First Time in Dominica

[CanadaDJ]

We will be visiting Dominica in Feb for the first time. Looking for advice from previous cruisers - what is the must thing to do there. Which excursion or treat has left the best memory for you.

 

thanks in advance

[rjscott]

CanadaDJ, Dominica is known for its natural beauty; the rainforest, waterfalls and Champagne Reef. We've visited twice and it is hard for me to pick one thing that is my favorite, but being a snorkeler, Champagne Reef really stands out in my mind. I expected the bubbles, the "champagne", but there was also a very nice variety of fish and coral. However, I have so many other vivid memories of our two tours on Dominica. We've seen Trafalgar Falls, the Emerald Pool, Mr Nice Fruit Stand, a black sand beach (on our first visit). This last visit, we hiked to Middleham Falls, visited Titou Gorge and then went to Champagne Reef. For our excursions, we used Reyno Tours. Contact Reyno at reynotours@hotmail.com for information on his tours if you are interested.

[CRUISERTN]

We have been to Dominica several times and it is one of the most beautiful islands!! Not big, fancy, giltzy resorts but NATURAL beauty!! Places I would recommend seeing are Trafalgar Falls, Emerald Pool, Screws Sulpher Springs and snorkeling at the Champagne Reef....the bubbles around the reef make you feel like you are snorkeling inside an aquariam!! Very fun!! We have used Beno Nature Tours in the past and will be using them again when we visit in a few months. We have friends who have used Beno three times and the most recent was a few weeks ago and they have always had a wonderful experience with Beno. You can check out his website at www.benonaturetours.com and email him at bnpascal@gmail.com If you don't see a tour on his site that interests you, send him an email and tell him what you want to see and he will respond promptly with a price quote. We had a great experience with Beno about a year ago. Prompt pick up at the pier, very friendly and professional service, and they are happy to customize your tour to what YOU want to do. Hope this info helps. You will LOVE Dominica!!:p

[HazeGray]

I will have a novice snorkeler with me. Is the snorkeling at Champagne Reef available from the beach or do you have to swim out a ways. Also are there other good areas to snorkel?

 

thanks

[rjscott]

HazeGray, there is shore entry to Champagne Reef, but it is rocky, not sandy. However, there is a boardwalk a good part of the way down to where the water begins. Then it is just a matter of picking your way across the rocks to the water entry. It isn't that bad, as the rocks are pretty smooth, not sharp. Champagne Reef is the only spot where we've snorkeled on Dominica. Not sure if there are other spots to snorkel from shore.

[plutas]

That's a very hard question :)) it really depends on what you like to do. There are thing which do not require any efforts to do - like snorkling in Champagne reef or see Trafalgar falls. But there are unique thing which require a little bit more effots, but you get incredible memories out of that. My favourite is canyoning - http://www.cocoacottages.com/extremedominica.cfm. Dominica is the place where you can find a lot of things to do and one day is not enough to see everything, so choose what you want is a hard decision :D

[destinycalls17]

The first time I was in Dominica was 1997 and we didn't get off the ship!

This was a mistake because it is an interesting island. The next 2 times, we toured with Beno tours and were very pleased. Let Beno show you Dominica.

[jantoby]

I booked Fredo - have a look at his website http://freddy536.tripod.com for ideas. Dominica's the most beautiful Caribbean island, despite not having fantasy beaches....

[okgladmom]

As already stated, Dominica is a nature island. We used Levi Baron at Bumpiing Tours and he gave us a tour we are still talking about. We drove up the very curvy, bumpy road to Titou Gorge. There we took a short hike to the actual Gorge and took a little swim into a cave. The water is freezing! It looks scary at first, but the swim isn't very far. I've never seen anything like it before! Then we drove over to Trafalgar Falls. You take a short hike/walk to get to the falls. It is beautiful but the crowds almost spoiled this hike. After that, we drove around the island sightseeing a bit more. No matter which tour you take, the best advice I can give you is to wear some durable water shoes! Your feet are going to get wet and you need more than flip flops. You will love this island. Good luck!

[Mach1]

Do you need to use a tour group – or can you go to Champagne Reef on your own?

Would taxis be available?

Anyone know the cost?

Thanks!

[rjscott]

Mach1, you can get to Champagne Reef on your own, via taxi. But, it is probably not someplace you would want to spend your entire day. Why not take a tour of some of the island to at least see some of the rainforest and get some photo op's? JMO, of course, so if you do want just to go to Champagne Reef, have a snorkel and head back to the ship, you can grab a taxi just after you leave the port area. Not sure of the cost; if you search thru posts on this board, you should turn up some in reference to cost and length of the trip.

