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Style: An exotic, luxurious beachfront retreat in a mix of tropical styles, earthy colours, some Jamaican touches, Indonesian furniture and statuary, elegant fittings, excellent greenery. Stylised rusticity with a laid back, intimate atmosphere, well suited to mature guests, with excellent in- and outdoor living and dining areas
The Beach: Own private 70ft white sandy beach with excellent swimming and snorkelling
The Rooms: 7 bedrooms with en suite bathrooms – 3 in the main villa and 4 in a separate annex
Key features: Exclusive oceanfront villa, one of the best villas in Jamaica, seafront gazebo, infinity edge swimming pool (13ft x 26ft), Jacuzzi, floodlit tennis court, air-conditioned fitness room, air-conditioned spa, water’s edge dining deck and BBQ, yoga on request, sea kayaks, sailfish boat, snorkelling equipment, pool table, cable TVs in all bedrooms, wet bar, pavillion style lounge, family room with 32” cable and satellite TV, VCR and DVD, CD, surround sound music system with 12 speakers, computer with complimentary internet access, fax/copier.
Children: Welcome, however limited to two children only under the age of 12 years
Staff: Resident butler, 2 chefs, housekeeper, laundress, 2 gardeners |
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Description
Amanoka is a splendid seven bedroom villa set on its own beachfront on Discovery Bay on the north coast of Jamaica. The very name hints at its exotic nature. Amanoka exudes tropical luxury, in a combination of oriental and Jamaican styles, with bamboo shades and Indonesian day beds, West Indian art and massive mahogany beds, orchids growing in the gardens, thatch-topped Balinese lamps and lily ponds. It is one of a small community of villas that line the waterfront along Fortlands Road on the eastern side of the bay. These are extremely smart, some of the best looking and best equipped beachfront holiday homes in the Caribbean. With its exotic, landscaped grounds giving onto their own private cove, Amanoka is an extremely stylish beach retreat with a hint of rustic and earthy charm.
You arrive at the villa through electric gates that give into a parkway surrounded by well manicured lawns and walls. The main villa has not revealed itself yet. First you must pass beneath a Balinese, shingle roof gateway that leads into a pretty entrance courtyard, where you see the house flanked by lily ponds, its rustic, dark green distressed-painted walls are offset with lush tropical foliage. Balinese thatch-topped garden lamps stand among the tropical plants and wind chimes tinkle amongst the surrounding palms. The heady fragrance of nearby shrubs hangs in the air.
A low bridge-way spans the pond and leads to the main door, which is framed with oriental carved-teak breeze panels. Inside, you come into a large, shady reception hallway, where there are areas to sit and an office tucked in the left corner (with fax/copier, computer and complimentary internet access). Also off this hall you can access a powder room, the fabulous kitchen and three of the bedrooms (two on the left, the third on the right). If you continue straight on through the house you come into the large, open-sided dining room. This has two dining tables, one long table that can seat ten and a round table for five, and a bamboo wet bar tucked in one corner. Alongside it runs a lily pond with a waterspout.
Beyond here on the right hand side is the main indoor sitting room, known as the Great Room. It has a wood panelled tray ceiling and is comfortably furnished in a combination of Indonesian and Jamaican styles, with a Balinese day bed, plump sofas and chairs, and some original Jamaican artwork. There is a 32” Sony cable and satellite TV, with VCR, DVD and a selection of movies, a 12-speaker, surround-sound CD music system by Bose and a card table and pool table. The room has doorways on two sides opening it up onto the sun terrace and gardens, and giving access to the central al fresco living areas and pool.
A step below here is the tiled terrace, at the centre of which is a slightly raised, Balinese-style bamboo pavilion. This has chunky bamboo seating and woven bamboo ceiling panels and cane blinds (the main dining veranda has them also). When the blinds are raised, the pavilion overlooks the infinity swimming pool below, across the lawn to the beach beyond it and eventually onto Discovery Bay.
The gardens at Amanoka are a delight. Beyond the pool there is a good-sized lawn shaded in places by sea almond trees. It leads down to the pretty white sand beach and the protected cove. You can sunbathe anywhere here, but also on the terrace that stretches out into the bay on a rocky outcrop. There you will also find a gazebo on the terrace with canvas swing seats which is ideal for an evening drink. To one side of the garden, set under the shade of almond and sea grape trees, is a seaside dining deck with a built-in buffet counter. There is another dining area for barbecues just below the main sun terrace at the villa. At night, torch-lit dinners can be set up on the sea terrace.
