Rich man/poor man; Got cash to splash on a fabulous holiday or are

Sunday Herald, The, Sep 29, 2002 by Gary Buchanan, Iain White, C Pennick, Jane Wright, Andrea Pearson

Luxury winter sun: JAMAICA "Soon come," says the rep attempting to procure my transportation. The mlee of jet-weary tourists adds to the chaos at Montego Bay's busy international terminal. I am ushered into a landcruiser. "Tenky, bruk no square" says the dispatcher as I exchange a couple of American green backs for his efforts. Nelson, my driver, explains I have just been wished "thank-you, break no bones".

The island's official language is English, but Jamaicans often converse in dialect - a jigsaw puzzle of old English, African, Scottish, Irish and nautical words where you least expect them.

A tavern on the outskirts of MoBay, "Grace's one stop beer joint", makes me chuckle. Nelson offers to show me a "boonoonoonoo" (a real treat) but I decline. After the crazy darkened drive past wooden shacks and half-naked children playing by the roadside, the colonial charm of Half Moon Club is welcome. With a yellow bird on the Seagrape terrace, I sit transfixed as the cocktail, a blend of three local rums, accentuates the robust cacophony of tree frogs.

Jamaica packs a continents' worth of wonders into the third largest island in the Caribbean. Vibrant with colour, overflowing with activity, it is the quintessence of the Caribbean. Towering rugged mountains frame its white sandy beaches; cascading waterfalls intersperse lush green valleys, while sea breezes cool the air despite the heat of the tropical sun. Brilliant flowers, vivid birds and chattering people provide a continual fascination for visitors.

Originally peopled by peace-loving Arawak Indians, "discovered" by Columbus in 1494, ruled by the Spanish then by the British for 300 years before gaining independence in 1962, Jamaica is a land where history runs deep. Traders, slaves, indentured servants and settlers helped create a culture as diverse as the island's scenery, and its influence in art, dance and music has gone far beyond Caribbean shores.

During the two-hour drive from Half Moon Club to Ocho Rios I pass an Rose Hall. Built in the late 1700s, as residences of prosperous sugar planters, these vestiges of colonial Jamaica, mounted high above their estates, were the centre of social and economic life. The stately three-storey Georgian edifice agleam with intricate furniture comes complete with the ghost of former mistress Annie Palmer. Legend has it, this voodoo priestess killed three husbands and took slaves as lovers.

Despite its habitual buzz from craft shops, food stands and genial hustlers catering to the daily influx of American cruise ships, Ocho Rios offers quiet interludes. Half an hour east of town I fall in love with Firefly, the mountaintop aerie of Noel Coward. Standing in his private open-air office where he wrote much of his later work, I look out on an unsullied sweep of scalloped bays and forested headlands a thousand feet below. This retreat has been restored by Chris Blackwell, the Jamaican music entrepreneur who made Bob Marley a superstar.

On the way back to Montego Bay is Good Hope Great House. Saved from neglect, also by Blackwell, this 18th-century house now boasts ten guest rooms, so delightful I decide to stay. After dinner of curried akee (Jamaica's national fruit), a peppery pumpkin soup, blackened red snapper marinated in lime, and grilled bananas in a heady rum sauce, I retire to my ancient bed as the mountain breezes ruffle the white lace canopy above.

Returning to MoBay I notice a tanned, blond man in his late twenties wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with, "I'm a lawyer, trust me". Several Jamaicans are trying to steady him. It's is like Rose Street on a Saturday night, only the pub is different - Grace's one stop beer joint.

Gary Buchanan Needtoknow

Air Jamaica (020 8570 7999; www.airjamaica. com) flies six times a week to Montego Bay from Heathrow and twice a week from Manchester. There is a special fare of (pounds) 366 plus tax if booked by 1 October.

Elegant Resorts (01244 897999; www.elegant resorts.co.uk) have a seven-night for the price of six promotion at Half Moon Club valid until the end of October. The price of a week at the deluxe hotel, including flights from London and private transfers, is (pounds) 1065.

Half Moon Club UK reservations: 0208 742 8818 or www.halfmoon- resort.com

CHeap winter sun: paphos On the southern coastline of Cyprus lies the resort of Paphos - beaches, diving and plenty of ruins to explore. There's also an airport so once you've tackled the check-in and flight - which is less than five hours - your room and sun- lounger await.

Named after the mythological daughter of Venus and Pygmalion, the picturesque harbour town is believed to be the birthplace and home of Aphrodite. Although worshippers once flocked here, now the only throngs are holiday makers, particularly those interested in scuba diving.

On the first morning I take a 25-minute boat trip across the sparkling water to The Wreck of the Vera K, a 200m Lebanese freighter which ran aground in 1972. There are also reefs and caves teeming with fish, moray eels and octopi, so even the casual snorkeller will find swimming in the glorious technicolour a rewarding experience. I opt for a couple of days of lapping up the sun before hiring a car to explore some of the inland area. A 48km drive north brings me to The Baths of Aphrodite at Akamast. All around is an amazing view of the rugged and unspoiled landscape. The only noise is from the Fontana Amorosa, or fountain of love, bubbling forth nearby.