CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Waitukubuli National Trail; Roseau; Pagua Bay House; Cabrits National Park PICTURES: Shutterstock; Dominique Barray; Lukasz Larsson Warzecha; Frederick Smith
tremendous 275ft cascade, but I'd recommend booking a guide such as Peter ‘Bushman’ Green for the challenging 12-mile round trip ($60 per person) to the huge, bubbling cauldron that is Boiling Lake. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic local experts are a key reason why travel here is so satisfying, from taxi drivers offering round-island tours to naturalists and historians. Spend a few hours in the rainforest with Bertrand ‘Dr Birdy’ Jno Baptiste ($150 for two) and you’ll learn everything from how birds survive hurricanes to the importance of the sisserou, an endemic Amazon parrot featured on the national flag. Off the coast, divers can
explore impressive walls, pinnacles and wrecks in uncrowded waters with excellent visibility, while snorkellers will love Champagne Reef, where bubbles emerging from subterranean geothermal springs create an entertaining
underwater fizz. Heritage is another engaging
attraction and the ramshackle capital, Roseau, is an atmospheric warren of narrow streets with tottering wooden houses, time- lashed churches and unpretentious restaurants serving hearty local fare such as fish, curries and goat. Britain and France fought over Dominica for centuries and the Cabrits National Park has an impressively restored 18th-century military garrison, Fort Shirley, with excellent information panels. On the east coast, Kalinago
Territory is a 1,500-hectare reserve established in 1903 for the last indigenous people of the Caribbean. Historically described as Caribs, but today known as Kalinago, they are of Amerindian ancestry. Out of a community of 3,500, about 10% still claim pure blood, and a visitor centre at Kalinago Barana Autê has exhibits and activities devoted to their history and traditions.
WHERE TO STAY
Dominica's hotel stock has been steadily recovering and expanding since hurricane Maria. Secret Bay, the island’s most prestigious property with six eco-luxury villas set on a promontory near Portsmouth, relaunched a year ago with the addition of a yoga pavilion and
intimate ‘no menu’ restaurant focusing on local produce. In June, newly built Jungle Bay opened in Soufrière with 30 eco- villas. Rates include organic meals, daily hikes, spa treatments and yoga. In October, the five-star
Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski unveiled 151 rooms, suites and
step on it
Waitukubuli National Trail is an epic, 115-mile hiking trail that runs the length of Dominica, weaving through forests, crossing rivers and following cliffs. While it takes two weeks to walk the entire route, many visitors arrange guided excursions to individual sections to admire its birds, trees and flora.
waitukubulinationaltrail.com
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28 NOVEMBER 2019
travelweekly.co.uk
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