T H E G LO B E A N D M A I L
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Adventurous visitors can hike 11 kilometres into Morne Tois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO site, to discover the world’s second-largest geothermal “boiling” lake.
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DISCOVER DOMINICA
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Dominica: With no flat land underfoot, be prepared to work for your view .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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Despite the smell, the waters surrounding the elephant butt cave were heartbreakingly clear and full of coral reefs swarming with scads of colourful tropical fish. Our next stop was on the other side of the island: Champagne Reef, so named for the tiny volcanic bubbles bursting up from geothermal activity. The sensation was amazing: It really does feel like you’re swimming through spurts of warm bubbly. But wear beach shoes, not flip-flops – it’s a rocky walk to the reef’s entrance. On dry land, I was still able to get wet, even if it was just the spray of twin waterfalls. I’m no hiker, but nothing in Dominica is flat, so even the most accessible water wonders, such as the Emerald Pool or the Trafalgar Falls, require a little work. But both are well worth the exertion: The dual roar of the Trafalgar twins is primal and exhilarating, and the emerald pool looks like something out of the Garden of Eden. Even a visit to Kalinago Village – a re-creation of a Carib community formed by descendants of the island’s original inhabitants – involves steep hills. But the vistas are surreal, and here I got a chance to learn more abut the island’s indigenous history. After all that exercise, I needed to find relief soaking in Domin-
IF YOU GO October to December is the best time to visit to avoid the rainy season. There are no direct flights to Dominica, so you must connect from a neighbouring island. Barbados and Antigua are closest, and there are connections through Puerto Rico and St. Maarten as well. There are also scheduled ferries from Martinique and Guadeloupe. ................................................................................................................................
WHERE TO STAY ................................................................................................................................
Can you spot the pachyderm’s posterior? ica’s thermal hot springs. Papillote Wilderness Retreat has warm sulphur pools right next to a bracing cold waterfall, making it a natural hydrotherapy circuit any urban spa would envy. The springs and waterfall area can get a little crowded at times, so if you are seeking a romantic soak, grab lunch at the terrace restaurant and wait until it clears out. I’d been in Dominica for a week, but I wasn’t waterlogged yet, and signed up for what seemed like an eerie rowboat tour down Indian River. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest used the area to build the set for its voodoo priestess tree-house. Gliding silently through the Amazon-like wetland, I had to
SUSAN CAMPBELL
agree it was otherworldly. The air was heavy with pure, moist oxygen – I felt as if I could grab it by the handful. On both sides, our boat was flanked by the snaky, gnarled roots of the aptly named Swamp Blood trees. Our captain pulled into the swamp Bush Bar before turning the boat around. This time, instead of a glass of the island’s magical water, I reached for a potent rum punch to shore up my nerves for the return trip. Sometimes, a traveller cannot live on water alone. ................................................................
Rosalie Bay Resort has a treetop spa, black sand beach and organic cuisine. Located where the Rosalie River meets the Atlantic Ocean, during summer months, guests can also participate in baby sea turtle releases or see leatherbacks nesting. Rooms from $225 (U.S.); rosaliebay.com Sunset Bay Club Beach Hotel is a small surf-side, family-run resort – the island’s only all inclusive offering. It’s also the launching spot for the elephant’s ass cave snorkel tour. Owners are Belgian ex-pats and the husband runs the kitchen, so expect great Belgian fries and steamed mussels. Rooms from $141 (U.S.). sunsetbayclub.com Anchorage Hotel is located on the waterfront just minutes from the tiny capital city of Roseau. The hotels’ dive centre is is where you’ll want to book a whale watching tour to see if you can get closer to the sperm whales. Rooms from $83 (U.S.) anchoragehotel.dm ................................................................................................................................
WHERE TO EAT ................................................................................................................................
Most resorts have their own restaurants, but downtown Roseau’s Fort Young Hotel’s Palisades dining room is ranked among the best for more upscale choices of international cuisine. Victoria Street, fortyounghotel.com For more on the island, visit dominica.dm.
Special to The Globe and Mail
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Susan Campbell
The writer was a guest of Discover Dominica, which did not review or approve the story.
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