animal farm

This is one of the few places we got to visit while on our honeymoon vacation. The place didn't seem well known to the hotel staff and tour guides in Montego Bay but we called Animal Farm and they were able to easily give our driver directions and he found it no problem. The ride and tour guide cost more than the Animal Farm visit itself as he had to stay with us to take us back home as the place is in a secluded area. Anyway, after you get through all that Animal Farm does not dissapoint. There was plenty to see with the plethora of different birds and other animals. The location and scenery are beautiful and all natural. Our guide, Kim was professional, knowledgable and very kind. She took her time to explain everything we saw and answered all of our questions. We did not get to do the bamboo rafting as it was extra and you had to book it in advance but our tour took 2 hours at least and it was enough for us. The highlight of the tour was when we got to feed the birds in the bird sanctuary at the end of the tour. We thought we were gonna throw the bird feed on the ground or put it in feeders but the guide put the food in our hands and the birds basically ambushed my wife when we walked into the sanctuary and they were all eating from our hands. It was awesome, bring your camera and get pictures and videos!!!

Animal farm is a fun ecotourism attraction that offers a lot, and would suit various age ranges. I loved all the nature signage as we walked down the driveway! I recommend expecting to spend the day, & arrive early (opens at 10:00 a.m.) to make the most of this unusual but lovely attraction. The view from the porch was absolutely gorgeous and I loved going off the beaten path (although I do have some reservations about that which I will share at the end). They do school field trips at this venue & I kept walking around thinking how much kids would love it! We did a nature hike up the mountain to the butterfly garden and then hiked down the hill where we enjoyed bamboo river rafting with our guide. I could have spent the whole day down there, and I regret not bringing my bathing suit as a dip in the cool river would have been great after our nature walk. After a lengthy bamboo river rafting experience, complete with special treatment for the ladies (I don't want to spoil it), we took a self tour of the animals; the crocodile was my favorite although he looked like he could use a little extra room to move around. There are free range birds that wander around as you tour the caged ones. Glad I can say I've finally seen a rasta fowl! The "cleanest pig stye in Jamaica" was hilarious - the pigs certainly know when you are coming up to see them!! The final leg of our tour was with a guide who took us in to the aviary where you can feed the birds. I've seen a few pics posted by other travellers where they held the bird seed in their hands & had the birds eating out of their palm. Not sure if the rules have changed since, but we were provided with a bowl that had seeds in it & the birds just flocked to the bowls- if it's still allowed, I would recommend scooping some seeds up in your hands & letting them feed that way - it's a much more interactive experience & a lot more fun.Not realizing how long we would actually be there, I regret not taking advantage of the meal program offered (or you can bring a picnic!). You get suprisingly hungry hiking & rafting & walking & I would have liked to enjoy a meal on the porch looking out in to the mountains. The only reason I scored this as very good instead of excellent was the navigation/road. They do offer to arrange transportation for a small fee, and maybe that's the best way to do it. My private tour guide had problems finding the place based on the written directions provided to me via email, and had to call (twice) to get proper directions. Also, the road is not paved/finished and it was explained to me afterwards that it can be extremely dangerous for tourists to travel down roads that do not accomodate two way traffic, or at least give you a place to turn around if you get in to any trouble. Maybe hiring the driver through the farm itself is the best way to negate that but I feel like it's important to comment on this to make others aware that they should be aware of their surroundings in JA. *** This is in NO WAY a negative posting about the farm/attraction itself and I am so glad we went. Perhaps if they get enough support from eco-tourism they will be able to widen the road. I hope people support this venue because it really is a hidden gem.

This place was such a gem! After crawling up pot-holed roads it was such a relief to find this little haven with funny signs all over the entrance. The folks running this place were really cool and friendly. It is on such a beautiful piece of land and right up against a giant nature preserve and awesome river.the animals were all so cool to see, especially the alligator and boa and giant bunnies.. and of course the rasta fowl : )the bird cage was really my favorite though.so many birds and having them eating out of my hand was really amazing.

Wooow! It was nature in it's beauty, The tour guide was really great, she took her time to inform us about the different types of birds, animals and the plants on the beautiful farm.

Thanks to previous trip advisors in sharing the information about Animal Farm and Nature Reserve. It was a little challenging to get to, however Geoffrey the owner gave us great directions and our driver got us there. The road conditions are decent, for most parts of the road has just been improved. The Farm is beautiful! From the moment we arrived, our two boys didn't want to leave. Kim our friendly guide, offered us refreshing coconut water before we began our fun and educational tour. It was the "RASTAFOWL" chickens that drew us there, but there was so much to see. I especially love the quails. Our older boy was delighted to carry a 2 week old guinea pig throughout the tour. For the next two days, he constantly begged us to get him a guinea pig. He would rather get the guinea pig instead of Lap Top. Another point that needs to mention is the farm's philosophy of green practices. The house on the farm uses solar panels for its electricity. Bio -gas is used for cooking. Even the refrigerator uses bio-gas. It was unfortunate we were short on time, we would have love to do the rafting as well. Before you go, contact the owner. He is especially accommodating. He suggested in having food prepared on the riverside for us, but i checked my email the night before leaving and with my kids food allergies, I opted out.

I like piece or nurtured nature.. Animal Farm & Nature Reserve is perfect for nature lover it has and fascinating tranquil surroundings with unique butterflies. hikes and rafting it just fabulous

I loved everything about the whole tour i got a naturale masssage on the river on the rafting tour. We got off and i got a massage, and then we ate some jamaican Brown Sew Fish, and saw the most beautiful humming birds. As well as other exotic birds and pheasants.

we are birders- this place was great- large area dedicated towards conservation ( wild flowers and butterfly gardens )- a real natural setting untouched -a birding meccafrom hummers to woodpeckers- + access to river rafting which we didonly negative-it takes about 30-40 minutes to get there from hip strip as roads are terrible-unpaved and essentially dirt tracksour driver was swearing all day !

this place was really great for my first time horseback riding!!!

We went on this tour thinking oh, it is going to be just another venue for our daughter to pass time since my husband was not on this trip with us. However, we were wowed by the beautiful scenery, The Unique Rasta Fowl variety, pheasants, snakes , farm animals, rafting choice, a herb garden and many more. If you are looking for a place that will rejuvinate the mind, body & soul, this is the one. Our daughter (who is four) enjoyed the goose and the many different variety of birds on the farm. The customer service rep. was quite helpful in arranging a taxi to pick us up in Montego Bay for a minimal fee. Our tour guide who (sat in for the tour guide ) was quite patient and knowledgeable.