Home & Away with Robert Walshe
www.robertwalshe.com
Holiday Hotspot – Dominica- Caribbean
Dominica is lush, unspoilt, rugged and behind the times, perfect for a holiday away from it all. Discovered by Christopher Columbus in a Sunday in November 1493, he named the island after the day of the week - Sunday being ‘Dominica’ in Latin. Sandwiched between Guadeloupe and Martinique, it is just a 30-minute flight south of Antigua. It is almost twice the size of Barbados, but has very few white sand beaches, no major international airport, and no all-inclusive resorts and only gets a modest attention from cruise-ship visitors. Inland the land-
scapes are astonishing: a combination of fast-flowing rivers, thundering waterfalls, seething geothermal activity including a boiling lake, along with the deep, green rainforest vegetation. It’s an exciting place to explore on foot: hikers can trek into the mountains, visit and bathe in the waterfalls, enjoy the prolific birdlife and enjoy spectacular views out over the Caribbean Sea. Morne Trois Pitons National Park is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Caribbean and is well worth a visit. Dominica is known as the ‘Whale Watching Capital of the Caribbean’, with a 95% success rate of spotting whales and being the only country in the
Royal Princess Cruise Ship at Roseau Dominica.
world where Sperm Whales Scubaradio mermaids. reside year round, although Guest houses and B&B sightings are most common are your home away between November to March, from home on Dominica the title of the ‘Nature Island’ however active travelis well deserved. Other ac- ers frequent Jungle Bay tivities include horse riding, Resort & Spa a cluster mountain biking, jeep safaris of rustic cottages on and river tubing. Dominica is the southwest coast. devoid of duty-free tourist shops, but you can still find souvenirs and local handicrafts. See the largest outdoor market in the Caribbean in the French Quarter. From October to November, performers from Dominica, Haiti, Europe, the Caribbean Islands and the United States gather at the Windsor Park Stadium for the World Creole Music FestiDominica Wedding. val. In February or March, the Dominica Carnival street parade kicks off with Guests pursue daily power colorful costumes, dancers, walks participate in Pilate’s stilt walkers, calypso bands, classes and hiking excursions steel drum musicians and along their “Zom Zom” Trail. beauty contestants. The Jungle Bay was built and is Dominica “Dive Fest” takes run according to sustainable place in July each year, where tourism guidelines, meaning you can snag free scuba and that the water comes from swimming lessons, test new a spring-fed stream, waste is underwater cameras, take a composted and 95 percent wine and cheese cruise, watch of the food served at the Paboat races and swim with the vilion Restaurant is locally
(074) 9131018
Jungle Bay Re
www.keeshotel.ie
sort & Spa Co
ttage Dominic
grown. There’s still a considerable attention paid to luxury even in the resort cottages. The 35 elevated bungalows feature minifridges, private outdoor showers and patios with views of the surrounding foliage (some even have ocean vistas). Meanwhile, the swimming pool is finished in volcanic stone and surrounded by comfy lounge chairs. For even more pampering, you’ll find a full suite of indigenous treatments available at “Spa du Soleil” For newlyweds, newly engaged or couples celebrating any special ro-
a.
mantic occasion, Jungle Bay offer a romantic upgrade for a onetime fee of US $299. www.junglebaydominica. com Several cruise lines call in to Dominica. The busiest time of year is from mid-November to mid-April. www. dominica.dm Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio Network and Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland. He is also a regular contributor to the Irish News travel section www. robertwalshe.com