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Horseback Riding In Jamaica

October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Horseback Riding In JamaicaHorseback riding in Jamaica is a breathtaking experience and must not be missed on your trip to this beautiful island.
To start off you do not need to be an experience horseback rider to take part in this once in a life time opportunity. The tours  are designed to accommodate new riders, as well as experienced riders.
The horses that you will be riding are well trained and experienced. There are also very attentive guides that travel with you during the duration of the trip available to assist any riders along the way.
Your trip consists mainly of two parts, exploring the hills and the ocean side.
During your trip along the hills you will see a panoramic view of Jamaican coastline with picturesque mountains in the background. You will be taken into the interior of the island to discover a variety of fruit trees and plants indigenous to Jamaica. Along the way your guides will identify a variety of herbal plants and flowers as you observe the beautiful birds flying above.
Horseback Riding In JamaicaThe highlight of the tours for many is when your guides take you out to the warm Carribean Sea where you will ride your horses in the ocean.

Horseback Riding in Jamaica Locations

Chukka Carribean - Montego Bay/Falmouth/Negril/Ocho Rios
Min Age: 6 years
Duration: 2.5 hours
Rate: Adult US$74, Child $52
Rhodes Hall Plantation – 5 miles from Negril
Min Age: 6 years
Max Weight: 230 lbs
Duration: 1.5 hours
Rate: Adult US$70, Child US$35

Make sure to bring your swimsuit, towels and sunscreen!

When our guest go horseback riding in Jamaica, we put it together with some of the other attractions as well.

For example you can do …

Dunns River + Chukka (for an Ocho Rios tour)

Negril Tour + Rhodes Hall Plantation (for a Negril tour)

Click Here to Contact Us With Any Questions on Horseback Riding In Jamaica

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Experience YS Falls in Jamaica

July 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

ys falls jamaicaThere are many beautiful waterfalls in Jamaica. Some, like Dunns River Falls in Ocho Rios, still beautiful, has become very commercialized to cater to tourist.

YS Falls on the other hand is tucked away in a secluded rural location. YS Falls is located in St. Elizabeth which is known as the sugar growing region of Jamaica.  The experience is unique because once you arrive at the estate a 10 minute ride by a tractor-pulled jitney will take you to the YS Falls Jamaica - South Coast Touractual waterfall area.

YS Falls is 120 foot tall and gently cascades over seven levels. Steps have been built up the side of the falls so visitors can view the falls without getting wet. If you’d prefer a more interactive experience there are natural pools at the bottom of each level of the falls, lifeguards on the site will let you know which pools are safe to swim in.

One pool features a rope swing where you can swing “tarzan-style” in to the water below. For a more relaxing swim there is also a 4 foot deep pool at the bottom of the falls which is fed by natural springs.

Eternally replenished by both overground and underground springs, surrounded by high trees and garden foliage , the garden pool becomes an oasis of pleasure and relaxation.

Activities at YS Falls

A recent addition to YS Falls is a canopy zipline tour which lets visitors “fly” 40 feet above the waterfall. The professional team of guides ensure that you are safely strapped in.

River tubing rides are also available, allowing you to enjoy the serenity of floating down the river surrounded by the lush jungle towering overhead.

ADMISSION:

Fee: Adults US $15.00
Fee: Child US $7.50

Opening Hours: 9:30am – 3:30pm
Closed: Mondays & Local Public Holidays.
Phone:(876) 997-6360

YS Falls is combined with the South Coast Tour that includes Appleton Estates Rum Tour, Black River Safari and/or The Pelican Bar.

To learn more about our tours just Click Here

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Appleton Estate Rum Tour in Jamaica

July 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Appleton Rum Estate Tour

Appleton Rum Estate Tour

Many people love the famous Appleton Jamaican Rum. When you go on the Appleton Rum Tour, you will get an overview of the history of the estate, get to see how rum is made and sample many different types of rums.  The estate comprises of 11,000 acres of fields in the Nassau valley. The valley sits at the foot of the Santa Cruz mountains and is watered by the Black River which flows through it.

The Appleton Rum Tour

When you start the tour, you will watch an overview of the Estate and how it is run. Then you will have a tour of the remaining parts of the history of the estate including some old equipment. There are two old sugar cane crushers that are still shown to visitors and a demonstration with a donkey on how they use to operate the cane crushers.

Then you will go on a tour of the distillery to see the famous rum being distilled. Here you will get to taste “wet sugar” (aka molasses) as it is being distilled in giant copper pots.

Appleton Rum Tour

Appleton Rum Tour

The next stage of rum production is the aging house.  In this part of the tour you will see large white oak barrels ageing various types of rum. The aging process varies from three years up to thirty years. The last stage is the blending. This is where the rums are blended in to the world famous Appleton flavours.

