Dominica - geo

[kruzseeka]

We were having a discussion with friends about Dominica the other day and I remembered you speaking very highly of the island geo. What would you say were the 'must sees' or best trips to do here? We've never ventured into the interior so wasn't able to give any advice.

[geomagot]

ahh dominica....we're gonna miss dominica this year:(

 

too much to see in one day tbh kruz

 

we usually just hop in a taxi at the port and tell the driver to take us up into the rain forest, with a few stops to smell the flowers/take photos/maybe a quick dip in a waterfall/and a couple of stops at the roadside bars/fruit stalls/shacks for a chat and a drink, for a couple of hours, the drivers are generally very knowledgeable about the flora, the trails and where’s best to go

 

trafalgar falls...its a very high (magnificent) waterfall with a small trek down (a dirt path) from the road, through the rain forest where there is a viewing platform (and some great views over the rain forest)

 

emerald pool...very cool clear pool/pond surrounded by flowers & jungle foliage.... short walk on a signposted trail from trafalgar falls...locals call the pool the elixier of youth....you can take a dip but there are no changing facilities....just some nearby rocks

 

hibiscus falls...smaller than trafalgar falls but easier to get to from the road...down a flight of cement steps....theres a fruit/juice/coconut oil/herbs/flowers stall/guy at the the entrance and a rest room to change in if you decide to take a dip

 

titou gorge....another pool with a fresh water waterfall actually inside the gorge you have to swim to get to it…. and a hot water waterfall in the pool (heated by the volcano) lady with an ice box nearby selling cold juices, fruits, & beers....she will look after your stuff if you want to swim in the pool/waterfall.... (or sit under the hot waterfall in a very shallow pool strewn with flower petals... ms magot was greatly enamoured by this experience, no proper changing facilities other than a bench where the ice box lady sits

 

the sulphur springs are nearby where there is a signposted trail passing fumaroles & bubbling mud pools...its a very pretty walk (a bit smelly) about 15 minutes with signs explaining what you are looking at and some info on the various (large) plants that you pass on the way.... there is a small market near the entrance where they sell all manner of volcanic skin treatments and the usual herbs/flowers/juices/fruit/beers

 

mero beach....a jet black (very hot underfoot) sand beach, rustic setting with local fishing boats pulling in from time to time to sell their catch and surrounded by pineapple fields....water is very warm and shallow for swimming and there is a beach bar/hut/restaurant/rest rooms

 

personally i would recommend visiting 1 or 2 of the waterfalls/pools (most especially the titou gorge) and then on to the beach....easy to arrange with any local taxi driver

 

you will need trainers or closed in shoes in the rain forest as the trails/steps/rocks can be slippery....its likely to rain briefly, its cool(er) in the shade of the forest, the roads into the forest are quite steep/hair raising but some fabulous views and the herby smell will hit you the minute you leave rousseau

 

indian river....if you like a gentle row in a 'rustic' wooden boat thru the trees with a man with 2 planks rowing? then yes go for it...they take you to a garden down river where there is a little bar and offer you a free (dynamite) cocktail and slices of unidentified? delicious tropical fruits...probably not too easy to do this and visit the waterfalls in one day but it might be worth considering if you are going to the beach as its in the same direction

 

or if you are docking at portmouth then the cabrits national park....very spooky overgrown jungle & the ruined fort shirley with abandoned cannon/caves/bats/humoungus mahogany trees and gorgeous veiws over douglas bay at the end

 

admissions are between $2 - $5pp

 

there are lots of other things to do which we haven’t done

 

sulphur spa at wootten waven where you can soak in the sulphur springs and cool off in the fresh water waterfall all within a garden setting attached to a resort with lockers, showers & changing facilities and a bar/restaurant...not sure how much a ticket would cost to get in?....quite a few others have raved to us about this experience (mainly honeymooners) ;)

 

whale watching where they boast a 99% success rate...bookable with thoms only i think?

 

zip line, river tubing etc ....taxis will take you there

 

cabrits national park

 

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hibiscus falls

 

 

 

hope this helps

 

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[kruzseeka]

It most certainly does geo - fantastic information. ;) I will make sure to save it for future reference also pass it on to friends.

 

We once docked at Portsmouth and took the beach transfer to Escape Beach - the complex was shut really but accommodated the Thomson trip. We loved it - rather Robinson Crusoe style beach with little of the usual touristy/artificial feel you get with some places, but all the more charming for that.

