Report on Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica

One of the ports of call for our Royal Caribbean cruiseship during the week
of November 28/04 was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Probably the most famous site in
the region is Dunn's River Falls and we chose to tour it on our own rather
than through one of the cruiseship tours. Once we disembarked from the
cruiseship, there were cabs and shuttlebuses available at the pier. Cabs to
Dunn's River Falls were $22 US for a return trip. Cabs allowed 1-3 people
per vehicle. We were also told at the pier that small shuttlebuses also go
to the Falls at $5.50 US per person. These were also based on return trips.
The only problem with shuttlebuses was that we had to wait until they filled
up the shuttle before leaving for the Falls so since we were the first on
the bus, we had to wait about 15 minutes for it to fill up. The driver then
asks you when you want to be picked up at the Falls for the return trip.
Our driver suggested 2 hours to see the Falls so we agreed on this time
duration.

Once at the Falls, a woman then came onboard the shuttle to sell tickets for
admission to the site at $10 US per adult person which was the same rate at
the park's ticket booth. Once inside the Dunn's facility, there were
rentals for special rubber shoes as well as lockers. We carried a small
backpack so we didn't require paying for a locker. We also brought along
our scuba diving booties so we didn't have to rent those rubber shoes on
site either. The cruiseship shop was also selling these rubber shoes in
advance. Shoes of some type are highly recommended as the rocks on the
Falls can be slippery and some of the bottoms of the water pools are a bit
rocky. If you have old sneakers you don't mind getting wet, they will be
suitable for the climb up the falls as well. Our scuba diving booties
turned out to be sufficient. The entrance to the site is at the top of the
falls so we took some stairs that were adjacent to the falls to the bottom
where the beach and entrance to the climb were.

There are official guides dressed in blue polo shirts and shorts who will
take groups up the falls. Normally, they will ask to carry all cameras for
you so they can take photos of you as you climb. Of course, they expect to
be well tipped for their services. Also, groups were told to hold hands
forming a human chain up the falls. This was suppose to make things safer
but as we witnessed, this method of going up the falls is not a guarantee
against falling. We saw a woman let go and she fell down the rocks during
one of the steeper sections. She wasn't badly hurt but we imagined that she
sustained some nice bruises. There are various points along the falls where
you could get off the falls and back on the stairs to walk up the rest of
the way. Not everyone there attempted to climb the falls as many were happy
to just walk dry along the side on the stairs. We chose not to go with any
of the groups which tend to go up the left side of the falls. We made our
way up on our own mostly on the right side. With some breaks for photos, we
made it all the way up the falls in about 30 minutes. Going with a group
would have taken longer for sure. The water is a bit cool and if you have a
wetsuit, it is highly suggested that you wear it for the climb. Cameras
used there up the falls are also recommended to be water resistant since
they likely will get wet. We left our digital camera on the ship and took
one of those $25 underwater cameras.

After climbing the falls, we headed back down to the relatively small but
uncrowded beach where the ocean water was warmer until it was time to
depart. The exit back at the top of the falls was strategically located at
the end of a market so we did have to go through some locals who tried to
sell us their souveniers. These locals who worked inside the Dunn's site
were hustling but not as aggressively as those in the town of Ocho Rios.
The shuttlebus arrived at the site parking lot on time as agreed. The total
amount we spent including the park admission and the shuttle was $31 US for
the two of us. Taking an organized tour through the cruiseship would have
cost more than double this amount. So it is quite possible to tour Dunn's
River Falls on your own rather than take the more expensive tours. We were
glad that we did see Dunn's River Falls but we thought that it was not
nearly as impressive as depicted on photos in travel brochures.

The official website for Dunn's River Falls is http://www.dunnsriverja.com

Clint

Free Spirit Gallery
http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca
Exquisite Eskimo Inuit Art & Northwest Indian Art

I've just never understood how some people go there and think it is
wonderful. I thought it was pretty trashy. Not even a true waterfall,
but a series of cascades, which have been artificially enhanced by
constricting the flow on the sides, and concrete .. yes, concrete ..
underfoot in places.

There are plenty of gloriously beautiful waterfalls in the world, and
this isn't one at all.

"Clint" wrote:

One of the ports of call for our Royal Caribbean cruiseship during the week
of November 28/04 was Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Probably the most famous site in
the region is Dunn's River Falls and we chose to tour it on our own rather
than through one of the cruiseship tours. Once we disembarked from the
cruiseship, there were cabs and shuttlebuses available at the pier. Cabs to
Dunn's River Falls were $22 US for a return trip. Cabs allowed 1-3 people
per vehicle. We were also told at the pier that small shuttlebuses also go
to the Falls at $5.50 US per person. These were also based on return trips.
The only problem with shuttlebuses was that we had to wait until they filled
up the shuttle before leaving for the Falls so since we were the first on
the bus, we had to wait about 15 minutes for it to fill up. The driver then
asks you when you want to be picked up at the Falls for the return trip.
Our driver suggested 2 hours to see the Falls so we agreed on this time
duration.

