Blue hole-watervallen + combinatietour paardrijden vanuit Ocho Rios

It was a fantastic combination tour. Our chief guide met up with us just outside the cruise center in Ocho Rios. First he took us to the horseback riding part of the excursion. The staff there were excellent. They have a step up to assist riders in mounting the horses. A walking guide stayed with each horse and rider as we walked along the beach and in the water. The horses were great, very tame, very responsive to commands. I had never ridden a horse before and I liked it. Felt a little like John Wayne high in the saddle. The second part of the excursion was a visit to the famous Blue Hole. The Blue Hole, really a series of swimming holes are deep natural pools in the White River. And you walk along the trail to each of the 4 water holes. There are two opportunities to “cliff jump” into the water and two opportunities to “Tarzan swing” into the water. You can also just swim I the natural pools. It’s a little scary at first making that initial cliff jump right at the start but do it. It’s exhilarating. The mountain water is cool but tolerable. We never felt “freezing.” Our guide, Nicardo, was fantastic. He never put any pressure on anyone to jump. He showed us wear to walk along the trail and most importantly he held our phones for us and took video and pictures of us as we made our jumps and swings. The Blue Hole facility has restrooms and changing rooms so you can get out of wet swim suits at the end of the tour. We kept our dry things and money in the tour van while we were jumping and swinging. No problem. Our chief guide/driver stayed with the van. Bring some cash for tips for both the guys helping you with the horses (one guide per horse), for your escort guide at the Blue Hole and for the chief guide/driver. I believe the guides who work at the Blue Hole are lifeguards. I am 60 years old. If I can do the cliff jumps and Tarzan swings then you can too. It was a great day. You will love it. We were cruise passengers and booked this excursion on our own through TripAdvisor. However I am sure that local hotel guests could also do this tour.

Are you kidding me right now??!! Jamoy is everything the good reviews say. He is honest, caring, professional, super competent and so, so kind. We have done a trail ride in Arizona before, and were able to (safely) lead our own horses. After reading about companies and tons of reviews, SSJ looked like it would allow the same. Yes. Info: Horses - You can either be led by a guide, or lead yourself with a guide always watching to make sure you're safe. Yes, the riding portion isn't super long. For us, it was a just right amount of time. You go to the stables, get set up, ride out to the water and down the beach, and back to the stables. Blue Hole - The kids (young teens) loved it. So did I and that was just for the hike and water. There's all kinds of descriptions of Blue hole so I'll leave that off. Tips: 1. Know that the driving will take time. Jamoy was happy to explain anything we wanted or answer questions etc. 2. Bring water shoes for both the ride (your feet get wet, maybe even up to your thighs depending on you and your horse etc) and Blue Hole 3. Bring a change of clothes and towels. Either sit on the towel in the car if damp, or change after Blue Hole. 4. You might be asked to buy stuff a lot. Ask your guides or tour guide how to handle that, based on what your preference is. 5. Bring cash with you. Tip generously. The horse guides, the Blue Hole guide, and your SSJ tour guides. 6. The phone number is on the website. The email addresses may or may not work. 7. Remember that it's Jamaica. What matters counts, and what doesn't, don't let it bother you. Here, everything is Irie because life is too short to be fussed about everything. Don't sweat the small stuff and have tons of fun. Thank you so much to Jamoy and Rickel, and the guides to fun - Juvie, Romario, Quewayne and our horses Country Boy (bc he is from the country), Black Stallion (bc he is a black stallion), and 21 Savage (we will find out his story next time! Never got around to asking!!) SSJ - Mi see yuh likkle more. Blessings!

Jamoy was great. He picked us up from Sandals Ocho Rios on time. He provided a clean car with cool air conditioning; we didn’t have to worry about a thing. The horseback riding was beautiful and the horses were friendly. Blue hole was equally amazing; I recommend jumping in. We received pictures at the horseback riding for additional fee. I recommend Jomoy everytime.