Dominica Jewel Tour with Nature Island Explorers

[BoatingBabe]

Just returned from a cruise on the Celebrity Summit, with a stop in Dominica. Prior to sailing, my party of three reserved the Dominica Jewel excursion with Nature Island Explorers (nietours.com). We were not disappointed!

 

Our tour guide, Alain, and driver met us about a block from the cruise port and ushered us into their van for an exciting and very enjoyable tour of this wildly beautiful island. First, we snorkeled at Champagne Reef. It was difficult navigating the rocks on the beach but Alain and the dive shop staff were very helpful. Everyone raved about the snorkeling here but make sure you have water shoes and are physically fit enough for this adventure.

 

Our second stop was the Ti Tou Gorge. Again, this was a challenging activity but Alain made sure everyone made it safely through the gorge and back to land, even pulling some of us who were not strong swimmers. The water was cold as you entered but you acclimate fast and it felt refreshing.

 

Next, we hiked a mountain to beautiful Trafalgar Falls, where we'd hoped to bathe in the hot pools. Sadly, the damage from Erica in August caused mud slides that ruined the pools, but it was still worth it to see the natural beauty of the falls and hike through the rain forest. Mud slides from Erica caused widespread damage to roads and wiped out whole neighborhoods here, killing over 30 people in one valley alone. The island is still recovering from this devastating storm.

 

Since we had time, we also toured the Botanical Gardens and took advantage of some island photo ops.

 

Alain is delightful! Very knowledgeable, interesting and funny. This excursion is a bit strenuous so be sure you are in reasonable shape. It was definitely the highlight of our cruise and, from conversations with other passengers, it was a better value and better organized than any other excursion. If you tour with NIE, be sure to tip generously. The island people depend on tourism to survive here.

Edited December 16, 2015 by BoatingBabe

[Mrs Booboo]

Glad to hear this - we have this excursion booked for February! Did you encounter any jellyfish during the Champagne Reef snorkel? I've heard they can sometimes be a problem.

[BoatingBabe]

No, we didn't encounter jellyfish - but they are probably seasonal. Big starfish - yes!