Summer 2014 was a good one. My family and I took our first vacation out of the country in over eight years! Since we were all strapped for time between work and school, we opted for a week long Caribbean Cruise since we could pack in a lot of stress-free fun. I won't go into the experience of the actual cruise, since I want to talk about the countries (and one territory) we visited: Jamaica, Cayman Islands, and Mexico.
I have to admit, my favorite one out of three was Jamaica because I know that I would happily jump on a plane (or ship) tomorrow to go back there! For our day excursion in Jamaica, we opted to do an excursion through the cruise line since we figured it would be less stressful (which it was). Since we are a rather chill family, I chose for us to go rafting on the Martha Brae River in Falmouth. Our cruise docked in Montego Bay, so we boarded our designated bus for a pleasant and comfortable drive to the Martha Brae River.
There were only two people per raft, plus the rafter, so my sister and I were on one and our parents on another behind us. Just wow. The river was so beautiful and serene, the sun was out, and it was just what all of us needed. Despite the heat, the river had plenty of natural shade and the water was delightfully cool for the entire forty or so minutes we were rafting down it. I noticed that the river is a very romantic spot, so for the couples out there, I would definitely recommend this! In fact, our rafter, Clayton, told us that he brings his wife here all the time! There are sellers all along the river trying to sell you anything from alcohol to hand-made goods. Rest assured, you're free to say no and won't be hassled.
Pro Tip: Engage in a conversation with your rafter, they are all incredibly friendly and you just might get a lesson in Patwa (an English-based Creole language spoken primarily in Jamaica) and get some great insight into Jamaica's rich culture. I would also like to say that it is custom to provide a tip for your rafter. They accept American dollars and it is up to you to gauge what is acceptable, although I would advise a minimum of five dollars (it is physically exhausting to raft pairs of people down a river all day long in the hot Caribbean sun and keep up a sunny personality).
We booked our rafting excursion through our cruise line, but for those going solo, Tripadvisor is a good place to start or even the concierge at the hotel or resort you are staying at.
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/14026583/?claim=v3htvuwd5sv">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>
Comments
Post a Comment