Blue Hole and Bamboo Rafting

Our family had an absolutely terrible experience on this excursion, and the way our family was treated was unacceptable. The most disturbing part of the day involved one of the bamboo raft guides and our two teenage daughters. Without obtaining permission from me as their mother, the guide rubbed mud all over the girls’ legs and thighs, with the mud going up to their shorts. They were never clearly informed beforehand that they would be charged $40 each for this mud treatment. When the girls and I questioned the charge, the guide called them liars and then taunted our group after returning to shore. I found the physical contact with our minor daughters completely inappropriate and unacceptable, particularly because they had not consented to the service or agreed to pay for it. I did not book or authorize this mud treatment, and my daughters did not have money of their own to spend. I strongly objected to being charged for a service that was never requested or properly explained. Unfortunately, that was not the only problem. The tour bus arrived approximately 45 minutes late to pick us up in the morning, which immediately put us behind schedule. I texted and message the tour company 3 different times, asking if the bus was going to be coming to pick us up and receivedzero response, so we were all left waiting. When they did arrive, before we even began the activities, we were taken to a store to purchase water shoes and sample rum. Water shoes were available at the Blue Hole, so we felt this unnecessary stop cost us even more of our limited time. Because of the delays, our family and another group were ultimately unable to properly enjoy or participate in the Blue Hole portion of the excursion. We booked this excursion mainly for the Blue Hole experience and we had no time to participate in any of the Blue Hole activities we were promised. We were rushed because the tour guides needed to get us back to the cruise port in time. The return trip also involved what felt to us like unsafe driving conditions because of the time pressure. We paid approximately $600 for this excursion and expected a safe, enjoyable experience. Instead, the day was stressful, rushed, and extremely upsetting, particularly because of what happened to our daughters. After contacting the excursion company, I requested a refund or partial refund and explained everything that happened. The company refused to provide any refund. They also subsequently accused our group of being late, which is completely untrue and directly contradicts our experience that the tour bus itself arrived approximately 45 minutes late that morning. I am sharing this review so other families—especially those traveling with teenagers or children—can make an informed decision before booking, especially if booking any excursion with Courtney Taylor Tours. Based on our experience, I would strongly encourage anyone considering this excursion to ask detailed questions about the mud treatment, additional charges, timing, transportation, and what happens if the excursion falls behind schedule.

A fantastic private tour for me and my husband. Rajzah met us at our hotel and our first stop was at the river rafting where we met our guide Flowers. He steered our bamboo raft down the river to the sea where we disembarked and walks along the sandy beach. Then back on and return to our starting point. There were loads of photo opportunities along the way and my husband had a go at poling the raft which wasn’t easy. We nearly hit the bank a few times! From there Rajzah drove us to the Blue Hole where we met our guide Ainsworth. He took us walking across waterfalls, up stony banks, across the rapid river on a rope, up and down steps until we finally reached the Blue Hole where we did a small jump into the pool below the waterfall. The water was deep but so cool and refreshing. We did a further couple of jumps before Ainsworth navigated us back to meet our driver. It was a bit scary at times but such fun. I enjoyed every minute. We had a photographer with who took about 70 photos along the way and afterwards we purchased these from him and he downloaded them on to my iPhone so I now have a record of our trip to keep. I would highly recommend going on this tour with Courtney Taylor. It’s one of the best tours I’ve done and I felt very safe in the hands of our guides. We got back to our hotel in time for lunch as well.

+8

10/10 reccomand loveeeeeeee def should go

Shawn THANK YOU, bredren! The moment from the pickup, your hospitality, patience, knowledge, and genuine love for Jamaica showed all the way through. You didn’t just drive us around you showed us Jamaica. One LOVE. Driving through St. Mary and St. Ann, along the beautiful north coast and through the communities surrounding Ocho Rios, you gave us stories, history, little pieces of culture, and perspectives you simply wouldn’t get from sitting in a resort. That’s what made this feel different. It wasn’t just an excursion it felt like we were being welcomed into the real Jamaica. When we arrived to BLUE HOLE, this was a true out-of-body experience. A natural limestone wonder tucked away in all that lush Jamaican greenery, and the adventure was EVERYTHING. Swimming in those refreshing waters, climbing the waterfalls, exploring the caves, and launching into the water, navigating the rocks it was giving PURE JAMAICA! Nah man… Jamaica really blessed. What made it even more special was WHO I got to experience it with. Doing this for my mom meant everything to me. Seeing her enjoy herself, laugh, take in the scenery, and create memories that we’ll be talking about for years. PRICELESS. When we thought the day couldn’t get any better, we finished with the bamboo rafting in Rio Nuevo. Absolutely STUNNING. Floating peacefully through one of Jamaica’s most beautiful natural settings, surrounded by those hills and that lush scenery, was the perfect way to bring everything full circle. After all the adventure at Blue Hole, that bamboo raft ride gave us a moment to slow down, breathe, appreciate the beauty, and just be present. There’s something special about experiencing Jamaica beyond the resort walls. Seeing the communities, hearing the stories, meeting the people, learning the history, eating, laughing, exploring, and allowing the island to reveal itself to you organically. Lastly, to the entire team and staff BIG UP UNNU! Your humility, kindness, patience, professionalism, and genuine hospitality made the difference. Anybody can provide an excursion, but when the people behind the experience genuinely care about what they’re doing, you feel that. A memory officially put in the books, and one I know my family especially my mom will carry with us for a long time. Shawn, mi seh BIG RESPECT! Thank you for showing us a Jamaica that felt authentic, beautiful, welcoming, and full of life. From the roads of St. Mary and St. Ann to the waters of Blue Hole and the peaceful beauty of Rio Nuevo you helped make this one for the history books. One love. One family. One unforgettable Jamaican experience. 100/10. Would do it ALL over again.S/O Courtney Tours

+27

Loved our experience here, our driver picked us up and took us to get water shoes because we didn’t have any took us to pick up our friend, afterwards. Took us to the bamboo raft and waited for us, afterwards took us to the blue hold and we had so much fun! The guides there were really friendly, helpful and accommodating. We told our driver we were hungry and recommended a really good spot for us! Loved our experience!

My husband and I really enjoyed the tour. We brought a few family members with us. The blue hole was super cool! More strenuous than I expected so shouldn’t have brought my grandma haha but It was adventurous and that’s what we were looking for! The duration was longer than we anticipated so that’d be my only suggestion to change the time to variable. Tour guides were great.

Sean, our driver, and Benji, the tour guide were truly amazing! They took their time explaining the plan for the day and showing us around the different areas we were driving through. They made the experience very easy. Overall had a great time!

Excellent excursion. So much fun. Rajaye and Benji were the best tour guides. The message was the best I have experienced in a really long time.

+1

The blue hole was amazing! It was a fun and easy hike with a few cliff jumps into refreshing water. The guides on our excursions were super helpful and friendly. Our tour guide Tillea and driver Wray were funny, friendly, and very knowledgeable. They taught us a lot about the history of Jamaica while taking us to our destinations. I would highly recommend using Courtney Taylor to book your excursions.

We loved the experience at the blue hole and the rafting. Tillea and Wray did an awesome job getting us to each site, setting us up with the people on site and making sure we had opportunities to try anything we wanted along the way. I loved how knowledgeable Tillea was about Jamaica and the experiences we were trying. The blue hole was extremely fun and the rafting was relaxing.