Jamaica Tours, Guides and Vacations

No matter how often I find myself on a Black River Safari it is a treat to me each and every time. I had the pleasure of taking Angus and Kelley on a tour of the South Coast of Jamaica with stops at Black River and YS Falls. Our trip to Black River from Negril was short and sweet and we were at the Black River tour location before lunch.

We got the full tour with tons of information about the local ecology and the Black River ecosystem. The big draw on the river are the Jamaican Crocodile which can only be found here in Black River in small numbers. These rare animals spend their days cruising the rivers in search of food which often comes in the form of chicken carcasses tossed out by the Black River safari guides and tour operators who keep the crocs well fed.

The crocodiles in Black River are so tame and predictable that tour guides will often jump in the water or at least hand feed them for your enjoyment. There are sections of the river that are crocodile free where visitors can take a swim in the cool clear waters of the Black River. The river is called black because of the peat settled on the bottom but the river water is actually pretty clear although they say you should filter it before drinking.

A Black River and YS Falls tour is a wonderful way to spend the day traveling the lesser developed section of the island and the South Coast of Jamaica on a full day tour with stops in Scotts Cove or Middle Quarters for fresh fried fish and bammy or delicious hot boiled "peppa shrimp" and a real taste of Jamaica.

Purple Cattleya Orchid at Black River Jamaica

Irie Pontoon Riverboat Tours on Black River Jamaica

White Egret birds and Jamaican Wildlife at Black River Safari

Santa Cruz Mountains from Black River Safari Tour

Red mangrove at Black River Safari Tour Guides

Black River Dread Locks in Red Mangrove Tree

Jamaican Water Lily on Black River Safari

Black River Basin

Jamaican Crocodile with mouth wide

Angus and Kelley with JamaicaMAX Tours

Jamaica has a number of large and grand estates but few compare to the size and grandeur of Green Castle Estates in Robins Bay, St Marys Parish on the North Coast. Green Castle is 1600 acres of all the best that Jamaica has to offer in natural beauty and landscapes. The estate dates back to the 1600's with deposits from Taino Indians in select locations that date back another 1000 years.

Green Castle Estate carries a lot of the history and culture of Jamaica and is a wonderful location for a number of eco tours and natural attractions.  The property is now managed as Greencastle Tropical Study Center (GTSC), a not-for-profit organization formed to provide learning opportunities to students and visitors and economic and social benefits to rural Jamaican communities, through the integration of conservation, ecotourism, education and community development.

The property owners have developed partnerships with locals who now run a number of businesses on the estate. We found one of the largest orchid exporters in Jamaica with a huge selection of the most beautiful flowers. They also have a large plantation of coconut palms that are used in the production of coconut oils. There were numerous fruit and vegetable farms and also a large cattle producer on site.

The large open green spaces and lush tropical foliage make for some of the best birdwatching in Jamaica and the property is home to many of the endemic species on the island. The study group has confirmed most of the rare local birds have been seen on the property and we had the pleasure of seeing quite a few in our short time there.

The Green Castle home is available for rent and tours are available of the various businesses being run. We spent a day checking things out and were left wanting so much more. We'll have to get back to Green Castle for a longer more thorough review of the place. If you're looking for a unique vacation in Jamaica then do contact Green Castle Estates for a chance to visit a great

Jamaica MAX Rating:

I love the natural unspoilt beauty of Jamaica and I visit as many parks, gardens and nature reserves as I can. I much prefer the off beat attractions in Jamaica then I do the more popular attractions such as Dunns Rivers Waterfalls and other well known locations. I prefer hidden gems like Cranbrook Flower Forest on the North Coast of Jamaica in St Ann.

The flower forest is home to the very best in Jamaican foilage and the tropical gardens are some of the finest in country. The variety and number of blooming flowers will simply amaze you and the range of colors is an absolute delight. I was so impressed with the Jade Vine that I use the photo of me before it as my profile picture on my online social profiles. The vivid Jade green colors of this hanging vine are just incredible and even almost unnatural when you consider how rare the shade is in nature. It may well be unique as far as I know. I have never seen such a brilliant green blue color in any other plant.

The lush forest is powered by a riverhead which opens up to the White River and you can enjoy a wonderful swim in the brisk cool mineral spring waters or even hike up the river as it Cranbrook is central to Ocho Rios and Montego Bay and makes an excellent day trip from either city. You would find it closer to Ocho Rios though and a shorter more enjoyable day from this popular tourist city in Jamaica.

