Errol Bowen...best guide we've ever had, and we've had a lot.

[CVW]

Very impressed by Errol, as were our sometimes skeptical teenagers. He took us to the Blue Hole followed by tubing down the river.

 

When we were done, he took us to a restaurant, and actually found us a table and SERVED US OUR FOOD! The wait staff was behind; it was very crowded; and he didn't want us to wait. He had a couple of friends at the restaurant, and they let him serve us. Wow.

 

An amazing day with an amazing guide.

 

Happy to answer any questions.

[divot33]

That's great!

 

We chose Errol for our trip coming up in May. We are going to Sun Valley Plantation and then to Blue Hole - and a stop to eat, I am guessing at Scotchie's.

 

Was yours a private tour with just your family? That is what we requested.

 

Did you have a lot of communication with him prior to your cruise?

 

We he easy to find at the port?

 

I can't even think what else to ask right now!

[CVW]

No, he was not easy to find at the port. That was the only stressful time of the day. The pickup place is not easy to find at Falmouth. There was even a different cab driver asking me my name, claiming he was here to pick me up. I had to randomly find ask several different people until I finally found someone who knew Errol and called him. The problem was that he was not being allowed into the gate.

 

Royal Caribbean had made it very difficult to even find the pickup location. You should probably discuss this with him ahead of time.

[divot33]

Good to know; I will make sure we understand where to find him.

 

Thank you!

[CVW]

Double post

Edited March 26, 2015 by CVW

[mizliz32]

CVW How much did you pay for your excursion to Blue Hole and tubing?

Edited April 23, 2015 by mizliz32

[CVW]

I honestly don't recall. Maybe someone else can chime in. It was all reasonable.

[lorim103]

Very impressed by Errol, as were our sometimes skeptical teenagers. He took us to the Blue Hole followed by tubing down the river.

 

When we were done, he took us to a restaurant, and actually found us a table and SERVED US OUR FOOD! The wait staff was behind; it was very crowded; and he didn't want us to wait. He had a couple of friends at the restaurant, and they let him serve us. Wow.

 

An amazing day with an amazing guide.

 

Happy to answer any questions.

 

How do we get in contact with Errol? I googled and a few options came up. Thanks for the tip.

[brookie848]

How do we get in contact with Errol? I googled and a few options came up. Thanks for the tip.

 

This is his company website: www.traveljamaicatours.com

 

And his email: errol@traveljamaicatours.com

 

We used him in March and I highly recommend him. He actually listened to what we wanted and planned our day accordingly. While we actually had his cousin ("Big" Errol) as our guide, we met up with Errol at Scotchies later in the day and talked to him for a long time.

 

We docked in Ocho Rios and our cost was $29/person, plus our entrance to Blue Hole. We paid for our own lunch (and Big Errol's!). It was just the three of us -- there was no pressure to join another group. I loved our day there and the next time we go to Jamaica I won't even consider looking for another guide. By the way, we were picked up at 8:30 and dropped back at the ship around 3:00.

[lorim103]

This is his company website: www.traveljamaicatours.com

 

And his email: errol@traveljamaicatours.com

 

We used him in March and I highly recommend him. He actually listened to what we wanted and planned our day accordingly. While we actually had his cousin ("Big" Errol) as our guide, we met up with Errol at Scotchies later in the day and talked to him for a long time.

 

We docked in Ocho Rios and our cost was $29/person, plus our entrance to Blue Hole. We paid for our own lunch (and Big Errol's!). It was just the three of us -- there was no pressure to join another group. I loved our day there and the next time we go to Jamaica I won't even consider looking for another guide. By the way, we were picked up at 8:30 and dropped back at the ship around 3:00.

 

Thanks! Really appreciate the info. I'll contact him today:)

[Cruznjuly]

I've just booked Errol for our June cruise. He's been really responsive so far.

 

We definitely want to do Blue Hole, still up in the air about tubing with the kids.

 

He said he will "show us Jamaica" and sample foods, sights, Etc.

 

Question- what should we NOT miss? Anything worth missing?

 

Thanks so much!!

 

 

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[NightOne]

 

He said he will "show us Jamaica" and sample foods, sights, Etc.

 

Question- what should we NOT miss? Anything worth missing?

 

 

 

Try some Jamaican Bananas. They are sweeter than the South American ones we get here in the U.S.

[divot33]

Just got back from our cruise and I wanted to follow up in this thread. We booked Errol to take us to Sun Valley Plantation and Blue Hole.

 

Errol was fantastic!

 

He gave us history and information the whole way from Falmouth to Ocho Rios. Once in Ocho, he called Sun Valley to make sure they were ready for us.

 

After Sun Valley, he took us to Blue Hole. He stayed with the van and our valuables the whole time and was always safe when he was driving.

