So, after all this I'm still left wondering how to get there from Houston without having to go to San Juan. Is anyone able to tell me how to get to St. Maartan direct from Houston? Thanks in advance.
Dominica questions
- Thread starter Pillpusher
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Topsailsun
Registered
Fort Young has a dive shop within the hotel. I've read wonderful reviews of that shop, but my fiance and I are going with Dive Dominica (the dive shop the operates out of Castle Comfort), after talking with some friends who just came back and could not stop gushing about their wonderful dive master. So we couldn't pass up a sure thing with that DM. I'm not aware of any other dive oriented resorts on the island (but lots of others can hook you up with a dive shop), but not having been there yet all I know is from research. Good luck!
---------- Post added September 24th, 2014 at 09:09 PM ----------
If you find out, please share! My fiance desperately wants to go to St. Maarten so we did a lot of hunting to find a way from Houston to St. Maarten to spend a night before going to Dominica, but we couldn't find a way without routing through the northeastern US or Puerto Rico first.
Thanks topsailsun. I'm not giving up though. There must be a way even if needs be spending a night somewhere else. I'm anti SJU only because a friend of mine had her locked bags rifled there and actually had something taken. I disremember what that was because the most shovking part was her travel buddy situation. For whatever reason, the travel buddy had packed her camera, jewelry and don't know what all in the checked bag. Lost it all to whomsoever rifled her bag.
K
KeithG
Guest
Jewelry? On a dive trip? Say it isn't so...
We did Dominica many years ago and loved much of it. We stayed and dived with Castle Comfort. There was no shore diving at that time. Castle Comfort also provided all of the diving for Fort Young. We saw 1 other dive op (Nature Island?) that always seemed to be looking for their divers...
Castle Comfort were also the hotel of choice for the off shore scientists investigating the issue with the mountain chicken. Seems that consumption of the local bull frogs was causing dietary issues.
My feeble memories are as follows:
- we landed at the north airport, got a total island mountain tour including beer stop on the way to Castle Comfort. Awesome!
- diving was okay - not bad, not great - champagne was neat for about 30 seconds...
- dive crew was bad (they turned a night dive into a drift dive and left us behind. No response from the op when this was reported)
- dive op was poor - about half the time after we left the dock we went back for "something"... more tanks, nitrox analyzer, ...
- food was boring, mostly greasy fried ...
- night club / hotel (evergreen?) next door was very loud every night
- walk to town was a bit edgy (but exciting)
- town was awesome
- we found several great local eatery's
- also found a local batik artist
- there was lots of non diving hiking stuff available, we did not do any so no comment.
- we flew out of the southern airport, LIAT? Leaving Island Any Time now...
We will go back. Eventually...Maybe... If we can break our chain of Bonaire, Belize and T&C.
I need to go and see. I believe you understand.
As has been said, that kind of time and money is better spent on more exotic fare than Caribbean diving. I travel to dive. Must get my fix quarterly; one of the reasons I have spent so much time in Belize and Roatan. Easy to execute, no jet lag. Friends and familiarity at destination. Sometimes a body just has to go!!
As has been said, that kind of time and money is better spent on more exotic fare than Caribbean diving. I travel to dive. Must get my fix quarterly; one of the reasons I have spent so much time in Belize and Roatan. Easy to execute, no jet lag. Friends and familiarity at destination. Sometimes a body just has to go!!
Last edited:
WetLens
Contributor
There was a couple from the Toronto area staying at CC while we were there that flew through Antigua. Believe they were able to make it in one day. Direct flight from Toronto to Antigua? Then puddle jump to Dominica?
Thanks wetlens! I'll look into it.
mikeycanuk
Contributor
BVI Airways - BVI Airways
When I looked into them earlier in the year I was facing a 45 minute connection and 2 attempts to email "customer service" got no reply. There are 3 weekly flights to DOM the last at 5pm. I fly with Aeroplan/Air Canada and the St Martin flight lands at 4:15. No idea why such a late arrival, like the yyz-coz flight. Landing @ 2:45am!!! I was shocked that the airport was busy!
When I looked into them earlier in the year I was facing a 45 minute connection and 2 attempts to email "customer service" got no reply. There are 3 weekly flights to DOM the last at 5pm. I fly with Aeroplan/Air Canada and the St Martin flight lands at 4:15. No idea why such a late arrival, like the yyz-coz flight. Landing @ 2:45am!!! I was shocked that the airport was busy!
I've been going to Dominica for more than 15 years, next trip will make an even 20 times. I always go through Puerto Rico, and overnight at the San Juan Airport Hotel which you can walk to from the landing gate. Departures are downstairs, a 2 minute walk from the hotel entrance. About $120 for two people. I've never had the slightest problem. Very efficient airport, a pleasant experience every time.
Until they stopped flying from San Juan I used American Eagle to fly from San Juan to Dominica. My last trip I used Seaborne. I will again this winter. Excellent airline, far better than LIAT which I refuse to fly. I have to overnight in San Juan because Seaborne leaves for Dominica at 11AM.
The transportation hassle is worth it. Dominica is more vertical than horizontal, so its airport is very small. Landing is a splendid experience, threading through the green peaks close enough to count the coconuts. I always rent a 4WD Suzuki and rent a nicely appointed small house (cheaper than the Airport Hotel) right on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. I use Colin at Nature Island Destinations. I spend at least as much time exploring topside as I do in the water, and need my own transportation. This adds infinitely wonderful dimensions to a Dominica trip. With some mid-island snorkeling at dawn, one dive per day is plenty for me.
The last couple of trips it was difficult renting a standard shift 4wd because I'm over 70. After the rental manager had me drive him around for a few minutes he apologized, gave me a courtesy discount. Not all Americans are incompetent frightened pansies who need an automatic shift and have to be ferried around like children whose mom has to drive them to soccer practice.
Until they stopped flying from San Juan I used American Eagle to fly from San Juan to Dominica. My last trip I used Seaborne. I will again this winter. Excellent airline, far better than LIAT which I refuse to fly. I have to overnight in San Juan because Seaborne leaves for Dominica at 11AM.
The transportation hassle is worth it. Dominica is more vertical than horizontal, so its airport is very small. Landing is a splendid experience, threading through the green peaks close enough to count the coconuts. I always rent a 4WD Suzuki and rent a nicely appointed small house (cheaper than the Airport Hotel) right on a cliff overlooking the Caribbean. I use Colin at Nature Island Destinations. I spend at least as much time exploring topside as I do in the water, and need my own transportation. This adds infinitely wonderful dimensions to a Dominica trip. With some mid-island snorkeling at dawn, one dive per day is plenty for me.
The last couple of trips it was difficult renting a standard shift 4wd because I'm over 70. After the rental manager had me drive him around for a few minutes he apologized, gave me a courtesy discount. Not all Americans are incompetent frightened pansies who need an automatic shift and have to be ferried around like children whose mom has to drive them to soccer practice.
Rayallyn
Contributor
I planned a trip for 22 Nov to 29th I am flying from Miami using LAN and paying $533.00 round trip business class which allows three 50lb. bags. Though having done a little online research I am thinking about changing resort. The price is right but the diving around Punta Cana does not seem to be that great.
Similar threads