Cranbrook Flower Forest is open year round and closed only for major holidays. The grounds are the perfect place for weddings, parties and even a simple picnic. You'll find yourself in another world and alone with yourself and some close friends or family in one of the most serene and inviting places you can imagine.

Cranbrook Flower Forest in St Ann Jamaica

Rafting on the Martha Brae River is one of the original Jamaica tours and river rafting is one of the most popular attractions in all of Jamaica. With the number of scenic river trips in Jamaica it's pretty easy to find an eco adventure in the rivers and waterfalls of both the North Coast and South Coast Jamaica.

With the popularity of the North Coast as a major tourist attraction in Jamaica the northern attractions are more popular with the majority of tourists to this Caribbean country. The Martha Brae is one of the most beautiful and popular rivers for rafting in Jamaica and it's proximity to Montego Bay have been apart of that but the river itself holds 100's or years worth of good memories from travelers all over the globe.

The tranquil waters of the Martha Brae River received its name from an Indian legend, Martha Brae. The story is that she took the secret of a gold mine location to her grave, instead of offering it to the Spanish. After leading them to this river, legend claims she used magic to change the weather, causing her and her Spanish captors to drown.

River rafting tours are available from Negril, Mobay and Ocho Rios with average drivetimes around 1.5 hours and river rides lasting about 1.5 hours. Enjoy a relaxing ride or swim in the refreshing spring fed river for an exhilarating experience. Trips run all day from about 9am until 5pm with afterrnoon beig the busy time of day. The rafters village is built to handle large crowds and to find 10 or 15 full tour buses in the lot is a common site.

Contact Jamaica MAX for more details on river rafting tours.

Jamaica offers some unique travel adventures and scuba diving the Caribbean Sea is one of the more popular sports vacations in Jamaica.

The Caribbean is well known as a dive destination with hotspots like the Cayman Islands and Cozumel Mexico just a short distance away. Jamaica's waters are not quite as nice as many of our neighbors but the diving is considered well worth the effort by those who venture out with a Jamaican dive shop on a proper trip to one of the many scuba dive attractions in the country.

Jamaica has a number of popular dive locations on the North Coast with both Montego Bay and Ocho Rios offering a wide range of great dive vacations. The Widows Maker Cave is the most popular dive in Mobay. The cave starts in about 35 feet of water and goes down to about 80 feet. Most people enter the cave at 80 feet and slowly rise through the cave to exit through a chimney 10 feet wide at the 35 foot mark and you can also go in the opposite direction by entering through the chimney and swimming down to the 80 foot depth. Ocho Rios has the wreck of the Kathryn which is a 140 foot Canadian mine sweeper from World War II which was sunk in 1991 by a Jamaican dive company as an artificial reef and dive attraction. Its a popular dive spot for first time wreck dives and intermediate divers looking for a new adventure.

Negril is the laid back side of the island but don't let the image of beaches and bars fool you, there are a number of extreme adventures in and around Negril which is known for the best diving in Jamaica. Scuba diving is a dangerous activity which requires certification on specialized equipment before any reputable dive operation will take you out. There are different types of certification and even different organizations and standards that you can be certified with. PADI is one of the most popular diving certification programs and the standard here in Jamaica. Much of the diving in Negril is run from scuba shops at local resorts but the best diving in Negril is with a professional dive shop that caters to certified divers.

If you already have your dive certification you won't want to tag along with the resort divers because they usually spend their time on easy dives. You'll appreciate contacting an independent scuba dive operator like Negril Scuba which will be able to build a custom itinerary around your certification level and personalize your dive vacation.

Negril Scuba began as a small resort shop but has grown into a professional dive shop with three locations in Negril offering the best scuba diving in Jamaica. Owner David Wallace started running dives from his fathers resort, known in those days as Mariners Inn, after a guest told him that the diving in front of the property was "better than sex". Today the property is known as Negril Escape but David still has his dive shop and they still run daily dives from the convenience of the resort for guests who book dive vacations.

Negril Scuba also offers two beach locations with boats taking dive trips to the best dive spots off Negril Beach including reef diving and night dives. Advanced divers usually opt for dives at locations such as "The Arches" and "The Throne Room" or one of the many wrecks in the area including an airplane and shipwreck. You can visit their website for a list of all the dive sites in Negril or just give them a call and book a dive vacation in Negril for your next adventure.

It could only be more perfect if the name were Alfie's Paradise instead of Benjii's Paradise but sadly Benjii got there first and made it his place before the rest of us found out about the river head of the Roaring River and one of the most peaceful places I've ever been.

