Peat Taylor Ocho Rios

[Peyton18]

We have booked with Peat Taylor for the Blue Hole in April. We are a group of 8. What is the suggested tip for the guide?

[Joyride37]

We have booked with Peat Taylor for the Blue Hole in April. We are a group of 8. What is the suggested tip for the guide?

 

 

We just got back from there. Hopefully it will not have rained at least 48 hours or so before you get there. The run off from the mountain makes the water a light brown, as it was for us. Even then, it was still stunning and beautiful.

 

We had two young men be our guides there, and they are very knowledgable to. They will tell you about the many types of vegitation,, the history and storys about the hole. We tipped those guys 20 each, not that you have to, and its not required, but they did an awesome job for us.

 

The only tip I have for you when you are in Jamacia, dont let the vendors put anything in your hands, cause then they will expect you to pay for it. Make sure you get the Dunn River falls in. With Peat, the falls and the hole were 60/person.

 

Joyride

[smallchange]

Eight of us booked a tour on-line with Peat Taylor. We wanted to do Dunns River Falls and White River tubing. It was very easy to book on-line and my questions were answered promptly.

 

We docked in Falmouth and we followed the emailed instructions about finding the rep. Phone # were given and who to ask to call if we couldn't find them. This was very reassuring.

 

Now for my disappointment. We found Peat Jr. and he escorted us to the van. Another couple (on the other ship in port) was already there. They were going on different tours in Ocho Rios. Once inside Peat Jr. said we needed to wait for one more couple and he left. And we waited and waited and waited for about 30-40 min. We tooted the horn, discussed leaving, etc. The problem was that the one couple had to be back at the port an hour earlier than we needed to be back. Finally, Peat Jr. returned and said that we weren't waiting any longer. (We already felt that he had waited too long.) We left the port area and had started into town when he got a phone call saying that the couple had shown up. He turned around to go back to get them. He parks and disappears, returns 10 minutes later without them. They decided the weather was too bad to go. I'm really questioning him now about our schedule and he is giving me pat answers. In Jamaica there are no problems, etc. Anyway on the way he talks about a place where we will stop to eat on the way back.

 

We get to Dunns River Falls and it is busy. One of the draws to the Peat Taylor tours is that you get to the Falls early before the ships' excursions do. But not if you wait so long to get on the road. We do both excursions and then go to pick up the other couple. We're about an hour away from Falmouth. They are worried about getting back to the ship on time and traffic is heavier.

 

I speak up about our concern and Peat Jr. says we will get our food to go. We decide not to do that because it is really cutting it too close for the other couple. So we tell him we do not want to stop. He does not like hearing this and puts in this rauchy CD and turns up the volume really loud so we can't talk. We keep having our friend in the passenger seat to turn the volume down.

 

I guess at some point he realizes that his attitude might affect his tip because he turns off the music. Suddenly he pulls off the road and goes into a store without saying anything. We don't know if he is going to the bathroom, picking up the food, or what. Finally, he gets back in the van with a bag of sugar cane for us to chew on.

 

We arrive back at the port on time for the other couple. Peat Jr. disagreed with them about the time their ship would depart and the ship did depart later than they said it would. But we would not have been so nervous about the time if we had not waited so long that morning for a couple that never materialized. We all felt it was quite inconsiderate for him to delay our tour when we showed up at the time he told us to. Not sure I would book with this company again.

[smallchange]

I have recently returned from our cruise and we had Peat Jr. as our tour guide for Dunns Rivers Falls and tubing. I was very disappointed in the start of the excursion. I have posted a more thorough review on this site explaining the problems.

[etravel]

Oh my, that is upsetting to hear:confused:..We are looking at a Peat Taylor tour from Falmouth in May to Dunn's River and Irie Blue Hole! That sounds like that was very frustrating and concerns me as I certainly don't want to have any issues on our day tour!

[Roxy30]

Hubby and I used Peat Jr last April when we stayed in Ocho Rios for 5 days. He was awesome. He took us to the falls and white water rafting. He was awesome. He even warned us not to let people give us things because they would expect payment if we held the item. He was also great at keeping the locals from pressuring us to buy things. I would highly reccomend him.

