Peat Taylor Ocho Rios

[jimdanahar]

We are going to Dunn's River Falls and Mahogany Beach with Peat Taylor in April. After we pay the tour fee, how much cash should we have available to pay for tips and incidentals?

Any help would be appreciated.

Can't wait. Only 10 more days until we sail!

[songyen]

After you pay the tour fee the tour guide at Dunn's River falls. I'm not of any tips to be issued at the Mahogany Beach on they have helpers on the beach. enjoy Jamaica.

[Jewelfine]

We have done tours with Peat Taylor Tours twice, once 10 years ago and met Peat himself, once last month and had a different driver. His tour operation has grown. We had Anthony Henry as a driver and thought he was great...My husband hurt his foot and he took him back to the ship and the rest of us went off tubing after Dunns River Falls.

He even stopped at a grocery store for me so I could buy some Coke Zero.
Here is our day there
Dunns River Falls Jamaica

[gizmo911]

Can someone provide contact information. Thanks.

[Jewelfine]

Here is their website http://www.ochoriosjamaicatours.com/

[FLcruiserxox]

Here is my review that I posted on tripadvisor... I wasn't sure where to post it on this site as I've never reviewed anything here.

This was our second trip to Ocho Rios on a cruise and this time we wanted to try a local company rather than book through the cruise line. After reading reviews and doing a little research I decided to go with Peat Taylor Tours White River Tubing and Irie Blue Hole excursion. Our ship was delayed almost three hours from the time that we were reserved for, and Oneil and Ainsworth Taylor were still waiting for us. The bus ride to the river tubing was a lot of fun. Oneil and Ainsworth gave us a little history on Jamaica, stopped to let us smell the Old Spice leaves that is used for the cologne, made us laugh, and even sang a little Bob Marley for us. Tubing down the river was both fun and relaxing and scenery was absolutely beautiful. When we got out of the water, everyone waited patiently while we snapped a ton of photos. On the way to Irie Blue Hole, we stopped at a local store and we bought some Red Stripes to bring with us. Even though the Blue Hole was not so blue because of the recent rain, it was still beautiful and the highlight of our trip. We swung from a rope swing into the river, jumped from a cliff, swam, and then had a couple of Red Stripes by the river just taking in all of the beauty. Oniel and Ainsworth were wonderful... Very professional and lots of fun. They made us feel safe and welcomed. We are actually thinking of taking a family trip back to Jamaica to do it all over again.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

just going to repost my Trip Advisor Review here. I give these guys my full reccommendation and hope to use them again.

Our day with Peat Jr. of Peat Taylor tours could not have been better, and the entire process from start to finish was exactly as advertised and hassle free.
This trip (during the week of 4/13/12) was part of our Honeymoon Cruise. We booked Peat Taylor Tours to take us from Montego Bay to Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios ( a little under 2 hours away.)
As well as being part of our Honeymoon, this trip had additional significance in that my wife had visited the falls as a teen, with her Mother whom we lost a few years ago. For this reason I did not want to book the shipboard tour and be crammed onto a bus, then rushed through the falls to then let 55+ people do shopping or some lesser thing before returning to the ship.
I have always been nervous about booking an excursion with a vendor apart from the Cruise Line, and this was my first time to do it. I did my research and found that Peat and his office are very well reviewed on both Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor, and that they have many customers who have used them over and over.
When I first contacted them by email to explain the significance of our trip, and my concerns about being so far away from the ship, they really put my mind at ease and assured me they have never let anyone miss the boat.
It was very easy to secure a reservation with them via a small deposit on Pay Pal, and Pete’s instructions on what to do at the port terminal were easy to follow, and we found Pete Jr just as expected.
The car was clean, comfortable, and air conditioned. Not a Lincoln Town Car, mind you, but I don’t think I saw a Lincoln Town Car anywhere on the island, not even coming in or out of the All Inclusive Resorts.
PJ was not just a driver, but turned out to be a true tour guide. This is coming from someone who knows what he is talking about- I am a chauffeur back here in the workaday world and have also given Interpretive tours in a National Park. PJ’s information and the entertainment value of the tour he gives are top notch. A+.
Sometimes you can get off of a ship , hang around the port terminal and souvenir shop, and never get a feel for the place you are visiting. We spent the entire day with a local, and got a sense of Jamaican life and culture that added so much to our trip. Thank you, PJ!
We made excellent time to the Falls, and PJ gave us the heads up we needed to avoid the pushy vendors. (God bless them, but don’t get pushed around.)
A brief word about Dun’s River Falls- what an amazing place- Tropical Forest, River, Beach, Ocean! There were orchids growing and blooming in the treetops. Despite the crowds, I highly recommend this beautiful spot.
We went back down and spent a few minutes on the beach after climbing the Falls, and when we were ready, found PJ just where he promised he would be.

