A-Z Jamaica Planners is the best!

[Chicagomom]

Just wanted to thank those of you who guided us to A-Z Jamaica Planners for our day in Ocho Rios. We were there Monday, November 1, and had a fantastic time!

 

Oscar met us at the pier and we (10 of us) boarded their air conditioned bus for a fun filled day. Our first stop was Dunn's River Falls. We started by walking down the boardwalk next to the falls and then half walked back up while the other half walked the Falls with a wonderful guide. We had a great time and got some great pictures! It was early in the day, so it wasn't crowded. After we got back to the top, Oscar walked with us through the shopping area. Information on these boards made it seem like a scary place, but Oscar said the previous week they had gone through and cleaned up the place. As far as I know, no one in our group was offered drugs, and although the vendors did try to get you to buy, they were not nearly as pushy as the ones the following day in Labadee.

 

Now I have to explain to you that several of our group are shoppers. Once they see a shopping area it is almost impossible to tear them away. Since we had a full day of sightseeing planned (and some shopping), and we were late getting started, we probably had Oscar pulling his hair out, but he was gracious the whole time and managed to get us through all our stops, satisfy the shoppers, and get us back to the ship with a little time left over for a quick trip to Island Village. HE IS AMAZING!!!!!

 

After the falls we drove through Fern Gully, went to the Wassi Art Pottery Factory (and more delays with the shoppers), and Sun Island Factory Outlet (where the shoppers went wild). Since we were running late, instead of going back to the ship for lunch (or to a local restaurant as some had planned), Oscar took us to Juici Beef Patties where for $2 we got 2 beef patties (a beef mixture sealed in a flaky pastry--like a large Hostess fruit pie) and a soda. There were also chicken, cheese, and veggie flavors. They were great, and just what we needed, as we grabbed them and ate them on the bus (sorry for the mess, Belinda!).

 

From lunch we headed to Shaw Park Gardens and then on to Prospect Plantation. We made it back to the ship about 3:45 and our ship's last boarding was at 4:30. Some went back to the ship while others make a quick trip to Island Village. The sightseers were satisfied! The shoppers were satisfied! And Ocho Rios is a beautiful place!

 

So thanks again to those of you who steered us to A-Z! They were an excellent choice! And to those who plan on staying on the ship when it docks in Ocho Rios--THINK AGAIN! You don't want to miss this beautiful spot!

[caribcat]

Your tour sounds wonderful. Can I ask how much you paid per person please as I am trying to organise a tour like that at the moment.

 

Thanks

[Chicagomom]

We paid $60 per person and it was well worth it. But you can design your own tour and the cost will vary according to what you include. Just e-mail Belinda from their website and tell her what you want. She'll set it up and tell you what it will cost. You pay in cash or with a credit card (if you notify them in advance) during the tour. I believe they take a credit card number to hold your reservation (can't remember for sure), but it is only used if you don't cancel and don't show. If for some reason the ship doesn't dock, you wont' be charged.

 

Our tour included:

 

Dunn's River Falls

Fern Gully

Shaw Park Gardens

Wassi Art Pottery Factory

Sun Island Factory Outlet

Prospect Plantation

 

The price included all the entrance fees (which is about half the cost). So when you price through other people, make sure you know whether they are including those or whether they expect you to pay that on top of their fee.

 

You'll have a great time! Wish I could go with!

[42trvl]

Thanks for all the great info. What was Prospect Plantation like? We were thinking of Brimmer Estate, but it seems far and we would like to do all the other things you mentioned also.

[Chicagomom]

It was recommended we go to Prospect because it is a lot closer and we were told Brimmer has become a bit run down.

 

Basically you ride around in a tractor pulled jitney and they show you the different plants, trees, etc., and give you some of the area's history. At one point you stop and they show you lots of different fruits and you get to taste some fresh fruit. We were a bit rushed for time, so I'm not sure we got the full tour, but it was your basic sightseeing trolley-type tour through a plantation. It wasn't the greatest thing we did, but it seemed worth the trip.