Dominica
Overview
No, not the Dominican Republic. Dominica isn't your typical Caribbean island. Instead of flat lands and white sandy beaches, Dominica has lush green mountains and fine rock beaches. We didn't even know the island existed two weeks prior but, after finding out that it did in fact exist and how it offered green landscapes and opportunities for adventure we were sold! Luckily we found it when we did as they just started offering direct flights out of Miami a few weeks earlier. Below are our takeaways after the trip followed by a journal of our trip from April 26th 2022 - May 5th 2022.
Takeaways
Adding an international plan to our phone service was important. Even though it is a small island, Google Maps helped a ton in finding places and getting us back. Plus, we had service just about everywhere we went in case of an emergency.
If you plan to rent a car, schedule one (with 4WD!) a few days in advance as they can deliver your rental to the airport. We rented through https://dominicacarental.com/.
Roads are narrow, steep, windy, aligned with water ditches, people drive fast and park anywhere. If you do not have experience with island driving or the British style then it can be stressful. Just take it slow and let people pass you.
Places may be closed even if they say they are open online.
Many trails require fees, “donations”, or a what is a tourist tax.
ATMs dispense EC (local currency) and accept debit cards. They are often out of service so you may need to drive around to find a working one. There is one at the S-Mart (local grocery store).
We were solicited by tour guides, a “self help” beach caretaker, a weed dealer, and even a snake oil salesman! Although harmless, it did feel awkward in these situations so be prepared.
WhatsApp is the official messaging app on the island.
National Parks may charge for use so if you plan to do multiple stops it may be a good idea to pickup a weekly pass instead of paying at each one.
On just about every stretch or corner you will see some type of Bar/Store/Restaurant that serves beer, liquor, toilet paper, fried foods, shirts, etc.
Trail guides are recommended for most trails as they can be hard to find and can be difficult to navigate due to no signage. Our daily fee was $500EC. We were glad to have one for Boiling Lake though since the trail is always changing and we would have gotten lost for sure without him.
We were told by many people to come back. Tourism is important for their economy.
Gas was pricey. $120EC for each ¾ fill up. Attendants fill up for you and each time we went they only accepted cash.
Just about everyone accepts US Dollars in place of EC.
There are lots of birds and lizards but no predatory or venomous animals on the island.
Hidden Gems
Jacko’s Steps, Extreme Dominica Canyoning
Common Phrases
“Yeah Mon”
Journal
Day 1:
Flying into Dominica feels like entering Jurassic Park. While the plane descends towards the island, it's tropical trees come into full view, ultimately landing at a small airport surrounded by them. We first went through a COVID screening area and had to fill out customs paperwork (Bring a pen!). After this we went through a relatively short customs line and we greeted by friendly workers who helped us find our shuttle driver. We didn't schedule our rental in advance so we needed to take an hour long journey to Roseau which started on the Atlantic Ocean, cut through the National Forest, then ended on the Caribbean side of the island. The drive was beautiful though scary at times as he drove fast around blind turns on narrow roads. This is a good time to take in the views of the mountainous jungle and coasts as it's tough to do so when you are driving! We picked up our rental and then the anxiety set in. Being from the U.S. I had to get used to driving on the “wrong” side in the car and opposite side of the road. Not only that, then arrow, windy roads and fast drivers add to the stress. Not to mention going through towns can turn into one lane and feels like a game of chicken at times! If you aren't used to the British style or island driving then it can take some getting used to. After a long day of travel we settled in at our apartment in Portsmouth for the next two nights. We stayed at Balisier Apartments and were greeted by Ryan who was welcoming and helped us with info to plan our time there. The view from the balcony was just what we were looking for. After a disappointing drive over to Keepin' It Real bar (it was closed) we took a walk down from our apartment to a converted container convenient store and picked up some bread and pasta for dinner. After dinner we crashed and fell asleep to the ocean breeze pouring in the windows along with faint sounds of the town in the distance.
Day 2:
Our first full day in Dominica started at the historical Fort Shirley. Initially settled by the French, Dominica was transferred to the British in the Treaty of Paris. It didn't last long as the French took it back by force. This led to battle between them ending in surrender by the French, ultimately returning Dominica back to the British in the Treaty of Versailles. The fort was worth visiting to see the general's quarters and canons lined up. If you want the whole experience it will take the better part of a day to walk all the trails to each landmark.
