The tears started to build in my eyes as the rugged road battered our cars suspension. ‘It will be worth it’ Alex, our driver-come-new-best-friend called from upfront, ‘It’s my favourite beach in Dominica’.
It wasn’t the dirt-track or bumpy journey that was getting to me though; it was a glance at my watch and the realisation that, in a few hours, we would be saying goodbye to this precious island. The time was fast approaching to board a small twin-prop and leave this wild, rugged, beautiful nation that had stolen my heart.
It’s been a while since I’ve been somewhere that made me cry on goodbye, but The commonwealth of Dominica had got me good. Places like this are not only rare but why I fell in love with travelling. Incredible landscapes, friendly faces, untouched nature and that feeling of discovering something special. It’s not like it had taken a while to grow on me either; my love for this country had started just moments after our arrival.
Honking is good; honking is friendly’ Alex shouted over the rhythm of his horn, as our vehicle climbed up into the mountains and passed waving villagers, a short toot greeting each person back. Behind us, the tiny airport faded into the distance, as rainforest and river coated landscapes enveloped us.
We stop suddenly, killing the engine of the car to better hear the Parrot calling at the side of the road. With fresh lemongrass in our hands and a light sprinkling of rain, I felt a world away from the flat white beaches of Antigua where we had spent our stopover.
I’d been in Dominica for less than thirty minutes, and I already felt at one with nature. You don’t have to go looking for mother nature’s most exceptional work here; it’s everywhere and all-encompassing. This is why the locals proudly call their home the nature island.
Exhausted from the connecting flight, Dominica’s airport is so small that only short flights from the Caribbean can land here, we happily dropped the bags into our rooms at Fort Young Hotel in the low-key capital city of Roseau before gleefully accepting (the start of many) rum punch.
Fort Young is not only historical but also one of the nicest and most famous hotels on the island. A homely 3-star offering with an epic location. You don’t come to Dominica for luxury resorts and back-to-back 5-star retreats like other Caribbean islands, you come here to hike, canyon and bathe in countless rivers, and this was the perfect base.
With a casual snack bar, fancier restaurant, swimming pool and on-site dive shop, it ticked the boxes. For me, being just minutes walk from the restaurants, shops and city life of Roseau was even better though. You don’t need to try hard to slip into a resemblance of local life here.
Slipping into bed with the wide balcony doors open and the lightly lapping waves of the Atlantic outside, I was quickly lullabied to sleep. It felt like being on a cruise ship, with just ocean as far as the eye could see.
‘No cocktails, no lying on the beach here, no-no. Strap your boots on and go dive in some pools’ Marvin our guide laughed as the heavens opened and we dipped under a lush green canopy of trees.
By the time the Umbrellas were erected though, the rain had already passed. It wasn’t the first shower, nor would it be the last on our short hike to Middleham Falls. The wild verdant rainforest was enchanting come rain or shine.
Marvin tore off leaves from plants that tasted of crisp green apple, and handed me red berries after checking they were safe to eat. Everywhere you look in Dominica there are hanging fresh goodies, and our hike had evolved into a masterclass in wild fruit salad making.
Around an hour into the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, we turn a corner and Middleham Falls in all its towering beauty greets us. Over 150-feet of powerful water cascaded down the rock cliff, and surprisingly, we had this natural wonder all to ourself.
In fact, we met a total of eleven other visitors that morning, a point which made Dominica seem all that more enthralling.
While the off-season might bring some bad weather, deadly Hurricane Maria which tragically tore through the country in 2017 being the rare epitome of this, it also means far fewer visitors.
With the cruises only docking during the high-season, Dominica, with its limited airport arrivals is a blissful escape away from these months. That said, I’ve heard that it can become a chaotic mass of people when the cruise ships ferry in the visitors.
Dominica isn’t a flat island like other Carribean ports such as Aruba, where cruise-goers disembark and head to the nearest beach. So when the ships do arrive, the narrow mountain roads and nearby attractions, of course, become crowded with visitors.
So come in the off-season, and stay for a while. If you want to go all out, the Waitukubuli trail provides the perfect two-week trek across the island, linking the multiple trails of Dominica together. Without any predators and a great value National Park Ticket, which all park visitors must get no matter the length of stay, it’s a serene hikers paradise.
I quickly learnt these rainforests though aren’t just for hiking and waterfalls, though there are countless options to choose from. In amongst the mountains and volcanos you can get your adrenaline pumping while Canyoning, or bathe in beautiful natural pools.
Ti Tou Gorge was my first taste of moss-covered rocks and refreshing waters. For those seeking the easiest way to sample the gorges of Dominica, a short swim takes you to a small waterfall inside. If you want to go all out though, then Canyoning with Extreme Dominica is the perfect ticket.
Scared of heights, I was surprised that I somehow convinced myself this would be a good idea, but here I was. Thirty feet below me in a dark pool of refreshing water, Berani’s voice echoed through the canyon as he counted me down: ‘3, 2, 1, jump!’
I shut my eyes, screamed a profanity into the dark stone of the canyon around me, and leapt off the edge, crashing into the entirely fresh and refreshing water below. It took me a while to get into it, but by the time we slung ourself onto the last zip-wire, I was a Canyoning convert.
For those not wanting to stray too far from the relaxed Caribbean vibes, Dominica serves up its nature in various forms and levels. From the easy to chill in Emerald Pool, one of the islands best-known attractions, to the intense hiking routes which deliver you to natural wonders such as the Boiling Lake.
Situated in the heart of Dominica’s World Heritage Morne Trois Pitons National Park, this vast bubbling lake of boiling water is a sight to behold for those who tackle the heavy hike there. We opted for a more more relaxed approach to our bodies of water though and drove to the Freshwater Lake which danced in and out of the clouds as brave locals took a dip.
With some 365 rivers in Dominica, one for each day of the year as the locals regularly point out (a stark contrast to the 365 beaches nearby Antigua celebrates) it’s no surprise there are multiple waterfalls to venture too. The twin falls of Trafalgar, although not as impressive as Middleham, are easy to access, and it was closeby that I sampled my best meal on the island.
Travel Diaries 