Have a great time on Dominica.

[Mach1]

Mach1, you can get to Champagne Reef on your own, via taxi. But, it is probably not someplace you would want to spend your entire day. Why not take a tour of some of the island to at least see some of the rainforest and get some photo op's? JMO, of course, so if you do want just to go to Champagne Reef, have a snorkel and head back to the ship, you can grab a taxi just after you leave the port area. Not sure of the cost; if you search thru posts on this board, you should turn up some in reference to cost and length of the trip.

Have a great time on Dominica.

 

Thanks for your reply! The more I read the more I think a tour might be the way to go. Some of them stop off at several places. I've never done a tour w/o the ships excursions. Just makes me a little nervous .... :o

 

 

Thanks again - I can't wait to go!!

[rjscott]

Mach1, I know, it can be a bit unnerving trusting someone you don't know in a place you are totally unfamiliar with to take you sightseeing and get you back to the ship on time. It's a big leap of faith. ;) But, it can be so rewarding. You can customize the number of stops you want to make on your tour with Reyno Tours. So, if you just want to see one or two specific sights and then head for Champagne Reef, he can do that for you. We have used Reyno both times we've been on Dominica and he is just a great guy. If you want to contact him for info about a tour, his email is reynotours@hotmail.com.

Have a great cruise!

[cruiserbryce]

the trip up to the hot springs and Trafalagar (spelling?) falls was great. It was really beautiful back there. We went on a tour for $20 each that stopped at the Botanical Gardens, Sulfer springs, Water falls, lookout point and then back to town.

[Jayhawk_World_Traveler]

I would not be nervous about going with non-ship excursions. We just got back from a cruise and all we did was non-ship excursions and we were always back with tons of time to spare. I think we also had better tours. As someone pointed out to me, if these smaller companies get people back late, someone will post it on Cruise Critic and basically their business would be destroyed, so they are not going to get you back late. I also prefer giving my money to locals instead of big companies. In Dominica, I would highly recommend Sulphur Springs and Trafalgar Falls (bring your swimsuit). Titou Gorge is not at all worth it if you do not plan to swim (in cold water). We took Beno Nature Tours and it was great ( www.benonaturetours.com) Really nice guy and he had the nicest vehicle of any tour we took on our trip. He also pretty much let us go anywhere we wanted to go. My husband LOVED the beer. I highly recommend a small tour of some kind because cabs would be more expensive and driving is pretty scary there due to really mountainous conditions.

[jst4fun715]

Mach1, I know, it can be a bit unnerving trusting someone you don't know in a place you are totally unfamiliar with to take you sightseeing and get you back to the ship on time. It's a big leap of faith. ;) But, it can be so rewarding. You can customize the number of stops you want to make on your tour with Reyno Tours. So, if you just want to see one or two specific sights and then head for Champagne Reef, he can do that for you. We have used Reyno both times we've been on Dominica and he is just a great guy. If you want to contact him for info about a tour, his email is reynotours@hotmail.com.

Have a great cruise!

 

We just returned on Saturday, the 16th and had an excursion with Reyno. Our whole group loved the trip. He will definitely tailor the trip to what you want to do. Nice vans with great air conditioning too. I highly recommend him and will use him again if/when we go back....beautiful island!

[rjscott]

I would not be nervous about going with non-ship excursions. We just got back from a cruise and all we did was non-ship excursions and we were always back with tons of time to spare. I think we also had better tours. As someone pointed out to me, if these smaller companies get people back late, someone will post it on Cruise Critic and basically their business would be destroyed, so they are not going to get you back late. I also prefer giving my money to locals instead of big companies. In Dominica, I would highly recommend Sulphur Springs and Trafalgar Falls (bring your swimsuit). Titou Gorge is not at all worth it if you do not plan to swim (in cold water). We took Beno Nature Tours and it was great ( www.benonaturetours.com) Really nice guy and he had the nicest vehicle of any tour we took on our trip. He also pretty much let us go anywhere we wanted to go. My husband LOVED the beer. I highly recommend a small tour of some kind because cabs would be more expensive and driving is pretty scary there due to really mountainous conditions.

