 | Negril Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 58 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (58) This is a must do if you are near Negril, take a tour by horse back with Chukka Blue through the Blue Mountains and on to the beach. You will even get to ride the horses in the ocean. This is so worth every penny! The ride take abput 2 1/2 hours total and take you all through the Rain Forest the Blue Mountains and down to the beach so you can run your horse in the ocean. The guides are wonderful and very friendly and if you have a camera they will take it from you several times to take a photo of you and your partner. The horses are very well tempered and easy to ride even for a first time rider. So follow us through this wonderful journey. Leave a Comment Phone: 876-953-5619Website: mailto:cruise@chukkacaribbean.com
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We hired Clive's Transport for our full day out. Since we had hired Tomlin(from Clives)right upon arrival, he gave me his cell number to call him whenever we decided which day we'd like to do our full day out. We were charged the same price for a private adventure as they charge for the group trips. It was lovely going private as we could go at our own pace. Tomlin has lived in western Jamaica his entire life and knows every back road which was absolute heaven. We saw parts of the Island we wouldn't otherwise have seen had we been on one of the larger bus excursions.
Western Jamaica is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Lush, mountainous vegetation with spectacular beaches. It's magic. Tomlin stopped for us at Peter Tosh's grave along the way and that was interesting.
First stop, Black River. We weren't super excited about this as there's essentially the same type of mangrove tour approx 10 minutes from my house. The only difference is they have Crocs, we have gators. It turned out lovely and we met some interesting folks, as always.
Next stop Y/S Falls. Holy smokes, how beautiful this place is. It's nicer than what I've seen in Hawaii. Massive falls, beautiful grounds. You take a tractor type bus up to the top and just explore around. Since we're very rain deprived at home that time of year, it was a welcome blessing that a tropical shower burst out of nowhere while we were there. Gorgeous place.
Appleton Estates. Short tour around the original estate. Felicia & I voluteered to be the cane pressers and it was hilarious. After the tour they set up and impressive 23(!) bottles of rum on the bar and leave you to do your own pouring. You can have as much or as little as you like. Things got a little drunk at this point. Now the price of the tour makes sense!
All in $90/full day including all admissions & a great lunch! Well worth it. Leave a Comment
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The Black River, in the south of the island, is Jamaica's largest wetland area and a haven for wildlife –especially birds of various species, and crocodiles! Several companies offer boat trips on the river, during which sightings of some of the crocodiles are all but guaranteed. You’ll see these described in tour brochures as “safaris” but if that suggests something adventurous, think again – these are simply pleasant boat rides through a very attractive landscape.
We did an hour long tour with one of the most established companies, J. Charles Swaby. The boat appeared well-kept and the pilot/guide gave a good commentary with a bit of humour thrown in. We got very close to some of the crocodiles – they tend to frequent the same stretches of river and our guide obviously knew exactly where to look. We also saw a large number of egrets and a few herons, but the birdlife wasn’t as varied as I’d expected. The vegetation is very lush in places, with forests of mangroves and palms alternating with large sweeps of reeds.
The tour cost US$16.50 per person, which included a soft drink (fruit punch). As well as the great photo opportunities it was lovely simply to be out on the river with its fresh cooling breezes and beautiful wetland scenery.
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There are several rivers in Jamaica where you can take a trip on a bamboo raft. We went on the Great River near Montego Bay, but I suspect all the trips are similar. The “rafts” are actually very similar to the punts we’re used to seeing in Cambridge, England, and have comfortable seats for two – and thankfully dry too! We were punted downstream for about 50 minutes by our “captain”, Michael. He pointed out the various trees and plants lining the river, picked wild flowers which he made into a pretty bunch for me, gathered seeds and told us how they were used in bead-making, and demonstrated the different types of stone that made up the river bed. It was a very relaxing way to travel – mostly drifting quite slowly with the current, occasionally stopping while Michael picked up the various things to show us, sometimes speeding up over the rapids, and at one point getting stuck on the stones there (the river was very shallow in parts).
When you disembark the rafts are punted back upstream by local boys – you’ll be expected to tip for this. If you’ve arrived in your own car apparently someone from the company will drive it down to meet you, although I also noted a couple of taxis waiting by the disembarkation point if needed. There are toilets available here, but although we’d been told we would be given a complimentary soft drink, none was offered – though I have to say we didn’t ask either as we weren’t especially bothered about getting this.