Once at the Falls, a woman then came onboard the shuttle to sell tickets for
admission to the site at $10 US per adult person which was the same rate at
the park's ticket booth. Once inside the Dunn's facility, there were
rentals for special rubber shoes as well as lockers. We carried a small
backpack so we didn't require paying for a locker. We also brought along
our scuba diving booties so we didn't have to rent those rubber shoes on
site either. The cruiseship shop was also selling these rubber shoes in
advance. Shoes of some type are highly recommended as the rocks on the
Falls can be slippery and some of the bottoms of the water pools are a bit
rocky. If you have old sneakers you don't mind getting wet, they will be
suitable for the climb up the falls as well. Our scuba diving booties
turned out to be sufficient. The entrance to the site is at the top of the
falls so we took some stairs that were adjacent to the falls to the bottom
where the beach and entrance to the climb were.

There are official guides dressed in blue polo shirts and shorts who will
take groups up the falls. Normally, they will ask to carry all cameras for
you so they can take photos of you as you climb. Of course, they expect to
be well tipped for their services. Also, groups were told to hold hands
forming a human chain up the falls. This was suppose to make things safer
but as we witnessed, this method of going up the falls is not a guarantee
against falling. We saw a woman let go and she fell down the rocks during
one of the steeper sections. She wasn't badly hurt but we imagined that she
sustained some nice bruises. There are various points along the falls where
you could get off the falls and back on the stairs to walk up the rest of
the way. Not everyone there attempted to climb the falls as many were happy
to just walk dry along the side on the stairs. We chose not to go with any
of the groups which tend to go up the left side of the falls. We made our
way up on our own mostly on the right side. With some breaks for photos, we
made it all the way up the falls in about 30 minutes. Going with a group
would have taken longer for sure. The water is a bit cool and if you have a
wetsuit, it is highly suggested that you wear it for the climb. Cameras
used there up the falls are also recommended to be water resistant since
they likely will get wet. We left our digital camera on the ship and took
one of those $25 underwater cameras.

After climbing the falls, we headed back down to the relatively small but
uncrowded beach where the ocean water was warmer until it was time to
depart. The exit back at the top of the falls was strategically located at
the end of a market so we did have to go through some locals who tried to
sell us their souveniers. These locals who worked inside the Dunn's site
were hustling but not as aggressively as those in the town of Ocho Rios.
The shuttlebus arrived at the site parking lot on time as agreed. The total
amount we spent including the park admission and the shuttle was $31 US for
the two of us. Taking an organized tour through the cruiseship would have
cost more than double this amount. So it is quite possible to tour Dunn's
River Falls on your own rather than take the more expensive tours. We were
glad that we did see Dunn's River Falls but we thought that it was not
nearly as impressive as depicted on photos in travel brochures.

The official website for Dunn's River Falls is http://www.dunnsriverja.com

Clint

Free Spirit Gallery
http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca
Exquisite Eskimo Inuit Art & Northwest Indian Art

I've just never understood how some people go there and think it is
wonderful. I thought it was pretty trashy. Not even a true waterfall,
but a series of cascades, which have been artificially enhanced by
constricting the flow on the sides, and concrete .. yes, concrete ..
underfoot in places.

Some people go places to enjoy time with family. I had a great time there, I
thought it was beautiful despite the fact I live in the foothills of the
Smoky Mountains and stay in cabins with some of the most spectacular
mountains views on this planet.

The only problem was some weird European guy who kept letting go of his
wife, man she had some nasty bruises at the top of the falls, can't imagine
what she looked like the next day.


BiG Orange

I sort of agree with both of your comments. We went to Labadee the previous
day and it was pretty boring (report to come soon). For the money spent,
and the fact that we still had a full half day left at port, we thought that
we had a decent time. Part of the challenge was to climb the falls together
and we did. Since I mentioned that the Falls is a bit overrated, that's why
I mentioned that we would probably never return but glad that we did go
there once.

Clint

Free Spirit Gallery
http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca
Exquisite Eskimo Inuit Art & Northwest Indian Art

"BiG Orange" wrote in message
...
I've just never understood how some people go there and think it is
wonderful. I thought it was pretty trashy. Not even a true waterfall,
but a series of cascades, which have been artificially enhanced by
constricting the flow on the sides, and concrete .. yes, concrete ..
underfoot in places.

Some people go places to enjoy time with family. I had a great time there,
I thought it was beautiful despite the fact I live in the foothills of the
Smoky Mountains and stay in cabins with some of the most spectacular
mountains views on this planet.

The only problem was some weird European guy who kept letting go of his
wife, man she had some nasty bruises at the top of the falls, can't
imagine what she looked like the next day.


BiG Orange

Clint wrote:
Part of the challenge was to climb the falls together
and we did. Since I mentioned that the Falls is a bit overrated, that's why
I mentioned that we would probably never return but glad that we did go
there once.

That would sum up many of the excursions/vacations I/ve taken.