Amanoka has seven bedrooms, all of which are air-conditioned and have ceiling fans and cable TV. Three are located within the main villa. The Mahogany bedroom has two queen size beds set on mahogany bases, with framed paintings as head boards. This room is located next to the Great Room and has an en suite stone bathroom with tub/shower. The Bamboo bedroom is located off the hallway near the entrance of the house, overlooking the lily pond. It has a king size bamboo four-poster bed and a stone tiled en suite bathroom with tub/shower. The Master bedroom is located in its own wing, facing the pool and bay, with French doors onto the main courtyard terrace. It has a handsome mahogany king-sized bed with matching colonial-style reading chairs and occasional furnishings, a 27” cable and satellite TV. The large en suite bathroom is stone tiled and has a Jacuzzi tub and separate shower.
A short distance from the main villa entrance is the bedroom Annex, reached via a paved pathway which is flanked by an impressive collection of well established orchids. The two storey building faces the bay, set back a little behind the main house, but looking straight down a long sweep of lawn right to the beach. It has covered seating areas on the veranda and balcony, and like the main villa features distressed olive-green walls, natural wooden doors and louvered windows. Downstairs you will find two bedrooms, with a small bar area for making coffee/tea at their centre next to the stairs. One bedroom has double cane-back beds which convert to a king, and the other a bamboo four poster queen size bed, both are en suite with shower only, and French doors that give onto the covered veranda. Upstairs are two more bedrooms, both with teak floors and en suite bathrooms with tub/showers. One has a lovely mahogany king-size bed with twisted posts and the other a bamboo queen size four poster. French doors open out to the balcony, where you will find two hammocks.
Stop-press: Two new pavilions were completed early 2007 and sit near the tennis court within a courtyard setting. Surrounded by lily ponds, waterfalls and tropical planting, both pavilions are air-conditioned and house a fully equipped gym and a spa. |
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The Beach and Swimming
A gorgeous, 70ft white sand beach sits at the bottom of the garden, enclosed in a small protected cove which gives calm swimming. Farther out there are reefs with good snorkelling. Amanoka provides snorkelling equipment, sea kayaks and a sail fish dinghy for guest use. Part of the lawn runs straight down onto the sand, but to the side a section is raised into a grass terrace. This leads to a bridge to the sun terrace set on a rocky outcrop just offshore, where there is a good-size gazebo with swing seats.
An infinity edge, freshwater swimming pool (13ft x 26ft) is located just below the Bamboo Pavilion. Set within a tiled sun terrace with steps down to the gardens and beach, the infinity edge looks out to the sea and the pool has a sitting ledge. There is an adjoining Jacuzzi set above it, which overflows into the pool. |
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Sports & Recreation
Amanoka has its own floodlit tennis court with a Novacrylic surface. Racquets are provided. There is an air-conditioned fitness room located a separate pavilion which features a Pecor elliptical machine, treadmill, free weights, music, TV and fitness DVDs. A yoga instructor can be arranged for private sessions (extra cost), along with spa services by a private holistic health consultant (extra charge) who will carry out treatments within the villa's own air-conditioned spa or outdoors, i.e. massages out on the seafront gazebo. The villa also has its own non-motorised watersports equipment including snorkelling gear, a sailfish boat and sea kayaks.
The nearest golf courses are the SuperClubs Breezes Golf Course in Runaway Bay, an 18 hole 72 par, 6,814 yard course and the Grand Lido Braco Golf Club, west of Rio Bueno, a 9 hole par 28, 1,357 yard course. Both are around 10-15 minutes away by car. An hour’s drive away is Sandals Golf & Country Club, an 18 hole, 72 par, 6311 yard course located in the hills east of Ocho Rios (established in 1951, it was formerly known as the Upton Golf Course). There are also several courses just before Montego Bay.
The nearest stables for riding or polo are both in the Parish of St Ann. Chukka Cove at Laughlands is 25-30 minutes by car and St Ann Polo Club and Equestrian Center in Drax Hall is approximately 30-40 minutes away. |
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Locality
Amanoka is set within an extremely popular and exclusive residential enclave, Fortlands Road, which is often referred to as “Millionaires Row” and has around a dozen luxury Jamaica holiday rental homes. They line the eastern shore line of Discovery Bay, which is around 1 ¾ hours east of Montego Bay and about 25 minutes west of Ocho Rios. The majority of homes along this strip are owned by wealthy Jamaican families. On approach to the villas you will pass Puerto Seco Beach, a pretty white-sand public beach. Local fishermen operate from here and it is a popular spot with locals, particularly at the weekends. You can easily kayak along the strip of villas from the top of the bay at Fortlands Point down to Puerto Seco.