Initially settled by the French, Dominica was transferred to the British in the Treaty of Paris. It didn't last long as the French took it back by force. This led to battle between them ending in surrender by the French, ultimately returning Dominica back to the British in the Treaty of Versailles. The fort was worth visiting to see the general's quarters and canons lined up. If you want the whole experience it will take the better part of a day to walk all the trails to each landmark.
After Fort Shirley we drove over to Calibishe and ate ocean side at the Coral Reef restaurant. There were men out in the shallow water trying to capture something. I asked our waiter and he said that they were hunting octopus! Shortly after, a man came in and showed us his haul. He described how to catch them which included making sure to have goggles on as their ink can blind you!
We ordered chicken and shrimp dishes which included yams, rice, beans, mac and cheese, and a salad (coleslaw without the dressing). True Dominica home cooking and truly delicious! After lunch we made our way to pickup some local chocolate form Pointe Baptiste. It is in a house hidden in vegetation off of aside road. I'd recommend the 80% ginger dark chocolate! After grabbing a few bars we made our way to the Red Rocks. This short trail starts at the Red Rock Bar ($2 access fee) and is a short walkthrough a jungle trail. Their dog, Roxy, was our guide until she got distracted and snagged an iguana off of a leaf beside us!
This short trail was well worth it especially when you reach the black sandy beach which is off of the trail on the left heading back to the bar. The sand is made up of fine volcanic rock and feels different from regular sand. While on the beach, and after saying watch out for falling coconuts, I turned to head back and heard Siobhan yell almost immediately. It wasn't a coconut, though she had cracked an egg and it splattered all over her face and hair! In her defense, she thought it was a perfect shiny rock...
On our way back to Portsmouth we stopped at Batibou Beach which charged $5 per person (tourist tax). There is a gate at the top and if it is open you can drive down right to the beach. Otherwise you'll need to park at the top and hike about 20 minutes down. There are plenty of spots at the bottom with picnic tables to hang out at. Be careful of falling coconuts here! We walked the beach and swam for a bit then headed back to have dinner in Portsmouth at Riverside which was OK but you can skip it.
Day 3:
We headed over to our next AirBnB, The Soft Parade. We we greeted by Alex who showed us around their jungle property. There are currently three A-Frame cabins with plans to add three hobbit style and three converted container cabins. Our cabin had a full size bed, bathroom, and outdoor shower which was all we needed.
In addition to the A-frames they want to add a pool and half basketball court for guests. There's a communal bar area which is built off of a shipping container where Alex cooks breakfast and dinner and Mike makes drinks and serves the guests. They include ingredients grown on the property or locally grown on the island in all of their meals and drinks. The Soft Parade was the perfect place to come back to after a long day exploring. We spent this particular day hanging around the property and socializing with our hosts. We then had “Rum-Fizzes” with a home made salami pizza in the common area while planning out the next day's itinerary.
Day 4:
After a fresh, delicious breakfast sandwich and coffee made from beans grown on site we headed over to Freshwater and Boeri Lakes for our first Dominican hike. Since this is in the national park it has a parking lot which is rare on the island! These two trails felt like Jurassic Park in Morne Trios Pitons National Park. Freshwater Lake was the first trail we hiked and it was very humid and muddy.
Towards the end of this hike there is a steep downhill climb. This leads to a road which you follow to the end to begin the Boeri Lake trail. We took this trail which wasn't as steep though it was quite slippery on the mossy rocks along the way. A beautiful teal lake eventually appears in what was the highlight of both hikes. This one was more secluded and gives you the feeling of being immersed in the jungle (Jurassic Park vibes).
The views on this cloudy day were still good considering and it was nice to be the only ones on the trail the entire time. Both hikes took a few hours overall though it could have taken less had it not been so muddy and slippery.
Next, we stopped at View Point Restaurant & Bar for lunch. I had a basic burger served with that local coleslaw salad and Siobhan ordered dolphin! Come to find out they call Mahi Mahi dolphin so it wasn't as exciting as it seemed after all...
