DRR USA is excited to have had the opportunity to work with Mystic Mountain Rainforest Adventures to create the first ever, all-electric, eco tour. Mystic Mountain is in the beautiful location of Ocho Rios Jamaica. Two of our team members, Lou and Tyler, were flown out to Jamaica to help startup this operation. Here’s a recount of their experience.
How did this ATV tour/experience compare to other tours?
Tyler: Being able to explore different places. The point is to explore different places and I’d never been to Jamaica. The difference in culture and the environment is my favorite part.
Lou: It's such a unique location, it’s where all the water sources begin in Jamaica. It’s so hard for people to comprehend its quiet. They don’t get it until they ride it. One person said it’s the complete absence of noise. When you’re on a path that’s not soft or muddy, all you’re hearing is birds and any animals in the area, you can hear the wind coming through the trees. And when you ride it there’s absolutely no smell. You know when you’re behind an ATV there’s gasoline you smell exhaust, you don’t stink, which is usually a problem when you ride in a pack.
How did the environment affect the experience?
T: It Randomly started raining 30 times while we were there. My favorite color is green, and the greenery and the weather just make for a different atmosphere and environment. It was important to go there and feel out any problems in a different environment that we might never face.
L: It was dark. The canopy was so thick, the trail was dark. The wildlife didn’t care that we were there, like they didn’t react to us at all. We were just riding by, you couldn’t hear us at all except for maybe some leaves, but the birds stayed still, there were other little animals running around.
What did you do while you were at Mystic Mountain?
T: Working. Mostly talking about future business together, how to set themselves up for success, we assembled ATVs.
L: We assembled and checked all the ATVs. We did the tour; we took the ATVs on the path they planned, everyone on staff got to do the tour. We also did the vehicle wraps, the crew down at Mystic Mountain helped us and that’s why they look really good.
Are there different rules or riding styles for riding an ATV in Jamaica?
T: You can ride an ATV on the street. You don’t see that ever here. They don’t require everything we require.
L: Jamaica doesn’t have all the rules that we have in the US, but the tour company is following all the US guidelines. So, the ATVs that are there are all assembled using US guidelines, they’re wearing eye protection and helmets. Those ATVs are all equipped with turn signals and mirrors in case they have to go on the main roads.
What is something you wish you could’ve done while you were there?
T: Go to Blue Lagoon. I heard it’s beautiful but it was a 3-hour drive one way.
L: The only thing I didn’t get to do was drive the final trail and do all the things like all the stops.
What is your favorite food from this trip?
T: Caribbean lobster is really really good.
L: Scotchie’s jerk chicken. We had that every day.
Any advice for people thinking about going to Mystic Mountain?
L: Plan a whole day there. And you have to do the ATV ride. There are water slides, a bobsled, there’s a ski lift that takes you above the canopy and the trees, be prepared to be doing stuff from sun up to sun down and be prepared to be extremely happy because everyone there is super nice, like one of the friendliest places on earth.
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