Falmouth, Jamaica Private Tour Company Recommendations???

We are going to Falmouth next summer on the Oasis and I wanted to start checking into some private tours in the area for our family of 5. I know a lot of people highly recommend some of the local companies. I would love to know which ones!!

Also, if you did private tours, what were some of the best places to visit? We have two kids, 11 and 6, and my mother who is in pretty decent physical shape.

We used Courtney. Loved our tour. Dunns river and then tubing down a river.

http://www.courtneytaylortours.com

Another vote for Courtney Taylor tours.

We did a custom tour - Irie Blue Hole (Not on the ship's list) - HIGHLY recommended!! and Scotchies for Lunch with some shopping.

We are going to Falmouth next summer on the Oasis and I wanted to start checking into some private tours in the area for our family of 5. I know a lot of people highly recommend some of the local companies. I would love to know which ones!!

 

Also, if you did private tours, what were some of the best places to visit? We have two kids, 11 and 6, and my mother who is in pretty decent physical shape.

We have used Peat Taylor while in Jamaica on two different occasions and loved them! He gets great reviews on Trip Advisor also and received their certificate of excellence for 2014.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147312-d780599-Reviews-Peat_Taylor_Private_Tours-Ocho_Rios_Saint_Ann_Parish_Jamaica.html

http://ochoriosjamaicatours.com/

His website says Ocho Rios but they will arrange a tour wherever you are in Jamaica. We used them in Falmouth last year and in Ocho Rios a couple of years before that. The Falmouth trip we were on Oasis and did a full day private tour for four (shopping, Dr's Cave Beach and lunch at Scotchies) for $40 per person plus the cost for food and beach of course. It was great! You can customize the trip anyway you like and get a quote or just pick a prearranged excursion.

We used Liberty Tours Jamaica last October & had a fabulous time. We went to Irie Blue Hole followed by Scotchies for lunch, all of which was amazing. Ricardo couldn't have taken better care of our family. It was myself, my husband, and our six children, ages 3-14. I was a little concerned about my youngest, but she was spoiled by being carried all around the waterfall by the end of the trip.

We wouldn't hesitate to book with them again.

Liberty Tours Jamaica

I know Falmouth is Royal's port, but you might also try the port of call area of CC to see if other members have recommendations.

How did you book these companies? I am afraid of booking online. I rather wait until I get there, but what if they are not available then?

How did you book these companies? I am afraid of booking online. I rather wait until I get there, but what if they are not available then?

I started with e-mailing to inquire about tours/rates, etc, and Ricardo followed up with a few phone calls to make sure we understood everything and to answer any questions. There was no money required up front, so I wasn't worried about losing it to a no-show or anything like that.

Not sure about who/what will be available if you wait since we didn't go that route, but you might ask on the port of call boards - that's where I first heard of Liberty Tours.

How did you book these companies? I am afraid of booking online. I rather wait until I get there, but what if they are not available then?

I booked on line with no issues. The amount that they ask for a down payment is minuscule. I think it's about $5 pp done through paypal. You only pay the driver once the tour was done. You pay admission prices directly to the vendor. I.e you pay at the gate for Dunns river etc..

We have used Marva Tours 2 times and LOVED them!!

We used Patrice Bailey last Sept and went to Dunns river and just got a little tour of the island. ( You can choose what you want to do) I was hesitant about booking with an individual, but she didn't require any money till the day we arrived so I figured we didn't have anything to lose, but may be left stranded. I didn't need to worry she was were she said she'd be and even remembered my name! Had a good day! Look her up on trip advisor.

How did you book these companies? I am afraid of booking online. I rather wait until I get there, but what if they are not available then?

Email them about what you want and then book online. They only require a deposit (which I paid through PayPal) and then you pay the your operator.

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Another Peat Taylor recommendation. Used him from Falmouth to Dunns River Falls, tubing and blue hole and it was great.

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We used Liberty Tours Jamaica last October & had a fabulous time. We went to Irie Blue Hole followed by Scotchies for lunch, all of which was amazing. Ricardo couldn't have taken better care of our family. It was myself, my husband, and our six children, ages 3-14. I was a little concerned about my youngest, but she was spoiled by being carried all around the waterfall by the end of the trip.

 

We wouldn't hesitate to book with them again.

 

Liberty Tours Jamaica

Can you tell me more about Blue Hole with a small child? Our daughter will be about 4 1/2 when we cruise again and we would like to do Blue Hole but concerned it may be too much for her.

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If you're looking for something different we did a fun walking culinary tour. Jamaica culinary tours the owner Janet Crick is such a fun sweet lady and you get to taste lots of native foods. You will also get to meet miss Anne.... can't say enough about the fun we even had!

Can you tell me more about Blue Hole with a small child? Our daughter will be about 4 1/2 when we cruise again and we would like to do Blue Hole but concerned it may be too much for her.

