Adventure Tour Jamaica - Jamaican Jamaica Bob Marley Tour

Day 2

2. Rafting on the Rio Grande River(Full Day)
Fed by torrential rains, the Rio Grande River rushes down from the Blue Mountains at an elevation of 1000 m and has carved a huge gorge. This exceedingly lush valley forms a deep v-shaped wedge between the NE flank of the Blue Mountains and the John Crow Mountains to the East. It’s fertile alluvial soils are well watered and much of the valley is dominated by banana groves. On your raft trip you may see giant swallow tail butterflies, which are particularly abundant in early summer. We bring you to the starting point for your raft trip. The Captain will raft you down to sea level in about 2.5 hours, where we will pick you up again. Included: Transportation.

Outing length: 4-6 hours.
Hours: 8:30 am-4:30 pm daily, except Christmas and Good Friday.

This is a relaxing slow trip of up to 3 adults per raft. This river ride was the first in Jamaica and is still the most famous. Bananas have been coming down the mountain this way over 45 years ago and decided this would be a great trip for fun. This was the birth of the Rio Grande rafting trip. Wear your swimsuit if you’d like to take a dip in the river. Keep watch for the flocks of parrots as you cruise down the river. You should be prepared for entrepreneurs to offer you everything from Red Stripe (“One for you and one for your captain”), overpriced Pepsis, carved bamboo cups, flowers, bird feeders made from coconut husks, bamboo whistles and more. The ride is especially recommended in late afternoon (rafts stop about 3 pm) when you’ll enjoy the sounds of frogs and crickets, sometimes incredibly loud, from the shoreline. In the late afternoon the banks come alive with the activity of the rural residents who use this waterway for everything from clothes washing to bathing or fishing. Raftsmen expect a tip at the completion of the journey; US $5-10 is appropriate.

The Rio Grande is a granddaddy of river-rafting attractions: an 8-mi-long (13-km-long) swift, green waterway from Berrydale to Rafter's Rest (it flows into the Caribbean at St. Margaret's Bay). The trip of about three hours is made on bamboo rafts pushed along by a raftsman who is likely to be a character. You can pack a picnic lunch and eat it on the raft or on the riverbank. Wherever you lunch, a Red Stripe vendor will appear at your elbow. You will find Miss Betty’s on the banks of the Rio Grande, a favorite lunch stop on your way rafting down the river. When the trip is all done you can hang out Rafter's Rest at the mouth of the Rio Gande and the Ocean, and order up a cold Red Stripe. It's a beautiful way to relax at the end of the trip.

Day 3 - 5

3. Eco-Trip with Rastas in The Blue Mountains (3 days)
This is the most popular Eco-trip. The steep faced mountains rise NE of Kingston and soar in green pleats to a knife-edged backbone the grand ridge extending for about 48 km. The mountain is 20 km wide on average.The chain is flanked to the east by the lower John Crow Mountains and to the west by the less distinct Port Royal mountains. The Blue Mountains dominate the eastern parishes of St. Andrew, St. Thomas, Portland and St. Mary, rising swiftly from the coast in a series of rounded peaks that culminate in Blue Mountain Peak (2407 m ), the highest point in Jamaica. In the Blue Mountains scallion, thyme, coffee, carrots and yam are grown. The Blue Mountains are much more humid and cooler than the rest of Jamaica, so you find a quite different climate. Because of this more than 500 flowering plant species can be found in this area, about 240 of which are indigenous to the island, including 65 species of orchids. Here you can see the high Tree Fern, Eucalyptus, Rhododendron, Azalea etc. Often you can see the Doctor Bird, a species of the hummingbird, the Jamaican National Bird.

What we offer is a 3 day trip to the Blue Mountains. Our drive takes us from the beach through Cedar Valley to the Blue Mountains. On our way we cross 2 rivers and enjoy the many beautiful views. At Hagley Gap we park our car and change to a 4-wheel drive vehicle which takes us to Whitfield Hall, a half hour drive..

There we spend the nights at a "bobo rasta" family’s (Jah-B) house among the coffee farms. Here breakfast and dinner are cooked to order, there are drinks and little snacks available and in the coffee season you can help to pick the coffee beans and make your own world famous Blue Mountain coffee. If you want to go up to the peak we start at around 2 a.m. in the morning. The climb takes about 3.5 hours and you have to be physically fit. We reach the peak just before sunrise. Here you can see the lights of Kingston; on a clear day a fabulous sunrise will dazzle your eyes and sometimes you can see all the way to Cuba. The temperature at the peak can be cold, especially during the months December ‘til June; the coldest temperature is around 5 degrees celsius.( Please bring: flashlights, batteries, sweater, coat, hiking boots, watch, water and dry fruit.) After half an hour at the peak we return to the base through the several distinct ecosystems including an area of bamboo and giant tree ferns.

Further up is cloud forest, dripping with filaments of hanging lichens and festooned with epiphytus and moss. Near the top is Stunted Dwarf or Elfin Forest, with trees such as Hirsute, Soapwood and Redwood no more than 3 m tall –an adaptation to the extreme temperatures. On return at our base, breakfast is served and the rest of the day is reserved for relaxation.

