the swim-in pool.
They put through up to ten weddings a day here but you wouldn’t notice. Weddings being what they are, one bride cannot see another. They have gazebos, churches, and favourite spots through the resort. A wedding planner will sit down and talk you through your preferences as soon as you arrive.
In the evening as the sun approaches the horizon beyond, a platoon of wedding photographers are capturing images of the happy couple through heart-shaped palms. A stroll by the beach will yield at least one scattering of flower petals in another heart shape. The beach has its private canopies where couples dine at the water’s edge.
The water laps unceasingly on the beach.If romance was a perfume, they would make it here.
The locals communicate in Jamaican Creole so no-one else can understand. Bob Marley made it famous, pronouncing th as if it were a d or t and omitting some initial consonant sounds, principally the h.
The vocabulary and grammar are based in English, but it derives vocabulary and phrasing from West African languages, Spanish, and, to a lesser degree, French and goes in a direction of its own with lyrical intonations and pronunciations.
The colonial past lives on in the island’s various Spanish, French, and English place-names, but the great majority of its people are of African ancestry, the descendants of the slaves brought in by European colonists.
Jamaica became independent in 1962 and has been a major tourist destination ever since. A crime wave in the early 1980s deterred tourists and brought the first wave of Irish holiday makers to a halt.
All inclusive resorts were the answer to the problem. Guards patrolled the beaches around the resorts and residents were encouraged to stay put, where they could eat and drink in an array of bars and restaurants.
Water skiing, snorkelling and boat trips were thrown in to add to the experience.
All has changed again. Glass bottom boats are no longer the highlight of a Sandals holiday. The island excursions offer some of the best adrenaline rush holiday experiences you will get anywhere.
n www.sandals.co.uk,
n Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa is located on the longest, best stretch of famed 7-mile beach Swim-up River Suites steps from the beach. Five-Star Diamond recipient for service excellence Every room is steps from the beach. Uniquely romantic two-story loft suites All meals, dining at six gourmet restaurants, 24-hour room service for select suites Full exchange privileges with other Sandals.
n Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa. On the untouched south coast of Jamaica, Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa is a 50-acre seaside fantasy within a 500-acre reserve. In an impressive European village, you can stroll an expansive Italian piazza reminiscent of St. Mark’s square in Venice… and be surrounded by the sophistication of France, the passion of Italy, and the charm of Holland with restaurants, duty free shops, and magnificent formal gardens bordering an endless stretch of pristine beach.
n Travel Focus have a 7 night holiday with flight and luxury all inclusive services and accommodations at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach & Villa Resort for u1,295. Travel Focus 5 Marlboro Street, Cork.
n Caribbean Collection have 7 nights All Inclusive in Beaches Boscobel, Jamaica Deluxe Family Room u1701.00 per adult Drury’s Avenue, Midleton, Co. Cork, Ireland. 021 463 5556 email: reservations@caribbeancollection.ie
The Caribbean is cheap at the moment because most tourist resorts there charge in US currency, which means that the luxury holiday you’d always thought was beyond your budget is now firmly within your grasp.
Travel companies have responded to the weakest dollar rate in more than a decade by cutting holiday prices by as much as a third.
Some companies are trying to entice us with added value rather than cut prices.
Almost all of the destinations have signature white sand beaches, palm trees and rum cocktails in common.
Many are duty free islands, and big retailers of jewellery. It is worth thinking of if you are getting engaged.
Sometimes an expensive diamond engagement ring will save the cost of the trip. Cruise ships from Miami are the preferred means of getting there, though the Dominican republic, Jamaica and Cuba each cater for several thousand Irish tourists who fly via London, Paris, Amsterdam or Madrid.
January and February (quietest time during the Americans season) and the humid summer months are the best value months to go. In June and July the weather can be fine, getting muggy in August and September.
ANGUILLA Small and quiet island next door to St Martin, generally not on cruise itineraries.
ANTIGUA Gorgeous fairly low flat island with very friendly people, watch for the cricket grounds in the grounds of the airport, architecturally most interesting airport. ARUBA Great KLM connections to this distinctively Dutch windy island close to Venezuela, a 40 minute flight from Caracas.
