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Good Hope Plantation is a must. We did the full day pass and went zip lining, ATV ridding and river tubing. We had a nice lunch then checked out the Rum tour and the Great House. All amazing.
The zip lining was a first for most of our party. It was a thrill! Howard our guide kept it fun while making us feel very safe.
The ATV adventure was more our speed, at least for some of us. In addition to amazing views as we drive through the coconut groves and fruit orchards, we also had stunning views of the surrounding hills. We sampled some the the estates wonderful fruits and coconut water before our return.
The river tubing was pretty chill, but our guide Stewart kept us entertained. The scenery was beautiful and reminded me why this is called the land of wood and water.
If you come do not skip the rum tour or the Great House. The great house is a elegant beauty and the views our breathtaking.
One last quick shout out to our driver, Henry. He is a charming man and a bit a character.
I highly recommend this tour.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just under 45 minutes east of Montego Bay, just up from Falmouth, into the exotic cockpit lies the magical environs of Good Hope Country House.
Good Hope, as of Jan.17, 2005 will be open to tours. I've already taken the introductory tour and it is the perfect compliment to those spending most of their time on the beach. Finally the opportunity to experience one of the most beautiful properties in Jamaica. I loved the commanding views of the cockpit, with surrounding orchards of exotic fruit trees amidst rolling hills and neigboring sugar cane fields. I felt like I finally experienced the essence of the beauty and tranquility of Jamaica. You won't believe it, until you've seen it. No wonder movies such as, "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and countless photo shoots for Vogue Magazine take advantage of this dramatic landscape.
Ahhhhh, back to the tour.
The mighty power of the Martha Brae River has once again been channeled via 18th Century aquaducts, turning the ancient water wheel. The relaxing vibes of Jamaica's rural splendor washed over me as I lazily dipped my feet in the rushing cool water as I enjoyed a Red Stripe under the welcome cool shade of towering bamboo trees. I loved reading and learning about rural Jamaica, and the history of the immediate area on all the informative plaques strategically placed throughout the tour. For me, the magic of old Jamaica came alive. The collection of original centuries-old elegant out-buildings completed the aura of a haunted mystical grandeur now come back to life. If you are not visited by the Ghost of Good Hope this tour, you may be the next trip!
The topper was the 4-6 (I lost count) course scrumptous lunch served up at the Great House. It is carefully prepared daily, now scheduled from Monday through Friday. Do take your time and recharge yourself. Take a horseback ride, let your young ones splash in the pool, watch the hummingbirds flit through the beautiful gardens. But whatever you do, whether by tour bus, jeep, or taxi, don't miss Good Hope. It will be the day you remember most, and, I predict, one special reason you return to Jamaica. Over, and over again.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good Hope Estate is a fantastic place in the hills of Trelawny, located about 45 minutes from Montego Bay. If you are looking for a vacation in Jamaica that is not on the beach, this is the best place you will find. With its lush greenery, scenic hills, and abundant wildlife, this is the Jamaica that most tourists do not see or even realize exists. There are several trails where one can spend the day exploring. One trail, in particular, took us over a 200+ year old bridge to an equally historic sugar cane mill. They also have a working horse stable if you are interested in seeing the estate by horse.
The estate is a working 2000 acre ranch, with several villas scattered throughout. The villas are refurbished buildings, with 200 year old stone walls. Inside, though, the furnishings are modern and comfortable. The River Cottage, which is the most remote from the other villas, features its own pool and has steps down to the river, where you can swim in a pond. The rooms here are decorated with paintings and sculptures from local artists. No detail has been omitted in the amenities (books, DVDs, CDs) and decor which give it a rustic but funky feel. We also explored the main house which was decorated with historic artifacts and photos/maps which gave us an interesting look into the history of the place.
The food is delicious. Doreen cooked all of our meals and it was some of the best food we have had in Jamaica. All of our meals were served at our outdoor dining area (there is also one indoors) where you can hear the birds and see the fireflies at night. Doreen was also a great source of history about the estate and gave us highlights of what we could expect to see.
This is one of the nicest and most relaxing places we have been to in Jamaica.
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Date of stay: May 2005
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I did much research on this place and i was very excited to go here and do the activities promoted and advertised on their website and brochures. We had wanted to only purchase the general admission entrance passes as we were not looking to spend a full day here, according to the information provided to me that i was able to read and also chat with the representative, we should have had lots of activities included and things to do to keep us occupied for three-four hours. Upon arrival and after payments and talking to the front reception and tour guides this was not accurate. Things were not as advertised at all. Activities were not open or operating. Not sure why the information is so misleading and why guests are not made aware of these changes before. If i had booked this excursion for a full day of activities or with only myself and my daughter i would have been very disappointed and would have had several complaints and likely would not have stayed and wanted my money back. But i had brought my 20 month old grandson with me and he was having fun with the activities and areas that were open and operating so we stayed for a couple hours. But definitely not as to what i was hoping for and expecting. I would not return here or recommend this place. There was supposed to be much more to see and do. Water slide was not operating, water fall/pool not operating, no longer have tours available of the great house, apparently it is being used and rented out as an air bnb, the bird aviary had very few birds and was not even being offered until i mentioned it was supposed to be included so they arranged someone to take us up there, was supposed to be an obstacle course as well but never seen it. The trails were open and were stroller accessible, and was a nice walk and great scenery, with some lookout spots and picture areas, the swing was much fun for my grandson and the suspension bridge was fun too. He had a great time walking/bouncing over that. He also enjoyed the one pool that was open. For those wanting to do more activities there were add on packages available at more costs to go zip lining, atv tour, slow river tubing ride and maybe horseback riding. We didn't do any of those. There was also a restaurant and bar area but we didn't have anything there. The gift shop prices were very good. So there were some good points and was an enjoyable two hours for my grandson but my daughter and i were very disappointed with the other activities not open or available and the price we paid for the general admission entrance to be able to do these was very expensive compared to what was actually available. Need to have their information updated on the website and not be misleading to guests.
