BY VERONIQUE F. SAIYA
A CAREFREE VACATION
FDR’s newest all-inclusive property, Pebbles, is nestled on the beach at New Court, in Trelawney, Jamaica. The resort is centered around the family, offering a “soft adventure holiday” that emphasizes learning and outdoor fun. Pebbles offers an affordable family vacation with no hidden costs. Their definition of the inclusive vacation calls to mind the famous Jamaican way of life where everything is “No problem!”
At the center of your “no problem” vacation experience is your Pebbles’ signature vacation nanny. She will take care of all of your children’s needs for free from 9:00 a.m.-4:40 p.m. and if you wish to have her services during the evening, you pay just $3 an hour. You will have the same nanny throughout your stay, providing you with consistent and quality child care. Your nanny will accompany you, if you so desire, or give you complete privacy and freedom by entertaining your child on her own. She will attend to your child’s every need whether it be bathing, dressing, or feeding your child.
Children are kept occupied with fun and fully-supervised Mini-Club activities. Kiddies’ Supervisors lead children in activities such as bicycle rides, picnics, donkey rides, goat racing, arts and crafts, shell collecting, computer and video training, scuba lessons, and pool-side games. Children have a kiddie disco, mini arcade, and an activity room, which provides children’s programming through satellite television and video games. Parents have full discretion over the activities in which their children are allowed to participate.
The resort provides special activities with the interests of teens in mind. Teen Coordinators supervise activities such as a weekly disco parties, reggae dance lessons, arts and craft classes, trips to Ocho Rios and personal instruction in scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, sailing, tennis, volley ball, basketball, kayaking, and pool and beach games. Teens have their own supervised tropical “campsite” where they learn about camping, map reading, and generally have a blast sleeping underneath the stars. They are also taken on supervised trips which include hiking, all-terrain cycling, fishing, beach parties, and field trips to the Martha Brae River.
Adults, like teens, are offered a wide array of activities with instruction such as tennis, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, windsurfing, and glass bottom boat rides. Adults may also take advantage of water aerobics classes, dancersize, fitness instruction in the gym, or take part in bicycle rides and adult poolside competitions where like your kids you can win prizes from the gift shop. Nightly activities for adults include dancing, live entertainment, and a piano bar that remains open until the last guest leaves. Free excursions such as shopping in Montego Bay and Falmouth, as well as a Swamp Safari tour are provided by simply signing up at the front desk. The front desk will be more than happy to setup any other additional transportation services you may need for non-inclusive excursions to other Jamaican sites.
Upon your arrival to the Montego Bay airport, you will be whisked away on a 35 mile shuttle ride to the Jamaican-owned resort. Arrangements should be made in advance if a car seat is necessary. The suites-only property offers a selection between ocean front and ocean view suites. Twenty four of the 96 suites offer connecting suites for larger families. All suites are constructed from imported Canadian Cedar and offer a relaxed Caribbean atmosphere. Suites are tastefully decorated with hand crafted wicker furniture, include a king sized bed, day bed, cable TV, air conditioning, a closet, bathroom and terrace.
Whether your taking part in one of the many abundant activities the resort has to offer or your just lounging around by the beach or pool, you’ll find your every need being met by the staff of the Pebbles Resort. Out of the many vacations I’ve taken, I have yet to come across a friendlier group of people. The staff always greets you with the warmth and consideration you would expect from a family member, as well as offering impeccable service. You’ll feel right at home with this hospitable staff. Chances are you won’t leave the island without having had a great conversation full of cultural exchange.
If you’re the kind of person who likes a lot of hustle and bustle, traveling from one place to the next, and enjoys a wild nightlife, glitz, glamour, and haute cuisine then an inclusive resort is not for you. The whole point of inclusiveness is to have everything you need at your fingertips, while having total assurance of how much money you will be spending. After having preformed your self-evaluation, if you find that an inclusive resort is the place for you, I strongly recommend the family-oriented Pebbles for parents who are looking for a small, relaxing, laid back atmosphere in which you and your children will have plenty of fun-filled activities to choose from without having to leave the comfort of the resort. Most importantly, your children will receive the best possible care during your stay, allowing you to relax and have an enjoyable vacation at this “no problem” resort. #
FDR Pebbles
P.O. Box 1933
Falmouth P.O., Trelawney, Jamaica W.I
1-888-FDR-KIDS
What’s Included?
*All beverages and meals at the resort’s buffet style main dining room, the Jamaican style beach grill, and the Sabbia Italian restaurant.
*All alcoholic beverages including beer, wine, liquor, and mixed drinks.
*All on-site activities, entertainment, recreation, and recreational equipment and instruction, including scuba lessons but excluding those for scuba certification.
*A vacation nanny for families with small children will be provided daily from 9:00 a.m. till 4:40 p.m.
*Up to two children under the age of 16 stay, play, and eat free of charge.
*A day pass to sister resort, FDR, at Runaway Bay
*Transportation Service to and from the airport, excursions for the Historical Tour of Falmouth, Swamp Safari Crocodile Farm, a shopping trip to Montego Bay, picnics and hiking on the Martha Brae River, and one night of camping.
*Safety deposit box
*All Gratuities
What Extras are available to me?
*Facials
*Massage
*Manicure/Pedicures
*Hair care and braiding
*Gift shop, jewelry/cigar store
*Video package for capturing your vacation experience
*Cyber Café
*Babysitting after 4:40 p.m.
*Scuba certification
*24 hour taxi service for non-inclusive excursions
*Laundry service
*Golf is available at a nearby eighteen-hole course.
What are some fun non-inclusive nearby excursions?
*Take a trip to Glistening Waters at Luminous Lagoon only 5 minutes away by car. This was my favorite excursion. You go, at night, for a boat ride in which you encounter millions of microscopic organisms that when disturbed by any movement give off a beautiful glow. Go for a swim the water which is said to have special rejuvenating powers, or simply stick your hand into the water and then wave it around watching the color-filled traces! Pick up some water, drop it over your arm, and see what looks like a million diamonds scatter over your skin!
*Go for a hike up Dunn’s River Falls, a series of small waterfalls that spill into the sea outside Ochos Rios. It’s an hour away from Pebbles by car and well worth the trip. It’s incredibly beautiful, and you’ll want to take pictures with a waterproof camera (so that you don’t make the mistake I did and ruin a perfectly good camera). Also make sure you wear a swimsuit and water shoes. You will also find an arts and craft market here.
*Ages 8 and above can swim with the Dolphins at Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios. Choose from a variety of Dolphin encounters of varying prices and/or purchase video and photo footage.
*Enjoy rafting a 3 mile, 1 ½ hour trip on a bamboo raft down the Martha Brae River, Montego Bay. This is a thoroughly relaxing and very romantic ride which you can enjoy sitting back with a drink in hand. Thirty-five minutes from the resort.
*MoBay Undersea Tours allows you to see the treasures of the ocean via a fifty-passenger submarine. Located in Montego Bay, forty minutes away from the resort.