This was right down the road from our next stop, Trafalgar Falls. I'm not much of a waterfall person but the scope and beauty of these falls was stunning. It's well worth going out of your way for this attraction. It has a parking lot and short paved trail making it easily accessible.
We then headed back, grabbed some groceries at the lone island supermarket, S-Mart, and drove back through a white-knuckled downpour drive in the dark to Soft Parade. We headed down to the communal area for dinner. I requested that they play The Doors song that it's named after. We all belted out the lyrics “Welcome to the Soft Parade!” and, it turns out, I was the first person to request it! We then headed back to hand wash some laundry and take our first cold showers which weren't so bad after being out in the warm weather all day
Day 5:
Today marks the middle of our trip and we decided to hike up a mountain. Morne Anglais was not easy to find. It is located at the end of the town of Giradel. We had to ask a few locals as new roads caused Google Maps to get us a little lost. We finally found a spot to park on the side of the road (15.2877314, -61.348316) next to another road leading up to the trail head just beyond a radio tower. The trail was freshly groomed making it easy to follow, and had steep terrain for 4+ hours. There was a fun part where we had to climb up some roots and muddy terrain.
Towards the end the trail opens up and gets steep until you reach the top. The Atlantic Coast can be seen to the east and to the west is Roseau and the Caribbean Sea. It took us about 2.5 hours to hike up and 2 hours back down and overall a fun hike even though the clouds impaired our view a bit.
On our way back we stopped in Roseau to get some cash and checked out a few tents where hats, jewelry and other Dominica gift items were sold. While walking around we were approached by a man in all black walking down the rock wall. His name was Smith and he was selling snake oil! While tempted, we passed on the offer. Another man wearing a Yankee hat and red shirt, asked us if we were going to party tonight and offered us weed. Again we passed and at this point we were ready to head back to our jungle sanctuary. The night ended with tacos and “Rum-Fizzes” which hit the spot after a long day.
Day 6:
Our day started off with a drive over to what may have been our favorite part of the trip, Extreme Canyoning. This was a great experience and although it was pricey we'd highly recommend booking with Extreme Dominica. They were easy to get along with and focused on safety. It turns out that they were the ones who were responsible for the freshly groomed trail at Morne Anglais! This experience included jumping off rock faces and repelling down into beautiful teal pools of water. One of our guides even serenaded us with a Backstreet Boys song throughout. We had an absolute blast canyoning and couldn’t recommend it enough if you are visiting Dominica!
On our way back we checked out a couple waterfalls near where we were staying. First was Emerald Pool. A park ranger checked our park pass at this one. It had a nice parking lot with vendors selling all sorts of trinkets across the way. The trail is paves and accessible however it gets a little steep on the way down. We were in luck being the only ones around having the pool all to ourselves. We swam for a bit and then headed out. The vendors had vanished and the parking lot had a van of locals blasting music and having a good time.
Next, we went over to Spanny Falls. This was interesting in that you have to park at a Bar/Store... nearby and pay a 10EC fee per person to take the trail. Here we were greeted by a local asking us how we liked Dominica so far that ended with a “Yeah Mon” and fist pump. The trail was OK and falls somewhat unimpressive. It wasn't as nice as Emerald Pool. We found out later that there is another, larger pool close to the main pool but decided not to go back for it.
Next, we went over to Spanny Falls. This was interesting in that you have to park at a Bar/Store... nearby and pay a 10EC fee per person to take the trail. Here we were greeted by a local asking us how we liked Dominica so far that ended with a “Yeah Mon” and fist pump. The trail was OK and falls somewhat unimpressive. It wasn't as nice as Emerald Pool. We found out later that there is another, larger pool close to the main pool but decided not to go back for it.
Day 7:
We initially had a guide booked (through our hosts) to take us on a couple hikes (Jacko Steps and Victoria Falls) today after reading how it was recommended to hire one in reviews. Unfortunately, something came up and he couldn't guide us today so we decided to give Jacko Steps a try ourselves. This was the one I had most looked forward too and did not want to miss! Check out the full post of our hike here.
