Hi,

We're staying at Sparkling Waters in Sept/Oct. I've been to TB twice but both times only in the Frenchman's/Calabash area.

As I look at SW on the hotel map, it looks like it's right on the edge of Billy's bay, by Frenchman's....is it walkable to Jake's? To the ponds? Or is the map kind of out of scale?

Hey Liz, to walk to Jakes from Sparkling Waters is about a 15 - 20 minute walk. There is always the option of renting bicycles or hiring a taxi to drop you off and pick you up. If by the ponds, you mean Great Pond in Calabash Bay, that would be about a 30 - 35 minute walk. However, thanks to Charley, you've got lots of ponds close by Sparkling Waters now.

SW says it has bicycles for our use, no? That was kind of a selling point for me, since I've spent time in Negril (too much traffic) and Portland (too many steep hills) to ever really bike around.

Glad to know the walk is not too long

I am hearing it's possible to get to Little Ochi and maybe also Gut River and Alligator HOLE by boat...is that so? I'd love to see the manatees again and avoid that drive...

It is a great boat ride to Little Ochie which takes about 45 minutes to an hour from here depending on the weather conditions. You can also include a trip to Sunny Island which is a sand spit of an island just off the coast of Alligator Pond. Weather permitting, this island is a great area for snorkeling.

You can take the boat to Guts River as well which would be about 1 1/2 hours.

I would not recommend you take the boat to Alligator Hole, since you can only go to the mouth of the river (too shallow for a boat to go in and they do not allow motorized boats in that river due to the manatees). The only way you could do this is to pre-arrange with the boatsman at Alligator Hole to meet you down at the mouth of the river to take you up to where the manatees are. The boat ride to get there would be about 2 hours from Treasure Beach.

Im not sure, but i do know the ride isnt bad and you could stop at lovers leap on the way, thats a really nice place to see. the walk to jakes from SW isnt long at all its about 20 minutes. have a womderful stay!!!

Have you any suggestions for scuba diving in the area please? Some friends of mine are keen to visit Jamaica and that is one of their prerequisites... I'd love them to visit Treasure Beach as opposed to the obvious tourist traps. Thanks!

Thanks Rebecca. When we went to Alligator Hole we were on a rowboat (we drove there).

Decisions, decisions......I love trip planning :D

Lisenced and certified scuba diving centers are located in Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio. Treasure Beach does not have any scuba diving centers here. You would need to bring all your own equipment. You could hire someone to take you out and there is a place in Great Bay where you could refill your tanks, but again, you would be on your own with no certified instructors.

Yes Liz, the rowboat is all they will allow in the river due to the risk of damaging a manatee if there was a motorized boat there. It is still one of my favorite boat rides, especially back through the mangroves.

JO, of the places Rebecca mentions, I'd head to Port Antonio...great diving outfit is at Blue Lagoon - Lady Go'Diver, I believe it's called....you can dive in the lagoon or at sea...Portland is beautiful (it and TB are my favorite areas of JA) and not at all the tourist traps that Negril, MoBay and Ochi are.

Coming down the river in a rowboat and first seeing the Caribbean felt like seeing the end of the earth.

Regarding the Scuba diving, in Jamaica you must dive with someone that has 'Instructor' certification due to very strict safety regulations on the island. If one of your group has this certification you could get one of the fishermen to take you out. However, keep in mind that they would have no training and no emergency gear and no experience with recreational divers. Please do not take unneccessary chances. Also, scuba diving in the area is very weather dependant and visibility can be quite poor when the seas are rough.

Many thanks for all your responses re. scuba diving. My friend is a qualified instructor, but not all of them... I shall pass on all your recommendations and thanks again!

I was reading the messages and thinking , how lucky I am to have lots of family in treasure beach, billys bay, with all the attractions in the surrounding area's .Can't wait to get back out.
Hi mummy. (dina elliott), Gerri, ver, aunty avril, TANGA, ,UNCLE Tom ,nancy, lennie and all in BB district