PJ got us back to the ship with time to spare, but before doing so, gave us a great tour of Ocho Rios, including a bird’s eye view overlooking the town and the bay, and a drive through “Fern Gully.” Beautiful.
On our way back to Montego Bay, PJ AKA Pete JR AKA RePeat took us to Scotchies so I could get some authentic Jerk Pork. Very good stuff, and cool to see it prepared, smoking over hot embers with big sheets of tin covering it up. The stuff holds its own against the best Texas BBQ, and be sure to get a taste of that pepper sauce.
PJ likes to sing for his captive audience, and we were happy to let him know as he sang some Marley to us, that “One Love” had been one of our wedding songs just a few days before.
As it turned out, the busses that went to Dunn’s River Falls and shopping were late getting back to the ship, but I was happy we chose Peat Taylor Tours.
Lastly, regarding the value- I would make this purchase again in a heartbeat. The difference in price between riding on the Motor coach with 55 people versus the private, custom tour with a driver who gives you a fantastic, personal experience is less than you might think and is a great bang for the buck.
I cannot recommend these guys enough. We hope to return to Jamaica again, and Peat Taylor Tours will be the first call we make to ask questions and make plans.

Happy Travels,
Matt and Kelli
Austin, Texas

[stephaniej]

have anyone used Peat Taylor in Negril, and what is the tours you checked out?

[teeny25]

Best tour guide we ever had! We actually got his son (Oniel?) about 4 years ago. We did the falls(he took us early before the cruise crowds got there), lunch at The Ruins and then he took us a shop to get good prices on rum & coffee.

The driver was fun(they drive crazy but we felt safe) and Oniel took us to view a birdeye view of the island and a drive through the Ferngully. Very entertaining with his songs and stories. We would use them again in a heartbeat!

It's hard to believe that we were on the same island that other people who dislike Jamaica were. Peat Taylor tours definately gave us the "No Problems Mon" feeling!

[CH_ca]

I've joined a tour some years ago in Mexico to the Mayan ruins. The tour guide had such a heavy accent that majority of the tour group could not understand. We ended up just looking at the scenery and tried to guess (or ignore) what he was saying.

[stephaniej]

Originally Posted by CH_ca

I've joined a tour some years ago in Mexico to the Mayan ruins. The tour guide had such a heavy accent that majority of the tour group could not understand. We ended up just looking at the scenery and tried to guess (or ignore) what he was saying.

With the Peat Taylor Tours there will be no Language barrier they are an intelligent and humorous tour group.

[songyen]

Originally Posted by CH_ca

I've joined a tour some years ago in Mexico to the Mayan ruins. The tour guide had such a heavy accent that majority of the tour group could not understand. We ended up just looking at the scenery and tried to guess (or ignore) what he was saying.

Peat Taylor tours is in Jamaica very good tour very personable and professional.

[Evolution13]

Originally Posted by Daddyfto

We thought we had signed up for a private tour going to DRF and then White River tubing? No we were part of four different tours running from the same van. All did DRF then we dropped people at the Bob Sled, then a few at the beach a couple more at Horse Back Riding and finally us at the tubing. Like mentioned in the previous review when we finished the tubing ...NO PEAT TAYLOR ...just six of us in our swim suits in a very rough part of town and our guides didn't stay with us! They said wait here and they left...45 minutes we waited talking to an intersting local "Bob" who whas smoking a fatty and was rather cool to meet ...finally Peat shows up and he dropped us at Margaritaville. Sorry not acceptable
We have now done Phil Lafayette and Peat Taylor's Tours and I must say Phil is much more reliable..

Did you then have to get from Margaritaville back to port on your own or did he come back for you?

[sadie8]

I always feel bad for the tour guides when people do not show up and then when you have to wait everyone loses. I thought Peat was a very nice man but if he would require a deposit for his tours and credit card information to guarantee reservations people would be punctual.

[Evolution13]

Did anyone go to a beach or Margaritaville after the tour? If so do they pick you up and take you back to port or do you have to find a taxi to get back?

[SWSSMH]

Originally Posted by RedsRatBstrd

Mahogany beach was a stop with Peat Taylor(fantastic by the way).
I found it very small, not that picturesque with a creepy vibe. There was nothing to do there and we felt it was a bit of a waste of our limited time while at port. Go to blue hole instead.

We did the Dunns River / Mahogany Beach tour through Peat Taylor last February. I agree with RRB above. Not a beach I enjoyed, or would ever return to. I would never have thought of the word "creepy" to describe it.... but you know, now that he's said it.... it totally was, and creepy is a good word to describe it. It had a really odd vibe there and I didn't like it.

Our guide was Vinnie and he was fine. It wasn't much of a 'tour' IMO, they drove us to the falls, then rounded us up and drove us to the beach, then rounded us up and took us back to the ship. There really wasn't much of a guided or verbal tour involved. More of a transportation service - - they really didn't say much after the beginning. Vinnie was a very nice man - always a big smile, and Dunns River was fun (vendors are intense, but you've probably already heard that), but I really didn't like their choice of beach. If I ever go back to Ochos Rios, and I don't plan to, I think I will visit the blue hole. All in all, I didn't enjoy my day at Ochos Rios. It's not a very nice place IMO.

[songyen]

A better beach is the Bamboo blue beach excellent and also Reggae Beach.

[songyen]

Peat Taylor as always been an exemplery tour operator and will always recomend his company highly. Toured with them back in 2005 was exellent