Do you want to report "Coming to Montego Bay NOW!"
I'm a Male in my mid-twenties coming to MoBay with my family from Canada. We are staying at Secrets Wild Orchid. We currently don't have much planned in our itinerary. We chose MoBay over Negril as it served as a better area to understand the people and culture of Jamaica better, and see the day-to-day life as well as enjoying a resort. We will most likely spend 3 full days at the resort, as well as 3 days split between the resort and venturing into the city. For the 3 days we venture into the city/partake in activities - I'm currently thinking we do: * Bamboo Rafting * Horseback Riding * Hip Strip * Doctor's Cave Beach * Pier 1 (Mainly for me LOL) What else would you reccommend? Ideally we could hire a driver for 1-3 days that require further travel. Also, what would you reccommend with currency exchange? We carry Canadian cash. Thank you!
Those are some good options if you are not planning to leave Montego Bay. You could also visit the Rose Hall Great House to learn a bit about the Island’s History and get spooked by Annie Palmer’s duppy.
Lol.
Annie Palmer the white witch of Rose Hall is a fascinating story.
The exchange rate for Canadian dollars changes daily; at this point it is about Ja$ 115 for 1 Canadian. Anything above JA$100 to CA is ok. This will help you to understand the ATV and horseback riding.
If plan to venture further Appleton Estate Tour is a good option. It is located in Saint Elizabeth which is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Montego Bay. On that tour, you will see how they make rum, can also do the safari tour, and also visit the YS Falls. It’s comparable to Dunn’s River Falls maybe even better.
Since you are planning to get a driver for the day I would recommend taking a trip to Portland. It is over 2 hours from Montego Bay. I think it is the most beautiful place on the island and it is not overcrowded with tourists.
Check these places out in Portland:
Boston Beach _ one of the most beautiful beaches in Jamaica
Frenchman’s Cove beach - another beautiful beach
Boston jerk _ the best jerk pork on the island
Port Antonio town_ that’s where some scenes in James Bond were shot.
Rafting on the Rio Grande
Reach Falls
A trip to Moor Town Maroon village would be good.
The exchange rate for Canadian dollars changes daily at this point it is about Ja$ 115 for 1 Canadian. Anything above JA$100 to CA is ok. This will help you to understand the Jamaican currency and its value.
Hope I was able to help.
If plan to venture further, Appleton Estate Tour is a good option. It is located in Saint Elizabeth which is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from Montego Bay. On that tour, you will see how they make rum, can also do the safari tour, and also visit the YS Falls. It’s comparable to Dunn’s River Falls maybe even better.
Thank you dearly🙏🏽🙏🏽 I think I’m gonna book with Chukka for a day, and possibly do a day out to Appleton for a tour/safari, etc. How would you recommend getting involved with some events that locals might be getting involved in? Whether it’s parties, concerts, block parties, etc
I am glad you found my suggestions helpful. Summer is winding down, so there are no significant events. Those that I would recommend have already passed. Jamaica’s independence and emancipation celebrations, August 1 to 6, and Reggae Sumfest, the most significant concert on the island, ended a few days ago. The only places I can think of are the places on the hip strip; Island Stain Club House is good, a mixture of tourists and locals, and Margaritaville, although more on the tourist side, has a good vibe. The hip strip also attracts many local tourists. There are small establishments we’re local vibe, but you would need a trusted guide to take you around. Heroes weekend in October is a busy period for local events such as concerts and Christmas and New Year’s holidays.I hope that helps.
Here’s an idea you likely won’t hear recommended often - check out the Montego Bay Marine Park Trust. They oversee the marine protected area around Montego Bay, while also offering tours and such to the public to help generate income for their ecological work.
If you guys have some interest in the environment, learning about marine ecology and giving back to a noteworthy organization, the Trust is an excellent option.
Their office is upstairs the Pier 1 complex.
MVP Smokehouse is my go-to for local cuisine with a twist.
The one and only time I visited Margaritaville, I asked for a burger done medium and the waitress snapped at me that the burgers only came in one size… yikes. Yeah don’t go there for good food or at least not for the burgers.
I really appreciate that idea. Is there actually some wildlife involved? Or is it moreso a medium speed, small sized boat cruising through the ocean and providing us information on the ecology of the area. We’d love to even see some fish, birds, etc.Any more details on MVP Smokehouse? Sounds good
No plans on Margaritaville - seems like a tourist trap.
Thanks again!
look at tours by locals to hire a private guide, this is actually run out of Vancouver, they have certified guides all over the world. We stayed in Runaway Bay in 2019 and use them. I wanna say $350 for the day for up to six people. We went to Port Antonio, Blue Lagoon and Frenchmans Cove Beach these are all the opposite way from Negril but we had a great guide, super knowledgeable on politics and history of the country, the day was ours 8am-4pm, brought a cooler so we could stop for beer, he stopped as long as we wanted at each place. They had set tours or you can do like we did and make your own stops. https://www.toursbylocals.com/ our guides name was Cyrian
