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Thread: Day Trips from Hedo?

  1. #1
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    Day Trips from Hedo?

    While we are at Hedo we are wanting to see some of the sites.
    What is the best way to go, when booking some trips?
    We are thinking to just do it all in one day and get it out of the way.
    We are wanting to go to Port Antonio, Bamboo Raft the Rio Grande, and see Dunns River Falls.
    Just wondering what the Tour prices are like, and what you suggest to see and do on our trip.
    Can you also shed some light on the tipping policies on the Island.
    What is acceptable and what is the norm?
    We are big tippers for good service received.
    But when and where is tipping appreciated, accepted and expected either at Hedo or on our day excursions?
    VBG

  2. #2
    Registered User ScubaSteve's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Very Bad Girl View Post
    While we are at Hedo we are wanting to see some of the sites.
    What is the best way to go, when booking some trips?
    We are thinking to just do it all in one day and get it out of the way.
    We are wanting to go to Port Antonio, Bamboo Raft the Rio Grande, and see Dunns River Falls.
    Just wondering what the Tour prices are like, and what you suggest to see and do on our trip.
    Can you also shed some light on the tipping policies on the Island.
    What is acceptable and what is the norm?
    We are big tippers for good service received.
    But when and where is tipping appreciated, accepted and expected either at Hedo or on our day excursions?
    VBG

    The best way to go when booking trips is to book through the front tour desk. Safest, easiest and most convenient.

    Tipping:
    I think the average is a dollar or two per bag at the airport and bell hop if you like. Same for any driver or excursion.
    Tipping at the resort is a no-no. Employees can lose their job if they are caught accepting a tip.
    If you want to do it (and lots do) be very discreet.
    For housekeeping staff many choose to bring gifts like candles, soap, chocolate and kids stuff.


    These are common questions and you will find a hundred more answers and opinions if you hit the search button above and to the right.






    Cheers,
    ScubaSteve Video

    Rule #1) Never argue with an idiot. They pull you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

  3. #3
    Registered User magjoy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Very Bad Girl View Post
    While we are at Hedo we are wanting to see some of the sites.
    What is the best way to go, when booking some trips?
    We are thinking to just do it all in one day and get it out of the way.
    We are wanting to go to Port Antonio, Bamboo Raft the Rio Grande, and see Dunns River Falls.
    VBG
    We've booked the day trip when we got there. Thing is, you need a minimum amount of people going for some things. All of these things,
    you won't be able to get it done. Dunns & bamboo rafting take up most of the day as it it, dunns river falls is on the entire other end of the island,
    and the area takes several hours. These are very beautiful places, not something you want to/ can rush.
    Last edited by magjoy; 06-05-2012 at 10:17 AM.

  4. #4
    Registered User CopNkitten's Avatar
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    When we are offsite or the bus ride too and from and want to tip, I usually start saving my $5 bills a few months before and keep a pocket full.
    Cop..
    Co-Hosts of kitten + angel's 15th Annual Spring Fling April 9th - 16th, 2022 (We will be onsite 4/7/22 - 4/18/22) http://www.kittennangel.com/

  5. #5
    Registered User divandude441's Avatar
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    We book our tour excursions directly from the Hedo tour desk. As mentioned above, some trips do require a minimum number of people, so it's good to let the tour desk know early, or even the day before...more likely to get more people who want the same trip. We recommend Mayfield Falls and the Bamboo raft river trip. Although tipping is not allowed at Hedo, it is done but very very DISCREETLY because they can lose their jobs if caught accepting a tip. We tip at all the normal tipping opportunities even at Hedo, we just do it on the sneak...we show our appreciation for good service.
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  6. #6
    Registered User NickandKitty's Avatar
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    We have never gone wrong by booking through the tours desk at the resort, but in research we have found that it is a little more expensive than booking directly with the tour operators- the price you pay for convenience I suppose.
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  7. #7
    Registered User L&I's Avatar
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    Very Bad Girl,

    Here are some recommendations:

    Definitely do the rafting, however, the Portland Rafting is at least a 4 hour trip from Negril one-way. An awesome alternative is Mountain Valley Rafting in Lethe, Hanover. They also have a great zip line, so you can do two excursions in 1 trip/location.

    I would recommend YS Falls as an alternative to Dunn's River. YS is about 1 hour from Negril, is privately owned so the crowds are controlled (unlike Dunn's River which can be HELL on a cruise ship day!!). YS is also incredibly beautiful & "natural". Plus, after YS, you can visit the Appleton Rum factory - all in the same trip.