 

Our family really enjoyed our time with Errol and would recommend him to anyone.

[Cruznjuly]

Just got back from our cruise and I wanted to follow up in this thread. We booked Errol to take us to Sun Valley Plantation and Blue Hole.

 

 

 

Errol was fantastic!

 

 

 

He gave us history and information the whole way from Falmouth to Ocho Rios. Once in Ocho, he called Sun Valley to make sure they were ready for us.

 

 

 

After Sun Valley, he took us to Blue Hole. He stayed with the van and our valuables the whole time and was always safe when he was driving.

 

 

 

Our family really enjoyed our time with Errol and would recommend him to anyone.

 

 

So great to hear this! We have him booked in three weeks for blue hole. Do you recommend the plantation?

 

Anything else you do not think we should miss ? We were supposed to port and Fallmouth, but now we are in Ocho Rios, so we will have much more time with him!!

 

 

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[divot33]

So great to hear this! We have him booked in three weeks for blue hole. Do you recommend the plantation?

 

Anything else you do not think we should miss ? We were supposed to port and Fallmouth, but now we are in Ocho Rios, so we will have much more time with him!!

 

 

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We really enjoyed the plantation. It was me, my wife, and her three young adult daughters.

 

I wasn't watching the time (Errol was!) but I'm guessing the plantation tour was 90 - 120 minutes.

 

It started with a small, fresh juice drink for everyone in the party (IIRC, it was passion fruit), then Brian, the owner's son, walked us around and showed us the plants and fruits.

 

We probably saw 40 different plants/fruits along the way. Brian joked at one point that his mom came up with the idea to have people pay them to walk around their back yard - and that's basically what it was. The bulk of the plantation is coconuts, but they have planted a lot of different fruits mostly for the show-and-tell.

 

During the tour, we got to sample fresh coconut water and jelly coconut. At the end of the tour, Brian's mother had made us a small sampling of different fruits: Akee with salt fish, boiled green banana, green plantain, ripe plantain, sugar cane, and I know I am missing 2 or 3 more. Plus they had a ginger drink that they served.

 

We probably only spent an hour at Blue Hole, we could - and should - have spent more. We did all but one of the jumps one time each. Don't miss the big jump at the end - we all wished we had done that one more than once.

 

Errol was a great guide. In the morning he talked and pointed out things without us asking. In the afternoon, he knew we were tired, so he didn't say much unless we asked him. He even told us that it was fine if we wanted to sleep, he said that happens often.

[Cruznjuly]

Ohhhh the Plantation sounds lovely!! How fun to sample all those different foods!!! Our boys are 10&12, and they do love to eat. LOL

 

You're making me even more excited!!!

 

So.. Maybe a 6 hour day by the time you were done?

 

Please let me know if you think of any more tips!

 

 

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[divot33]

If your boys love fruits, it's definitely worth it. There were also 2 cute dogs that followed us through the tour, picking up the fruit scraps as we went.

 

I can't remember the times. We totally relied on Errol to keep us on track.

 

Here is a guess:

 

• Drive from Falmouth to Sun Valley = 75 minutes
  
• Tour of Sun Valley = 75 minutes
  
• Drive from Sun Valley to Blue Hole = 30 minutes
  
• Tour Blue Hole = 60 minutes
  
• Drive from Blue Hole to Falmouth = 60 minutes
  

 

We had planned on eating lunch on the island, but when we were done with BH, we just decided to head back to the ship.

 

We said we wanted to do Blue Hole after the plantation because we didn't want to walk around in wet bathing suits. Errol agreed and said that was the way he'd do it, but his reasoning was that it would be warmer in the afternoon, so BH would be more comfortable.

 

It was probably more crowded in the afternoon, but not terribly so. Some people tried pushing in the middle of our group, but our BH guide, Samuel, made sure we were able to stick together. He would have taken us back to any jump we wanted, we just never asked. I think because we didn't know how many more jumps there were.

 

I'm trying to count in my head, I think there were 7 jumps. Had I known that going in, I could have better judged how many we could do over. By the time you get to the last one, it's a long hike back up.

Edited June 7, 2015 by divot33

[Cruznjuly]

You've been a huge help!!

Contacting Errol now to arrange the Plantation!

Thanks so much!!!

 

 

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[Cruznjuly]

Can I ask what you feel is an appropriate tip? We will likely do similar as you... And I'm trying to put it all in envelopes before we go.

 

 

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[divot33]

Not sure how appropriate these are, but here is what we did for tips:

 

Sun Valley = $15 (5 of us, $3 each)

Blue Hole = $50 (5 of us, $10 each)

Errol = $50 (5 of us, $10 each)

[Cruznjuly]

Perfect, thanks!

 

 

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