Just Jammin’
Dive into a week of yoga and wellness... and the odd martini... on a healthy break
Eat. Play. Jam. What more do you want from a sunshine holiday? A “wellness break” in Jamaica is just what the doctor ordered at this time of year.
It’s a rejuvenating blend of yoga, meditation, exercise and spa treatments combined with a healthy diet and a range of water-based activities designed to leave you refreshed and inspired.
Our trip began at Montego Bay, where we’d landed on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Gatwick and touched down in the balmy early evening.
Our first port of call was the nearby Half Moon resort, named for the shape of the two-mile beach on which it sits. We sipped on complimentary cocktails while being checked in.
Lie-ins are not included in this package. A 7am alarm call the next morning summoned me to my first yoga-meditation session, conducted in an over-water bungalow offering a perfectly framed view of the Caribbean morning.
I can’t think of a better way to start the day and immediately sensed I was going to enjoy the week.
After a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit and local fish, we trotted over to the Half Moon’s equestrian centre for an “empowerment session” with the residents, conducted by owner and horsewhisperer Trina Delisser.
The horses were from Jamaican racetracks and are sometimes used in therapy for local kids. Trina explained how to use our body to build mutual trust and respect in the animals.
The next day, in a shift of emphasis, we ventured out to Stush in the Bush – a farm-to-table experience described in its advertising as “sexy vegetarianism”.
However, while the food was delicious – even for a confirmed carnivore – the day will stick in my mind for a personal encounter along the way.
We bumped into Miss Joy, who stopped to wish us a “blessed day” and present us with a bag of bananas from her garden. A week spent immersed in the opulence of the country’s high-end resorts can offer little chance to become acquainted with the “real Jamaica” but throughout the trip the locals we did meet struck us with their hospitality and generosity.
The people are probably the island’s biggest selling point.
Reluctantly checking out of Half- Moon, we stopped off at Round Hill, a tropical hillside resort just outside Montego Bay.
Magnificent flame of the forest trees border the approach to the hotel, which opened in 1952. It has oceanfronted suites designed by Ralph Lauren and was a favoured haunt of Jackie Kennedy, Paul Newman and Ian Fleming, while JFK reputedly wrote his 1961 inauguration address in one of the villas.
A session with Sharon Feanny, who is credited with bringing yoga to Jamaica, left us exuding serenity and well-being.
Venturing further west, we arrived
at the Couples Swept Away resort in Negril, a coastal hub of luxury apartments and villas on seven miles of pure white sand.
A busy day began with a stroll along the beach, followed by a snorkelling excursion – to the strains of Bob Marley.
This was followed by a catamaran cruise, where we gazed at the elegant beachfront properties.
Dropping anchor, we swam through the Pristine sea cave – home to numerous nesting bats – and dived and swam from the side of the boat before gliding home under the setting sun, returning later for a superb dinner at the Rockhouse Hotel. Next day was
Mayfield Falls and some intrepid diving efforts with Chukka Caribbean Adventures, recovering in the evening with a banquet at Zimbali Retreats.
And to test my new-found sense of adventure, I joined the River Bumpkin Tour to tube down the Martha Brae River.
It lies in the lushly forested Trelawny Parish – birthplace of one Usain Bolt.
Our last night and
day was spent at the legendary
Jamaica Inn.
The hotel, near the port of Ocho Rios, was a firm favourite with the 1950s jetset. Legend has it Winston Churchill and Ian Fleming invented the “shakennot-stirred” Vesper Martini in the hotel’s bar. It was a perfect end to an unforgettable week.