spunkymunky

Hi Readers,

I'm headed to Jamaica with my boyfriend from Oct 15-20. We're staying at an all-inclusive but would like to do a few off-resort activities/excursions (ie. canopy tour, falls, dolphin cove, tubing, etc.). Any thoughts, suggestions, opinions? We'll be staying on the south shore of the island...

Thanks

Statia

A couple that we enjoyed were:

-Climbing up Dunn's River Falls. Neat experience, beautiful falls, and the guide takes photos with your camera as you go up.

-An Evening on the Great River (at least I think that's what it was called). Boat up the river to the party location. Food, drinks, dancing and show included in price. Lots of people meeting as everyone is from different resorts. Lots of fun taking the boats back down river with all the tourists being rather snockered.

virginia

absolutely do the canopy tour. you will love it. original canopy tour is a very reputable company.
i am not aware of "dolphin cove" but without any info please reconsider this excursion. you will find ALOT of threads about dolphins encounters on this board. bascially they are caught in the wild, separating families, possibly mothers from their babies, who may not be old enough to survive on their own. the life span of captured the dolphins is reduced. they are required to do tricks to earn food. in general alot of people find the whole thing reprehensible. one woman wrote in saying she had done one years ago in mexico and is still bothered by her choice to participate.
i don't mean to put a damper on your trip its just that there is sooo much to do on jamaica without supporting this industry.
after you type dolpin encounters into the above search bar, do one on tiverton. he is a font of info about everything jamaica.
have a fun trip!

bosoco

Take a bike tour through the Blue Mountains -- it's incredible. We went with Blue Mountain tours.

tivertonhouse

Where on South Coast are you staying?
Canopy tour (fun!), available only thru Chukka Cove tours, and commericial swim-with-dolphins thing are on North Coast, a good 3 hours drive from most of South Coast... YS Falls/and tubing downstream operation there, Black River/Pelican Bar, Blue Hole Gardens are some good South Coast half-day trips. Check in with Carolyn Barrett who specializes in adventure trips, including whitewater rafting and spleunking, at www.barrettadventures.com as she's HQed
in October at Horizon in Bluefields Bay/Belmont area -- but goes everywere, island-wide.

Tracy216

Definitely do the Canopy tour. It's a blast. Chukka tours does it in Montego Bay (where we did it) and also in Ocho Rios. They also do a tubing tour right from the same place they do the Canopy tour in Montego Bay, so you may be able to do both on the same day (not sure though).

We also heard that the Rhino Boat tour is good. We are planning on doing that one when we go back to Negril in October.

Kimberly

Do the YS Falls.

spunkymunky

hey everyone, thanks for the posts. one additional question for those of you who have done the canopy tour...what sort of clothing do you need? seems like some of the pics we've seen show people in shorts, tanks and sandals. i've done this before in costa rica and remember wearing long pants, hiking shoes and long sleeves. any suggestions? I know it's hot and the bugs are bad.....

Junikkits

spunkymunky, there is actually a dolphin cove in Ocho Rios. It's Fab, you will love it.

Tracy216

You'll be fine in shorts and a tank top or t-shirt. You can wear sandals that are strapped on but I would definitely recommend tennis shoes and socks. Bring bug spray, you'll need it !

Diana

Sigh...

I had planned to stay out of the dolphin swim issue, but since someone ELSE brought it up again, PLEASE don't do it.

I am the poster virginia was referring to who did the dolphin swim and wish I never had. How cruel and what a joke on the dummies of us who paid $150 to do it.

I'll gladly give you some more info if you would like it, but please reconsider any captive dolphin swim. It's an incredibly-bad choice for a multitude of reasons.

Other than that, I highly recommend the Blue Mtn. bike tour. What a great time we had! One of the highlights of our trip.

Have a great time. Jamaica is amazing.

tivertonhouse

A boatman from Black River or Parrottee
Point can take you out to Pelican Bar, a mangrove stilt house on a sandspit 1/4 out out to sea -- where you'll see plenty nuff WILD dolphin.

virginia

thanks tiv!!! an outstanding suggestion

jray

Hey Tiv,

I was in Mandeville last weekend for a wedding. Where are you based in Jamaica? Maybe next time I am down (Christmas or Easter) we can link up for a cold red stripe.

jray

I thought the Pelican Bar was destroyed by the last hurricane...glad I am wrong. That's got to be one of the coolest bar anywhere in the world.

tivertonhouse

Jray:Floyd rebuilt and up last Nov immediately after Ivan and is even more popular still. Check out Sister Lou's shop/shack up Black River just before the metal bridge for good bluecrab.Am geenrally on island the months of May and October, with and without photocrew, but not during winter season (a major guest time). And this coming season, I'm also spending some time on Anguilla and hopefully next year in Sao Tome e Principe. If you'll be around either above months, let me know. There's a new restaurant on the main at Oasis Spa Belmont/Bluefields Bay called Oliver's and dinner'd be on me. Might as well go for good wine as well as Red Stripe. The Jamaican chef is young, has cooked at Norma's, Mockingbird Hill and just won a parcel of medals in island-wide chef competitions. Amazingly, he can get fresh lamb and even scallops. Friends had dinner there this past weekend and the tab for 5 was US$50...

jray

Thanks for the tip, next time I am come down I will definately check it out. This time, due to the short trip and hectic schedule no time to relax. I made about 10 trips between Portmore-Spanish Town and Mandeville in 4 days... I beleive I have been to Sister Lous before (I have a bad habbit of not noting names of restuarants).

Floyd, if thats the person I met when I last visited Pelican had to be one of the funniest and nicest person I have ever met. I think I read somewhere on line about Pelican... I will do search and post if I find it.

Tracy216

They had a special on Jamaica on the travel channel last night and they did a little piece on the Pelican Bar. It looks really cool. I'm not sure if the Travel Channel replays their shows, but it was worth watching.

liza

It is being replayed several times in the next week or so, see the travel channel web site for dates and times.

...the gentleman that took the TC guy to Pelican Bar by boat is the same guy we always use and recommend - Dennis Abrahams. Fun to see him on TV