 

Anyway thanks again for that brilliant info. Much appreciated. :):):)

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Are you sure you haven't booked a sneaky Caribbean cruise Kruzseeka and not told us? :D

[geomagot]

i was gonna ask that too;):)

 

got anything (caribbean-y-ish) lined up for this winter yet kruz?? ....montego bay...cuba...costa...beautiful... rica:cool:...... is calling:cool:;)

Edited September 8, 2014 by geomagot

[kruzseeka]

That would be lovely Linda - future plans all in a state of flux! :confused: :rolleyes:

[kruzseeka]

i was gonna ask that too;):)

 

got anything (caribbean-y-ish) lined up for this winter yet kruz?? ....montego bay...cuba...costa...beautiful... rica:cool:...... is calling:cool:;)

 

 

Oooohhhhh...... Montego Bay home of the best Bahama Mamas ever.......Havana................hmmmmmmmm..........would I just love to go there again?.............you bet.. Is Roatan on the itinerary too? SOOOO tempting, but not on the radar at the mo, sadly. But you can rest assured that I shall be thinking of you and wishing I was there too! ;)

[infoqueen]

I so loved the feeling of tranquillity that we felt walking down to the falls (Think it was Trafalgar) it was like I was finding myself then noticed the hubby had come down too haha. I really loved the Caribbean it was wonderful loved the atmosphere, the people, the views, the weather and especially the music. I want to go back

[Little Nell]

Geo, that is fabulous information and pics. Thanks so much.

 

I am happy to say, I am going to Dominica in February :) Sorry Geo but then you are going to Havana!!!!

[CRUISIN LINDA]

That would be lovely Linda - future plans all in a state of flux! :confused: :rolleyes:

Sorry to hear that Kruzseeka. Hope no serious problems xx

[kruzseeka]

Sorry to hear that Kruzseeka. Hope no serious problems xx

 

Thanks Linda, :) but thankfully nothing other than going round in circles thinking about what, where, when and getting more and more confused. :confused::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Edited September 8, 2014 by kruzseeka

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Thanks Linda, :) but thankfully nothing other than going round in circles thinking about what, where, when and getting more and more confused.

Oooh we are like that too. We have practically done a world tour, choosing one place then another and another......

We are trying to be patient and get a bargain next year, but I don't really do patient :o:o

 

I fancy the Caribbean again after two winters in the Canaries, but not keen on the Dream (for reasons that I promised not to mention ;)) P&O seem really expensive, Fred is all booked up as they have only just reintroduced Caribbean cruise after a two year break and they were snapped up quickly. That leaves the Celebration - mmm there's a thought :D Sister to the Spirit and our first cruise ship - fondly remembered.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Thanks for the info geo. Saved in a folder onto the desktop :)

 

Now I have just got out the brochure - no no, must be patient and get a bargain, lol :D

[geomagot]

cant really go wrong with celebration in caribbean imo....it does sound fabulous...its my favourite ship and in the caribbean all winter....whats not to love:cool:

 

we are on dream at christmas simply for the cuba stop, sadly I have been having slight reservations about the dream for a little while now

 

yes...i agree dream has let people down in areas...little things mostly...but they add up and dream in caribbean is/can be quite expensive...the lack of an affordable ai package is an issue for some...some of the flooding problems never really went away, i believe the ship was always a lemon right from the start, thomsons have tried their best with it but they have never got it quite right imo, we always embark up that gangway with a kind of sense of 'what is going to happen this time'?

 

i think they have made a good call by having a choice of ships this year.....celebration overall is a good ship with a good product, reliable, small but perfectly formed (apart from the wobble)

 

its caused a bit of a double edged dilemma for us, if celebration was doing cuba/jamaica/panama etc then that would be about as perfect as it can get, i dont know much about ships but I suspect that celebration wouldn't cope as well as dream will with the distances involved on the ex jamaica itineraries? but a smaller ship in smaller ports like grand cayman/cozumel/roatan would be just perfect

 

we like/love the ex barbados itineraries but we have done them 5 years running, so we are sticking/stuck with the dream this christmas just for the ex jamaica itinerary (somewhere different to explore)....but....easter/march/april is still vacant.....and celebration ex barbados is calling my name;)....i dont think i will ever tire of barbados/dominica/antiqua/st lucia

[geomagot]

I so loved the feeling of tranquillity that we felt walking down to the falls (Think it was Trafalgar) it was like I was finding myself then noticed the hubby had come down too haha. I really loved the Caribbean it was wonderful loved the atmosphere, the people, the views, the weather and especially the music. I want to go back

 

yep...got it in a nutshell there info....its a place to find yourself.....in our everyday lives we never get the chance to just listen to some silence for a while...complete silence, not even just for a few seconds...its very surreal, especially at the moment when you realise just what it is you have been listening to (or not listening to in this case)

 

all sounds are muted by the foliage...there is no breeze...the air is completely still and darkened by the canopy, little points of sunlight peek through, everything is soft green...green and calming, everything seems to glitter ....you become aware of all the subtle herbal smells around you...maybe you hear the the sound of a single raindrop falling on a leaf (have you ever noticed that sound in your everyday life?...i hadn’t…not ever)

 

just taking time to sit for a few minutes in the forest, was for me, a very cleansing experience, it's definitely a place were a very simple thing can become unforgettable

 

.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Not just me then geo (about the Dream) ;) It is a shame as she is quite a nice ship with a good layout and huge cabins (pity about the dark wood on the walls) but I wonder if Thomson should ever have had her after the accident in Sharm.

