I slowly hear the sound of the water ebbing back and forth, feel the warmth of the sun on my legs and the ocean’s breeze through my hair. I take a deep breath, inhaling the salt air as I open my eyes to the most beautiful shades of turquoise and blue, a thin line of distant white clouds depicting the break between water and sky. The site of my daughters and husband splashing in the surf widens the smile on my face. I have just woken from a dreamy nap, half shaded under a palm thatched hut, and I am feeling pretty good about myself and surroundings.
We are in day two of our vacation at Beaches Negril Resort and Spa in Jamaica, and I am in ultra-relaxation mode. I am sitting in my favorite spot on Negril’s Seven Mile Beach with a direct line to the amazing Ricardo, my butler, yes that’s right, BUTLER! A bit indulgent, some might say. Well, I say, BRING IT! When it comes to some well-deserved pampering, I most humbly succumb. For a worry-free, no-hassle family vacation, this resort and its all-inclusive experience has won me over.
Most importantly, my children are having the times of their lives. Everything is about them. They’ve tried body surfing in the waves, built a GINORmous sand castle, met new friends Jaselle and Sebastian from the UK, splashed down the waterslides, and floated through the lazy river – all part of the resort’s 28,000-square-foot water park. Let’s see what else? Oh, that’s right, that was just this afternoon. I have to think back more than four hours. This morning, I dropped them at the kids’ camp for ages 0 and up. My nine-year-old went to her group, and my five-year-old to hers, where both found perfect age-appropriate activities. They participated in beach Olympics, reading time with Elmo, devoured an ice cream here and there and quenched their thirst with these great yummy fruit/berry mix concoctions that, if you put rum in, become “mommy’s” drink. Oops! The cat is out of the bag!
While they were so indulged, I completed two dives in the waters off Jamaica’s western shore, challenged my husband to the first “Desrosiers-Henes Booby Bay Hobie Cat Race for the Gold” aboard the resort’s 14’ Hobie Waves, and chatted away with best friends from Seattle and New York who were so inspired to share these experiences with me. Did I mention the nap? Can it get any better than this? I guess the fact that I have five more days to go is reason to think there is a very good chance the answer to that is yes. I still haven’t had a spa treatment, kayaked or snorkeled with my girls and husband, jumped from the cliffs at Rick’s Café, had my favorite drink called the “dirty banana” (those “mommy’s” drinks just keep showing up courtesy of Ricardo), or shared a stroll down the beach with my family during sunset. Heck, the sunlight is not even beginning to diminish.
I think I will just give myself a stretch, stick my toes in the sand, and slowly make my way to the water and my family. The rest can wait until later. FBN
By Michelle Desrosiers, DS
Avenues of the World Travel & Cruise
Michelle has been a travel consultant for over 11 years. She specializes in sun/tropical destinations from adventure travel and all-inclusives to destination weddings and honeymoons. She enjoys scuba diving, travel adventures with family and friends, and is a food & wine enthusiast.