[Mybearsbaby]

We had Peat Taylor Jr. for our tour November 2010, and we loved every minute of it! He was so friendly, helpful, and he even sang to us! We faced a problem on our tour because we were scheduled to dock in OR, but due to berthing issues, had to dock in MB. I emailed Peat, and he replied "No problem, mon!" He met us in Mo bay, and we had a wonderful day!!

[Canadian Tyler]

That's an unfortunate experience. We had a similarly long wait in Falmouth while we waited for another couple on a different ship to join us, I think the ship was late arriving. It was a long wait and we were concerned we wouldn't make all 3 stops (Falls, Blue Hole and Tubing) but we did and ended up having a great time. Just too bad about the long wait, but it was also raining that day so not much else we could do in the port area anyway.

[mdepsmom]

I used Peat's tours for DRF and Tubing last week. It was pouring rain and chilly the day we were there, so DRF was not a fun experience at all. Thankfully the skies cleared and we had a much better (and warmer) time tubing.

 

I ran into a problem at the end of the tour, when it came time to pay our driver (not Peat, and I don't recall his name). When I originally booked the tour, my email confirmation said $65 adult/$60 child (I was traveling w/ my 9-year old son). The week before our cruise, I happened to check their website and saw that the price listed for our tour was $65 adult/$55 child. So I emailed Peat Taylor Tours to confirm that the price on the website was, in fact, the current and correct price. He emailed me back and apologized for the mistake and confirmed the $55/child price. So when we got off the van to pay, the driver asked me for $125. I told him no - it was $65 adult/$55 child, so I would be paying $120. Luckily I had the prior week's email with me, which confirmed the $55 child price. The driver asked to keep the email.

 

So just a word of caution -- be sure the price in your confirmation email matches the price on the website, and if there's a discrepancy, confirm it in writing before you get to Jamaica, and bring that confirmation with you!

[sharecruises]

Ouch...

 

JMO Falmouth is awful

 

it adds all that drive time and confusion to any tour

 

soooo much easier to tour from Ochos

 

I personally don't even bother with the "name" guides who are praised on here all the time....from what I see, they all get too popular and then they don't do the tour themselves and then problems come

 

Falmouth just adds drive time, mix ups, confusion and money to any tour..

 

IMHO "Falmouth" is Jamaican for "stay on the ship" LOL

[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..

[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..

[kaa12740]

We stopped in Falmouth on March 10th and the other ship that was in port was Freedom of the Seas. We had booked with Peat Taylor months ago and recieved an email saying to depart from the ship 15-30 minutes once we had clearance to get off of the ship. I printed the confirmation out that said the times, prices, and excursion stops. I HIGHLY recommend doing this as it was very helpful when we ran into problems. We were off the ship by 8:20 and met Peat Taylor tours. The two brothers who were just awesome! We were told to do stuff around the port for 45 minutes until the other passengers get off of the other ship. We were the only 2 from our ship that were on the excursion. Little did we know that they would not be getting off until 10:00. They knew this and it would have been very nice to know this ahead of time otherwise we would not have gotten off the ship as early as we did. We have done the shopping stuff and it was raining so not a lot for us to do. So we wasted a couple hours when we could have been doing other things. Next, we were placed in a van by ourself, waited some more, and then moved to a different bus. This bus was going to Dunns river falls and river tubing. I said we were going to dunns and the beach and that is what we signed up for. He was going to have us do the river tubing and dunns together if I hadn't had my confirmation saying dunns and the beach. He said he would take care of it but by this time I was already just a little upset. The other members of our group did not need to be back until 6:30 and we needed to be back by 4:00. I felt bad that there trip had to be cut short as well. We had to leave Ocho Rios by 3:00. After Dunns, the brothers made it work and got a cab for my fiance and I so we could go to the beach. It turned out great in the end. I do highly recommend Peat Taylor but just as a warning for others, I would clarify times a bit more. In all, the people we met were AWESOME and the Peat Taylor brothers made up for it

[kaa12740]

We had this same problem! We were there March 7th. We waited almost 2 hours for other people to get off of the ship when we were told to get off 15-30 minutes once the ship had clearance for passengers to get off. The other group did not have to be back until 6:30 and we had to be back much earlier so I did feel bad for them. Peat taylor planning cut into both of our trips in Jamacia. They made up for it but I don't know if I would go with them again because of this. The people we met were awesome though which was a plus!

[sugarcat]

where does the zip lining with Peat Taylor happen? Chukka or mystic mountain?

[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.