Dominica – An Island of History and Nature

Dominica is an absolutely stunning Caribbean island and it is a shame not many people seem to know of it. When I went, as my plane flew over the island, my face squashed against the window, the only thing I could think of was Jurassic Park. The sheer abundance of green and mountains was incredible. Going to Dominica was pretty important for me because part of my family tree originates there. So you could imagine my excitement when I arrived at the airport and the customs guy asked me my purpose in the country. I said holiday and looking up my roots. He asked me my family name and when I said it, he and his nearby colleagues all said go to Roseau, the capital. Dominica is a small place.

A visit to Dominica could be divided into two parts. The first part is history and traditions. This part, for me, included a visit to Fort Shirley, the remains of the ubiquitous fort left behind by European colonizers all across the Caribbean. It also meant checking out where my grandfather’s uncle resided when he was president for ten years. And finally, it also included a visit to the Kalinago Territory. What surprised me about my visit there was just how much it felt like looking into a mirror – I knew I have Kalinago ancestry but I didn’t realize to what extent I look it! A visit to the Territory included a guided tour that gave a glimpse into the traditions and history of the Kalinago people. There was also a performance of a cultural dance which was “interesting” as I was pulled up on stage to dance. No one really needed to have been subjected to seeing me dance…

The second part to the country is nature. Dominica is really ‘natural’ – if you want to live off the land, be one with nature, or be a hermit, this is a place to do it. The country is an extremely verdant island and it seems that it will be so for a long time to come since a lot of it is protected by natural parks. Anything that you could dream of can be found in these parks – flora and fauna (over 600 species – and none of the animals are poisonous, supposedly!), tall trees, rivers, waterfalls, creeks, gorges, valleys, lava craters. There is even Boiling Lake, the second largest thermally active lake in the world – it actually boils! Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have enough time to visit it as it is pretty much a day hike there and back and I ran out of days. I did, though, visit Morne Trois Pitons National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There, I hiked to Boeri Lake. It is at an elevation of 2800ft and sits in a volcano crater. The hike apparently has panoramic views of the valleys and mountains – but, all I saw were clouds since it was rainy the day I went. Ah well – I guess all that green does require rain…

Dominica’s focus is on eco-tourism so the country isn’t “Disneyfied” or golf-lawn-manicured as some of the other Caribbean islands are. To me, that is a good thing. So, if you want adventure and uniqueness, Dominica is definitely an island you should check out!

What to Do in Dominica

1. Wander around Roseau and Plymouth, the two cities of any size on the island.
2. Snorkel and dive – the volcanic nature of Dominica means the underwater views are just as amazing as the aboveground views.
3. Stop at a roadside cassava bread bakery – best bread you’ll ever eat. When fresh off the cooking pot, it requires absolutely nothing extra. Though I’m sure if I had added butter and cheese I’d have thought I’d died and gone to food heaven…however, none of the bread lasted long enough for me to find some butter and cheese…
4. Rent a car (4×4) and just drive.
5. Check out the 365 rivers that Dominica apparently has. 365. That’s a lot of rivers.
6. There is now the Caribbean’s first long distance trail called the Waitukubuli National Trail – it is 184km long and is supposed to take about 2 weeks to do. Now that I’ve been bitten by the long distance walks bug (Camino de Santiago 2013), I so SO want to do this!!