It's a perfect place to be by yourself and appreciate the natural world around you. The sound of gushing water as the river comes bursting out of the ground is as relaxing as the cool crisp waters where you can get a fresh drink while you swim.

There is not much to say about the place except that it is a place where you can spend a day loving the beauty of nature and the sounds of birds and the mountain breeze blowing through the palm trees. Benjiis is past the Roaring River attraction and well beyond where the tour bus stops. It's a tough steep drive that on a pretty bad Jamaican road but it is well worth the 45 minute drive from Negril and a great way to spend an afternoon alone if possible or at least with close friends or family.

The St Mary Off Road Bicycling Association, or SMORBA for short, is a not for profit organization in Oracabessa Jamaica offering various services and support to Jamaican youth through their Bicycling Works program and the Jamaican Fat Tyre Festival we had so much fun at.

The Fat Tyre Festival was filmed and is being broadcast in europe now. You can see the action at Joost.com and watch the Ride Guide Bike Episode 143 Jamaica
to see just how much fun was had on your own.

SMORBA

St. Mary Off-Road Bicycling Association (SMORBA) is a non-profit organization affiliated to IMBA that is actively engaged in locating, building and maintaining bicycling opportunities on Jamaica’s famed North Coast.

Our work as a local sport development organization includes staging the Jamaica Bicycle Bash as well as numerous BMX events in St. Mary and environs.

Our flagship event is the Jamaica Fat Tyre Festival held in early February each year. This 5 day mountain biking extravaganza is an opportunity for riders from around the world to experience Jamaica’s amazing trails and fascinating culture. Profits from this event go towards our Bicycling Works! project dedicated to promoting local ownership of the emerging mountain biking sector in the parish of St. Mary.

We could use your support! If you would like to help SMORBA’s cause become a member, or have any questions we can be contacted at:

SMORBA

c/o 2 Newlin Street

Ocho Rios

St. Ann

Jamaica, West Indies

(876)975-3393

smorbaja@hotmail.com

The Circle B Farm was my first choice for accommodation on our first night in the Ochi area because they were one of the few places we spoke with that still offered camping when we called them. Sadly that all changed when we arrived on site and were informed that the owner no longer offered camping because the bathroom and shower facilities outdoors were non functioning and all they had to offer us was a room for rent. The room was clean and simple and only cost $1500 for a nights stay so we took it and were glad we did. I liked the place so much we spent a second night there and enjoyed the place for another beautiful morning.

Circle B Farm is a hostel and farm operating on 140 acres of surreal beauty and lush tropical landscaping. The farm is predominately a banana farm with many other fruit trees on site such as the variety of mango and even a Giant Lemon which I have never seen or heard of before. The farm is busy but quiet for most of the day and if you stay at the rooms up front you may never know what lays in the property around you if you don't take a walk. There are cows, goats, pigs, dogs and a donkey on site but the domestic animals are less important than the natural flora and fauna found surrounding the place. The farm has a small man made river which runs from the hillsides along the southern border and actually circles the entire facility. This running water and all the sweet smelling fruit trees keeps the area covered in butterflies, birds and insects of all sorts. The bats swirl around at night feeding on the flying insects trapped in the beams of light around the buildings at night for a pretty cool night show.

The stream runs in front of the hostel rooms for rent and around almost every building on site you can sit and peacefully enjoy the sounds of rushing water all day long from just about anywhere on the property. The running water and numerous fruit trees means that early mornings at Circle B are filled with the sounds of a dozen songbirds as they sing praise to the new day before us. One both mornings we were there it was true pleasure to stroll through the banana and pineapple fields and listen to the kingfisher and mockingbirds try to out sing each other. I'm going to need a much better camera in order to catch photos of many of the birds of Jamaica as I simply cannot get close enough to most of them for a decent shot but trust me when I tell you the air was thick with the sounds of birds and nature and it was beautiful.

Circle B is a great location to begin a number of eco tours of the area and central to the many attractions of the North Coast and Ocho Rios area. You can make it to Dunns River, White River Valley, the Bob Marley Mausoleum and much more in an hour or so from this place and its a great place for anyone interested in a youth hostel or camping vacation on the North Coast of Jamaica. For those budget minded travelers interested in tours of the North Coast and Ocho Rios but not wanting to spend more for a place to sleep then you will on the days activities then consider Circle B as a place to stay in your Jamaica travel planning.

E-mail them at: info@circlebfarm.com

or call them at: 1-876-913-4511

You can write to them at: Priory P.A., St-Ann, Jamaica W.I.

Make sure to tell them Alfred @ JamaicaMax sends his love and maybe you'll get a special tour.