Thar's Coffee in Them Thar Hills!

June 19, 2008 - Elyse Glickman, Jewish Exponent Feature

Rooms with a view ... from Round Hill

While Jamaica's all-inclusive packages promise the sun and the moon -- and deliver on them! -- having it all can be too much. Though they have their appeal (amenities, playgrounds, buffets and convenience), how much food can you seriously eat when heat and humidity are high and your swimsuit stares up at you from your suitcase as if to mock you?

The truth is you don't need to have it all ... just a very gracious handful of hospitality offered by decidedly one-off boutique properties.

Though Round Hill Hotel and Villas is definitively a resort, it offers a nicely balanced cross-section of amenity-filled luxury and local character -- or characters. On the map for more than 50 years, it has a roster of guests that includes the Kennedys, Noel Coward and Ian "007" Fleming. More recently, in 2005, our very own Ralph Lauren (nee Lipschitz) carved his place in this exclusive club, putting his island-preppie stamp on several guest-room blocks, as well as his own fabulous tropical getaway. His charity balls at Round Hill are the stuff of legend.

The villas at Round Hill combine Lauren's island aesthetic with the eclectic tastes of their regular owners. My flat looked like the perfect private poker spot for James Bond and his worldly entourage, with warm masculine woods offset by expressive and colorful island art.

The spa, meanwhile, is a lady's paradise, offering such delicious indulgences as a pineapple body scrub teamed with a papaya facial and massage. Local cuisine here is done fancy, but retains a nice sense of authenticity.

Ok ... word has it that Round Hill actually does have a good buffet and a destination restaurant open during high season. That said, there is something delicious about coming to breakfast on a private veranda in yoga attire as members of the staff prepare made-to-order coconut-and-banana pancakes and brew aromatic Blue Mountain coffee in a kitchen adjoining the airy bedroom and the James Bond bar.

The temptation of treif beckons. However, local fruit, jerk spices, vegetarian fast-food patties from the Tastee and Juici chains, and red snapper are generally uniformly good; you won't feel neglected gastronomically.

The historic Jewish Cemetery of Montego Bay

Throughout Jamaica's storied history, in fact, Jewish people were very much included in the nation's life since the first settlers arrived on the island during the 17th century. While the capital, Kingston, is not a tourist destination, the cultural heart of the Jewish community is there, including the island's main synagogue, art museums and other key cultural attractions.

If your schedule allows a visit to the capital city, you can sign up for a full-guided tour or solid guidance via the Shaare Shalom Jamaican Jewish Heritage Centre (www.ucija.org).

If you elect to stay around the primary resort areas, however, there are still ways to explore some of Jamaica's Jewish roots. Naturalist Lisa Salmon's work is immortalized in her "Rocklands Bird Feeding Station," a hidden Eden where her protégé will expose you to some of the island's most distinctive birds and plant life.

Montego Bay and Hanover Parish have remnants of Jewish cemeteries, and plans are in the works for restoration.

A cottage at Jake's

Thanks to the "Meet the People" program launched in 1968, you will be connected to new best friends who will not only empower you to appreciate Jamaica the way the locals do, but share with you the work they are doing to bring Jamaica's Jewish heritage to light once again. For more information and to register, visit: meetthepeople.visitjamaica.com.

If your idea of a getaway is to avoid the big hotel scene altogether, renting a villa such as Fairway Manor (accessible, with 300 other villas, at: www.jamaicantreasures.com) is an excellent option, especially if you are traveling with children or a large group of friends.

Staying here is a similar experience to staying at a friend's home. While the decor is not trendy, the house is roomy, meticulous and features a fantastic ocean view overlooking Half Moon (an historic resort similar to Round Hill). You pretty much have the run of the place, except for an attentive staff that sees to it that you are at ease in your new island home.

Olive is especially charming, running the kitchen with a bright smile and a passion for preparing family recipes that have been passed down through generations. Once you've shared your dietary restrictions, trust her to dazzle you with a meal whose ingredients have come straight from the market that very morning.

You don't have the bells and whistles of Round Hill or Half Moon ... and that's the whole point. Fairway Manor's raison d'être is to relax as nature and the locals intended. However, Half Moon is a stone's throw away if you want a resort fix, and if it is culture you desire, you're 20 minutes away from Greenwood Great House, a historic home once owned by several generations of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's family.

Owner Bob Benton spins colorful stories about the historic British clan, as well as engaging commentary on the home's valuable furnishings and artwork.

When it comes to getting back to nature (beyond some of the terrific rafting and horseback-riding trips offered by Chukka Adventures, complete with quick-witted and extremely patient guides for the klutzy among us), Negril lives up to its reputation as "the capital of casual."

Those who insist on "boutique luxury" should attempt to get a room at Rockhouse (www.rockhousehotel.com) -- the "Four Seasons" of Negril's rustic properties -- or Jake's at Treasure Beach (www. jakeshotel.com). Both are home to spas chock-a-block with island-grown treatments (i.e., pineapple, Blue Mountain coffee, rum, ginger, etc.), chic souvenir boutiques and fresh, home-style food. (By this point, I have realized pretty much every restaurant is excellent as long as you stick to snapper, jerk chicken and other things indigenous to Jamaica.)

At Jake's, the ambiance created by founder Sally Henzell -- with her mix of Caribbean and Middle Eastern influences -- just may inspire you to redo your place island cottage style, even if you live in the changeable northern reaches of the States.

As for the weather ... the sun can be deceptively brutal; keep the sunscreen handy. But it's also a good time to get off-season rates at many of the hotels throughout the island.

Air Jamaica offers flights from Philadelphia to Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica. For the latest airfare specials, visit: www.airjamaica.com. For more detailed tourism information or articles about Jamaica's Jewish legacy, go to: www.ucija.org.