Dominica Love: Our Experience, Pictures, etc.

[MHF]

Thanks for all the photos and news, Terry.  I'm headed there on Whisper in November.  Was thinking about whales but may save that for 2nd trip to Alaska next year.  Waterfalls maybe?

 

Have a great time on your Alaska jaunt,

 

Missy

[TLCOhio]

On 3/16/2019 at 8:27 PM, MHF said:

Thanks for all the photos and news, Terry.  I'm headed there on Whisper in November.  Was thinking about whales but may save that for 2nd trip to Alaska next year.  Waterfalls maybe?  Have a great time on your Alaska jaunt,   Missy

 

From   UpstateJan said:

 The devastation in both Virgin Gorda and Dominica is heartbreaking.  I had been to VG about 30 years ago, so I'm seeing how much it had grown - and most of it was destroyed.  The recovery effort is extremely slow.  Dominica is very sad, granted there wasn't the amount of infrastructure there compared to many islands, but to see partial buildings with little shacks or tents next to them, the number of structures with no roofs, you really feel for the souls of Dominica.  The sound track of Dominica yesterday was hammering and sawing.  We were off the ship first thing in the am, and proceeded across the street to the visitors bureau.   We followed Kurt "Fam" to his van, and had one of the best tours we've ever had.  We knew this trip was going to be hard since 6 of the 7 stops had been affected by 2017 hurricane season, but yikes  it really makes you feel like you have nothing to complain about when you see what these folks are living thru, and still a smile on their faces.

 

Above are some of the details above from Jan about Dominica while visiting on her Silver Wind sailing in the Caribbean.  Clearly it's sad for Dominica and the other affected islands.  Loved the cute and telling comment about the "sound track of Dominica yesterday was hammering and sawing".  

 

Enjoyed the nice follow-up from Missy.  YES, looking forward to seeing the whales, waterfalls, etc., etc.  It will be our first trip to explore Alaska and these key western Canada areas.   

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 63,316 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[TLCOhio]

From the Travel Section of the London/UK Guardian this morning, they had this headline: “A tour of Dominica in search of Creole cooking ” with these highlights: “There’s a Caribbean paradise that we all know about: coconut palms; sand soft as white silk; blue seas veiling a coral underworld. And then there’s Dominica. It’s one of the slender necklace of green and mountainous islands – Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Lucia – that bewitched the young travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor when he visited them in the 1950s. Named by Columbus because it was on a Sunday that the Portuguese mariner spotted the tiny island’s rearing cliffs, Dominica’s enchantment lies in a combination of unspoilt beauty – hikers adore its hidden lakes, cascading rivers and almost impenetrable forest trails – and a sense of having stepped back in time.”

 

This writer continues with these details: "I came to Dominica in search of Jean Rhys, the celebrated Celtic-Creole novelist who was born here in 1890. I fell in love with her childhood Eden. Awaiting me was the island’s most erudite tour guide. Affectionately known as 'the Oracle', Dr Lennox Honychurch had volunteered to show me the Dominica immortalised in Rhys’s novels. I spent a happy two days in the island’s capital at the renovated Charlotte Estate B&B. Set above Roseau’s sparkling bay, this bewitching little hotel offers Creole cooking with a decidedly French twist served on a plantation-style veranda. Dominica haunts all of Rhys’s fiction. I wondered whether Roseau’s market would still smell of frangipani, lime juice, cinnamon and cloves? (Yes, although the market has moved location from where slaves were once auctioned, out to the edge of town.) Would I find her remembered world of blue mountains and plunging ravines?"

 

Full story at:

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/jul/07/dominica-tour-creole-cooking-jean-rhys

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 222,640 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[TLCOhio]

From the Wall Street Journal this weekend, they had this headline: “10 Places to Travel In 2020” with these highlights that focus on Dominica as one of these top spots.  

 

Here was the story details: “One of the wilder Caribbean islands, Dominica has been working to recover from the devastating storms that swept across it in 2015 and 2017. The rainforest is green again, classic resorts have rebuilt and upgraded, and posh new ones are springing up. Longtime favorite Jungle Bay reopened this summer in a new spot overlooking Soufriere Bay (from $325 a night, junglebaydominica.com) and there’s a new 151-room Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski next to one of the island’s three national parks (from $555 a night, kempinski.com).”

 

Great to see wonderful Dominica getting this well-deserved attention and that they are progressing with their re-building.

