Frank Mannion had an epic 10-day journey around Jamaica. Above is one of the stunning stops on his tour — the Strawberry Hill Hotel in the Blue Mountains The swashbuckling actor Errol Flynn — the George Clooney of the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s — described Jamaica as more beautiful than any woman. Today, Jamaica still captivates. A British colony for over 300 years until 1962, our holiday coincided with the somewhat controversial Royal visit of Prince William and Kate. After an effortless 10-hour flight we landed in Montego Bay, from which it was a short journey to our first destination, the Excellence Oyster Bay Resort in Falmouth, the picturesque coastal capital. The Excellence certainly lives up to its name by being the very best all-inclusive hotel on the island. Located on a vast private peninsula surrounded by mangrove lagoons and mesmerising turquoise waters, we felt right at home in a beautiful suite with its own plunge pool. It has a first-rate choice of gourmet restaurants, with Magna a stand-out option. It boasts a spectacular view, truly glorious white-sand beaches, friendly staff and plenty of evening entertainment – plus delicious dishes such as grilled spiny lobster thermidor, grilled beef tenderloin turf and buttered zucchinis. THE YAM THAT MAKES YOU RUN LIKE A LIGHTNING BOLT — from the Excellence, we made the short trip to the pretty village of Sherwood Content in the parish of Trelawny. A peeling sign says ‘home of the world’s fastest man’. After all, this is the childhood home of Usain Bolt. His parents still live in the tranquil village, which is surrounded by undulating hills and pretty streams, a sort of Jamaican Cotswolds. After Usain broke the 100m world record, his father, Wellesley Bolt, emphatically attributed it to a diet of yellow yams, a starchy tuberous vegetable that Usain devoured when he was growing up. The world’s oldest woman, Violet Moss Brown, also from Trelawny, was also an avid yellow yam consumer. She died aged 117 and had the distinction of being the world’s last surviving subject of Queen Victoria. From there we drove to the capital of Kingston, the birthplace of reggae and where Jamaica’s most famous son, Bob Marley, lived. His home, in the suburb of Trench Town, is now a museum. William and Kate were pictured playing the drums there and as William pointed out – ‘so much musical history was made here’. Marley’s father was a white British Army man from Sussex and his mixed-race heritage caused problems when he was growing up, often leading him to be ostracised. But his impoverished childhood and rejection by his father were a source of musical inspiration, particularly with Corner Stone’, which contains the poignant lyric ‘the stone that the builder refuse will always be the head cornerstone’. A HOTEL FIT FOR A FUTURE KING — while Prince William and Kate were being feted at a banquet at the Governor General’s residence, King’s House, we were keen to avoid the traffic jams caused by the tight security. So we drove through the pretty suburbs of Kingston and up a scenic winding road, with the air becoming increasingly cool and refreshing the higher we climbed. We passed the colourful little village of Irish Town and finally we reached the Strawberry Hill Hotel, a magical mountain hotel dating back to the 18th century that’s set sublimely high in the Blue Mountains. With its cluster of elegant post-plantation cottages, to-die-for infinity swimming pool and 26 acres of tropical gardens, it felt like we had entered nirvana. It is one of the most beautiful and dramatically situated hotels in the world, with spectacular panoramic views. We enjoyed a rum punch in the colonial-style wooden bar, then a delightful dinner served on the veranda by the friendliest staff. Below, the lights of Kingston twinkled in the distance with the ocean beyond. The hotel is perched so perfectly that there is no cacophonous soundscape, no din of hooting cars – just mellifluous tropical birdsong. With this peaceful backdrop, it is no surprise to discover that Bob Marley came here to convalesce after the attempt on his life in 1976. Each exquisite cottage at the hotel nestles within the contours of the mountain and has a terrace perched to capture its own spectacular view. The next morning, after a delightful early breakfast of akee and saltfish, I could see why Bob Marley was inspired to write: ‘Rise up this mornin’, smile with the risin’ sun, three little birds pitch by my doorstep, singin’ sweet songs of melodies pure and true.’ We wished our stay could go on for infinity, so it was with a tremendous sense of melancholy that we bade adieu to this hilltop paradise. A HELICOPTER TRIP TO THE BLUE LAGOON — our next destination was in the parish of Portland, so named after the Duke of Portland, who was Governor General there for four years in the early 18th century. Instead of a bumpy three-hour car journey, Jamaica’s leading aviation company, Captain’s Aviation, teamed up with the Geejam Hotel to take us by helicopter, reducing the journey to just 18 minutes. Captain’s Aviation is run by the charismatic Romario Burrell, who was so keen to become an aviator that he learned how to fly before he was legally allowed to drive. In fact, he was so young he had to be driven to his flying lessons by his father, Captain Horace, who served as President of Jamaica’s Football Association, hence Romario’s rather Brazilian sounding Christian name! Victor, our ex-Jamaican Defence Forces pilot, whisks us away on a bespoke VIP trip over the Blue Mountains where we see coconut groves, and coffee plantations, reputedly the world’s best and known as the ‘Champagne of coffee’. Minutes later we were circling Port Antonio, the seaside capital of the parish of Portland and spotted Navy Island, which Errol Flynn once acquired in a drunken poker match. The pilot hovered over Alligator Head where the fabulously rich Baroness von Thyssen-Bornemisza has created a sanctuary. Fortunately, not a sanctuary for alligators, rather for sea turtles and parrotfish. We then circled Frenchman’s Cove, once the playground of Jamaica’s first all-inclusive resort where the Queen, The Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton came to stay. Next to it is the Blue Lagoon, made famous by the movie that introduced Brooke Shields and still just as mesmerising from the air. We also flew over Dragon