 

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Our youngest two were 3 & 5, and they had a great time. There are some high spots where you can jump in, but we just watched on those. I did take their puddle jumper swimmies and they were able to enjoy the pools along with everyone else. There is some climbing, although nothing strenuous and while I would've just stayed back if needed, it wasn't an issue because our two guides actually carried the little ones up a few of the spots. They were so attentive to the kids and making sure they were safe. Your daughter will likely be fine, although you can also hang back on some portions if you felt uncomfortable.

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Mark Morris highly rated on Tripadvisor and lived up to his reputation- had large group with 3 geneartions of ages- met all our needs- had a great Jamaican lunch- and learned alot. Mark really geared alot of his touching to the young ones of the group- he was the BEST!

Fran Alexander

Thank you everyone for the great ideas. Everything sounds wonderful!

We have been on several cruises in the past few years and have gotten great advice about port tours/excursions from Cruise Critic. I pour through reviews, good and bad, to decide what is the best way for our family to spend our vacation time (and $). That is why I want to be sure to post our experience with Liberty Tours. I know MANY people have had an excellent experience with them, so ours is probably a rare instance, but...

On October 31, 2013, I booked a private tour with Liberty Tours for our stop in Falmouth on April 1, 2014. I was the first person to book with them for that date. I had read many reviews on Cruise Critic and TripAdvisor prior to deciding on Liberty Tours and was quite clear that I wanted Ricardo as our guide. The charismatic Ricardo and the fun of spending the day with him was a main factor in the appeal of booking with Liberty Tours. I expressed this in email and phone conversations with the owner, Mr. Richmond, and was reassured that Ricardo would be our guide. How disappointing it was to arrive in Falmouth only to be handed off to another guide—one that was not even with Liberty Tours. Ricardo told us that a big group had come along and he needed to be with them to make sure that all went well. So, we were pawned off onto a subcontractor--and one that was usually based in Montego Bay, not Falmouth. If I had known this was going to happen, I NEVER would have booked with Liberty Tours. I could have saved a lot of money and just hired a driver for the day because that is what we basically ended up with. Our driver was nice enough, but not entertaining or engaging at all. We had to ask him questions to get any conversation going or to learn about the island. I do not blame him, or Ricardo, for this, but the owner of the company who made the promise that Ricardo would be our guide. I expressed my disappointment by email when we returned, and both Ricardo and Mr. Richmond sent apologies, but that did little to alleviate the cloud over our experience. I had "talked up" Liberty Tours to my husband and daughter and it definitely did not live up to the reviews.

Having said that, our guide at Secret Falls, Julian, was awesome! He was fun, polite and patient. He encouraged our daughter and helped her with the jump off the larger falls. My husband and I weren't daring enough for the large falls, but we did many smaller jumps and it was exhilarating! We had a great time here and I would highly recommend it. Definitely an experience to remember. Ask for JULIAN! As a side note, my husband and I went to Dunn's River years earlier and I would definitely recommend Secret Falls over Dunn's River. Lunch at Scotchie's was fine. A little awkward because it was the three of us sitting with the driver. We decided to skip shopping because we just wanted to get back to the ship at that point.

If we are in Falmouth again, I will use another tour company or just hire a driver for the day and be sure that Secret Falls is on the agenda. It was a beautiful spot.

Just got back from our cruise on the Breeze last week and did a tour with Liberty Tours while ported in Jamaica. This company is hands down the best of the best!

We had a large party of 17 ranging in ages from 3-57 yrs old. We chose to do the Blue Hole/Scotchies lunch excursion. This port was the highlight of our vacation!!! Liberty Tours will definitely not disappoint! We were treated with utmost professionalism from start to finish. This tour is amazing!! The guides at the falls were so friendly and patient with all of us and we knew we were in good hands.

I originally based my decision to choose this company on all the great reviews not only on CC but also tripadvisor. Many other companies in Jamaica were offering similar tours but couldn't compare to the awesome feedback so this was basically a no-brainer. We were MORE THAN pleased with Ricardo and Liberty Tours Jamaica!!!

I highly recommend you give this company a call!

We have also recently used Liberty Tours Jamaica for our tour to Secret Falls in April. We did have Ricardo for our driver, and were very pleased with him. He called us a few times to arrange all the details, instructed us on what to bring, and answered all our questions. Once you arrive at the Falls, the guides are extremely helpful with you in navigating through the terrain, waterfalls, caves, and the rope swing. This is the most beautiful, peaceful hidden gem we have ever seen. We also found Liberty Tours on CC and read their excellent reputation on Trip Advisor before selecting them. We give them a A+++++. This by far was the best choice we made for a fantastic, and memorable day.

We are going to Falmouth next summer on the Oasis and I wanted to start checking into some private tours in the area for our family of 5. I know a lot of people highly recommend some of the local companies. I would love to know which ones!!

 

Also, if you did private tours, what were some of the best places to visit? We have two kids, 11 and 6, and my mother who is in pretty decent physical shape.