The area around Discovery Bay is fairly ‘un-touristy’ and so there are not that many restaurants and bars. While the outlook on Discovery Bay is largely blue water, it has an interesting industrial aspect. On the western corner of the bay you will see the Kaiser Bauxite Plant, whose large metal, dome-shaped storage tank is the most prominent building on the bay. This is where some of Jamaica’s bauxite is shipped from. Nearby is the small Columbus Park Museum, a commemorative park at the roadside to mark the 1494 landing of Christopher Columbus in Discovery Bay (though this has since come into dispute, in favour of Rio Bueno not far off). There is an open-air collection of artefacts including a water wheel from a sugar estate, an Indian dug-out canoe, cannons and agricultural equipment. The village just across the road from the Fortlands Road entrance consists of a post office, public library, petrol station, police station, small supermarket and patty shop. You will need to go to Ocho Rios if you wish to do serious shopping, dine out or sample the local nightlife. |
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Useful Hints
It is worth noting that Amanoka does not host weddings or large functions.
Provisioning: The cook at Amanoka will assume that you will require a welcome meal for your arrival and that initial food and drink supplies should be purchased. You should ask your travel organiser or the villa agent (if booking direct) for a list of suggested items, and ensure that any particular requirements are noted. If booking direct you may opt to prepay your groceries, which should be done at least 60 days prior to arrival. The cook is a graduate of Villas by Linda Smith’s “Le Chef” gourmet cuisine cooking course, which offers guests menus of a slightly higher standard. They work to an average budget of US$50 per adult/US$25 per child, per day when provisioning the Le Chef menu . This includes a basic drinks package of rum, wine and beer, but does not cover extras such as whole lobster or imported steak, which vary according to market prices. The rest of the shopping for your stay will be done by the cook once you have liaised with them on arrival. If you haven't pre-paid, the bill for the initial provisioning (plus the costs for transport) should be paid in cash and you should also provide the chef with funds for all subsequent shopping, including transportation costs - you may opt to go with them on the first trip.
Gratuities: Rental rates for villas in Jamaica do not include ‘tips’ and it is recommended that you set aside 10% of the total villa rental in winter and 15% for summer as a gratuity for the staff. You will be expected to pay this directly to the staff before you leave. Information on how it is to be divided will be included in the guest’s villa welcome book, and you may find an envelope is provided.
Laundry: Amanoka’s laundress will attend to your personal laundry (excluding dry clean items). If you hand them over in the morning they will usually be ready later that same afternoon. |
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Rates
| Amanoka | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2007 | 15 Dec- 15 Apr 2007-08 | Christmas/ Christmas & New Year 2007-08 | Easter 2008 | 16 Apr- 14 Dec 2008 | Thanks- Giving 2008 | | 1-3 bedrooms 4-5 bedrooms 6-7 bedrooms | 14,000 16,000 18,000 | 19,000 19,000 21,000 | 27,500 27,500 27,500 | 21,000 21,000 21,000 | 14,000 16,000 18,000 | 20,000 20,000 20,000 | Rates are quoted in US$ per week (7 nights), room only (EP). All rates are subject to change without notice. Minimum stay of 5 nights from 16 Apr-14 Dec except during Easter , Thanksgiving and 15 Dec-15 Apr when the minimum stay is 7 nights. There is a minimum stay of 14 nights over the Christmas/New Year period, unless booking for the Christmas week (lower rate) only and departing by 27/28 Dec. |
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How To Book
If you wish to book direct, bookings should be made through the villa agent, Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith. To confirm a reservation you must send a deposit of 25% of the total rental fee (50% for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year). Payment of the remaining 75% is required 60 days prior to your arrival (90 days for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year). If you are booking within 60 days of your arrival, full payment must be made to secure the booking. A US$1,000 security deposit is also required, against damage to the villa or contents during your stay. It is refundable on your return home if no damage occurs during your stay. You may contact Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith by using the WEB LINK or DIRECT ENQUIRIES facility at the top of this page, or if you wish to telephone them, please click on TELEPHONE CONTACT to reveal the number. For a review of Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith please see here. |
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Airport Meet & Greet
If you are booking direct you will be able to make arrangements for the villa agent to send a driver to meet you at the airport, which will then be pre-paid with your balance for the villa. The airport transfer from Montego Bay will take approximately 1¾ hours.
If you are booking through a travel organiser, it is likely that their representative will be at the airport to meet you. This service and your return airport transfers should be included in the cost of your holiday. Please check at the time of booking. |
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Getting Around
A hired car is strongly recommended for all private villa holidays but a popular alternative in Jamaica is a private driver service, which is easily arranged and particularly useful if you go out in the evenings. For shopping or sightseeing, you may wish to be independent and drive yourself around as it gives you an added element of freedom to explore the island, which is exceptionally beautiful. If you are booking the villa direct or through a tour operator, you can organise car hire at the same time as booking your accommodation. Otherwise you can reserve your car with Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith at the same time as booking the villa.
If you do decide to go for a hire car, ask for your vehicle to be delivered to the property (there may be a delivery fee) approximately three hours after your scheduled time of arrival on Jamaica or the following morning. Vehicles can be returned at the airport or collected from the property at a pre-arranged time on your departure day. All drivers booked through the villa staff or through Jamaica Villas by Linda Smith are registered JUTA tour guides. |
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