BAHAMAS The closest to Miami the Lost City of Atlantis is the biggest holiday resort in the Caribbean. Fort Lauderdale is a 30 minuteflight.
CAYMAN Its seven mile long beach is one of most beautiful in world, and low rise developments help preserve the atmosphere. It gets crowded on cruise days, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday when seven or eight mega ships can be in port at the same time. If you have just one thing to see in the Caribbean, check out the sting ray attraction in Grand Cayman.
CUBA Heavenly island with a big range of all inclusive and golf resorts. A US embargo has affected supply of consumer items but the lack of advertising gives it a homely otherworld feel. Bring euro because there is a penalty surcharge on the US dollar.
CURACAO The most quintessentially Dutch island which is not as pretty as Aruba, with interesting museums. The town is wonderful but watch the crime and drug problems. Check out the market in the main town where vendors trade off boats from Venuzuela.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Large Spanish-speaking island with lots of resorts and white sand beaches that is popular with Irish because it is one of the cheapest. A good Iberia service via Madrid and all the major resort operators.
GRENADA A nice little island, if very English, that tends to be more structured than others. In recovery after it was badly hit by hurricanes.
GUADALOUPE Five French speaking volcanic islands, collectively slightly smaller than Co Kildare, technically part of the EU, the currency is the euro and most of the tourists are French.
JAMAICA The big one for tourism, the government has been strategically working with all major hotel groups since 1970s. All major hotel groups have resorts here and although most are all-inclusive make sure to get out and travel. You can eat locally very cheaply. The signature resorts deal in honeymoons and romantic holidays – Sandals has ten and Beaches three on the island.
MARTINIQUE A stunningly beautiful island that uses the Euro (it is pictured on the reverse of all Euro banknotes) and hasn’t been Americanised or indeed Westernised.
MONTSERRAT The emerald isle that celebrates march 17th as a national holiday it has one stunning beach of white sand despite being the most volcanic of the islands.
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES Five Dutch (non Euro) islands which are a little bit more expensive and less developed than any other islands.
ST BARTS Small quiet islands that use the euro, a France in the Caribbean sought after by the likes of Mariah Carey, Puff Daddy and Beyoncé. Unusually it was once a Swedish colony and the towns have Swedish names. Check out the pristine beach of Grand Saline and the less accessible Colombier beach.
ST KITTS gorgeous but not a tremendous amount on the island. Interesting airport between two mountains good beaches, quieter island, chic island.
ST LUCIA Popular due to its weather, scenery and variety of resorts, it has become a preferred wedding location. You will recognise the distinctive Pitons as soon as you arrive. It is famous for white beaches but check out the volcanic black sand as well.
ST MARTIN A wonderful island which has virtually no crime divided between France and Holland. The Dutch side is known for its nightlife and rum based drinks, the French side for nude beaches and shopping. Both sides are beautiful.
ST VINCENT A beautiful English speaking island about the size of Longford with gorgeous beaches. The Pirates of the Caribbean series of movies were shot here.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Group of two large and 21 smaller islands which collectively are the size of Donegal. Trinidad is very industrialised and its capital Port of Spain can be dangerous.
TURKS & CAICOS two groups of islands just north of the Dominican Republic, Grand Turk has a new cruise port while upmarket resorts have also been developed.
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS Four large and 50 smaller islands of which 15 are inhabited. The baths on Virgin Cona and the reefs of Anegada are signature attractions. The islands use the American dollar.
SPANISH VIRGIN ISLANDS Puertan Rican islands of Cuelebra and Vieques famous for their clear water now call themselves the Spanish Virgin Islands as part of a tourism drive.
US VIRGIN ISLANDS Megan’s Bay in St Thomas is one of the best beaches in the world. St Croix is a great destination for couples. The family oriented St John consists mostly of national park land. It has no airline and just a ferry link, incredible accommodation and breath taking beaches. Watch for the crowds: six cruise ships can land in St Thomas in one day and the streets can be dangerous a few blocks away from the tourist regions.