The raft trip costs US$35 per person, or you can do a tour from Montego Bay, with transport to and from the river, for US$44 (adults) or US$38 (children). Directions: If driving yourself, turn off the main A1 road about 3 miles west of Montego Bay to climb Long Hill, and watch for signs to Lethe. The rafting trips leave from just upstream of a stone bridge (built by slaves) which spans the Great River.
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We arranged both our tours (one to the Black River and the Appleton Rum distillery, the other to Rocklands) through Carolyn Barrett of Barrett Adventures, having seen her tours recommended on VT. The fairest thing to say about her is that the places we were taken were good (but with the exception of the river-rafting, were places we’d have known to go to anyway), but the service we received from the company was mixed. On the plus side, the drivers (Errol and Decon) were both reasonably good (we felt as safe as you can do on Jamaican roads) and were punctual. On the downside, there was a lack of organisation that led to us missing lunch on the first day, because Errol hadn’t been told that we’d booked it, so took us straight from the Black River to the distillery where no food is sold. However, this was nothing compared to the second day out, when the plans fell apart completely.
Having learnt my lesson from the previous mix-up, I checked with Decon that he was fully aware of our planned itinerary as soon as we set out, only to discover that he only knew about the first of our intended destinations, the Hilton Head plantation. On learning that we wanted to go as well to Rocklands, he said that to do both places in a day would mean not getting back to Negril until about 9.00PM. This would have been far too late as it was our last day on the island and we had dinner reservations at our favourite restaurant (the Rockhouse) so we asked for a rethink of the plans. After he'd made several calls to Carolyn on his mobile (a bit unnerving on these roads!) I was able to talk to her myself and reschedule the day. As Rocklands was the place we most wanted to visit, we went there first and then to the Great River, dropping Hilton which she told us was more or less a whole day out.
This left us with some unanswered questions however. Why, if it was a whole day out, had she herself proposed combining it with Rocklands when we’d originally consulted her about tour options? Why did Decon tell us it would be such a long day, only to back-track later, when all the changes had been made, to say he could have got us back by 6.30PM? And why did we somehow end up paying US$10 more when the river-rafting is clearly a much cheaper attraction than Hilton and we were out for a shorter period than originally booked?
After several emails to Carolyn the last question remains unanswered, though she did refund the money we’d paid for the non-existent lunch on the first day. So I’m afraid I have to say that I would NOT book a tour with her again, and CAN’T recommend her to others.
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Rum has been distilled on the Appleton Estate, the oldest sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica, continuously since 1749, and is still at it today. So when you turn up here for the Appleton Estate Rum Tour don’t be surprised to see a factory-like structure pouring smoke into the air – this is very much a working distillery first and tourist attraction second. And it is a great attraction if you like rum! The tour lasts about an hour and covers various stages of the distilling process, as well as giving visitors a sense of the history of rum production here. Oh, and you do get to drink some rum!
Our tour took about an hour. The first part covered some of the history and earlier processes, such as the resident donkey "Pax" demonstrating how juice was extracted from sugar cane in the 18th century (photo 2), and a chance for some of us to have a go at pressing canes ourselves. We tasted some of the sugar cane juice, and also some of the thick black molasses that forms the basis of the rum – if you have a sweet tooth the latter is particularly delicious!
After a walk past a number of implements that were used in the early days of distilling here, we were taken into the Distillery itself, which was very hot (and was the one place on the tour where no photos were allowed). Here we saw the series of compressors through which the rum is gradually refined from the original fermented molasses. Next we went to the Ageing House, lined with barrels and kept at a constant cool temperature by the slowly evaporating rum.
Finally we returned to the Visitor Centre and the part of the tour that I think most of us were waiting for – the tasting! We were shown into a small bar where over a dozen bottles were lined up, including several strengths of white and dark rum and various rum-based liqueurs. The guide explained that we were going to be able to taste any or all of them – he asked only that we listen to his descriptions of all of them first, and that we used a fresh paper cup for each one we tried so as not to contaminate the flavours. So once he had finished his explanations about them all, we were free to help ourselves to as much as we wanted of any of them – he even said that if any bottle ran out we were to tell him and he would open a new one. Perhaps surprisingly, no one abused this generosity, though we did all make the most of the opportunity :) Our particular favourites were the spiced rum and the coffee flavoured liqueur Blue Mountain Mist. We were also all given a miniature bottle of the best-selling Appleton rum, V/X.
