What to do in Ocho Rios

Hi My husband and I will be in Ocho Rios In February and this will be my third time there. We are stumped on what to do. We have already done Dunn Rivers Falls so we are looking for something different.We are thinking of going to Coyaba River Garden by ourselves them hit the straw market and Margarittaville. Has anybody went to Coyaba River Gardens and what did you think of it. I was also thinking of river rafting but that excursion takes up most of our time in port and we want some time in Ocho Rios. We are not big on spending time at a beach. Any advice or suggestions. Thank you.

We will be in Ocho in January. To do something different we decided to do a tour of the Wassi Art Pottery Factory and the Walkerswood Jerk Spice factory...just wanted something different than the beach..then on to a little shopping.

I saw that tour listed on Carnivals website. It sounde like something we would like to do.But when I looked at excursions available for our cruise that one was not listed. Right now we are keeping Jamaica open and we may book an excursion once we get on the ship. We are also thinking of taking a taxi on our own to Coyaba Gardens. Maybe that excursion will be available once we get on the ship.

I saw that tour listed on Carnivals website. It sounde like something we would like to do.But when I looked at excursions available for our cruise that one was not listed. Right now we are keeping Jamaica open and we may book an excursion once we get on the ship. We are also thinking of taking a taxi on our own to Coyaba Gardens. Maybe that excursion will be available once we get on the ship.

We are not using Carnival excursions..we booked a private tour guide to take us where we want to go...$30.00 per person for the 6 of us. We are using Wentworth Tours. This is the first time that I am using this tour guide but I read some really great things about Wentworth on my search through this site so I am very happy about my choice.

We are thinking of doing the kayak down the white river thru the cruise line. Has any one done this before? I am concerned about safety. Do they just give you the stuff and leave to meet you at the end? DH, 13yr old DS, 16yr old DD, and myself. Just a bit concerned we might doing something that could be dangerous. Any comments? Thanks in advance.

We are thinking of doing the kayak down the white river thru the cruise line. Has any one done this before? I am concerned about safety. Do they just give you the stuff and leave to meet you at the end? DH, 13yr old DS, 16yr old DD, and myself. Just a bit concerned we might doing something that could be dangerous. Any comments? Thanks in advance.

The river tubing down the white river is great all will enjoy it,I have done it and it was great.

stiocous

Did a guide stay with you or were you somewhat on your own?

My husband and I enjoyed the ATV tour at chukka cove. we did it february. It was very adventerous, and if you like you can take a dip in the pristine waters of the cove. It was FABULOUS!

We loved the river tubing; we had several guides who stayed with our group of 14 the whole way and really kept us all safe. It is pretty mild, though, and not an all-day excursion. I just wish it had lasted longer.

the following places are offered by royal caribbean:

sonis plaza, ruins at the falls, island village, reggae explosion museum, margaritaville, green grotto cave, outameni experience, craft market, cole gate village, harmony hall, toscanini restaurant, island village shopping, happy retreat farm.

most of these are offered in conjunction with dunn's river falls.

Does anyone have any experience with these other places - good, bad or indifferent?

T-ANN When booking with Wentworth tours did you tell them what you wanted to do or did you pick from a list of tours?

stiocous

 

Did a guide stay with you or were you somewhat on your own?

A guide was with us all the way

We just returned from Carnival Imagination with a stop in Ocho Rios. I had heard so many scary things about Jamaica that I seriously considered staying on the ship. What a MISTAKE that would have been!!

We had a fantastic time, thanks in large part to the tour we (he) chose. It was the Chukka Cove Mountain Bike and Snorkel tour, booked through the ship. Cost was $64/pp which was incredibly reasonable for all the enjoyment! I think this is one of the "hidden jewel" tours; few people seem to book it but everyone in our group loved it! The tour ended at about 1:00 or 1:30 pm, leaving a couple of hours for shopping if you wish.

You needn't be Lance Armstrong to do this tour; you simply need a little confidence in yourself. One of the women in our group just turned 70, she was in "average" shape for her age. Despite a little huffing and puffing, she completed the entire 8 1/2 miles - with a BIG smile at the end. We had a wide range of ages and abilities, no "sculpted bodies" and no experienced mountain bikers. Everyone (from Imagination and Coral Princess) had a blast.

The roads are mainly semi-improved mountain roads and the biking is almost all downhill (with one "heatbreak hill" steep upgrade) - you can walk your bike at any time that you wish. Our guides were excellent - understanding and cautious. Since the tour starts in the mountains, at an elevation of 2,000 ft and winds its way down, the views are incredible, sweeping across the mountainside out to the ocean. There is a stop at a little local "tavern" for soft drinks and a sample of homemade Jamaican food (we had cod and yam). There is also a stop at the local schoolhouse; the tour guides are understandably proud of their little community - and how nice to see it up close like this.

After the bike tour, we were driven to a scenic and lovely cove, where the brave among us jumped from a 20 foot cliff into warm and gorgeous waters. (4 of us took the big plunge - 3 who are over age 50 and one twenty-something.) There was a ladder for those who preferred to take the easy way in. You can snorkel or not - entirely up to you.

At the very end of the tour we were treated to Jamaican rum punch - virgin, weak or super strong, however you like it. Refills cheerfully provided, too! :)

This tour was definitely a highlight of what was a fantastic voyage.

Enjoy!

T-ANN When booking with Wentworth tours did you tell them what you wanted to do or did you pick from a list of tours?

I e-mailed him what I wanted to do, how many was in our group and he e-mailed me back promptly with a price per person and told me no problem he would take care of everything and if there was any changes or to let him know and he would take care of it. I did not choose any kind of pre-planned tour I choose what I wanted to do and when I wanted to do it.

He did tell me that the Jerk Spice factory had a entry fee of $15.00 per person that was not included in his price.

Here is the website address if you are interested

www.wentworthtours.com

T-Ann Thanks for the info.