"Keep your drinking, smoking and women in moderation. And at a long distance from your wife." Kevin Pilley discovers the secrets of Ian Fleming's Jamaican hideaway.

"Relax, man," said Ramsey giving me the first ingredient of "The Commander's" secret recipe for a happy life. "Drink water with your rum. Eat a little red meat but more fish; swim, fish and keep your drinking, smoking and women in moderation. And at a long distance from your wife."

Ramsey Dacosta, now 66, used to be the houseboy for British author Ian Fleming at his Jamaican home, Goldeneye" where he wrote thirteen of the "James Bond" books starting with "Casino Royale" written in 1951 as "an antibody " to getting married for the first time at the age of 43. His bride was Lady Rothermere, the former wife of the British newspaper proprietor. Friends teased Fleming that he was her only fan.

Fleming bought the northshore property in "the beautiful banana port of Orcabessa" (as described in "Live and Let Die") for £4,000, having originally been sent to Jamaica by British naval intelligence to stop U-boat sinkings in the Caribbean. He named it after a British Admiralty plan to defend Gibraltar and stayed at the former donkey's racecourse for 18 winters, writing four hours a day "fast and with application". Noel Coward also lived there for a while.

At the front gate there is still a sign reading " For Sale or Rent, the birthplace of James Bond, Superspy." The 30-acre estate remained vacant until 1976 when London-born Chris Blackwell, founder of "Island Records" bought it. Reggae star Bob Marley considered buying the house too.

It is now a 400-acre all-inclusive holiday spa resort. Ian Fleming's old garage has been converted into a bedroom suite with a giant video/DVD screen and massive bar. His bedroom still has the red bullwood desk on which he wrote with the jalousies shut to keep out the sun. There is a typewriter but the original was sold in 1995. Seashells are scattered on tables as he liked them to be. The bath is outside. The rest of the property consists of super-luxurious three-level villas with glassless windows to let in the breeze and the sound of the pounding surf. It is far more classy than the island's better-known all-inclusive gulags.

Nothing much has changed. Aside from the Maeve Binchy paperbacks on the shelves. But it is a little disconcerting to check in and hear that "Domino" is waiting for you. The villas at the resort are named after famous heroines or villainesses. Except, strangely, "Pussy Galore".

It is an extraordinarily stylish and secluded place which recalls a tropical take on "the highly civilized privacy" of one of Fleming's favourite gentlemen's London clubs like "Boodles" or "The Turf". Fleming entertained all the usual suspects there. It was a celebrity haunt.

Sir Noel Coward lived at "Firefly" ten minutes away. Sir Anthony Eden stayed after Suez and found it restful although his private detective had to shoot the bushrats so he could sleep. According to his ex-houseboy, Fleming had a sense of humour and used to order a horse's carcass to be put in the lagoon and, when showing around his guests, would point to the circling fins and tell them that was their special swimming area.

Jamaica has been used for many Bond movies. Laughing Waters (ten minutes away) is where Ursula Andress famously came out of the sea. It is now called "James Bond Beach". "Capt. Swaby's Swamp Safari Camp" was where Sir Roger Moore hurdled the alligators. The swamps around Falmouth were Dr No's home.

There are plenty of places to please Bond maniacs. Old Palisadoes airport (seen in Dr No) is still there. As are the "Queen's Club" in Kingston (the first scene in "Dr No"). And you can also visit Cinnamon Hill Golf Club where 007 (Sir Roger) was arrested for smoking dope. More mainstream sights include Dunn's River Falls, and Bob Marley's home and grave.

From Goldeneye you can go sea fishing or snorkel the private coral reef; or take a tour with Ramsey around the gardens full of African tulips, yellow hibiscus, giant bunyan trees and every tropical fruit and nut tree imaginable. Eden planted the first tree.

Spending time here you cannot help but live the life of an acutely sensual person like Fleming, alive to your surroundings and your luck and, as he wrote: "Since the main ingredient of living is to be alive this is surely a worthwhile prospect". You only live once. So go to "Goldeneye".

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