The most popular part is the rum sampling. You have the opportunity to sample 16 varieties produced at the Estate.

There is a gift shop to buy and take Appleton Rum home as well as a bar to have some drinks while you are there.

This tour is usually combined with the South Coast Tour which includes YS Falls, Black River Safari and/or Pelican Bar.

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Bird Watching in Jamaica – Rocklands Bird Sanctuary

July 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Rocklands Bird Sanctuary

Rocklands Bird Sanctuary - Feeding Hummingbirds

Rocklands Bird Sanctuary is located about 30 minutes from Montego Bay in the little town called Anchovy. The sanctuary is located down a narrow, rough road but a great haven for birds.

The Rocklands property was purchased back in 1954 by Lisa Salmon also known as “the bird lady”. She loved to write, pain and feed birds. After awhile the property started to attract many wide varieties. Then in 1962 Miss Salmon opened the Rocklands Bird Sanctuary to the public.

Miss Salmon died in 2000 at the age of 96 but her legacy lives on. Rocklands is now run by Lisa’s nephew and managed by Fritz. Fritz has been working at Rocklands for over 15 years and has a gift for spotting and beckoning the birds which dwell in the surrounding trees.

For most people the highlight of a visit to Rocklands is the chance to hand feed humming birds from the patio. Several species of hummingbird (including the doctor bird, Jamaica’s national bird) are tame enough to fly down from the trees, perch on your finger and drink nectar from a bird feeder.

Finches and quits will also come to eat millet seed from your hand. You can also taked a tour around the grounds where your knowledgeable guide, Fritz, will point out many species of bird and plant life.

It is believed that there are over 200 species of birds in Jamaica and many of them can be seen at the Rocklands Bird Feeding Sanctuary.

Ornithologists have reported seeing the following species:

Rocklands Bird Sanctuary

Rocklands Bird Sanctuary

Red Billed Streamer-tail Hummingbird (aka Doctor Bird)
Jamaican Mango
Vervain Hummingbird
Bee Hummingbird
Black-faced Grassquit
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Orangequit
Banaquit
Grassquit
Yellow-shouldered Grassquit
Greater Antillean Bullfinch

Rocklands Bird Sanctuary

Rocklands Bird Sanctuary

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Jamaican Woodpecker

White-chinned Thrush

Northern Parula

American Redstart
Rufous-tailed Flycatcher
Jamaican Tody
Jamaican Euphonia
Jamaican Vireo
Loggerhead Kingbird
Jamaican Orioles
Shiny Cowbird
Saffron Finch
Nightingale
Oriole
White-winged Dove
Northern Potoos
White-crowned Pigeon
Ruddy Quail-Dove
Jamaican Parakeet
Green-rumped Parrotlet
Jamaican Woodpecker
Rufous-tailed Flycatcher
Jamaican Crow
Jamaican Vireo
Jamaican Euphonia
Greater Antillean Bullfinch
Jamaican Elaenia
Arrow-headed Warbler
Becard

To schedule a trip to Rocklands Bird Sanctuary, just Click Here to contact us.

A great tour is to pair this with rafting on the Martha Brae River, Mountain Valley Rafting, or a tour of Rose Hall.

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Martha Brae River Rafting

June 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Martha Brae RaftingRafting on the Martha Brae is one of the most popular rafting attractions in Jamaica.

It is located in the town of Falmouth (same area as the Glistening Waters attraction and the new Cruise port). It is about 45 minutes from Montego Bay.

When you arrive you will see an area where you can eat at the picnic tables, a souvenir shop, swimming pool and a full service bar.

This attraction was established over 40 years ago, so it is a long standing place for tourists. There are 85 licensed and experienced raft captains that work there.

You will be traveling on a 30 foot long bamboo raft. The raft is navigated down a 3 mile stretch down the beautiful Martha Brae river.

The entire trip lasts about one hour long, from boarding the raft to departing the raft.

“The Legend of Martha Brae”

The legend tells of an old Arawak witch, who lived on the bank of the river. Having heard tales of Arawak gold, Spanish hunters captured the witch to lead them to the treasure.

Pretending to comply she led them into a cave, then suddenly disappeared.

Frightened, the Spaniards ran out of the cave but the river engulfed them.

The witch then changed the course of the river forever.

