Seeing the "Real Jamaica"???

[Beachbound2006]

Wondering if anybody out there could give us some advice. My DH said he would like to see the "Real Jamaica". Any recommendations on what we should do or who we should do it with. I was thinking about tubing and DRF, but DH would like to see a little more of the country. We will be in there in August.

 

Thanks:)

[soxfan1495]

We visited MoBay a few weeks ago on Voyager of the Seas. It was a great stop for our kids who are 8 and 11 years old. We went to Mayfield Falls with a Carolyn Barrett excursion. This was a great way to get into the countryside, but not be stuck in a bus or van for a long ride. We learned something about the landscape (our guides took time to explain the plants and trees we were seeing).

 

In addition to going to the Falls, where we had the place pretty much to ourselves, we also stopped by at a nearby primary school. My kids loved meeting kids their own age from Jamaica. We brought a bag of school supplies that we purchased before the cruise and gave them to the principal. The principal would clearly welcome other visitors who might consider helping out in a small way by bringing school supplies like crayons and teaching aids. She said they do not get much in the way of support from the government in such rural schools. It was a wonderful day. In one day it is not possible to get a sufficiently broad feeling for what might be "the real Jamaica," but I felt like we did as much as we could. Please let me know if you have any questions.

[kooljamming]

Wondering if anybody out there could give us some advice. My DH said he would like to see the "Real Jamaica". Any recommendations on what we should do or who we should do it with. I was thinking about tubing and DRF, but DH would like to see a little more of the country. We will be in there in August.

 

Thanks:)

 

How real would you like to get? Check the link out under my signature. Seeing the real Jamaica is very easy. It's usually only minutes from the tourist zone but worlds apart. Seeing the real Jamaica may include a stop at a local school which can be arranged by your personal guide. A stop at a local market, where locals are friendly and do not make a living by selling things to tourist. The trip from Ocho Rios to 9 Miles will take you through real Jamaican communities. Real Jamaica is only minutes away from the port pit/stop.

many guides are recommended here. In one day you probaly won't see much of my real Jamaica but take a peek!

 

Good Luck!

[Beachbound2006]

Thanks for the info, we are going to be in Ocho Rios. Are there links to find a reputable guide? Kooljamming your pics are great....

[travellingguyone]

We were there last month and we too wanted to see the real jamaica and also do some touristy stuff in nature. We were hesitant to go on our own, but in the end decided to trust another fellow traveller with details about this woman driver. We contacted her prior to our visit and told her we would like to go and see the real jamaica. We went to the local school in Mobay and ate at a local restuarant, the food was cheap and yummy, but because we were with her we felt safe, she took us to the rockland feeding station where we got to feed the hummingbirds and other birds and then we went to this neat animal farm on the hills and then after some walking ended up at the bottom of the hill which led us to the river!!! We had a good swim, and came back to the ship. Want a wonderful experience. I have her info, if you want it. She was awesome, we were told some wonderful things about her, but seeing is believing.

[cruznbuddies]

I have her info, if you want it. She was awesome, we were told some wonderful things about her, but seeing is believing.

 

Hi travelingguyone. Can you provide us with her info please? If you don't want to leave it here, let me know and I will leave our email address. Thanks so much. We are in Montego Bay on April 11 and are looking for info on what to do.

[Beachbound2006]

Hi Travelingguyone- Thanks for the info on MoBay guide, we would definitely love the name but we will be in Ocho Rios, I will contact her to see if she will come to Ocho Rios...Thanks :)

[lbendick]

We visited MoBay a few weeks ago on Voyager of the Seas. It was a great stop for our kids who are 8 and 11 years old. We went to Mayfield Falls with a Carolyn Barrett excursion. This was a great way to get into the countryside, but not be stuck in a bus or van for a long ride. We learned something about the landscape (our guides took time to explain the plants and trees we were seeing).

 

In addition to going to the Falls, where we had the place pretty much to ourselves, we also stopped by at a nearby primary school. My kids loved meeting kids their own age from Jamaica. We brought a bag of school supplies that we purchased before the cruise and gave them to the principal. The principal would clearly welcome other visitors who might consider helping out in a small way by bringing school supplies like crayons and teaching aids. She said they do not get much in the way of support from the government in such rural schools. It was a wonderful day. In one day it is not possible to get a sufficiently broad feeling for what might be "the real Jamaica," but I felt like we did as much as we could. Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

Hello, that sounds like something we would be interested in doing, how did you get permission to go to a local school?

[Cptn. Heimlich]

We had heard of a guide named Richard who would take us around to see Ocho Rios. A REAL GENTLEMAN in his 50's is my guess. We used his services twice and he was exceptional & reliable. $100 (+ tip if you like) and he took both of us for 4 hours to see all the Must Do's. Sooooo interesting to see Fern Gully, Pottery Place, Mansions on the coast, Dunns River Falls Etc .... He even set up a tour of another resort and waited for us .... Cold drinks in a cooler while we drove. And he would have done more if we had energy. He has a great reputation with others we know, so we refer with confidence. A great way to see the "Real Jamaica" safely and comfortably. We booked him from Canada ahead of time and he was at the predetermined meeting place with "No Problem Man" !!! For contact info feel free to e-mail me at stmab@shaw.ca

[kooljamming]

Hello, that sounds like something we would be interested in doing, how did you get permission to go to a local school?

 

Tell your guide you would like to do this. It's a real treat because many of the kids have little contact with tourists. The toursit ports and real Jamaica are on the same planet but different worlds.

[travellingguyone]

The taxi driver that we used her name is Kadeth Robinson and she can be reached at 876-333-1242. She is really good and if you want you can text her and let her know what you want and she will get back to you. We enjoyed our trip with her and felt very safe at the same time, which is imp.

[travellingguyone]

Hi travelingguyone. Can you provide us with her info please? If you don't want to leave it here, let me know and I will leave our email address. Thanks so much. We are in Montego Bay on April 11 and are looking for info on what to do.

 

her number is 876-333-1242 and her name is Kadeth Robinson. We got her details from another traveller and it was really great.

[soxfan1495]

Hello, that sounds like something we would be interested in doing, how did you get permission to go to a local school?

When we arranged our tour with Carolyn Barrett she said that our driver (Errol) would find a school for us to visit. Nothing was set up before our tour. When we finished at Mayfield Falls, we just stopped at a school that we had heard about from a lady who was selling souveniers beside the road (her child was a student there). The driver drove to the school, and while we waited in the van, he went in to see the principal. The principal was thrilled to have us stop by and we were immediately welcomed in. I am sure it is a good idea to plan this kind of thing prior to the visit, but based on our experience, it also seems OK to do it in a more informal manner, and leave it up to your tour guide to find a school, since which school you might be able to go to depends on what else you are doing and when you need to get back to the ship. The school we went to, the Hillsbrook All Age School, was very convenient to Mayfield Falls.