Mystic Jamaica: Ocho Rios

The best thing that I did in Ocho Rios was Dunn's River Fall's. Since I was married on this vacation, I did not do a lot outside of the resort. I highly recommend Beaches Boscobel Resort if you are looking for an all-inclusive!

Quick Tips:

I was able to rent all the SCUBA gear necessary at the resort, along with very basic sailboats and kayaks, for no additional charge. That is the beauty of an all-inclusive in a tropical paradise. Local events were broadcast by mega-phone from the ocean (someone got on a small motor boat a few times a day to do this).

Best Way To Get Around:

Taxi's are really the best option when travelling around Ocho Rios. Make sure to bring plenty of dollars to tip the driver, though, and arrange a set price before stepping into the vehicle. Haggle with the taxi driver's to get the best possible price, but make sure you only take taxi's with red license plates - they are the ONLY taxi's licensed by the government.

Best Things Nearby:
Dunn's River Fall's is a 5- to 10-minute taxi ride away!

Best Things About the Resort:
Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Clean!

Resort Experience:
I stayed at Beaches Boscobel All-Inclusive Resort, and I was very impressed. We were to be married there, and my husband and I had five others accompany us. We had a standard ocean view room, which they upgraded complementary to a concierge room. Wonderful! The staff was nothing but pleasant and helpful to us. They had several tours leaving the resort on a daily basis, which you could arrange near the front desk. SCUBA (if you're certified) and water sports were also free. The beach was a bit small, but most of the children stayed near the pools. This made the beach the place to be for me. They had wonderful evening entertainment nightly, complete with an adults-only disco in the late evening. The food was wonderful, especially the seafood buffet that was being served weekly when we went. Make note that there are several stray, but friendly, cats that roam the property. If you are highly allergic to cats, keep this in mind. The only other thing that may bother some travelers is the local employees they hire to complete their remodeling in the off-season. They were very "oogly" towards me, for the most part. The resort was spectacularly clean!

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

So, everyone says you have to do it once, and I would agree. Climbing the 600 foot falls is quite an experience, and somewhat tricky. I had the tour arranged through our resort, Beaches Boscobel in Ocho Rios. It was $34 per person, which included your transportation to and from the falls. I went with two other travel companions, and we had one guide. Most of the groups climbing the falls were larger groups with multiple guides. They would climb up the falls in a single-file line, all holding hands.

Unlike most of the other groups our guide just went for it! We went up the opposite side of falls from the other groups. This side was more difficult, but it was nice to be away from the crowds. You have to make sure you step where your guide is stepping, to avoid endless black holes. It was well-worth the climb, though, which I would estimate at about 10 to 15 minutes. There is a marketplace after the falls which is a bit of a tourist trap, and would be somewhat scary to the inexperienced traveler.

We basically skipped this section, and went right out to our van waiting to take us back to the resort. Do be aware that you have to tip about three different people on your way down and through the falls- but hey- that’s Jamaica! At least the tourist Jamaica… I would say, you must do it once. It is a beautiful area, with amazing falls. Make sure to wear your bathing suit, as you will be fully immersing yourself into the river. Water shoes are a must, and several vendors sell them right near the falls. The river itself is surprisingly clean and clear.