The shop on the site did great business following the tasting, as you can imagine, and prices here were very reasonable. However we waited to buy our rum at the airport because of the restrictions on liquids in hand baggage – we didn’t want to risk putting the bottles in hold baggage having seen how this is handled!
The tour runs Monday – Saturday, 9.00AM – 4.00PM. I’m afraid I don’t know how much it costs as we did it as part of a full day out, but I don’t think it can be expensive for what you get.
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This was easily our favourite of the various attractions we visited while we were at Negril! Rocklands is the former home of Lisa Salmon, the “Bird Lady of Anchovy” as she was known – a bird-lover and naturalist who lived here from 1958 until her death in 2000 and created the perfect garden to attract local birds, especially hummingbirds. This sanctuary has been maintained ever since by her family and opened to the public to introduce them to the birds that Lisa loved and looked after.
When we arrived here it was still quite early and we were apparently the first visitors of the day. We were given seats on the terrace of the house and small bottles of sugar water. The guide showed us how to hold them at just the right angle for the birds, and how to place a finger in the right place to provide them with a perch. Than we sat quietly, and in less than a minute the birds arrived. It was really a magical experience to have these beautiful creature perch on our fingers and drink the water, apparently without any fear. When we moved our fingers away, some even hovered to drink right under our gaze. With them so close to us we could appreciate their iridescent colours in a way that’s impossible under normal circumstances. They seemed so delicate and yet so strong as they beat their wings too quickly for us to see. We fed quite a few doctor birds (the Jamaican national bird) with their beautiful long streamer tails, some young ones too without the tails, and a couple of stunning purple and red mango hummingbirds.
We also saw various finches, Black-faced Grassquits, Yellow-faced Grassquits, Banaquits, doves, a Jamaican woodpecker and a beautiful Jamaican Oriole. The guide put some bird seed on our knees which attracted the finches in particular to perch on them to eat.
When we were able finally to tear ourselves away from the terrace the guide took us for a short walk in the garden, where he pointed out various plants and told us a bit about Lisa Salmon and her work here. Of course he expected a tip for his efforts, but we were happy to oblige as he’d given us over an hour of his time.
Admission is just US$10 and well worth it! I’ve seen websites which say that it’s only open in the afternoons; we visited before 10.00 AM and were admitted, but it might be best to call ahead if coming on your own rather than in a tour.
In addition to my photos here, I found this great little video on YouTube that gives a really good idea of this wonderful experience. And read more about Lisa Salmon here Address: Near AnchovyPhone: 876 952 2009Directions: Turn off the main A1 road about 3 miles west of Montego Bay and continue for approx 2 miles until you see the "Rocklands Bird Sanctuary" sign; turn left and continue on this road for about 1/2 mile. Be warned – the road is very rough and steep!
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sun sets are (probably) more beautiful on the cliffs in west end. this is where we will now go. it is a long way from here. you can walk, but you would better take a taxi. in west end you will find many restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes. the most famous of them is rick's cafe. its terrace is the perfect setting to watch one of negril's unforgettable sun sets.
this is the world famous rick's cafe! the cafe has lost part of its charisma. what it used to be a small cafe on the cliff, it is now a commercial restaurant. with the success of the restaurant, prices have gone up. but the cafe is still one of the best places to watch the sun set while sipping a local beer or a rum punch. rick's cafe also offer lunches and dinners. and once the sun sets, the parties start. some bars in the area try to steal its customers with two for one deals, but you will not find the same atmosphere there Leave a Comment
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The best thing I did in Jamaica was a snorkel trip. It was a day trip on a catamaran that took us out to a great reef for snorkeling. The trip included lunch (at a stop on a local beach) and drinks while on board. The trip back was great, we even saw a dolphin swimming next to us!
Most trip packages will offer these kind of trips or you can find out more at your hotel. Leave a Comment
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What a time we had! Because it was off season, we were the only 2 people on the ship--essentially a private cruise. Went out in to open water, snorkeled the Montego Bay Marine park, went to Dr. Cave Beach, Mo Bay Margaritaville, and then back to the pier. The three staff members were very nice and great fun to talk to. VERY high quality snorkel equipment and a snorkel guide goes into the water with you. The ship is the one they used in the movie Treasure Island--way cool! Open bar didnt hurt, either. ha ha ha Leave a Comment Address: Howard Cooke BldgPhone: 1-876-952-5860Directions: Pier One, Montego Bay, JamaicaWebsite: calicosailingcruises.com
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