Hundreds of tour companies operate out of Montego Bay; most have booths at the airport and offices along Gloucester Avenue and offer similarly priced trips to independent plantations and great houses.

The best operators are slightly more adventurous: Barrett Adventures, Rose Hall (phone 876/995-2796, fax 979-8845), puts together customized packages to off-the-beaten-track waterfalls, farms and beaches from US$100 per person per day; Caribic Vacations, 69 Gloucester Ave (phone 876/979-3421), offers island wide specialist and reggae tours and trips to Cuba. Alternatively, hire a local driver and do some independent sightseeing. Dale Porter, aka "Shaka" (phone 876/806-8147 or 375-7918), offers all-day tours for around US$100; he can usually be found outside Caribic House Hotel.

There are also a few less pedestrian options: ATV Tours, east of town at Rose Hall (phone 876/953-9598), offers quad-bike excursions in the St James interior (1.5hrs; US$50); you'll pay a bit more if you want transportation from your hotel. Chukka Blue (phone 876/979-6599 or phone 990-9166,) offers tubing along the White River in Ocho Rios (3.5hr; US$49), as well as five-hour jeep safaris (US$60 including lunch). Horse-riding trips (3hr; US$55) and mountain-bike tours (3hr; US$50) are also run by Chukka Blue.

River rafting is a more sedate pleasure, best done along the Martha Brae River, 45 minutes' drive east of MoBay near Falmouth. You can either turn up at the Rafter's Village departure point (signposted from Falmouth's main square) and pay US$42 for a 1hr 15min trip on a two-person raft, or opt to be transported there and back, which costs US$45 per person; to book the latter, call 876/952-0889.

Jamaica Travel Guide
Montego Bay, Kingston, Ocho Rios, Negril, Blue Mountains, Portland

Jamaica map - Google Maps

Caribbean Travel Guide