Dominica-who's been there and whadaya think...

[opalobsidian]

YAY!!!

My husband and I are off to Dominica in January!

Who has been there? Who did ya dive with and where did ya stay?

Any travel tips to share?

Thanks so much!
Pamela

 

[OH2OD]

We visited Dominica in summer of 2006, staying at Fort Young Hotel.
We were part of a group of 24 from lds.
We dove with operator on site, I the forget name.
Diving was good, and the island has interesting waterfalls inland.

The most trying part of our trip was travel.
There is a long bus ride from airport to hotel and our departing flight
was an adventure. After standing in line at airport, we were told
computer would not print more boarding passes. After much stress, we did make flight.
The travel left our group frustrated.

Be sure and stop by grocery for snacks, sodas, and water, since these can be pricey at hotels.
Most stores are closed on Sunday.
Have a good trip.

 

[Bob]

We just returned from Dominica in October and it's a great vacation! We stayed at the Castle Comfort Inn. It was comfortable and clean, nothing fancy. The staff there are very nice and go the extra mile to make your stay pleasant. We dove Scott's Head, Champaign, Dangler Ben, The Abyss and several other sites. The diving is good, but the Island is beautiful. Do take some of the tours and view the Island, some of the scenery is stunning. The people there are friendly and want you there. I never felt uncomfortable anywhere there. You're going to love your vacation. Just a note on luggage, you'll be flying a turbo prop plane out of San Juan. You'll be allowed only 140 lbs of checked luggage total, not per person, total. So plan and pack accordingly. One of the ladies in our group wound up wearing her BC on board to meet the weight requirements. have a nice vacation. almtree: Bob

 

[tel52]

I was there in 2002. Stayed at Castle Comfort and dove with the on site dive op. Both were decent. There is lots of subsistence fishing on Dominica, so you are likely to see fish traps and very few large fish. Sadly, the only green moray spotted on the trip was inside a fish trap. That said, the diving was still decent.

Topside, Dominica is a beautiful island. Be sure to avail yourself to some of the many topside tours. If (and only if) your are in good shape, consider a guided hike to the boiling lake. It is an awesome site and a beautiful, though extremely strenuous hike.

Unfortunately, despite being home to a resident population of Sperm whales, Dominica has recently voted to support commercial whaling, so it will be a cold day in hell before I return.

 

[opalobsidian]

Thanks for the very helpful information everyone!

I'm really looking forward to my vacation, but am dismayed to hear about the whaling.

Happy turkey gobbling everyone!
Pamela

 

[cowdog77]

Unfortunately, despite being home to a resident population of Sperm whales, Dominica has recently voted to support commercial whaling, so it will be a cold day in hell before I return.

Hmmmm....note to self, cross Dominica off short list.~

 

[Divedoggie]

Maybe scheduling a trip to Dominica and chartering some boats to go scare the whales away from there...maybe that would be a good vacation.

Realistically though, its now crossed off my list. As is Japan.

 

[Divedoggie]

I've been thinking about Dominica since I read this thread yesterday. It is promoting itself as the Natural Island, and a great place for eco-tourists. What a farce. If you have a trip booked there, you should cancel it and explain exactly why its canceled, to the powers that be.

Would you vacation in a country that openly promotes slavery, or that has a murderous dictator? No way!

More ideas about this: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...0948-boycott-whaling-nations.html#post3225960

 

[Divedoggie]

If you are interested in writing the office of tourism a note of concern, here is the email addy: tourism@dominica.dm

 

[tel52]

Just to clarify, Dominica itself is not engaged in whaling. They do seem however to have sold their vote on the International Whaling Commission to Japan in exchange for foreign aid. In light of Japan's current plans to kill fifty Humpback whales in addition to the numerous Minke whales they kill each year, I find this particularly disturbing.

Here is a link with the names and addresses of some Dominican officials if you wish to contact them: caribbean whale friends

Pamela, I really didn't intent to hijack your thread with this issue. Maybe while you are there you can let some of the locals know that their continued voting with Japan on whaling issues is ultimately going to hurt their economy more that it will help.