GETTING OUT AND ABOUT AT OCHO RIOS - 2 RETIRED PEOPLE

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fourwalls
fourwalls

We are going to Ocho Rios for two weeks fairly soon and staying at a big resort at Mammee Bay.

First time to the West Indies and a bit disappointed to read that the all-inclusives are not keen on you leaving the complex to explore the area of Ocho Rios, unless you pay for one of their tours.

We are retired people and plan to get out and about Ocho Rios on our own, to try the Jamaican food, meet people, listen to music (such as jazz) etc. (not very keen on shopping!). We also like to do snorkeling and swimming and visiting gardens.

Please give us suggestions of places we might be able to get to, good beaches, etc, using a local taxi or bus. We do not plan to hire a car. Any names of good taxi drivers or guides would be useful too.

All tips and suggestions welcome!

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ohliz
ohliz

They may not be keen on it but they won't stop you :)

Local taxis and buses will go most anywhere you want to go, so the question is, what are you interested in doing and/or seeing?

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fourwalls
fourwalls

We have a rough idea what we want to see, and have been reading guide book
Fire Fly
Dunn's River falls (but not sure about climbing up them!)
Shaw Park Gardens
Prospect Plantation
Reggae Beach
Oracabessa
Wassi Art Gallery
Seville Great House
St Mary Peace Park and Farm
Jack's Bay beach
Scotchies Too (eating)
and some good place to do snorkelling

It would be helpful to get some hints about how easy it is to get to these places, and how much it might cost to get there, using local taxi or bus.

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ohliz
ohliz

Some are just off the main road - like Dunns - and so are easy to take public taxi/bus to.

Some, like Firefly, are up on a hill and may require either a taxi change or a charter.

In Jamaica a charter is a taxi that takes you and only you from point A to point B. Obviously they cost more than public, shared taxis/buses, but how much more depends on where you are going, if you want them to wait for you or not, and how well you bargain.

This map shows some of the places on your list:

http://www.jamaicancaves.org/jamaica-road-map.jpg

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greenfieldhunter
greenfieldhunter

The only thing I would add to your list is a lunch (or dinner) at High Hope Estate in St Ann- nice view, unique house, good food, very small and personal.

If you like riding horses the best place on the island for such is Hooves- they do rides around Seville Great House

My personal recommendation would be to hire a driver for a day or 2 for some of the further away destinations and supplement that with some route taxis for closer destinations. A driver for a day will run at least $100 US- maybe more

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ackeepod
ackeepod

wow!!
had a look at High Hope ...Looks very tempting

http://www.highhopeestate.com/?id_pagina=78&Lang=_1&photogallery.html#

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