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We were excited for this excursion based on the description. Between having a marketing degree and personal experience I am usually very good at reading between the lines, past the flowery language and seeing what the actual substance of an excursion will actually be. The description that was posted by the cruise line included a tour of the plantation home, a 4x4 ride to remote or usually unseen parts of the plantation and lunch. Here is the reality of the situation. Chukka has leased the land of this plantation and is squeezing every tourist dollar out of it. They bus in load after load of people from the cruise ships and dump everyone off at what would might normally be welcome center. They do not give an direction or explanation of what is going on and you do not keep just one guide or bus for your tour. Once they drop you off they mention there are bathrooms and of course point out where the gift shop is (hint the bathrooms are in it) to try and separate you from your money before even get started. After everyone from our group eventually worked their way back to the front we were put on to different bus with a different guide and taken to the water wheel area (maybe a mile away) and told about three other buildings from the bus on our way there. The bus then went up to the plantation house. The view was nice, but not worth it alone. We were shown 5 rooms in the house, and most of it was skipped over. The tour guide was not able to provide information beyond her rehearsed script. After that we were taken back down to the main part and given lunch, if you can call it that. We were seated and asked if we would like water or soda. We both asked for water, the waitress brought the wrong type of soda to a woman at our table and my SO said he would drink it. The waitress laughing said, " Oh, wait 'til I give you the bill later" and it was hard to tell if she was joking or not... she was not joking. They charge $2 for each water and $3 for each soda. They will give you punch, but they do not mention it at first, and it shows up after your "food". As for the food it was jerk chicken, about five small pieces of it and each of ours was at least half bone or some type of inedible portion and some sort of bread thing. It all tasted fine but there was not much to be had. Just as we had finished eating the waitress shoo-ed us off saying that she needed the tables, when half of them were empty. We decided to walk around in the general area. There was an area that had tropical birds penned up, a donkey tied to a fence with no water near the demonstration on extracting cane juice. In general the whole place stunk of being a tourist mill and trap. There was just mix of people that were there for zip lining or tubing on the river, or what ever other event Chukka could come up with for the almighty dollar. There is no guidance on what is going on, or the next step or when/where to meet. You are just dumped off, handed off to the next person and expected to find your way to what you are supposed to be doing next. If you are expecting a personal and informative tour find something else... here you will only be shuffled and passed along and taken for more money.
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Date of stay: November 2013
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We wanted to do something in Jamaica - not thinking that we could climb Dunn's Falls. We made a good choice with the trip to Good Hope Plantation. It was a bit of a bus ride from our docking at Ocho Rios but our guide made the trip very educational with her explanation of life in Jamaica. We were able to see a great deal of interesting scenery on our trip to Good Hope. Good Hope Great House is a lovely place. The house itself is filled with antique furniture. Our guide gave us an informative talk about the history of the plantation. The location is beautiful with mountains all around. Good photo op. The "High Tea" was fun - they had lots of assortments of sandwiches and cakes - served outside by waitstaff in costumes of the time. The company (Chukka Caribbean) which runs these trips is very professional - buses that are clean and are air-conditioned. All in all we were very happy that we had selected this excursion.
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Date of stay: January 2013
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Visited the Good Hope Plantation as part of a cruise ship excursion for high tea. We were looking for a quick way to see some of Jamaica's wonderful countryside and and meet some of the local people. We picked the right place! Fairly short ride from port of Falmouth to the plantation. Passed sugarcane fields on the way. Up the hill to the home, led on a tour by a very knowledgeable guide. The floor in the first room is something to see - orangewood (now extinct), never refinished. Still held together by wooden pins, no nails. Views from the house are amazing. Many birds and hummingbirds around the patio/pool area where we had tea, along with a plate of small finger foods served buffet style. Visit the onsite potter for some wonderful pieces. On the way back, we stopped alongside the road so our guide could get out and pick a leaf from a tree - turns out it was a clove tree, and tearing the leaf just a bit gave off a wonderful aroma. Driver was hilarious and entertaining. Highly recommend! They do weddings onsite and have a honeymoon suite (small cottage to stay in).
