Dominica

Travel to Dominica

We arrived in Dominica on the 2nd January 2023 on our cruise ship. Please check out for our full itinerary of the cruise. When we got off of the ship and wondered ashore we were greeted with a man playing drums, lots of market stalls and people selling excursions.

After doing a bit of research on what we wanted to do on the island as time was limited we decided we wanted to snorkel at Champagne Reef and see the island. As we had booked our cruise with Tui we checked their excursions and this was not on the list, Therefore we checked other tour operators including Viator. Viator had an excursion that picked up at the cruise port at 9am which did not leave enough time to disembark the ship and have breakfast. We emailed Viator who responded promptly advising we could have a private tour for £45 each which was a good price compared to Tui excursions.

Champagne Reef and Waterfalls Tour

On the morning of the tour we were advised to walk to a hotel called Fort Young where our guide would meet us at 10am. The hotel was just a short walk from the cruise port. There were several other tour operators at this point offering island tours for £25 but this did not include the snorkelling at Champagne Reef and this is something that we wanted to do.

Our personal tour guide

The tour guide Michael arrived a few minutes before 10am and introduced himself. Michael was very knowledgeable regarding the island. From the moment we set off he provided us with information about where we were driving and about the island. Although the island is small it did take some time to get to the places of interest.

Hot Springs

Our first stop was the natural hot springs. You could see the water bubbling and the steam coming from the springs. Entrepreneurs of the island have used this to their advantage and built leisure retreats using the hot springs in hot tubs. Michael advised that this is a lucrative business. During Covid it was hard on the island but things are improving.

Waterfalls

Our next stop was the waterfalls. This was a beautiful setting in the rain forest. The falls are not very big or very high but lovely all the same and worth a visit. Due to the island having a lot of rain the vegetation around the falls is very green and lush. Michael provided us with information about the falls and then gave us time to walk around on our own.

We went in to the waterfalls which was quite warm. As we were continuing on our tour we only went in the falls up to knee high.

Next we were on to Champagne Reef. On our way to the reef there were several people at pipes coming out of the edge of the hills. These people were collecting natural spring water.

Champagne Reef

Michael took us to Champagne Reef where we were met by a guide from Donny’s Water Sports. We were advised to get changed in to our swimwear and put on a life jacket. Donny’s Water Sports provided all the snorkelling equipment necessary. Although we had brought our full face snorkelling equipment as we felt these were easier to use.

Snorkelling

We snorkelled to the Champagne reef from the shore. The guide had a ringbuoy should we need any help. The guide often pointed to marine life along the way to the reef. He constantly watched over us to ensure we did not get in to any difficulties. Fortunately we are both good swimmers and the sea was very calm.

When we arrived at the Reef you could feel a difference in the temperature of the sea. It was amazing seeing and feeling the bubbles from beneath the sea bed. The bubbles are due to the island being volcanic. The guide went to the bottom of the sea and caught some of the water in his breathing tube he then poured it on our hands. The water at the bottom of the sea was far warmer than what we were experiencing even though the difference in temperature from away from the reef to the reef was quite apparent.

At the reef we saw many different colourful fish, eels and even an octopus. Unfortunately we had previously purchased a underwater cover for one of our phones which did not work when underwater which we were extremely disappointed about as we would have had some amazing photo’s.

The guide was amazing and looked after us so well. Not many people on the island earn a great amount of money therefore we did tip our guide.

Michael then drove us back to the cruise port. Unfortunately for what ever reason they would not let him through the gates. Michael works for himself doing the tours. He was very informative throughout our tour and would recommend him to anyone visiting Dominica. Obviously we tipped Michael as well.

Hydroelectric Energy

Michael informed that the island has more rain than some of the Caribbean Islands due to its mountainous landscape. He advised that the clouds get trapped between the mountains and then release moisture. Dominica use the rain to their advantage. 90% of Dominica’s electricity is provided by Hydroelectric energy.

Summary

Dominica is a beautiful island and definitely somewhere we would recommend. We are already thinking about another Caribbean cruise so we can re visit the island and see more of it. There wasn’t enough time in one day to appreciate the island. We only had a little taste of what it offers.

Images

Things to do

• Visit Champagne Reef
• Visit Hot Springs
• Visit Waterfalls
• Visit Red Rocks
• Visit Toucari Bay
• Visit Fort Shirley
• Visit Roseau Cathedral and Market
• Visit the Emerald Pool

Top Tips

• If wanting an island tour which visits some of the above go with one of the local operators as they only charge £20 – £25.
• If wanting more specific experiences try other tour operators who are cheaper than TUI.
• Check out reviews if booking with another tour operator.
• If on the cruise book specific excursions before you go on the cruise.
• Where trainers or closed toed walking shoes for going to waterfalls, hot springs etc as the terrain is quite difficult to walk on in flip flops (Mike stubbed his toe.
• Take water shoes for Champagne Reef.
• We found the full face masks easier to use.
• Be aware of the difference of East Caribbean dollars to US dollars.
• If you are wanting to take underwater photo’s we recommend buying and trying it before you go on holiday a reliable underwater camera such as a Go-Pro

Weather

Temp – Celsius Rain – mm	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High Temp	30	30	30	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	31	30
Low Temp	21	21	21	22	23	24	24	24	23	23	23	22
Rainfall	125	75	75	60	95	200	275	260	225	200	225	160
Number of days	16	9	13	10	11	15	22	22	16	16	18	16