Each year my husband and I travel to a new destination. Mostly our travels take us to the Caribbean. No great secret there, we just want to escape our frigid Canadian winters.
Our latest vacation took us to Negril, Jamaica. Well, we’ve always heard of crystal clear waters, but nothing could prepare us for seven miles of absolutely unspoiled beaches and water so clear that you can stand and watch schools of fish swim around your legs.
Rondel Village is the name of the establishment – our first NON-all-inclusive vacation. Situated on the beach, Rondel Village is owned and meticulously cared for by the “Wright” family. Rondel consists of many unique octagonal-shaped deluxe villas accommodating anywhere from two to six people comfortably. We stayed at “Coconut”, an immaculate private one bedroom villa with four-piece ensuite bathroom, fully equipped kitchen and a huge living area with a queen size drop down bed and its own full bathroom. Each villa also has its own private whirlpool – so you never have to share. Our villa looked out onto the breathtaking Negril beach and was surrounded by lush tropical vegetation.
Rondel Village also has a restaurant you can purchase a meal plan, which includes breakfast and dinner. This restaurant, fondly called “Irie Village Restaurant and Beach Bar”, has wonderful and tantalizing tastes. We had the “Jamaican Breakfast” which took about half an hour to prepare but was well worth the wait – everything for this meal is prepared fresh – boiled green bananas with Ackee and Salted Fish served with “Johnny Cakes” (fried dumplings). We were in heaven!!! For lunch we either ate at “Irie Village Restaurant and Beach Bar” or strolled along the beach to eat at any number of the other hotel restaurants. Walk-ins from the beach are most welcome!!! One of the most scrumptious dinners we had at “Irie Village Restaurant” was called “Seafood Pizza” – this was a thin crust pizza with “Special Sauce” loaded with shrimp and lobster and baked to perfection * it left us smiling with satisfaction.
You can book any type of water sport, hiking expedition, car and air tours from the most daring to the most relaxing with something for everyone’s price range.
We hope to return very soon. We highly recommend Rondel Village, whether it’s just a quiet vacation for two or a family getaway with the kids.