 

Full story at:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/10-places-to-travel-in-2020before-everyone-else-does-11572002443

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Just completed Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Lots of visuals and details from our first visits to these scenic areas!!  That live/blog is at: 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

 

Or, you could simply do a quick Google search with these terms: 

Live Terry/Ohio Muse Alaska

[TLCOhio]

For those interested in future options for travel, there was mention from Travel and Leisure magazine yesterday with this headline: “50 Best Places to Travel in 2020”.  They spotlighted attention as top options for: “Dominica”.  T+L rates these top areas as "must-visit vacation destinations, and with something to suit every interest — food, shopping, culture, history, and nature."

 

Here are some of the story highlights for Dominica:   "This 290-square-mile teardrop is an outdoorsy traveler’s oasis, claiming 365 rivers, 300 miles of hiking trails, a dozen waterfalls, and the world’s second-largest hot spring. And resorts are betting that visitors will find the trek to this “Nature Island” utterly worth it. The game-changer is Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinksi, which debuted in October and claims to be the first five-star hotel in a destination better known for landscapes than luxury. The resort has 151 rooms and suites; three restaurants; a massive spa, offering mud baths sourced from one of the island’s 10 volcanoes; and a bar called Rumfire, winkingly called a “barmacy,” where you can sample more than 30 “bush rums” — homemade spirits infused with medicinal herbs, spices, or fruit. But it’s not just Kempinski that’s betting on Dominica. Wellness resort Jungle Bay, destroyed when Hurricane Maria careened through the island in 2017, relocated from Délices to Soufrière and reopened last fall. Secret Bay, a clutch of luxury treehouse villas, is also back in business after the storm. And Anichi Resort & Spa, an Autograph Collection project, is scheduled to debut on Picard Beach later this year."

 

Any updates and/or personal experiences from those who have visited Dominica recently?

 

Full story at:

https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/best-places-to-travel-in-2020

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights.  On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings.  Now at 226,439 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

[TLCOhio]

From Conde Nast Traveler magazine, they had this headline last month: “20 Best Places to Go in 2020” with these highlights: “Although Hurricane Maria made landfall in 2017, its impact is still felt throughout the Caribbean. The tiny, lush island of Dominica—located between Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean—sustained intense damage and remains one of the world’s most vulnerable places in the face of climate change. To help protect the island from future storms, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit appeared at the United Nations four days after Hurricane Maria and declared that Dominica would become the first climate-resilient country in the world. This is all in the name of rebranding Dominica as the destination of choice for adventure and nature lovers. More than just sand and surf, the island’s natural highlights include the world’s second-largest boiling lake, natural hot springs, volcanoes, secluded pools at the bottom of towering waterfalls, more than 300 miles of trails in pristine rain forest, and clear waters ideal for snorkeling and diving that are home to the world’s only year-round resident sperm whale population.  The island has also upgraded amenities to encourage more travelers to visit. The five-star Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Dominica (one of Dominica’s few true beach hotels) opened in October 2019, and the Anichi Resort & Spa, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, will open in 2020. Romantic ecolodges Secret Bay and Jungle Bay both reopened this year following major rebuilding, and two new developments were recently announced: Sanctuary Rainforest Eco Resort & Spa will be nestled in the jungle of the Roseau Valley, making it Dominica’s first luxury inland resort; and Tranquility Beach, a Curio Collection by Hilton, will be a 73-room resort with access to two beaches. Flight options are also improving. Air Antilles added more seasonal winter flights from Martinique and Guadalupe, and Silver Airways has started daily flights to Dominica from San Juan, Puerto Rico.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-places-to-go-in-2020

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Wonderful scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 238,273

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[TLCOhio]

From MSN News yesterday, they had this headline: “Hidden Gem Caribbean Islands Not To Overlook” with these highlights for Dominica: “It looks like 2023 is Dominica's moment with a coveted spot on Lonely Planet's prestigious list of Best in Travel 2023.  Dominica is finally starting to get its time in the sun. Known as the Nature Island of the Caribbean, Dominica is a true tropical paradise. Mountainous terrain reveals rainforests covering almost two-thirds of the island, home to hundreds of species of colorful birds and misty, plunging waterfalls.  Dominica has a number of beautiful beaches to choose from, even of the unique black sand variety. Snorkeling and diving opportunities abound, with excellent options for beginners and experienced divers alike. Dominica is also known as the whale-watching capital of the Caribbean, and the only country in the world where sperm whales reside year-round.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/article/11-hidden-gem-caribbean-islands-not-to-overlook/ar-AA16HWCn

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 21,553 views.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

[TLCOhio]

From Conde Nast Traveler last month, they had this headline: “Best Things to Do in Dominica, the Caribbean’s ‘Nature Island’ " with this sub-headline: "From the commercial capital of Roseau—filled with the buzz of market vendors, bouyon soca and bélé folk music—to lulling fishing villages like Scotts Head that offer up bay views and the fresh catch of the day.”

