Internet access
by toonsarah
If you’re looking for internet access you might try Computer Whizz, which is very centrally located across the road from the craft market (on the first floor above a shop in a small complex). The access here was rather slow, but we were assured by the apologetic guy running it that it was usually much better. The charge was US$2 for 30 minutes or US$3 for an hour, which is very reasonable compared with the Island Village option mentioned by the Rough Guide (a whopping US$4 for 15 minutes!)
No problem!
by Joan58
The special atmosphere of this land will absorb you with its beautiful places, its music, its nice people. First you have to learn its rithm of life. You'll hear people say to you 'Take it easy' when you are in a hurry, 'No problem' when you ask for something that may don't be done and 'Soon come' when you are waiting for someone who will come...sooner or later!!
Swimming with Horses
by Etoile2B
A great way to learn a little about the history of the area and to get out and experience the wildlife is by taking a ride with Hooves Ltd.. They offer two different daily horseback tours in the Ocho Rios area. Private rides are also available. The Bush Doctor Mountain Trail takes visitors 1800 feet above sea level through the Jamaican forests. The guide shows you a different side of Jamaica, pointing out plants and trees along the way. The Heritage Beach Trail (the tour we took) starts at the historical Seville Estates in St. Ann. This is the oldest plantation house on the island and has been turned into a museum. After a guided tour of the museum you mount you ride and your guides take you on a trail ride through the forest down to beach where Columbus was shipwrecked (and incidentally spent a year of his life). At the beach you’re treated to Jamaican snacks while the horses get a little break before letting them out for a full-out gallop in the Caribbean Ocean. After the swim with your trusty steed, you ride back up to the Great House – affording a full tour of the plantation grounds and an amazing perspective of the coast. If you book the Heritage Beach Trail remember to bring a towel and to wear your bathing suit under your clothing. You will get wet! You can also wear shorts on this ride without worrying about chaffing, they drape your towel over the saddle (English) so you don’t rub against the stirrups.
The great thing about Hooves Ltd. is they rescue abused horses from all over the world and rehabilitate them on the island. I got to see a before and after picture of my mount and the transformation was extraordinary. They really care about these animals and treat them like family. The company is dedicated to giving these animals the life and retirement they deserve. They provide the horses and equipment. Just bring your bathing suit and a towel if you're taking the Heritage Beach ride. Transportation to and from your hotel and snacks on the beach are included in the price.
Both rides depart twice daily at 9:30 am & 2:30 pm.
Nine Mile
by toonsarah
Elsewhere I’ve recommended the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, which is certainly well worth a visit, but if you only have time for one Bob Marley tour I think I would opt for this one. Nine Mile is the small village in the hills of St Ann’s Parish where Marley was born and is now buried (following Jamaican tradition on burial in a plot on your own ground rather than a cemetery). As with the Kingston museum, the tour here is a well-packaged operation but no less enjoyable for that.
On arrival you’re directed to park in a small walled compound – look out for locals trying to sell ganja smokes through any crack in the wall! Up a short flight of steps is the house that belonged to Marley’s maternal grandmother, which is where he was born. Here you buy your tickets for the tour (US$15 per person) and wait for the obligatory guide in a room filled with memorabilia (posters, gold and platinum discs etc.) I think we were lucky in the guide allocated to our small party, the amazing Captain Crazy – if you want to meet a real character you might like to ask if he’s available. He has the most extraordinary laugh – at first irritating, later infectious – and kept us entertained throughout the tour. You can see him in photo 2 singing a Marley song to Javier on the steps outside the mausoleum.
Marley’s music infused this tour in a way that was perhaps missing on the Kingston one; Capt. Crazy sang various lines from time to time, and we were told that a guy playing some of the tunes on a banjo was one of Marley’s cousins (I imagine most people in the village might legitimately make that claim) and had given him his first guitar – see photo 3.
From the main house we climbed a steep path past his grandparents’ graves to the small house higher up the hill where he grew up, living there until moving to Kingston with his mother and siblings at the age of 13. Inside are a couple of rooms, including one with the “single bed” immortalised in the lyrics of “Is this love?” where we were encouraged to pose for photos (photo 4). Near the house is a cooking area and the rock where Marley used to meditate, both painted in Rasta colours. Beyond these you enter the mausoleum; the larger tomb in the centre is surrounded by the various offerings left by visitors and lit through a stained glass window (again in Rasta colours).
No photos are allowed in the mausoleum, and both here and in the small house we were required to remove our shoes.
Dunn's River Falls
by RudoElCojonudo
You can't lost it if you are in Ocho Rios. It's a mixture of jungle, beautifull river falls and beaches.
You can take a taxi or a bus to arrive there, but we went on foot. It won't take you more that 40 minutes walking.
Once you are there you'll have to pay between 15-20 us$ to watch them, it's expesive but it's a great experience and probably you never see sth like that again.
You can pay a guide to go with you in the river falls or you can go alone. If you are phisicaly well I would'n contract a guide, it's not so dangerous and you can decide your own route to climb the falls.
After visiting the falls you can go to beach, a nice place full of locals.
* OPENING HOURS:
- Regular 8.30 a.m - 4.00 p.m
- Cruise Ship Days (Wed, Thu, Fri) 7.00 a.m - 4.00 p.m
* RATES:
- Fees Jamaican Residents
Adult J$300.00
Child $150.00 (Ages 2-11 years)
- Non-Resident
Adult US$15.00 (or J$ equiv.)
Child US$12.00 (or J$ equiv.) (Ages 2-11 years)
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The bed he slept in
The bottom of the falls on the beach
Small house tucked in the lush of green.
Dunn's river falls - Jamaica