My husband and I booked a private tour with Liberty Tours in May. We had an AMAZING time! This was our first cruise... so we weren't really sure what to expect. I was thinking about going to Dunns River.. but then I found out about The Blue Hole/Secret Falls! I am so glad that we went with The Blue Hole over Dunns River!

I spent a lot of time researching different tour companies that would accommodate us. I found a few good reviews for different places.. but Liberty Tours is what really stood out. I emailed them.. and Ricardo responded almost right away! He was in contact with me via email and phone until the day of our cruise! It was really great to actually speak with him over the phone! He answered all of my questions and was just a very funny and respectful person. I knew my trip was going to be awesome!

Ricardo was our guide for the tour. I put a group together from the roll call.. so we had a group of 12 or so. Him and the driver picked us up in a clean air conditioned van. The driver (I forgot his name) was very nice and drove safely. We all went to the Blue hole, stopped for beef patties, stopped at a great photo spot with a small bar, went to scotchies for lunch and then did a little shopping.

The Blue Hole was beautiful! The guides were very patient and helpful. They helped everyone up the falls and held our cameras/phones. They even took pictures and videos for everyone! Our group was a mix of different people. A couple didn't know how to swim.. and they were given life vests. Some of us jumped off the different falls, others just enjoyed the scenery and went for a swim. I think your group would have a great time! Also.. we left our belonging on the bus.. (money, id's, etc..) and there were no problems!

Scotchies was delicious! The flavors were great and everything was fresh! There were a few locals at the bar and sitting at the tables having lunch. They were all very nice and did not make anyone feel out of place or uncomfortable! Scotchies is also a very pretty place! If you like being outdoors.. you will really enjoy the atmosphere it offers!

Our last stop was a little shop that offered lots of Jamaican gifts and rum tasting! The gentleman who owned the store gave our group discounts and deals on everything! The rum tasting was great! You got to try whatever rums you wanted!

I also have to add that nobody in our group was pressured to do something they didn't want to do! Liberty Tours did not just bring us to tourist traps! Our bus driver even warned us about the people on the streets that would try to sell random items.. or put on some type of show for tips. We stopped for one man who was in some crazy costume and some of us gave him a couple dollars. But the driver didn't stop for anyone else.. because he knew we didn't want to!

I highly recommend booking with Liberty Tours! They are kind, respectful and will make sure you feel safe and have a great time! My husband and I hope to go back to Jamaica one day. And if we do.. we will definitely be giving Ricardo/Liberty Tours a call! :)

Here are some links for you!

http://www.libertytoursjamaica.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147311-d3738843-Reviews-Liberty_Tours_Jamaica_Day_Tours-Montego_Bay_Saint_James_Parish_Jamaica.html

We used Peat Taylor Tours to visit Dunns River Falls, go River Tubing and explore the Blue Hole. We had Peat's eldest son, Oneil as our private guide for the day. Oneil was absolutely awesome! Not only was he very professional and helpful, he was also friendly, informative, entertaining and humorous too. Based on our experience, I would highly recommend Peat Taylor Tours.

For more details about our experience with Peat Taylor Tours and the sites we visited, check out my reviews with photos on Trip Advisor as well as my YouTube video's.

Peat Taylor Tours Review

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147312-d780599-r176247819-Peat_Taylor_Private_Tours-Ocho_Rios_Saint_Ann_Parish_Jamaica.html#UR176247819

Dunns River Falls Review

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147312-d2043496-r177073197-Dunn_s_River_Falls-Ocho_Rios_Saint_Ann_Parish_Jamaica.html#UR177073197

Video:

[YOUTUBE]1ELKsoLnx50[/YOUTUBE]

River Rafting Review

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147312-d1390584-r179264227-Calypso_Rafting-Ocho_Rios_Saint_Ann_Parish_Jamaica.html

Video:

[YOUTUBE]uN0stc_n5TE[/YOUTUBE]

Blue Hole Review

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147312-d1997485-r176527386-

Video:

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Just got back from our cruise on the Breeze last week and did a tour with Liberty Tours while ported in Jamaica. This company is hands down the best of the best!

 

We had a large party of 17 ranging in ages from 3-57 yrs old. We chose to do the Blue Hole/Scotchies lunch excursion. This port was the highlight of our vacation!!! Liberty Tours will definitely not disappoint! We were treated with utmost professionalism from start to finish. This tour is amazing!! The guides at the falls were so friendly and patient with all of us and we knew we were in good hands.

I originally based my decision to choose this company on all the great reviews not only on CC but also tripadvisor. Many other companies in Jamaica were offering similar tours but couldn't compare to the awesome feedback so this was basically a no-brainer. We were MORE THAN pleased with Ricardo and Liberty Tours Jamaica!!!

 

I highly recommend you give this company a call!

We go on our cruise next week and we booked this tour. Can't wait. How much of a tip do you recommend for a party of 4?