 

Here are some of their reporting highlights: “Landing on Dominica provides a Jurassic Park-like thrill, and first-hand glimpse of why the eastern Caribbean country is called Nature Island. Wildlife-rich rainforests, bubbling natural hot springs, varied hiking trails, and an ocean teeming with fluorescent-colored sea life make it one of the most coveted diving regions in the world. Tourists don’t crowd its city center or quiet mountainside villages like other neighboring countries, giving visitors plenty of opportunity to explore at their own pace. This year, Dominica welcomes the return of a number of cultural festivals that were on pause due to the pandemic. In April, the island’s rich Creole traditions come alive for Jazz ‘N Creole, a family-friendly event held each year at Fort Shirley in Cabrits National Park.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/the-best-things-to-do-in-dominica-eat-stay-play?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=cnt&utm_mailing=CNT_Daily_AM_032723&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5db3f99524c17c23c34ecf3e&cndid=6657468&hasha=e1ca3019f9f535a4b98389997c63b892&hashb=7daf2541a0de702392cfe60ed513a5c2d1d23598&hashc=f541a9e649534cc2931bd57d58d8c2cac2bb8c5d298f722bad5b05cc8ad5ece2&esrc=IDCONDENAST_REGGATE&utm_term=CNT_Daily

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Many visuals and details from our first in these scenic areas!  Live/blog: 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

[TLCOhio]

From CBS-TV News Sunday on their "60 Minutes" program, they had this headline: “Conservationists dive into efforts to protect sperm whales off Caribbean island of Dominica” with these highlights: “Last month, we traveled with National Geographic Explorer Enric Sala to the Caribbean island of Dominica, where he's proposing protections for the hundreds of sperm whales living there.  We were off the coast of Dominica.  Residents call it Nature Island. Those rainforest-covered volcanic peaks drop thousands of feet down to the seafloor below - which is why hundreds of sperm whales live in these waters. They are one of the deepest diving mammals on the planet.”

 

Many nice visuals from in and around Dominica.  Brings back great memories!!  Also shared in this reporting: "In Dominica, scientists estimate the sperm whale population declines by 3% each year. Sala says a preserve would protect them from their greatest threats: not those pygmy killer whales we saw or whaling, which has been banned for decades…but plastic trash, ocean noise pollution and ship strikes."

 

Full story at:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sperm-whale-conservation-dominica-caribbean-60-minutes-transcript-2023-05-14/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Early 2020, many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia.  This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc:  Live/blog;

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/

[cfkm1]

Have a great time in Dominica in our Southern Caribbean cruise...great scenery and spotted beautiful double rainbow a couple of times in a day

 

 

[TLCOhio]

On 6/2/2023 at 11:39 PM, cfkm1 said:

Have a great time in Dominica in our Southern Caribbean cruise...great scenery and spotted beautiful double rainbow a couple of times in a day

 

Appreciate the nice sharing of the wonderful double rainbow.  Don't be shy in sharing more details, asking any questions, posting nice visuals, etc.  

 

From Travel+Leisure magazine late last month, they had this headline: “50 Best Places to Travel in 2024" with this portion of their sub-headline:  "Beach Vibes”

 

Here are some of their reporting highlights as to why a high ranking for Dominica: “The self-declared Nature Island, Dominica has been voted the best island in the Caribbean for the past two years in T+L’s World’s Best Awards, thanks in part to its serene tropical rain forests, enticing hot springs, and gushing waterfalls.  There’s another element to Dominica’s story that’s capturing the attention of travelers who care about sustainability. The volcanically active country plans to commission its first geothermal power plant in 2024, and in the meantime gets about a quarter of its overall power from hydroelectric sources." 

 

Full story at:

https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-places-to-go-2024-8385979

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island).  Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City.    Visual/Info Summaries:

www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

[TLCOhio]

From Forbes magazine in the past week, they had this headline: “Best Island Vacation Destinations Dominica” with these highlights by Kaitlyn Rosati: “Proving that not all Caribbean islands are created equal, Dominica is the epitome of a hidden gem in the region. Dominica is an untouched sliver of paradise for the most curious of travelers. Deemed the 'Nature Island,' Dominica is a lush oasis with an abundance of waterfalls, black sand beaches thanks to the island’s volcanic makeup and natural hot springs to soak away the stress of the hustle and bustle.  Water enthusiasts will certainly find paradise here. Dominica is home to the unique Champagne Reef, which garnered its name due to the rising bubbles from the nearby volcanic thermal springs. For water viewing you can’t quite flip your fins in, check out the Boiling Lake, which, as the name suggests, is a ferociously bubbling lake located in Morne Trois Pitons National Park.”

 

Full story at:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/travel-rewards/best-places-to-travel/#Dominica

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 249,792 views.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/