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Date of stay: March 2012
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We visited Good Hope Great House as an excursion through Royal Caribbean on a cruise. The excursion was called High Tea at Good Hope Great House and we did not care for it. (either did the others on our tour as they were all complaining and blasting the tour on the survey). The sandwiches were set out on a tray- not covered at all and no ice underneath the tray to keep them cold. Keep in mind this is a patio like semi-enclosed area exposed to bugs and heat. The sandwich fillings were not cold and everyone on our tour was afraid to eat them so we didnt. The cookies were nothing to write home about. I ate very little as nothing was covered and I was unsure how long they had been sitting there among the flies.
The real kicker was the tea. It was TEA BAGS! I am not kidding. That was thing most people could not 'get over' is that you advertise this as a 'high tea' and offer a bunch of teabags that you could have gotten on the ship or at home.
It took about 25 minutes to drive out there and was very disorganized. While the house tour itself was enjoyable and interesting (our tour guide for the house was very knowledgeable) it was not worth the drive out there or the money we paid. I also mentioned how bad the tour was on my end of cruise survey.
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Date of stay: December 2011
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Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
After reading other reviews, we were really looking forward to this excursion booked through our "Freedom of the Seas" cruise ship. We LOVE historical sites and were ready for many interesting stories dating back from the 1700's. Yes, there were a few stories, but for the most part, the tour was extremely unorganized. We were herded back and forth between "guides" that seemed clueless as to what to do with us. The tour was to include "lunch," but it was not served until the END of the tour, which was close to 2:00 pm. By that time, we were very hungry and were surprised to find that the only things served were two tiny pieces of jerk chicken and a piece of fried bread! Being extremely hot, the small glass of punch was not enough to quench our thirst. When we asked for a refill, we were at first told "no refills," then grudgingly given some more. If run properly, this could be an excellent tour, but our experience was not enjoyable, and we would not recommend it.
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Date of stay: October 2013
Value
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is going to be dated as our trip was in December of 2010 but it's in response to the previous review regarding "don't buy the pottery". As with any other review, this one is MY experience so I can't comment on any others.
We did not stay at Good Hope Plantation during this trip, although I did have it pegged for a future stay in the River Cottage after we had a private tour by owner Blaise Hart who I had contacted and kindly (VERY kindly- as he was extremely busy getting ready to open up to tours; ziplines, river float, store etc). toured us around this amazing property for about 2 hours. We learned a bit about the history of the plantation and that *gasp!* my favourite store "Anthropologie" had just finished shooting for their upcoming catalogue (March 2011 The first photo upon opening the catalogue is what we saw from the Great House at Good Hope Plantation--what a glorious view! http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/images/030111ecat_preloader.swf)
Surrounded by lush greenery with the quiet only interrupted by bird calls I felt like we were lost in time and away from civilization. During our private tour I became envious of the owner …..to live in this beautiful location on a historic piece of land *sigh*-- what a peaceful and majestic setting!
Regarding the Pottery:
David Pinto of “Jamaica Clay” is the resident potter at Good Hope. As I’m a lover of unique and handmade pieces (especially when travelling as they evoke memories long after the fact), we left with a leather & clay necklace, as well as 4 beautiful & rustic blue mugs. Months after returning home I decided I should have purchased more of these mugs in order to have a larger set. I contacted him via his website and ordered more, 3 years later I have all 10 still alive and kicking (2 had died in transit but foreseeing this possibility I had purchased more than required). These mugs see daily use and are cleaned via the dishwasher –no issues and I still love them.
Both Good Hope Plantation & Jamaica Clay Pottery were positive experiences for us and we recommend at least a visit.
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Date of stay: February 2013Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Water Valley, Mississippi212 contributions56 helpful votes
It was a cruise excursion and just from memory it was around $70 per person. Instead of a tour of the house, which was interesting, I would do high tea.
Montego Bay, Jamaica18 contributions4 helpful votes
Hi Emily! We would certainly recommend taking your strollers for ease of moment to explore our property in comfort. You can consult with your shore excursions team on the various packages we offer to the Good Hope location and select the one that would best suit your family.
Looking forward to hosting you. See you soon!
I agree the Good Hope plantation is definitely the best place to go. They will really look after you there. You vacant relax or be active. . The plantation house is a must! A beautiful house situated high on a hill overlooking the plantation.plus the history is interesting and never boring. My wife & myself thought it was the vpbest excursion on our cruise holiday. Please don't miss it. Michael
You can book the tea through their website. The plantation is the best tour in Ocho Rios. The staff there are so good ,welcoming , and knowledgable. The Mansion high on the hill overlooking the plantation is the highlight not to be missed. The setting for afternoon tea is truly delightfull. Enjoy your visit and also do the carriage ride. Make it a full day visit. Michael.
"Best time to go is on a day we have less cruise ships cause during that time you have a lot more people there but it's great for the family the kids love it and it's phenomenal "
There are more places to choose from in the Falmouth area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
good hope plantation hotel jamaica
LOCATION
CaribbeanJamaicaTrelawny ParishFalmouth
NUMBER OF ROOMS
15
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