This tour is unique. It is a once in a lifetime experience to witness this awesome natural wonder in it's pristine state. Delight in this amazing night tour to the enchanting Luminous Lagoon (Glistening Waters) in Falmouth. It is a very rare phenomenon of its kind that is only found 4 places in the world. It is truly one of Jamaica's favorite spots for locals and visitors alike.
This Rose Hall Great House is an early 18th century plantation home that sits on a high elevation on thousands of acres in Rose Hall, Montego Bay. The Rose Hall Great House was once owned by the famous and certainly one of the wickedest plantation owners to walk the land of Jamaica, Annie Palmer. She owned hundreds of slaves. This house became haunted after her gruesome death in 1831. The house is scary to look at even in the daytime. There is no stop at the Rose all Great House on your way to Negril however, your tour guide will tell you the history and slow down so that you can take photos.
The Greenwood Great House (Plantation home) was constructed in the early 18th Century. Like most, if not all the other Great Houses in Jamaica, the Greenwood Great House was built at high elevation. One could say that this was a strategy used back in the plantation era as a means of overlooking the plantation and also for security purposes. This house, unlike the Rose Hall Great House, is not haunted but of a more peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. The history and the architecture of the house is what will blow you away. As you pass by, feel free to take photos when your tour guide slows down.
2 hr - Glistening Waters in Falmouth is home to the rare wonder, the Luminous Lagoon adventure. As you get on the terrace you will be greeted by a Glistening Waters Representative who welcomes you and take you directly to the bar where you are served a healthy drink of rum punch or fruit punch (take your pick). You will also be feted briefly with age old Jamaican dance moves - a mix of the African and British dance cultures. At the end of the entertainment which is about 6:45pm you will board your boat (The boats have low sides and outboard engines) and set out for a one hour adventure. Get your cameras ready to take photos of the fishes as they pass by with a glow! Word has it that if you swim in the water it makes you look 10 years younger! Be sure to take your swimsuits and towels along with you in case you wish to take a short swim. Your captain is very knowledgeable and will give you all the history - feel free to engage.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Our driver was ready waiting for us at the resort. On the way, we stopped for a few minutes to check out some local shops. The driver was great because he talked about places as we past them. When we got to the lagoon at sunset and when it got dark we went out on the water. It was beautiful and anyone visiting Jamaica should definitely try this.
We went as a couple and really enjoyed this unique experience, the water does really glow as you swim about and makes your arms luminous as you take them out of the water. The water is warm and a max of 4 feet deep, beware though the bottom feels very strange so I’d advise using swim shoes.
Trying to make the water glow between the hot and cold waters. The captain was great with his history and instructions.
Never seen anything quite like the glistening waters of the luminous lagoon! A beautiful spectacle and an experience not to be missed! With photos not allowed (except by the on-board paparazzi) we were disappointed with the quality of our photographs of this once in a lifetime experience but it didn't take away from what we saw for our very own eyes! A lovely evening adventure and a truly beautiful wonder of nature!
After reading numerous reviews and being left in limbo in regards to what the trip would be like due to the mixture of positive/negative responses, I decided to head out on the trip, as I knew that it would be amazing if it turned out as planned. Once upon the boat we appeared to do some sort of lap of the lagoon, just tohead back very close to where we left off. Whether this was for entertainment or they were looking for a specific spot, I don't know! However there was complete silence and no direction over what was happening - which would have been nice. After around 10 mins of driving around, we eventually came to a stop. I was the first to get in the water and after reading about jellyfishes was quite concerned and the prospect of swimming in pitch black darkness was also quite alarming! Despite this, once in the water and swimming around (particularly doing breaststroke) you could see the glow around you. It was quite amazing to experience it, regardless of it being quite a weak glow to what I had seen in some other images - it was faint but still very cool to observe nonetheless. The bottom was probably around 4ft deep and covered in some form of sludge/silt which was quite disgusting, however you were informed of this beforehand so it didn't come as a surprise. To their credit, the captain was very informative of what caused the phenomenon, however it may have been better if they had pulled a bucket of water out, to provide a closer look. In regards to photography, you're charged $25 US dollars for all the photos they take (maybe 5-10) - it would have been nice if this was included in the price of the trip, they weren't anything groundbreaking. To anyone wanting to go, or anyone intending to bring a camera, a few tips on how to take the photos that were done so on board, it may save you a few pennies! Have a very slow shutter speed, maybe around 1/4 of a second, with an aperture of around f/8, an iso of around 400-1000 as well as using a fill direct flash to illuminate the subject faintly. This should provide a rough setting for which to play around with to capture your images. You may be able to get something with your phone if it allows you to control these settings, however I'd advise some form of camera for the best results. I think it may be worth the tour operators advising the best times to head out and see the lagoon, as it appears to me that the water/organsisms are brighter at certain times of the year and it would be good for these to be shown. Hopefully this should provide an honest review of my experience and help others to make a decision!
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