Have a 9 hour port call in Montego Bay, Jamaica and am considering tubing the White River.

How long of a commute is it from the port to the river? Is the float a calm, relaxing
time or is there rapids and drops? How is the scenery? Is it worth doing?

Would really like to just go to a beach and hang out. How would we go about doing that?
Thanks

Hire a private tourguide/driver (Sala at Talk of the Town Tours/Negril or Carolyn Barrett for island-wide). Do MAYFIELDS FALLS in the mountains, the head on for an afternoon at the beach in Negril -- with plenty nuff time to get back to your ship.

I think the tubing there is calm, no rapids. Mayfield Falls are lovely but if you're set on tubing YS Falls has it also.

If you dock early and are up for the 2 hour drive, YS Falls and the optional tubing downstream can be great fun -- IF you can go early and beat the crowds.
It's become so popular that there are now limits on number of admittances, so go with a good guide who knows the schedules and people flow/ it's also closed Mondays and holidays. Carolyn Barrett specializes in 'cruiseshippers' who want something more than the ordinary. Combine with a trip by boat up the Black River and out a quarter-mile at sea to the famed and funky PELICAN BAR. She has a slide show up on these on her site at barrettadventures.com
You'll pack alot into this full day trip. MAYFIELDS is smaller, gentler, generally less known/crowded and in lush mountains;for a North Coast day, I'd head there with a private driver/guide first, then hit the WHITE RIVER , very gentle bliss-out time.
Bring your own rumpunch.

tiv isn't the White River 2 hours from MoBay as well?

Mayfield is lovely and less crowded if you aren't dead-set on tubing.

Liza/slightly shorter distance, given the road conditions and traffic. The other thing that concerns me with YS these days, not just their new Web site which wastes Cookie Kincaid's great pix, is the new 320 room Sandals in
Whitehouse/40 min away/ which is fully booked to the 12th of Never -- and which undoubtedly will be sending hordes to the falls on daily tours...

No doubt Sandals WH is going to radically change that part of the island

I wonder if they offer tubing on the Martha Brae yet, along with rafting? That's closest to MoBay....

Just think, Liz:there's a regional airport too to be built within a half-hour...Martha Brae seemed far too placid for tubing last time I took it down/it's no comparison at all to
Rio Grande for length and vistas, let alone the lushness of YS. I know the end of White River, past the tubing grounds which is strange -- and a hoof over the coastal road from MoBay to reach and imho, a bit disappointing for the journey.

Pardon my cluelessness, but what does YS Falls stand for and where are they? We stayed in in Negril in '98 on our honeymoon. Wish we would have checked out the island more. Did generic things like Rick's, party cruise and shopping in Negril. Didn't like the shopping at all but maybe it was just too hot (July...Whew) Sounds like things may have changed a bit since I was there last.

There sure is a lot of hype about Sandal's Whitehouse, but 40% off does a lot for a promotion. Hopefully this one will live up to their reputation better. Heard it is more "upscale" What is the south coast of the island like and how far is it from Negril? This will not be my next trip, but just curious.

The south coast is, of course, the whole south coast of JA including Kingston but the area most mean when they say that is Treasure Beach and the areas an hour or so east and west of it, say Alligator Hole to Little Bay. Negril is 2 hours from Treasure Beach.

Sandals WH is the first large hotel - never mind all inclusive - to be built in the area which has been mainly private villas and small guesthouses. People (like me) liked it precisely because there were no large hotels thus no large # of tourists in the area.

YS Falls are inland just a little from the coast, also about 2 hours from Negril. Pretty waterfalls, climbable but not as steep at Dunns, far less crowded (or they were) and they have river tubing as well.