I am officially back from my 19th cruise! Wild to think I will be taking my 20th later this month!
On this last cruise we ventured to a few islands and attractions that we haven’t been to or done in almost 15 years. One being the famous Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios Jamaica.
Dunn’s River Falls is a famous waterfall near Ocho Rios, Jamaica and one of the most popular tourist attractions on the island because it is not only a beautiful natural wonder, but it is also fun climbing adventure.
We booked our tour through Shore Excursions Group and it was $68 per person which included transportation to and from the park as well as park admission. Our group was small, 2 families consisting of 8 people total so we were able to quickly get in and out of the park.
Our tour began at the cruise port where our guide was waiting for us in the main port area. Once we had our entire group we boarded a van and drove about 15 minutes to Dunn’s River Falls. Once we arrived, we gathered all the belongings we would need; swimsuit, hats, sunglasses, water shoes, and what I wish I would have brought a water proof case for my camera. The photo ops along the climb are well worth bringing your phone or gopro to show all your family back home. However, if you don’t wish to worry about taking your own photos, there are guides filming your whole climb and taking group and individual shots along the way. Additionally, make sure you bring cash to tip your guide. It’s a long walk back to the parking lot if you forget anything.
Once we gathered ourselves and were ready to go our guide took us to the main entrance of the park where we got our wristbands and quick entrance into the park. Larger tour groups were arriving around the same time and we were able to get in well before them due to our small numbers.
Once in the park we began our walk to the entrance of the falls. There we were passed off to one of the falls tour guides who would be leading us up the waterfall. They separate you into groups of about 20 people per guide and you make your way down to the beach and begin your journey. As you climb up the falls you are holding hands with the person in front of you and behind of you. We saw kids as young as 5 climbing and my parents who are in their 60s were also able to make it up the falls with help from the guides.
Along the way you will have plenty of photo opportunities as well as chances to slide down natural water slides and trust falls into large pools.
Overall the experience is a 10 out of 10 but I do have some helpful tips:
- Book with a smaller tour company, you will spend far less time waiting around for members of your group. This will allow you extra time to explore the island if your ship stays in port long.
- Buy a waterproof phone case such as this one from Amazon. You will want to capture every moment you can.
- If you have a gopro, make sure you have a way to attach it to your body and can easily remove it for guides and other families to take photos for you.
- Ladies, wear shorts over your swimsuit, and a one piece is probably the way to go. Remember you are climbing a water fall so you want to be comfortable and covered.
- Invest in water shoes with traction. The guides at the park clean off the rocks every day to make them as easy to walk on as possible, but they are still slippery. The more traction on your shoes the better.
- Don’t wear sunglasses. Even if it’s sunny, the waterfall is within a rainforest and it won’t be very sunny during your climb.
- Have your cash with you on your climb. They will be expecting it as soon as you are done.
- Head down and don’t grab anything from the local vendors on your exit. These vendors will try to put bracelets on your hands and demand money. Just keep your head down and walk to the exit if you are not interested in purchasing something.
- Be prepared to get wet. There is no saving your hair from getting wet on this excursion.
