When Colum asked me to Host Friendship Travel’s recent trip for solo travellers to Jamaica I was really excited, as I had heard such good reports about the island and the hotel. Still, it was my first visit to Jamaica, and I wasn’t totally sure what to expect.
As soon as the plane landed, I felt the warmth… and not just from the gorgeous temperature but from the friendliness of the locals. The transfer driver knew how to get us in the mood to start with, playing Bob Marley on the journey to the hotel!
Jewel Dunn’s River Beach Resort is perfectly located close to local attractions such as the Dunn’s River Waterfalls, Mystic Mountain Bobsled, Dolphin Cove, and the small town of Ocho Rios, which is ideal if you just want to do a spot of souvenir shopping.
However, with so much going on at the hotel, I can’t blame any of our guests for staying on the resort for the majority of the holiday and on our Friendship Travel singles holidays, you can totally chill out or be as active as you like.
As the hotel is located right on a golden sandy bay, nobody needs to walk too far to dip a toe in the stunning blue Caribbean, but if you want to do more than take a dip, how about trying paddle boarding, canoeing or even adventuring out on a hobie cat? These are all part of the excellent all-inclusive package, so there’s no excuse not to give them a go.
Jewel Dunn’s River Beach Resort has its own in-house entertainment team known as Gems, who are smiley, bubbly and full of energy, and work hard to keep you entertained. There is no pressure to join in with the fun, but plenty is going on even if you just want to enjoy watching from the comfort of your sun-bed – and there are plenty of them both on the beach and around the pools.
If all that activity sounds like too much for you, then check out what treatments are available at the Spa, which is fantastic – though of course treatments are an extra cost.
When you’re in need of refreshments there are a couple of bars to choose from, and if you can’t bring yourself to get up from your sun-bed, there’s even waiter service… the hardest choice you may have is deciding what cocktail to order next.
When it comes to dining you certainly won’t go hungry throughout the day. Our group was really spoilt for choice: the buffet restaurant is open at all main meal times, the pizzeria until 9pm with pizzas made freshly to order and the grill bar seems to operate virtually around the clock! Each evening, three additional à la carte restaurants are open, and there are special themed nights too!
How do I sum up our hosted holidays in Jamaica? Well the island and the resort both have a wonderful laid-back atmosphere, and a sense of fun. So much is included in our package that it’s a fantastic treat for the solo traveller and the reggae beat is irresistible – guaranteed to get you in the party mood!
