When my family and I ventured off to Jamaica to take a 10-day holiday in 1998 we chose the Boscobel Beach Resort so that there would be plenty for my sister and I to do and my parents could have the opportunity to lounge by the pool and soak up the sun. If you have active older children as both my sister and I were, they can hop down to the beach to learn how to water ski one day, sail the next, and take countless rides on a banana boat in between.
At Boscobel, meals, snacks, drinks, and activities are all included in one price. Although I wouldn’t exactly describe my parents as extroverts, the Jamaican spirit definitely hit them, too. My mother greatly enjoyed the evening performances by the resort’s staff and was infamous for joining them on stage when they asked for audience participation or offered to give reggae lessons. However, if this is not your style, there are other, more subdued, places to relax in the evening. For example, there are five bars where my parents sometimes went after my sister and I went to bed.
There is also an adult-only center with a pool and Jacuzzi, which is neatly tucked out of the way, but my parents reported that it is not nearly as luxurious as the main pool. It is a casual resort and I don’t believe that formal attire is required at any time.
The best part was the variety of activities. Neither my sister nor I chose to take part in the kids’ programs yet we were never bored for a second and we met other kids who also opted not to join.
It feels like only yesterday that my sister and I were running down the beach to get our long hair braided by the local women, and begging our mother to sit this activity out (thankfully she listened). I have nothing but the fondest memories of our trip.
Samantha Dean is a 17-year-old from Maine.
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