We went horseback riding out of Ocho Rios, bareback in the ocean, it was
a blast. Doing it again would be fun, but there's something about doing
something you've never done before or going somewhere you've never been
before that I find especially appealing.

Kevin :

I've just never understood how some people go there and think it is
wonderful. I thought it was pretty trashy. Not even a true waterfall,
but a series of cascades, which have been artificially enhanced by
constricting the flow on the sides, and concrete .. yes, concrete ..
underfoot in places.

When I lived in Jamaica I went to them as a kid before it became a tourist
trap. A few years ago I went there after it became one. One note about the
concrete, it seems to be placed to fill in large gaps between natural rocks
that would make great foot traps, and the concrete is roughen to supply
better footing. When I was a kid, you could look up the whole falls and
probably not see two dozen people on it. Now, it is just chains of people.
Without the concrete there would be a lot more accidents.

There are plenty of gloriously beautiful waterfalls in the world, and
this isn't one at all.

Maybe not to you, and I can even understand why you may think that, but can
you supply me with a few names of some nice falls that are climbable? I have
a nice falls near my cabin in Ontario, but I can't climb a 100 feet of bare
wet slimy rock.

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos,
SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to
the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp

Kevin :

I've just never understood how some people go there and think it is
wonderful. I thought it was pretty trashy. Not even a true waterfall,
but a series of cascades, which have been artificially enhanced by
constricting the flow on the sides, and concrete .. yes, concrete ..
underfoot in places.

When I lived in Jamaica I went to them as a kid before it became a tourist
trap. A few years ago I went there after it became one. One note about the
concrete, it seems to be placed to fill in large gaps between natural rocks
that would make great foot traps, and the concrete is roughen to supply
better footing. When I was a kid, you could look up the whole falls and
probably not see two dozen people on it. Now, it is just chains of people.
Without the concrete there would be a lot more accidents.

There are plenty of gloriously beautiful waterfalls in the world, and
this isn't one at all.

Maybe not to you, and I can even understand why you may think that, but can
you supply me with a few names of some nice falls that are climbable? I have
a nice falls near my cabin in Ontario, but I can't climb a 100 feet of bare
wet slimy rock.

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos,
SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to
the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp

Thus spake Earl Colby Pottinger :

Kevin :

I've just never understood how some people go there and think it is
wonderful. I thought it was pretty trashy. Not even a true waterfall,
but a series of cascades, which have been artificially enhanced by
constricting the flow on the sides, and concrete .. yes, concrete ..
underfoot in places.

When I lived in Jamaica I went to them as a kid before it became a tourist
trap. A few years ago I went there after it became one. One note about the
concrete, it seems to be placed to fill in large gaps between natural rocks
that would make great foot traps, and the concrete is roughen to supply
better footing. When I was a kid, you could look up the whole falls and
probably not see two dozen people on it. Now, it is just chains of people.
Without the concrete there would be a lot more accidents.

There are plenty of gloriously beautiful waterfalls in the world, and
this isn't one at all.

Maybe not to you, and I can even understand why you may think that, but can
you supply me with a few names of some nice falls that are climbable? I have
a nice falls near my cabin in Ontario, but I can't climb a 100 feet of bare
wet slimy rock.

Earl Colby Pottinger

There are some great waterfalls around Ouray, CO that have just become
climable.
--
dillon

"When the French are against it, you know we can't
be far wrong." - Adm. Bobbie Ray Inman

Dillon Pyron :

Thus spake Earl Colby Pottinger :

Maybe not to you, and I can even understand why you may think that, but can
you supply me with a few names of some nice falls that are climbable? I
have
a nice falls near my cabin in Ontario, but I can't climb a 100 feet of bare
wet slimy rock.

There are some great waterfalls around Ouray, CO that have just become
climable.

Tried to find using google:

http://ghostdepot.com/rg/mainline/ma...oute/ouray.htm
Does not talk about one.

http://www.ericandlucie.com/Ouray/OURAY.htm
A little too cold for me.

http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area....OOURAY&cu_id=1
Still did not help.

Opps, I just re-read your message and got it. You know it just is not the
same thing.

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos,
SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to
the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp

Thus spake Earl Colby Pottinger :

Dillon Pyron :

Thus spake Earl Colby Pottinger :

Maybe not to you, and I can even understand why you may think that, but can
you supply me with a few names of some nice falls that are climbable? I
have
a nice falls near my cabin in Ontario, but I can't climb a 100 feet of bare
wet slimy rock.

There are some great waterfalls around Ouray, CO that have just become
climable.

Tried to find using google:

http://ghostdepot.com/rg/mainline/ma...oute/ouray.htm
Does not talk about one.

http://www.ericandlucie.com/Ouray/OURAY.htm
A little too cold for me.

http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area....OOURAY&cu_id=1
Still did not help.

Opps, I just re-read your message and got it. You know it just is not the
same thing.

You've never lived until you've been 90 feet out on nothing but
crampons and axes. No pro between you and the "ground".

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
dillon

"When the French are against it, you know we can't
be far wrong." - Adm. Bobbie Ray Inman