An alternative for hiking the peak, is a visit to a waterfall, a 2 hour hike.The following day you can "chill out " or take a walk, exploring the surrounding area . On the third day we drive back to the beach. Included: All transportation and two nights accommodation. Three day trip.

Experience a stay by Roots Rasta Mokko or go with him on adventure trips through the forest. We offer you to make experience by a Rasta in a more rural area of Jamaica. This cozy guesthouse is situated in Sunning Hill (close to Bath Fountain) and run and owned by Rasta Mokko. He and his Baby Mother, Dorette, and their family will take care for you and you can taste the real local food.
The place is situated on 2 rivers, so nuff time to have fun in the water.
You can make a trip through the river and finally meet a beautiful waterfall.
The area around Sunning Hill is well planted with a lot of fruit trees and bamboo.
You can make from Mokko yard a fabulous hiking in the area and Mokko, or one of his sons will be happy to be your guide.

Day 6

4. River Climbing to the Reach Falls(Full day)
This is one of the most beautiful and natural waterfalls of Jamaica. Number one waterfall, elected by the Jamaican Tourist Board for the last three years for his natural beauty. We offer this trip for groups, minimum 4 persons. With a guide, you hike up the river from almost sea level to Reach Falls. Your path will pass through tropical rain forest, beautiful surroundings and a series of cascades tumbling over limestone tiers from one hollowed, jade colored pool to another. From Reach Falls you continue your hike up to Madingo cave, almost a half mile up river to the Drivers River spring which feeds the falls with water. Note the signs that read, "Beware of deep pools and strong currents". There are changing rooms and bathrooms above the parking lot, where they sell fantastic cray-fish soup and other things. When you reach the falls, and on your way back down over the road, you can visit an old Rastafarian (Jah Priest) who sells nice crafts and a little further down on your way you find some wicker crafts. Included: Transportation and a guide. Full day trip.

Day 7

5. Kingston: Bob Marley Museaum,

6. Hope Botanical Gardens

7. Port Royal

8. White Cane River Falls
Kingston is Jamaica’s teeming capital city. Population approx. 1 million. The city overlooks the seventh largest natural harbor in the world.With the waterfront on its Southern border, it spreads out in a fan shape from the harbor and rises gently toward the foothills and spur ridges of the Blue Mountains, nestled in a cusp. We drive you to the Bob Marley Museum where you get a tour about Bob’s musical career. (You are not allowed to wander at will, nor are cameras or tape recorders permitted).

We take you to Hope Botanical Gardens, where you can enjoy the green nature of Kingston’s most famous park.

Then visit Port Royal a dilapidated, ramshackle place of tropical lassitude. Today’s funky fishing hamlet was once the wealthiest city in the New World. In 1692 an earthquake destroyed Port Royal and 90 percent of the town disappeared under water,where it remains to this day. More than two thousand people died. Today you still find the old buildings; some of them have been rebuilt, most of them in their original shape. There are plans to develop Port Royal as a tourist destination.

On our way back, we stop by the White Cane River Falls. Here you can have a lunch or drink and relax by the waterfalls. This is a full day trip.

Day 8

9. Bath Fountain and the Mineral Spring(Half Day)
This little village lies on the banks of the Garden River. Bath Fountain Hotel rises majestically, with the Blue Mountains serving as an encompassing backdrop. Built as a hospital by the British in 1749, the stone hotel is now owned by the people of Jamaica. Revitalized after Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, the hotel perches above the Bath River, more like a stream, like a moldy relic from a bygone era.

The British built the Bath Fountain Hotel as a hospital because of the mineralized hot water that poured from the mountains. The waters are high in lime and other minerals sulphur, magnesium, and have therapeutic value in treating skin ailments and rheumatic conditions, second only to Lourdes, France. The Maroons first discovered the healing waters, but the British developed the hospital with twenty clean, but spartan hospital rooms, and the 16 beautifully restored tiled baths in the basement. You can take a dip in the mineral hot spring water or get a hot water massage with towels from one of the many locals that hang around the natural hot bath in the river. If you prefer more privacy and quietness try one of the hot water baths inside the original hotel, situated at the parking lot. Here you can rent your own bathroom with the same natural hot water. The drive to Bath leads us through banana estates on one side and the Blue Mountains on the other.

10. Morant Point Lighthouse(Half Day)
This is a really popular trip.This 33m tall red and white striped edifice marks Morant Point, the most Eastern tip of Jamaica. The 6m wide cast iron tube was shipped from England and erected in 1841 by freed African slaves from Sierra Leone. It is the oldest lighthouse in the island and is listed as a historical monument. You can climb to the top of the lighthouse. The powerful view and the windy silence make for a profound experience as you look out over rippling cane fields, as green as limes, toward the Blue Mountains, caressed by clouds. The drive takes you along the sugar cane fields and factory. We will conclude our outing with a nice, refreshing dip in the ocean at near by Holland Bay with it’s fine white sand and beautiful Caribbean-colored water.This is a half day trip. Included:all transportation & lighthouse fee.