I first visited Jamaica with my mother, when I was 13. We spent the whole time visiting relatives and I never caught sight of the sea, let alone splash around in a swimming pool. It made me feel that Jamaica was a boring place, and subsequent visits never excited me. However, I wanted my son to enjoy his first visit, which was why I opted for not one family all-inclusive, but three.
Day one
We arrive at the Franklin D Roosevelt hotel in Runaway Bay, one hour and 15 minutes from Montego Bay airport. Our first day is spent in the main pool. My four-year-old son Bertie is in heaven, and frankly so am I. No over-excited relatives to greet me. No having to smile and be on my best behaviour, when all I want to do is relax in the sun. Our room comes with a stunning view of the beach and sea. All guests are assigned a vacation nanny for the duration of their stay. Bertie and I automatically bond with Simona, who is at our service from 9am to 4.40pm. For an extra $4 an hour, she will happily continue her duties after hours. The resort is compact and the beach is not the biggest I've seen, but it feels very safe and the place has a friendly Caribbean vibe.
Day two
I'm impressed with the array of activities organised by the kiddies' centre. Today, a shell hunt, which will be taking place on another beach, is on the agenda. I manage to coax Bertie out of the pool and into the minibus. It is a success, and we return with a bag full of interesting seashells.
Day three
Included in the FDR package is a trip to Dunn's River Falls. Lack of appropriate footwear means neither Bertie or I will be able to climb (I could have rented some shoes, but I'd left my money behind). Bertie's upset. But I do feel that he is too young anyway.
Day four
We take a ride out on the glass-bottom boat (also included in the package) and are shown coral, colourful fish, a shipwreck and even a couple of planes that have crashed into the sea. Bertie can't believe his luck. My intention was to do a bit of sightseeing independently, but I soon realise I am better sticking to the hotel-run excursions. Taxis aren't cheap, public transport is unreliable and I'm certainly not hiring a car - the roads are far too bad.
Day five
Today, we head off to Dolphin Cove. Not only are you able to see, touch or swim with the dolphins (the price varies accordingly), there is also a jungle trail that informs you about the variety of creatures you can find in Jamaica. Bertie touches an iguana, and I have a snake wrapped around my neck. Eek!
Back at the resort, Simona, takes Bertie off to tie-dye a T-shirt, while I relax in a hammock on the beach. We round off the day with a beach barbecue. The food here is excellent. A good mix of Jamaican dishes such as ackee and salt fish, rice and peas (which I love), and international fare such as hotdogs and pasta (which Bertie loves).
Day six
Bertie's highlight of the week. We visit Charles Swaby's Swamp Safari, which is home to hundreds of crocodiles and has been immortalised on the big screen in the James Bond movie Live And Let Die. On our way home, we stop off at the Green Grotto Caves. These were previously known as the Runaway Caves, as they served as a haven for escaped slaves in the 18th century.
Day seven
It's my final day at the resort and I am reluctant to leave. I love the strong Jamaican flavour here despite the fact that the majority of holiday-makers are American. This place is absolutely spot on for Bertie. There is so much for him to do: not only does he have a great relationship with Simona, but the kiddies' centre with its computer games, arts and crafts and outdoor playground ensures that he is never bored. Locals are regular visitors, especially at the weekends, and the few free trips thrown into the package encourage holiday-makers to explore a bit more of what Jamaica has to offer.
My aunt Nettie comes to collect me. We have lunch before she drives me to my next port of call - Beaches in Boscobel, 10 miles along the coast from Ocho Rios.
Day eight
As I enter the plush reception area of this Sandals-owned resort, I just know I am in for a smooth, seamless ride. Bell boys and receptionists are at the ready with a smile, telling me how pleased they are to see me. Bertie and I are shown to our ocean-front room. It's clean, tastefully furnished, with a well-stocked bar. This resort is set in 22 acres of land (FDR occupied four acres). It is also a fairly new resort, with construction only completed last July.
Bertie keeps referring to his new location as another country. I laugh and almost agree. It feels very American as it is all so smooth running. We spend part of the day in one of the three swimming pools. We also build sandcastles by the sea, bounce around on the aqua trampoline, go sailing, and I do a bit of exercise in the gym, then play table tennis with Bertie.
Day nine
There's so much to do at Beaches - I get the feeling that most people aren't venturing out. What a shame. Today, Bertie and I take to the hills with my cousin Clarence, who has come from Kingston to visit us. We drive to Nine Miles, the birth and final resting place of Bob Marley. The site is close to the region where my late mother and father were born and raised. Fuzzy, an old friend of Bob's, is our guide. "Welcome to the real Jamaica" are his words of greeting, and I have to agree.
Day 10
The whole experience of going up into the hills leaves me feeling a tad melancholy. It's so beautiful, peaceful and picturesque, so why do I feel so sad? I can't ignore the poverty and hardship that still exist. There are people still living in shacks. You forget how poverty stricken a lot of Jamaicans really are. It brings it home to me how far those of us living in England have come. Anyway, this morning I wake up to rain. I like it. It suits my pensive mood. Later in the day, time spent in the waterslide pool and games arcade manages to cheer me up.
