diverrex
Contributor
Back from two weeks in Dominica for 5 weeks now and I’m finally posting a report. Just for fun and practice I’ve been playing with a website format that has an extensive trip report, UW /topside photos, Dominica web links and more, hopefully in an easily readable fashion. Probably way more info than anyone needs but here are links to that website with a summary and few photos posted here below.
Full trip report, lots of UW/topside photos, Dominica Web links and more
or skip right to Dominica UW photos
Dominica is a fantastic island for both diving and rainforest activities. Lots of jungle hiking and waterfalls. The tourist infrastructure is not built up much, there isn’t a chain hotel on the whole island, but that’s one of its big advantages. If you want big fancy hotels, multiple swimming pools and waiters bringing you beachside drinks you should go elsewhere. But if want great diving and unspoiled nature at reasonable prices this is the great place to go. The diving is good enough for a dive-only trip, but if you skip the rainforest you’re really missing out.
DIVING – We did 18 dives over 8 dive days, 5 up north and 13 down south. The diving up north is ok, and Pole to Pole was a really nice night dive, but the diving down south was much better. I’d skip the north next time and only dive the south. We saw a couple seahorses and flying gurnards, turtles and peacock flounder on half the dives, 2 - 4 spotted eels and 4 – 6 spotted drums on every dive and all the usual reef fish, except there are very few angelfish. On our last dive a young turtle swam with us for 6 minutes, checking all of us out, he was as curious with each of us as we were about him. The reef looks healthy, all kinds of colors, with lots of sponges and tons of golden crinoids. We really enjoyed the variety of UW terrain – flat reefs, mini walls going down to 100 feet, deep walls going to 400+ feet and our favorite sites were the pinnacles that rose off the sea floor around 100 fsw. We’d drop down to maybe 80 fsw and do a 360 multilevel spiral back to the flat top around 30 ft. Viz was 50 – 70 feet and water temp was 82.
DIVE OPS – We did 11 dives down south with Nature Island Dive and they were great. Personalized valet service, nice wide boat and small groups! Six of our dives only had 4 + DM and the other 5 were just the 2 of us + DM. It was like private diving! Bottom times averaged 62 minutes. We also did 2 dives with Dive Dominica, the largest op on the island. They run a very organized operation with nice large boats and good crews. We had no complaints with the dives, it was just that there were 11 + 2 DM’s in our group and that just isn’t as fun for us as groups of only 3 – 5. At least for a large outfit our bottom times still averaged 62 minutes. Up north we dove with Cabrits Dive Centre and they were also really good. Small groups and good service but bottom dives averaged 46 minutes.
TOPSIDE – We stayed in the rainforest for 4 days to do some of the longer activities there. We went to Trafalgar and Middleham Falls without a guide but did use a guide for Boiling Lake. Both Trafalfar and Middleham Falls could be done in the afternoon after the morning dives. The hike to Boiling Lake was a workout, 12 miles roundtrip with 1,500 ft. elevation gain in 6 hours, but it was fun and worth it, the lake really boils in the middle. The rainforest on the hike and Valley of Desolation right before the lake were really cool. We used Najie (767-245-4328) as our guide and he was great to be with. But the best time we had was going canyoning with Extreme Dominica ( Najie and Jeffrey as guides). This was really cool. We rappelled down through a series of vertical drops in the stream filled canyon, one time rappelling right through a 30 foot waterfall. The canyon was beautiful and this was the only way you could get there. It was a blast!
LODGING – Down south we stayed 7 nights at the Evergreen Hotel. It was a nice simple place, friendly staff, good food, nice pool with reasonable prices. The only problem (and it’s not their doing) is the music club a block away plays loud music on the weekend – till 3:30 am on Fri. and 5:30 am on Sat. The thump thump thump of the bass was not really conducive to a good night sleep before diving. In the rainforest we stayed 4 nights at Papillote Wilderness Retreat, an eco resort before they became fashionable. It’s surrounded by botanical gardens and rainforest, and is only a 15 minute walk to Trafalgar Falls. It’s great base for rainforest activities or relaxation, peace and quiet. In Portsmouth we stayed at Comfortel De Champ, a really nice 5 room inn with great views of Prince Rupert Bay. Hans and Lise will take good care of you and it’s a very reasonable value at $105 a night including room, breakfast and taxes.
We really enjoyed two weeks in Dominica and plan to return. I’d encourage everyone else to go, but I guess I’m hoping not too many of you do so it can stay relatively undeveloped. Feel free to PM me or ask any questions and I’ll try to help with any other info I have.