 

Jayhawk, I totally agree with you about using locals for tours. I also prefer to support the local economy on the islands and see the good local entrepreneurs make a go of it. But it can be uncomfortable doing it the first time, especially when you have some of the tour desks onboard using scare tactics to discourage people from booking independent excursions. Another reason we like to do independent excursions is that, yes, some times you save money over the ship's excursions, but more importantly, you get a more personal experience in a smaller group and you get to see things you wouldn't get to see in a large motorcoach or even 20 person van. Plus, as you've said, you got to have some say in where and when you stopped. That's why we like to book independently.

[Kan't Wait]

Rjscott...

 

I was wondering if the black sand beach was an easy stop? We are considering the champagne reef, Emerald Pool and whatever else that is on the way to or from.

 

thanks

[rjscott]

Kan't Wait, it's hard to say where the black sand beach is in relation to the other stops, as I kind of got turned around as we traveled around the island. However, and this is JMO, I didn't find the black sand beach that worthwhile of a stop. Now, perhaps that is because I've seen black sand beaches before in Hawaii, and, black sand beaches, being coarse volcanic sand, are not for walking barefoot on. But, if you've never seen one, it would be a nice stop. Another stop I'd recommend if you're on the fence about the black sand beach, is Mr Nice Fruit Stand. You can try all sorts of local fruit here and it's a nice, fun, refreshing stop.

Whatever you decide, Dominica is a lovely island and you'll have a great tour.

[Kan't Wait]

Hey Rj

 

I have seen black sand beaches in Hawaii but my husband hasn't and he is into volcanos...:rolleyes:. It's just a thought.

I tried that reyno...email and it came back undeliverable...do you have any other info on them?

Initially I was into the whale watching and dolphin watching but there are too many reports of no sightings and since we are doing a catamaran in Barbados we just want something different.

 

I see you are from Toledo, we are in Columbus.

 

Thanks for your help.

[rjscott]

Kan't Wait, small world! My hubby is an OSU grad, so we have friends in Columbus and visit often. Yes, many reports of no sightings on the whale watches, so I haven't even tried to book one there. Dominica is the place to see the natural beauty of the island. Rain forest, waterfalls, etc. Try Reyno at reynotours@gmail.com. He changed his email several months ago due to some issues. We've toured with him twice and had a great time. Ask for Rosalind as your guide. She is fun to have along.

 

Have a great time!

[Kan't Wait]

Kan't Wait, small world! My hubby is an OSU grad, so we have friends in Columbus and visit often. Yes, many reports of no sightings on the whale watches, so I haven't even tried to book one there. Dominica is the place to see the natural beauty of the island. Rain forest, waterfalls, etc. Try Reyno at reynotours@gmail.com. He changed his email several months ago due to some issues. We've toured with him twice and had a great time. Ask for Rosalind as your guide. She is fun to have along.

 

Have a great time!

 

Thanks I will email him in a bit.

 

When you visit Columbus...what end of town are your friends in. We live in UA. So I take it you guys are Buckeye fans? :p

[rjscott]

My one friend from Toledo is in Powell, and my hubby's college buddy and his wife live in New Albany. We are just a couple of miles from the Michigan line, so we have to defend it from the U of M hoards. :D :p We were on the Equinox this past March and our roll call had a grab bag exchange at our Meet & Greet. One of the items I included in my grab bag was an OSU "smasher". It was a small OSU stuffed football, that, when you threw it on the floor, yelled "Go Buckeyes!" and then played the OSU fight song. What fun!

[Kan't Wait]

My one friend from Toledo is in Powell, and my hubby's college buddy and his wife live in New Albany. We are just a couple of miles from the Michigan line, so we have to defend it from the U of M hoards. :D :p We were on the Equinox this past March and our roll call had a grab bag exchange at our Meet & Greet. One of the items I included in my grab bag was an OSU "smasher". It was a small OSU stuffed football, that, when you threw it on the floor, yelled "Go Buckeyes!" and then played the OSU fight song. What fun!

 

Love both of those areas. Powell is growing like crazy. I used to take horseback riding lessons out there when there were only two lane roads and farms.

 

We will be on Equinox in November. I am super excited. So, how do you organize a grab bag exchange? It sounds super fun.

Thanks.

[rjscott]

We will be on Equinox in November. I am super excited. So' date=' how do you organize a grab bag exchange? It sounds super fun.

Thanks.[/quote']

 

The Equinox is a wonderful ship. For the grab bag exchange, just put it out on your roll call and see if people are interested. We set a limit of $10-20 per bag, and you can do one per person or per couple. Whoever brings a bag gets to draw for a bag. People brought bags from their hometown or their region. They brought single items or several items. It was interesting to see what they brought. We had wine, food items, t-shirts, playing cards, tote bags, etc. It was a blast!