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Top 5 Reasons to Visit The Black River Safari in Jamaica

May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Black River Safari

Brian & Heather at Black River Safari

Jamaica is known for its lush scenery and nature, one of the most famous ones is Black River in Jamaica. Not to be confused with Dunn’s River Falls, this historical river is perfect for nature lovers or those who just want to experience the magical beauty of wildlife. Because of the kind of breathtaking scenery that you will experience here, Black River is now tagged as a Protected National Heritage District by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. Listed below are the top reasons why you should visit the Black River in Jamaica:

1. Touch a crocodile!

Black River Safari

Azalea touching a Jamaican crocodile at Black River Safari

You probably could not imagine ever being able to come near, more so touch a crocodile, but at Black River in Jamaica, you can actually make that a reality! These are salt water crocodiles that lived in the Great Morass. Unlike the ordinary crocodiles, they are actually less aggressive and you can see the local tour guides petting them like a normal pet. Word of caution though: just make sure that you only come close to these crocs with an experienced Black River Jamaica tour guide.

2. Learn about different species of mangroves and water lilies.

Black River Safari

Alrick at Black River Safari

One of the things that you will most appreciate would be how much the tour guides know about the Black River. The emerald waters, vibrant colored birdlife and exotic flowers of all kinds look like they came out of a colorful storybook. These surroundings have their own stories, and you will enjoy hearing it from the Black River Jamaica tour guides.

3. See the longest river on the island.

For the longest time, the Black River in Jamaica was thought to be the longest river on the island. This was proven to be a

Black River Safari in Jamaica

Touching a Jamaican crocodile in the river

different river, now known as the Rio Minho that stands almost 93 km in length. This does not change the fact that the Black River is still the longest in terms of being able to navigate through. Out of all the rivers in Jamaica, you would most likely see majority of the greenery and tropical surroundings in the Black River.

4. Visit the crocodiles’ natural habitat.

When exploring the Black River you will be

Black River Safari Boat Trip

Black River Safari Boat Trip

surprised to find that the salt water crocodiles come near your boat. It will feel as if you can actually touch them, and in most cases, the Jamaican tour guides probably will. With crocodiles at arm’s length and breathtaking views of birds, trees and flowers, even the flamingo would pop in occasionally in this river.

5. Enjoy the Black River Safari boat trip.

The Black River Safari boat trip will take you on a six mile trip up the historic river. Seeing almost 100 species of birds, fishes, crocodiles and other exotic wildlife will surely make this a nature trip that you will never forget!

To visit Black River Safari, check out my South Coast Tour information by CLICKING HERE

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The Pelican Bar in Jamaica – the “Coolest Bar” in the Carribean!

May 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Floyds Pelican Bar

Alrick & Barlow Family From England at The Pelican Bar

The Pelican Bar is a one of a kind place to visit when you are on a trip in Jamaica. It is definitely one of the “coolest” bars you can ever go to.

The Pelican Bar in Jamaica is a rustic wooden bar built on a sand bank about a quarter of a mile out to sea. It is about a 20 minute boat ride to get to.

It is a popular spot to just hang out an relax, have a Red Stripe, swim in the clear shallow water, each some fresh fish or even go swimming.

The background story of The Pelican Bar is that local fisherman named Floyd had a vision of creating a bar built in the sea, resting on stilts for him and his friends to hang out.

After some hard work and lots of trips transporting large planks of wood on his fishing boat, in 2001 the bar was completed an named “The Pelican Bar”  because of the large Pelicans that rested on the sand bank.

The Pelican Bar Jamaica

Sunbather at The Pelican Bar in Jamaica

The original intention of the bar was for Floyd and his friends, not as a tourist attraction. But eventually the local hotels saw lots of potential for this bar and starting promoting it as a local attraction.

Pelican Bar Jamaica

Dolphins on the way to Pelican Bar, Jamaica

Then devastation struck in 2004 when Hurricane Ivan hit the island of Jamaica.

As you can imagine, the bar was completely destroyed. But at this time, the local hotels realized how important it is for their area as an attraction they all pitched in and donated wood and labor and within about 1 month, it was back up and open for visitors.

To get to The Pelican Bar, guests need to take a short boat ride to the bar, which many are accessible locally.

Most tourist combine a trip to The Pelican Bar with other things to do in Jamaica around the south coast such as Black River Safari, Appleton Rum Tour and/or YS Falls.  For more information on a South Coast Tour Click Here

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Come Experience the Glowing Water at Luminous Lagoon at Glistening Waters in Falmouth, Jamaica

April 22, 2011 By 2 Comments

Imagine this…

Luminous Lagoon at Glistening Waters

Luminous Lagoon at Glistening Waters - Picture by: Richard Morais

You go for a night swim, start kicking the water and splashing and all of a sudden you see the water starting to glow..not one little glow, but glowing “things” in the water surrounding you.  No, it’s not some alien encounter…it is a one of a kind experience at the Luminous Lagoon.