    Just book everything through the hotel, saves the hassle of coordinating transfers etc.

    Cop is right, start saving $5 notes for things like the bus drivers, tour guides etc. For restaurant service, 15% is pretty good. As with any trip, you can tip more if you've had an amazing service experience, less if the experience sucked. I remember doing a tour in Naples, Italy with a misoginystic ape for a tour guide who so turned everyone off that he was lucky if he made a dime! Yet on the same cruise there were some amazing crew who got 30%+ tips from us. So it all depends.

    Good luck & have fun! Jamaica and her people are incredibly warm.

    L&I

    Quote Originally Posted by Very Bad Girl View Post
    While we are at Hedo we are wanting to see some of the sites.
    What is the best way to go, when booking some trips?
    We are thinking to just do it all in one day and get it out of the way.
    We are wanting to go to Port Antonio, Bamboo Raft the Rio Grande, and see Dunns River Falls.
    Just wondering what the Tour prices are like, and what you suggest to see and do on our trip.
    Can you also shed some light on the tipping policies on the Island.
    What is acceptable and what is the norm?
    We are big tippers for good service received.
    But when and where is tipping appreciated, accepted and expected either at Hedo or on our day excursions?
    VBG

  8. #8
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    Portland Rafting is a 4 hour trip each way?
    Are you sure?
    The Island is not that Big.
    I am not familiar with the Portland Rafting that you talk about, but a few years back we did the Bamboo Rafting down the Rio Grande and we did that and Port Antonio's Blue Lagoon all in one day and were back in less than 8 hours.
    I am sure that YS Falls might be just as pretty as the Dunns River Falls is but it is not the Dunns River Falls, but thanks for the options and ideas.
    I suppose if we were at Hedo 3 instead of 2 we would be a lot closer to the things that we are wanting to see and do.
    Can you tell us then, what are the Tour prices ( Ball Park figure) like for getting us to Dunns Falls or up the coast to Port Antonio for the day?
    Would be nice to know if we are getting gouged at all, when we are booking our tours or if the price is actually the going Rate.
    We would love to just be by the pool all day long while at Hedo, but there is so much beautiful tropical scenery around the Island, it would be a shame not to explore some of it while there.
    We are definitely not cheap at all, but we were always under the assumption that having pockets full of one dollar bills was the norm for most occasions?
    We were lead to believe that passing out $5.00 bills as tips, could cause a lot of grieve for the person receiving it, if seen or witnessed by others.
    $5.00 it is then!
    Last edited by Very Bad Girl; 06-07-2012 at 10:22 AM.

  9. #9
    Registered User chrisandlizvt's Avatar
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    The island is not that big for sure, but island driving follows the coast or inland, the hills/mountains, so not a straight shot by any means and the road quality can be interesting in places. Hedo 3 is long closed and Hedo 2 is in Negril, nowhere near Runaway Bay, which is where Hedo 3 was located. The drive from Negril to Port Antonio is a good 5 hours one way......so you won't be going there for a day trip, that is for sure.

    15% tipping for restaurants, $5 for bus operators, $1 dollar per bag for each bag touched for each person that touched the bag, as for drivers, 10-20% of the trip is usually good depending the service.

    We really liked YS Falls and visited there on our honeymoon trip many years ago, it is more developed now, but I imagine equally as lovely. It is closer than Dunn's River....again, Dunn's River would be an all day affair for sure. If you are staying at someplace other than Hedo, then perhaps you can fit in the trips you are interested in, otherwise, you should probably adjust your plans. The excursions desk offers various tours as mentioned.

    Hope this helps! Oh, and you do not need to tip at all while at Hedo, in fact, you are not supposed to and staff can get fired for accepting tips.

    liz
    Liz & Chris

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    Thanks Liz,
    You guys are absolutely right, I was under the impression that Negril was a lot closer to the other action and locations than it is.
    I keep thinking, that it is around Ocho Rios area of the Island.
    Duh on me.
    We were looking at the Map last night and finally realized, that Port Antonio is definitely a long way away, as is Dunns River Falls.
    It looks as if YS Falls and Rafting the Martha Brei River Rafting Trip will be the destinations of reality. as opposed to doing the Rio Grande River rafting trip - Port Antonio's Blue Lagoon and Dunns River Falls.
    With only 6 days at Hedo, well....that does not leave much time for site seeing and our adult fun in the sun.
    You guys are absolutely right, we will really have to take another look at what we want to see and where those sites will be located.
    Duh again.
    I had no idea that Negril was situated so far away from the rest of the sites on the Island.
    I always envisioned it being right around the corner from the airport.
    Oh well....we will just reevaluate our site seeing plans, while at Hedo 2.
    How disappointing for those of us, who would love to explore a little bit more, than just the Negril area.
    Based on that fact alone, you would have thought that they would have kept Hedo 3 open for it's central location to all the major popular sites and attractions on the Island?
    Run away Bay is so much closer to the Dunns River Falls and the Rio Grande - Port Antonio - Portland area of Jamaica and all of there beautiful scenery and there attractions.
    I guess we can start planning now, for our next Trip and stay at an Ocho Rios resort next time around. lol
    Thanks for setting us straight on the tours and the tipping policies.

