…“Jamee in Jamaica” is a series of articles about an intern on a journey in Jamaica w/ Great Shape! Inc.
Our intern Jamee, along with the other SuperKids volunteers stayed at the beautiful Beaches Negril during her week long stay in Jamaica in November 2014. Great Shape! Inc. partners with the generous Sandals Foundation, which hosts volunteers at Sandals and Beaches Resorts, free of charge during their service trip. Sandals is world renown for having 15 of the greatest resorts in the Caribbean, which Jamee can attest to. Jamee shares her experience:
I absolutely loved everything about Beaches Negril! The staff, food, entertainment, amenities, and everything in between were beyond amazing. I did not know what to expect about where we were staying when I signed up with Great Shape! Inc. I knew we stayed at Sandals Resorts but I had no idea what that would entail; the staff at Beaches was friendlier than at any other resort/hotel I’ve ever stayed at. One of the greatest parts about the staff was their interest in truly getting to know all the guests and volunteers once they found out we were a part of Great Shape! Inc.
Every afternoon I would talk with the housekeeper in charge of my room, Vinette. We would discuss how the school day went and what the kids had learned or enjoyed that day. Everyone, including the concierge, restaurant staff, and entertainment dance team, had a personal interest in what we were doing at the local schools.
Besides being comfortable, I ate so well. Seriously, all of the food I had at the resort was fantastic, especially the local jerk chicken! I ate at all five restaurants throughout the resort during my week at Beaches. My favorite restaurants included authentic experiences at Kimonos (cuisine from the Far East), and the Venetian (straight from Italy). My parents celebrated their 33rd anniversary while we were in Jamaica and the Venetian served as the perfect place for dinner that night. In addition to great food, the adult beverages are all inclusive as well, an added bonus!
The resort offers numerous water and land sports! I went paddle boarding with a fellow volunteer and had a great time – even after I fell off the board making quite the splash! Later on in the week I rode the crazy banana boat, which was really fun! Other volunteers took advantage of opportunities to scuba dive and go snorkeling (both during the day and at night).
Beaches is located on Negril’s famous 7-mile beach, THE best place to unwind after a long day working in the schools. Many of the SuperKids volunteers would get back to the resort around three in the afternoon, change into their bathing suits, and hit the water with drinks in hand. This proved one of the best moments of the day because everyone from all the teams got the opportunity to interact and catch up with each other. We would all watch the famous sunset together from the water, enjoying the beauty and peace of our surroundings.
At Sandals and Beaches Resorts they make an obvious, dedicated effort for all of their guests to enjoy themselves. I know I sure enjoyed myself!
Big up to the Sandals Foundation, Beaches Negril, and all of the staff who make our experience with SuperKids so much brighter!
