Off Beat Things to do in Montego Bay

[kimegge]

Are there some off beat things to do in Montego Bay, Jamaica? Not just the usuall excursions.

 

Thanks

Kim

[caribbean dreams]

I have been to moBay 3 times and if this is your first trip i would recomend taking a ships excursion or just heading out to a beach or Margarittaville.

Jamaica is not the safest port in the Caribbean and you have to be careful where you go, there are alot of drugs and robberies, stabbings, i am not putting down MoBay at all, as a matter of fact, i really like Jamaica, i think it is beautiful country, that is why i have been a few times but i have also seen alot or really bad things happen right out on the streets.

Stick to some type of excursion and you will be fine.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Agree - you have to very careful in Jamaica - there is a lot of crime there. Don't go out on your own. But if you do, there are certain taxis which are legal - ship will tell you which ones - use only those. Margarittaville is great. I strongly recommend a ship's tour.

[kimegge]

Thanks for the info, I am glad I asked this question.

 

Kim

[sportsterjohn]

The canopy tour is a blast if they do it from Mo'bay.

[mrsfuzzmo]

Check out Rafting on the Martha Brae or Mayfield falls! Great trips!

 

Mrsfuzzmo

[Cathy p]

I also agree, it is a very poor country so they will steal anything if you are not with a group. The country is beautiful. I went on a train trip up the mountain and we had children trying to jump on the trail while it was moving to beg for anything we had. Enjoy but be very careful.

[TheWog]

JUTA tagged cabs are the ones to use. They are regulated.

[cruisetexas]

Not sure what you mean by off beat, but we were there in March and one of the coolest things we did was the Rockland Bird Sanctuary. It's beautiful and there are hummingbirds that will sit on your finger to drink from a vial of sugar water you hold in your other hand. There was NO ONE else there. We also did the raft trip, via Lehe, and then went to Doctor's Cave Beach for a couple of hours. We booked through A-Z Vacation Planners, and were met at the pier as we left the ship. Clive (our driver) took us to a small, family run restaurant for lunch (we'd asked to go somewhere he would typically go for lunch), which was quite an experience and delicious! Belinda and A-Z will tailor an excursion to your needs. When we left Doctor's Cave, we were surrounded by boisterous, aggressive drivers, wanting to take us back to the ship, telling us our driver wasn't coming back, etc. (we had Clive drop us off for two hours, and trusted him totally, he kept our "stuff" in his van, so we wouldn't have to take it with us into the beach area), never felt threatened by the others but was definitely obnoxious. We saw alot of the island going from each stop, and Clive was a good driver and filled us in on local information. If you'd like pictures, feel free to e-mail me at retolver@sbcglobal.net

[kimegge]

The canopy tour is a blast if they do it from Mo'bay.

 

I've always wanted to do that, but one of my sons is afraid of ladders and climbing and actually so am I but I still do it. We have one at home and he will not climb it, we have to lower the line and put him on and then pull him up the line and let him go. Of course he will be 2 years older then, so who knows.....lol :o Is it a ways up to get to the zipline? Is it a ladder or a staircase?

 

Kim:D

[kimegge]

Check out Rafting on the Martha Brae or Mayfield falls! Great trips!

 

Mrsfuzzmo

 

I would love to do this, but what about the children, whould they enjoy it?

 

Kim:D

[kimegge]

Thanks everyone for advice.

 

Kim

[sportsterjohn]

I am not a fan of ladders eithor. I don't recall having to climb any during this tour but in all honesty I am not 100% sure. Also, the min age for this tour is 18.

[sisters4]

We just returned from Mo Bay while on the Conquest. I agree, Jamaica is a very poverty stricken place, but I felt completely safe there. The vendors are pushy, but if you know that going in, you can prepare yourself and not make much of it. We personally hired a man by the name of Romeo Wilson because we too wanted to take an "off beat" tour, one that was not common or that would have us grouped with several others. We wanted to see the REAL Jamaica. Romeo is a licensed taxi driver and also does tours. He does not have a website, but this man just made our trip. He took us exactly where we wanted to go, kept us safe, and helped us bargain. He even wrapped our small amount of groceries for us. We saw some beautiful places way up in the hills. We also saw school children of all ages and no one bothered us. They actually welcomed us and didn't mind us asking questions or taking photos of them. Poor, yes. Scary, not at all! I would highly recommend this man if you want something different.

You can reach him at 1-876-392-4588. If you speak with him, please tell him Maria from Texas said hello!

[kimegge]

Thanks Maria for the suggestion. Sorry so long to get back to you, just had knee surgery.