Day 11
There's a kiddies' centre here and loads of activities organised for children of all ages, but Bertie would rather divide his day between the computer games room and the swimming pool.
The Caribbean restaurant, which is one of five, is an adults-only zone, which means I have to settle for Italian or Mexican cuisine. Bertie, meanwhile, is still hot on hotdogs.
Day 12
We make a three-hour journey to Negril, which is situated on the west coast of the island. We have lunch at Beaches Negril and I instantly fall in love with this resort. It is located on a seven-mile stretch of white sandy beach and has a more laid-back feel. Because of the free and friendly nature of Negril, you don't feel so confined to the resort. We enjoy a whistlestop tour of the region before stopping for a drink at Rick's Cafe (traditionally the place to come and view the sunset). Finally, we make our way to our accommodation: the Riu Tropical Bay Hotel. It is a stylish family all-inclusive with a Spanish flavour. We swim, play in the surf and collect shells. I love Negril. I'll definitely be returning.
Day 13
Back from Negril, we prepare for our flight home the next day. I've decided that when I go on holiday to Jamaica again, it will be via the all-inclusive route. Everything is provided for you and the children, which leaves room for very little stress.
To get the most out of my Jamaican holidays, I need to explore. There is just so much to see and do. I realise now that staying with family for the whole time is as unimaginative as staying in a resort without venturing out of it.
There's still so much I haven't seen. But I do not despair. I'll be back.
Way to go
Getting there: Tropical Places (0800 3165125, tropicalplaces.co.uk) offers seven nights at the Beaches resort from £1,099 per adult and from £699 per child (2-11 years old) including flights and transfers. Seven-night packages at Franklin D Roosevelt Resort, Runaway Bay, St Ann (+973 4591-8, fdrfamily.com) from £849 per adult and from £653 per child including flights and transfers. The nightly rate at Riu Tropical Bay, Bloody Bay, Negril (+957 5985, riu.com) is £117 per person in a double room.
What to see: Dunn's River Fall (+974 2857). Dolphin Cove (+974 5335). Green Grotto Caves (+973 2841).
Further information:
Jamaican Tourist Board, 1-2 Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BZ (020-7224 0505, jamaicatravel.com).
Country code: 001 876.
Flight time London-Montego Bay: 9hrs, 30mins.
Time difference: -5hrs.
£1 = 97.30 Jamaican dollars.
On the outside
There is life outside the confines of all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica, and I've just found it at the western point of Negril, staying at the Rockhouse Hotel .
As you would expect, the white beaches are indeed white, the sunsets are spectacular, the rum is strong and the reggae just right. Cheap, safe and unspoiled, this is shabby chic at its best, and I assure you it is infinitely better for your bank balance.
As long as you break the rules, as I did, and head away from the throbbing heart of Negril, you will quickly discover the Jamaica locals love and tourists are rarely encouraged to explore. Surprise, surprise. I was neither savaged, hustled, jostled nor sent running to the comfort of a resort bar for happy-hour-drink-until-you-drop-in-your-flip-flops.
Driving on a hired motorbike through the unspoiled west end of Negril and stumbling across a tiny hut, covered in fairy lights, in the middle of nowhere, overlooking the cliffs at sunset and realising it's a bar run by locals delighted to see you is an experience right up there with the best. If it was good enough for the Rolling Stones in the 1970s...
I just wonder if they scoffed coconut toast and kick-started their day with Jamaica's Blue Mountain coffee? Did Jagger jump off the cliffs into the aqua blue waters of the Pristine Cove - possibly the cleanest and clearest in Negril? I know I did.
Watching the sunset from the Rockhouse bar or one of the thatch roofed, octagonal rock villas (28 to choose from) on the edge of the cliffs, on the edge of Jamaica, is amazing. As is the Jamaican cuisine: daily specials included a platter of smoked marlin or an upscale version of Jamaican peppered pork with yams and root vegetables.
With reggae playing in the background while the ocean laps against the rocks below, the Rockhouse is as unpretentious and relaxed as you could wish a place to be. Sure to get you in the mood for anything - slipping back to your exquisitely designed rock villa to lounge on your four-poster bed, sipping a drink or four on the secluded open terrace, or taking a pre-dinner rinse in your outdoor, stone shower.
Relaxed and insanely chilled, I finally understood why nothing is a problem in this part of Negril - unless, of course, you take the wrong turn and end up back in resort land.
Anna Gizowska
Getting there: Air Jamaica (020-8570 7999, airjamaica.com) and British Airways (0845 7799977, ba.com) return flights from Heathrow to Montego Bay start from £500. The Rockhouse Hotel (rockhousehotel.com) offers standard - rooms from £50 a night, studios from £65 and villas from £110. Ground transportation between Montego Bay and Negril (90-minute drive) can be arranged via Air Jamaica.