This is Jamaica’s famous Luminous Lagoon at Glistening Waters. These glowing microorganisms live in the shallow, warm area where salt and fresh water meets.  This is a very unique experience because there are only four other places in the world where you can see this type of occurrences.

To view this amazing natural occurrence, you would take one of the boats from the shore, (normally costs around $18 per person ) and while you are going out on the boat you will get a short history lesson on the lagoon and the amazing natural glowing organisms.

Then, to the enjoyment of guests, the boat stops and you can actually get out of the boat and swim in the shallow areas of the lagoon. Thankfully the lagoon is not too deep so it should not be a problem for anyone; it ranges from five feet and eight feet deep.

As guests swim, the more active the water is (the more splashing and swimming), the brighter  the water glows.

You can even make the trip unique by eating at the Glistening Waters Restaurant and Marina which serves great seafood dishes. Most people eat dinner, then after dinner they take the boat ride into the lagoon.

So, when your planning your vacation to the Montego Bay area, make sure to make a stop at the Luminous Lagoon at Glistening Waters and come and see the small organisms that glow in the dark, it is about a 45 minute drive outside of Montego Bay.

If you would like a private tour guide, just contact me and we can set up a private trip with you and your family.

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Jamaica Airport Transfers

February 24, 2011 By 1 Comment

Are you looking for information on private airport transfers from the Montego Bay airport in Jamaica

Here are some examples (from my experience with guests) on why they personally wanted a private transfer.

  • Pick up some groceries on your way to the hotel
  • Have kids with a lot of stuff and want to take your time traveling
  • Traveling with elderly family and don’t want the rush of a big group
  • Been traveling all day, don’t want to wait for others to get dropped off at the other hotels, just want to check in and settle in
  • Want to stop at some local places to get a drink before arriving without feeling guilty that you are making an entire bus wait on you

These were just some examples on why some of my guests wanted private transfer.

We offer airport pickup and drop off at the Montego Bay airport to your resort destination.  Since you will be traveling in private transportation, many visitors often stop for food and/or beverages on the way to their destination. After you clear customs, exit to the first door on the right to exit the building and you will see a representative from YourJamaicanTourGuide.com with a sign awaiting your arrival.

NOTE: All airport transfer quotes are for round trip travel

* Montego bay – $50 (1-2 people) $15 each additional person

* Negril – $125 (1-2 people) $20 each additional person

* Grand Palladium – $105 (1-2 people) $20 each additional person

* Ocho rios – $150 ( 1-2 people) $20 each additional person

Please visit the link below for more information on transportation in Jamaica

http://yourjamaicantourguide.com/tourspackages

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“600 Feet of Climbing Pleasure”…This is How They Describe the Famous Dunn’s River Falls in Jamaica

January 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

As you are planning your trip to Jamaica, I am sure you are trying to decide what attractions you should visit. Honestly, there are many to choose from. One of the most long standing and popular attractions is Jamaica Dunn’s River Falls. Dunn’s River Falls is located in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and is explained by saying it is “600 feet of climbing pleasure”.

Thousands of visitors visit Dunn’s River Falls every year. The actual falls are an amazing display of nature. The miniature dome-shaped waterfalls are constantly flowing and dispensing into the Caribbean Sea. Visitors climb the falls and enjoy hanging out in one of the several lagoons or pools along the way.

When you travel up the falls, you will be accompanied by a guide helping you along the way. For example they will tell you where to step to safely climb the falls. To climb Dunns Falls you will have to wear sneakers or water shoes to make sure you have a good grip on the stones when climbing.  At the base of the falls is a beach for those who would rather relax in the ocean versus climbing the falls.

In addition to the waterfalls, the area has attractions such as live music, craft markets, restaurant, and an area for special occasions like weddings or family reunions. The restaurant has a wide variety of food from pork or fish, spicy jerk chicken and curried goat as well as some traditional snacks. In addition there are several outdoor grills in the picnic area if you would like to bring your food as well.

Over the years, they’ve continued to build the area around the falls to make it easier and more accessible for visitors to enjoy the attraction. Many believe that the falls were “created” for tourist to climb, but it is all very natural and made by the actual current of the water.

The rates or entrance fee for Dunn’s River Falls is US$15 for adults and US$12 for children (2-11 years old. There are many ways to get to Dunns River if you are not staying in a resort in Ocho Rios. One way is with a large group tour bus, this can most commonly be arranged through the resort you are staying at. Another option is to hire a private driver/tour guide to take you and your family. Although this may cost more than the group travel, with the private driver/tour guide you can stay as long or as little as you would like as well as make any additional stops along the way.

If you are making a trip to Jamaica, make sure to put Dunn’s River Falls on your list of places to see, it is always on the top of the list of the world’s most gorgeous waterfalls.

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