  11. #11
    Registered User CopNkitten's Avatar
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    We plan on visiting YS Falls this Sept. Not too far away and its a beautiful site plus you can zip line down the falls if you want.
    Cop..
    Co-Hosts of kitten + angel's 15th Annual Spring Fling April 9th - 16th, 2022 (We will be onsite 4/7/22 - 4/18/22) http://www.kittennangel.com/

  12. #12
    Registered User chrisandlizvt's Avatar
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    If you are thinking of another trip to the island and aren't married to having be at Hedo, you might want to think about the Port Antonio area...it is way less developed and supposedly (we're yet to visit) very lovely. We HAVE been down to the Treasure Beach area and it is very different from Negril very sleepy and lovely, very dry though and hot as well. Secluded beaches and not much to do, which we enjoyed. Ocho Rios is very busy...especially as it is a cruise destination. Glad we could help a little.

    Negril is a lovely little town....since you like to explore, you might want to take a walk up the beach and look around...it is really nice off the resort and lots of restaurants and bars...the cliffs are also spectacular, at night we like Rockhouse and Xtabi for great places to eat off the resort, very romantic and lovely. If you don't feel like walking up the beach, have a taxi drop you off at Margaritaville or Cosmo's and just hit the beach and explore up and down...it is very different than Hedo, but more lovely. Firefly has a cute little bar as well...and is the only other nude place on the beach (tiny place and usually they only let their guests do the nude thing there, but you never know). Enjoy and have fun....we LOVE Negril!

    Liz
    Liz & Chris

  13. #13
    Registered User L&I's Avatar
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    Very Bad Girl,

    Martha Brae rafting is about 2 hours, 15 minutes from Negril on the east side of Montego Bay. The Mountain Valley rafting in Lethe is about an hour closer to Negril. It is in the Great River valley and has a semi-rainforest environment like the Rio Grande in Portland, so you should feel right at home....

    I agree with you, Portland is one of the most beautiful spots in the world, but is Sooooo far away from every thing else in Jamaica.

    Try the YS Falls followed by the Appleton tour - trust me, you won't be disappointed!!!

    Have fun,

    L&I

    Quote Originally Posted by Very Bad Girl View Post
    Thanks Liz,
    You guys are absolutely right, I was under the impression that Negril was a lot closer to the other action and locations than it is.
    I keep thinking, that it is around Ocho Rios area of the Island.
    Duh on me.
    We were looking at the Map last night and finally realized, that Port Antonio is definitely a long way away, as is Dunns River Falls.
    It looks as if YS Falls and Rafting the Martha Brei River Rafting Trip will be the destinations of reality. as opposed to doing the Rio Grande River rafting trip - Port Antonio's Blue Lagoon and Dunns River Falls.
    With only 6 days at Hedo, well....that does not leave much time for site seeing and our adult fun in the sun.
    You guys are absolutely right, we will really have to take another look at what we want to see and where those sites will be located.
    Duh again.
    I had no idea that Negril was situated so far away from the rest of the sites on the Island.
    I always envisioned it being right around the corner from the airport.
    Oh well....we will just reevaluate our site seeing plans, while at Hedo 2.
    How disappointing for those of us, who would love to explore a little bit more, than just the Negril area.
    Based on that fact alone, you would have thought that they would have kept Hedo 3 open for it's central location to all the major popular sites and attractions on the Island?
    Run away Bay is so much closer to the Dunns River Falls and the Rio Grande - Port Antonio - Portland area of Jamaica and all of there beautiful scenery and there attractions.
    I guess we can start planning now, for our next Trip and stay at an Ocho Rios resort next time around. lol
    Thanks for setting us straight on the tours and the tipping policies.

  14. #14
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    Dont forget that the speed limit is like 35 mph....

  15. #15
    Registered User L&I's Avatar
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    True, but no one observers it...... (until caught)


    Quote Originally Posted by smalltown View Post
    Dont forget that the speed limit is like 35 mph....

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