Private Appleton Estate Black River Safari and Pelican Bar Tour from Montego Bay

Immersed yourself in the rich history and flavors of the Appleton Estate Rum, combined with the diverse wildlife and rich cultural heritage of the Black River Safari, to include the Pelican Bar to conclude the day with total relaxation.

Appleton Estate has been hand crafting rums since 1749. They produce a wide variety of aged rum, as well as standard gold and white rums. Located in the heart of the country’s sugar cane belt, it is the oldest sugar estate and distillery in Jamaica. You will watch a short film on the history of the estate, after which you will be given a live demonstration of the earliest methods of extracting the juice from the sugarcane. Then learn about the many types of sugarcane, the cultivation and harvesting process, before sampling bits of cane, sugarcane juice and molasses, at their respective stations. Your visit to the distillation station will give you insight on their unique distillation process before taking a quick walk through of the factory to see the operation in real-time. 

You will visit the barrel house where the rums are aged to perfection, before enjoying samples of three different blends, Appleton Estate Signature Blend, Reserve Blend and Rare Blend. The tour comes to an end in the gift shop where you can get sevener items and rum before heading out for your next tour.

Black River Safari is one of the best, if not the #1 location to enjoy nature at its best. Black River is Jamaica’s longest navigable river and is surrounded by lush mangroves and vibrant plant life along the banks of the river and floating on the river. The river’s gentle currents and dappled shadows create a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. 

Enjoy a 1-hour boat trip up the river as you get a chance to see the river’s wildlife and learn about the wetlands, birds, fishes, the mangroves and other local flora and fauna. Meet the friendly crocodiles and get up-close as the captain call them by their names and they swim up to the boat. The captain will pet them and feed them while you take pictures or videos. Your tour comes to an end with a visit to the nursery to see the baby crocks, after which you will board your vehicle and head back to your hotel. If your tour package comes with lunch, you can choose to have it before the Black River tour or after. Your driver/guide will assist with the arrangement. 

The Pelican Bar is located in the community of Parotee in the Parish of St. Elizabeth, along the South Coast of the island. A trip to the Pelican Bar will be a memorable experience as it is a 100% local attraction and one of its kind in Jamaica. Get a 5-minute boat ride on a local fishing boat to the Pelican Bar where you will spend a minimum of 2-hours in a location where you will have a stress-free atmosphere.

Find a spot on the deck, spread your beach towel, lay in the sun and enjoy the cool Caribbean breeze on your body with the warm Jamaican sun. Take swims in the waist-high crystal-clear blue waters. Enjoy a game of dominos with the locals. Have some cold Jamaican Red Stripe Beers or other beverages. Have a seafood lunch of lobster, shrimp, conch (seasonal) or vegetables serve with Jamaican special rice and peas or other side orders. After you have enough, signal your boat captain that you are ready to go, and he will take you back on the beach where your driver will be waiting to take you back to your hotel.

Your tour begins with a morning pickup from your Montego Bay hotel 10-15 minutes before your scheduled pickup time. Leaving your hotel, your tour begins with a picturesque drive through the mountains and along the shoreline to the South Coast of Jamaica.

Appleton Estate is your first tour. Here, you will get a guided walking tour of the property starting with a short documentary on the history of rum making, then live demonstration of milling sugarcane in earlier times, a stop at the sugar cane stand to learn the history cane production and the different types and sampling. You move on to the milling station where you will participate in milling your own sugarcane juice, to the molasses satiation for tasting and learning the uses, to the distillation station, a quick look inside the factory, to the aging house, before going back on the inside for rum tasting and shopping.

Black River Safari is next. You will get a 1-hour boat ride on the Black River to view the more than 100 species of animals, birds, mangroves, beautiful flora and fauna along the riverbanks and floating in the river. You will meet the friendly crocodiles who will swim up to the boat while the captain pet and feed then. Your tour ends in a crocodile nursery where you can see and hold the baby crocodiles. 

Pelican Bar is your final tour. Here you will get on a local fishing boat for a short ride over to the Pelican Bar where you can swim, sunbathe, eat seafood, drink Red Stripe Beers, relax and simply chill.