We had to ask around again to find the trail head. You will pass the Belle Primary School on your left then up the road a bit on a windy corner to the parking area. Do not drive down this driveway! We did, and although we made it down OK the drive up wasn't so good. As we are driving back up after the hike up and chatting about what to do next, our front passenger (left remember British!) tire clipped the edge of a grassy patch that was hiding a ditch. In retrospect, this was better than having slipped off the other side heading downhill. I popped it in 4WD and tried the best I could to get us out and we were stuck. Siobhan took over and I pushed, slipping in mud that was spraying all over me. Still stuck. Now anxiety is setting in as we didn't want to have to find a tow truck and pay whatever likely high fee it would be to get us out. So, I jumped back in the drivers seat and Siobhan walked up the road. I put my New England/Montanan off-roading skills into gear, flooring it back and forth and jerking the wheel. Finally out! Just as we reached the top of the road a man from a group of people came over to check on us and told us about how he had to help someone in the same situation a few days prior and it took them several hours! After escaping what could have been a much worse situation we decided to call it quits for the day. Ending with a couple of Mike's special “Storm Trooper” drinks made by Mike and telling them the tale of our day.
Day 8:
Today our guide, Sebastian, was available and he took us on one of the best hikes we have ever done, Boiling Lake. He was initially from Germany but visited Dominica about 20 years ago, fell in love with it, then decided to move here permanently. Click here to check out our blog post for the hike.
On our way back from the hike we stopped at one of those Bar/Restaurants and grabbed a couple drinks chatting with our guide about the island and our experiences. We headed back and called it an early night after a long day and great hike.
Day 9:
We woke up to no power. It was the only night that we didn't have our phones plugged in... We managed though! The day began with a drive over through Roseau to the small town of Soufriere to checkout Scott's Head. This is one of the main images you will see of Dominica.
We parked at the small gas station at the end of town and walked the beach looking for a trail. Here we ran in “Self Help” guy. He tried to solicit a "donation" from us for “keeping the beach clean” and, after realizing we weren't buying it, he offered to sell us some mangos. It was hot out and they sounded good so we said we would buy some on our way back. He also explained how to get to the trail. Turns out we could have parked up the hill on a paved road to the base of Scott's Head. From there you can take a short trail up to the peak and look out to where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean Ocean. Aside from seeing some coral in the water and a couple mountains this was pretty disappointing. Not as grand as the picture made it seem. After a short time we walked back down the path and were met by our mango man and purchased a few from him, paying for his day. So much for keeping the beach clean. He followed us right back into town then disappeared. Soufreie was clearly hit hard by the storm as well as the road closure on the east side of the island. It was one of the rougher towns we went through. We decided to stop at Jungle Bay Resort on the way back for lunch. Talk about a difference in culture. Just outside the run-down town is this upscale luxury resort with the best looking restaurant we had seen the entire time, by a lot!
It really puts things into perspective. Despite being luxurious, the food was comparable to anything else you'd get on the island. However, we had our first sour sop ice cream here which was reminiscent of vanilla and was quite delicious! After enjoying some time in luxury we drove back towards our home base for the last time.
While driving up the hill from Roseau we turn a corner to see a man in black walking the road. He shouts out “snake oil!” and waves towards us. It was Smith! It was a tough decision but I decided to keep going and miss out on our last chance to get his famous oil. Back at the Soft Parade our hosts, Alex and Mike, had a friend from their home country of Poland staying with them. This was our last night with them and we all had a blast, sharing stories, music, and far too much rum! It was a perfect way to end our time there.
Day 10:
We had our last breakfast at The Soft Parade. There we met another couple staying there who were from Kosovo and filled them in on what we had done to help them figure out their time there. We took a group picture and said our goodbyes, planning to keep in touch.
Then we took our last drive on the island back to the airport. it was our first time on this road since we arrived and we were feeling much more comfortable on it this time around. We arrived early since we needed to take a rapid COVID test for re-entry to the U.S. These are done by walk-in at an La Falaise Labratory (WhatsApp 767-276-5213) attached to the car rental buildings just before the actual airport for 120EC.
After about 20 minutes we received our negative results and walked over to the airport. Once again we needed a pen which we didn't have and had to ask several employees to borrow one. It's 2022 right? Besides that it was a breeze getting through security and to the waiting area to board. We had a great time on this spur of the moment trip to the Jurassic Park Caribbean Island. It is an experience we will never forget!