Bay, where Tom Cruise showed off his bartender skills in his beachside bar in the 1980s classic Cocktail. It is a truly breath-taking helicopter tour. Shawn Mendes loved the trip so much that he shared a post from the cockpit with his 67.5 million followers. We alighted at Geejam Hotel, founded by two charming British record label bosses, the gregarious Jon Baker and the loquacious Steve Beaver. They fell in love with the island when they were on A&R missions to unearth the next generation of reggae talent. Until now, Geejam has been the music industry’s most closely guarded secret. GEE-JAMMING WITH THE ROLLING STONES — perched on top of the hotel are two stunning villas – Panorama and Cocosan – that have hosted the creme de la creme of musical talent. It is the ultimate secret hideaway and its panoramic sea view is the ultimate stimulant to unlock the creative deities. It certainly worked for The Rolling Stones, who had just finished recording their latest top-secret album here, and for Idris Elba, who had been jamming in the recording studio here just before our visit. No doubt he loved the villa’s Steinway piano painted in Ferrari red – now that’s rock ‘n’ roll. The hotel owners are far too discreet to name-drop, but The Stones were following in a long line of Grammy Award-winning artists from Drake, Amy Winehouse, Justin Bieber and even Harry Styles, who came to get away from it all and record some music inspired by the fusion of the glorious surroundings, the lack of distractions and the absence of paparazzi. With a beautiful infinity pool, a lively bar, friendly staff and stylish suites with state-of-the-art technology, the hotel is the perfect combination of what the owners call ‘off the grid but totally dialled-in’ living. THE TOWN WHERE JAMES BOND IS THE CATCH OF THE DAY — our biggest discovery was to learn that the opening scenes of No Time to Die were filmed in Port Antonio. This is where James Bond, having retired from active service, comes to lie low and do some fishing, emerging from the azure waters with his catch of the day, all shot in the bay below the Geejam. Port Antonio also doubled as Cuba in the film providing much-needed employment to the local residents. Daniel Craig loved it so much, he ended up staying in the Geejam – in the Cocosan villa – for six weeks while the 007 crew and producers took over the other effortlessly chic 19 rooms and villa. Remarkably, Port Antonio seems to make no effort to entice tourists with this important Bond connection – there are no signs or tours that would highlight the unforgettable local locations used in the film. Daniel Craig and the crew were regulars at the local jerk bar, Piggy’s in Port Antonio. Weeks after they finished filming, Piggy’s was destroyed in a fire and, according to the genial owner, Eustac “Piggy” Lindsay, once word got back to Daniel Craig, the Bond production wired $35,000 to get it re-opened, saving the jobs of the 15 staff that worked there. The Geejam organised a rafting trip on the Rio Grande. The bamboo rafts had originally been used to transport bananas for export, but it was Errol Flynn who pioneered the use of leisure rafting in the 1950s. Our captain was Michael, who has been piloting rafts down the eight-mile-long river for almost 30 years. His passengers, on his bamboo love seat, have included the likes of Sean Connery and Peter O’Toole, who settled into the two-hour journey with a very large ice-box of beer and whose raucous company Michael very much enjoyed. It is a beautiful way to enjoy Jamaica’s natural unspoilt beauty and very safe with no rapids. THE RIVER CAFÉ LOVED BY ‘PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN’ AND BEYONCE — about halfway downriver, we jumped off to swim at the local beauty spot, known as Lover’s Lane, and make a stop at Belinda’s, a simple old-fashioned riverside inn with long benches that is only accessible by river. Belinda and her mother before her, have been setting up their fires and cooking dishes here daily for decades. Her chicken stew, rice and beans, curry goat, bammy and plantain, are simply delicious. Beyonce even flew in by helicopter to sample Belinda’s culinary delights. Appetite sated, she continued the rest of her journey by bamboo raft down to where the river meets the Caribbean Sea at Port Antonio. Johnny Depp loved Belinda’s so much he arranged for the Pirates of the Caribbean wrap party to be held there. The word Jamaica comes from the Taino word meaning ‘land of wood and water’. There are plenty of beautiful waterfalls there surrounded by tropical forests, from the Dunn’s RiverFalls, which featured in Dr No, to Reach Falls, which featured in Cocktail, not to mention the underrated Nanny Falls and YS Falls. A trip to any of these is a life-affirming experience. From Port Antonio, it was a two-hour drive to the magnificent Goldeneye Hotel, just outside Ocho Rios. It has an illustrious history. It is where Ian Fleming wrote all the James Bond novels. He first came to Jamaica in 1942 as a naval intelligence officer vowing to return as soon as he could. The year after the war, he bought a small tract of land that was once a donkey racetrack and built a bungalow that he named Goldeneye. Fleming spent two months each winter there, writing 14 novels, three of which, including Dr No, are set in Jamaica. Noel Coward lived further up the road at his hilltop getaway, Firefly. In fact, Coward is buried at Firefly in a plot with stunning views overlooking Port Maria and his house is now a museum open to visitors, and well worth a visit. Fleming’s muse was the heiress Blanche Blackwell, who was rumoured to be the inspiration for Pussy Galore. When Dr No was filming nearby, at Fleming’s recommendation, Blanche’s son, Chris Blackwell, was hired as a location scout and worked on the famous scene where a bikini-clad Ursula Andress emerges from the sea singing ‘Under the Mango Tree’. It was filmed at the nearby Laughing Waters beach, a beautiful spot that is now only accessible by boat. Chris went on to have a legendary music career, founding Island Records and introducing reggae and Bob Marley, Cat Stevens and U2, among others, to the world. After Ian Fleming died, Bob Marley bought the house sight unseen, but found it too posh and sold it the following year to his record industry boss, Chris Blackwell, who developed the 42 acres of land into a five-star hotel and resort.