 

Three cruises I am tracking are Fred (Boudicca around Britain) Celebration repo from Tenerife to Dubrovnik and Majesty repo from Tenerife to Corfu.

 

Love the Caribbean, but not keen on the flight. We were thinking about a transatlantic over and flying back but after all those days at sea last week, I have changed my mind!:rolleyes:

[kruzseeka]

For some reason the quote isn't working for me at the mo - but your post about the emotional impact of certain places is very compelling geo. I felt similarly over-awed sailing down the fjords - a spiritual experience. Thanks for sharing that - I can really identify with your sentiments and infoqueen's - you make it more and more appealing!

 

I would agree too about Celebration's itineraries - great! But I can definitely understand why you've ended up doing Havana again! ;)

[geomagot]

cant get the quotes to work either??

 

yes i agree with you linda, the 6 consecutive sea days on the t/a....not everyone’s cup of tea.....it wasn’t mine really either (in hindsight) but, I think if you are expecting that, then you are prepared for that, a sudden change of plan and extra sea days popping up are quite difficult especially when you have a plan in place that suddenly gets changed at the last minute....does cast a bit of a pall over the whole journey imo

 

the long haul flight to jamaica is even longer than barbados....but, its a necessary evil....gotta be done...if you want to guarantee good weather in winter, canaries just isnt hot enough for me in december, red sea is off the books and probably will never come back? dubai was a contender briefly...but that would be a costa cruise :eek: so we're left with the caribbean and the long flight...its the only real option ....free open bar on thomsons long haul this year ...that should help a bit :cool: (hopefully i wont remember anything at all about the flight) ;):)

Edited September 9, 2014 by geomagot

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Hey ho off to St Giles Fairwith two mates :) A short (free:)) bus ride into Oxford :D:D

[Dysongs]

We were there at Portsmouth back in 2011 but never explored further than the town. That's a shame as by reading these posts we seemed to have missed everything. This time we hope to find more to do and see when we dock at Roseau in 2015

[geomagot]

pretty town there tho dysongs... worth a mooch around...nice fruit market, friendly/chatty locals, interesting little shops all backed by a niceish 'rustic' stretch of (empty) beach

[BaggersCruising]

Oooh we are like that too. We have practically done a world tour, choosing one place then another and another......

We are trying to be patient and get a bargain next year, but I don't really do patient :o:o

 

I fancy the Caribbean again after two winters in the Canaries, but not keen on the Dream (for reasons that I promised not to mention ;)) P&O seem really expensive, Fred is all booked up as they have only just reintroduced Caribbean cruise after a two year break and they were snapped up quickly. That leaves the Celebration - mmm there's a thought :D Sister to the Spirit and our first cruise ship - fondly remembered.

 

That's surprised me, as everytime I've priced up P&O and Thomson for a 2 week fly-cruise to the Caribbean, P&O have always come up cheaper (sometimes as much a third), and on much newer ships too!

[geomagot]

That's surprised me, as everytime I've priced up P&O and Thomson for a 2 week fly-cruise to the Caribbean, P&O have always come up cheaper (sometimes as much a third), and on much newer ships too!

 

there's more sea days on p&o caribbean fly cruises tho...... and an overnight in barbados

[kruzseeka]

there's more sea days on p&o caribbean fly cruises tho...... and an overnight in barbados

 

Although don't the Dream itineraries this year have two sea days? The Celebration still has only one sea day per week except for the odd cruise (iirc) and a short stop on the one which does Bonaire.

 

The overnight in Barbados allows for a full port day there in addition to the embarkation and disembarkation days much like you would get on the middle day of the Celebration b-2-b itineraries.

[BaggersCruising]

Although don't the Dream itineraries this year have two sea days? The Celebration still has only one sea day per week except for the odd cruise (iirc) and a short stop on the one which does Bonaire.

 

The overnight in Barbados allows for a full port day there in addition to the embarkation and disembarkation days much like you would get on the middle day of the Celebration b-2-b itineraries.

 

Spot on kruzseeka, most of the Dream itineraries have a couple of sea days this year, mainly due to the distance all the ports are from Jamaica, as Thomson like to use a home port where they can also offer cruise and stays!

 

We'd much prefer an overnight in Barbados as we like it there. That's one thing we missed doing the TA last year, not being able to do much in Barbados, whereas this year we get a whole day in Barbados and Montego Bay is our last stop to fly home.

 

P&O look like they're changing things slightly next winter (2015/6), offering a couple of new stops in the Caribbean, including Grand Cayman, which we sadly missed last year, and basing their new Britannia out there, so may have to look seriously at P&O for next year, especially if they're coming out cheaper.