Hope you like the photos, lots more on the website: Dominica report with UW/topside photos, web links & more
Full trip report, lots of UW/topside photos, Dominica Web links and more
or skip right to Dominica UW photos
Dominica is a fantastic island for both diving and rainforest activities. Lots of jungle hiking and waterfalls. The tourist infrastructure is not built up much, there isn’t a chain hotel on the whole island, but that’s one of its big advantages. If you want big fancy hotels, multiple swimming pools and waiters bringing you beachside drinks you should go elsewhere. But if want great diving and unspoiled nature at reasonable prices this is the great place to go. The diving is good enough for a dive-only trip, but if you skip the rainforest you’re really missing out.
DIVING – We did 18 dives over 8 dive days, 5 up north and 13 down south. The diving up north is ok, and Pole to Pole was a really nice night dive, but the diving down south was much better. I’d skip the north next time and only dive the south. We saw a couple seahorses and flying gurnards, turtles and peacock flounder on half the dives, 2 - 4 spotted eels and 4 – 6 spotted drums on every dive and all the usual reef fish, except there are very few angelfish. On our last dive a young turtle swam with us for 6 minutes, checking all of us out, he was as curious with each of us as we were about him. The reef looks healthy, all kinds of colors, with lots of sponges and tons of golden crinoids. We really enjoyed the variety of UW terrain – flat reefs, mini walls going down to 100 feet, deep walls going to 400+ feet and our favorite sites were the pinnacles that rose off the sea floor around 100 fsw. We’d drop down to maybe 80 fsw and do a 360 multilevel spiral back to the flat top around 30 ft. Viz was 50 – 70 feet and water temp was 82.
DIVE OPS – We did 11 dives down south with Nature Island Dive and they were great. Personalized valet service, nice wide boat and small groups! Six of our dives only had 4 + DM and the other 5 were just the 2 of us + DM. It was like private diving! Bottom times averaged 62 minutes. We also did 2 dives with Dive Dominica, the largest op on the island. They run a very organized operation with nice large boats and good crews. We had no complaints with the dives, it was just that there were 11 + 2 DM’s in our group and that just isn’t as fun for us as groups of only 3 – 5. At least for a large outfit our bottom times still averaged 62 minutes. Up north we dove with Cabrits Dive Centre and they were also really good. Small groups and good service but bottom dives averaged 46 minutes.
TOPSIDE – We stayed in the rainforest for 4 days to do some of the longer activities there. We went to Trafalgar and Middleham Falls without a guide but did use a guide for Boiling Lake. Both Trafalfar and Middleham Falls could be done in the afternoon after the morning dives. The hike to Boiling Lake was a workout, 12 miles roundtrip with 1,500 ft. elevation gain in 6 hours, but it was fun and worth it, the lake really boils in the middle. The rainforest on the hike and Valley of Desolation right before the lake were really cool. We used Najie (767-245-4328) as our guide and he was great to be with. But the best time we had was going canyoning with Extreme Dominica ( Najie and Jeffrey as guides). This was really cool. We rappelled down through a series of vertical drops in the stream filled canyon, one time rappelling right through a 30 foot waterfall. The canyon was beautiful and this was the only way you could get there. It was a blast!
LODGING – Down south we stayed 7 nights at the Evergreen Hotel. It was a nice simple place, friendly staff, good food, nice pool with reasonable prices. The only problem (and it’s not their doing) is the music club a block away plays loud music on the weekend – till 3:30 am on Fri. and 5:30 am on Sat. The thump thump thump of the bass was not really conducive to a good night sleep before diving. In the rainforest we stayed 4 nights at Papillote Wilderness Retreat, an eco resort before they became fashionable. It’s surrounded by botanical gardens and rainforest, and is only a 15 minute walk to Trafalgar Falls. It’s great base for rainforest activities or relaxation, peace and quiet. In Portsmouth we stayed at Comfortel De Champ, a really nice 5 room inn with great views of Prince Rupert Bay. Hans and Lise will take good care of you and it’s a very reasonable value at $105 a night including room, breakfast and taxes.
We really enjoyed two weeks in Dominica and plan to return. I’d encourage everyone else to go, but I guess I’m hoping not too many of you do so it can stay relatively undeveloped. Feel free to PM me or ask any questions and I’ll try to help with any other info I have.
Hope you like the photos, lots more on the website: Dominica report with UW/topside photos, web links & more
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