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Purely Dominica

Purely Dominica


creole-with-balloons
HIGHLIGHTS

  • Searching for Imperial and Red-necked parrots at the Northern Forest Reserve
  • Watching for whales just offshore
  • Hiking a to Boiling Lake
  • Visiting the region’s largest Carib village
  • World Creole Music Festival
  • Real Mas – Carnival

OVERVIEW

“The Nature Island” is just as its name implies: full of Eco-attractions, unspoiled wilderness and soft and hardcore adventures for everyone. Eighteenth-century Fort Shirley in Cabrits National Park is man-made site worth seeing.

On an island so lush, it’s hard not to be romantic. If the mood strikes, rent a rowboat for a cruise down Indian River. Emerald Pool is the perfect spot for a champagne toast. Or try standing under one of the waterfalls that seem to plummet from every cliff. The twin falls at Trafalgar are a favorite to look at; those at Titou Gorge are only safe for swimming if a guide okay’s it.

Not everything on this 290-square-mile island is sweet-smelling, though. Sulphur Springs in the south emits pungent fumes as a reminder that the volcano that created this island is not finished yet. West of Sulphur Springs, Boiling Lake simmers and smells from the same volcanism in action.

While all the bubbling and boiling may seem forbidding, there’s little chance of Dominica firing up anytime soon.

Dominica underwater is surrounded by the same rugged scenery that reaches to the clouds. Volcanic activity has formed sheer drop-offs, arches and pinnacles, particularly around Soufriere Bay on the southwest coast. On the northern coast, Castaways Reef, Grande Savane and Toucari Bay are good. Calm waters suitable for swimmers, snorkelers and inexperienced divers can be found around Champagne, a sub-Pointe Guignard, an aquatic hot spring with calm waters made bubbly by underwater vents, attracts snorkelers and beginning divers.

HISTORY

Normally, when one speaks of Columbus discovering an island, what is meant is that the ensuing settlement caused the extinction of an indigenous people. Not so on Dominica, where 3,000 Carib Indians live on in peace. The French and English did try to join the Caribs a number of times during the 17th century, but the Caribs would have nothing of it. In the early 1800s, the British established their authority over the leaf-shaped island; this time, the Caribs yielded. Exactly 485 years after Columbus named the island for the Sunday he spotted it in 1493, Dominica was granted independence.

GEOGRAPHY

Topography:
This volcanic island has the tallest mountains in the Eastern Caribbean. It’s 29 miles/46 kilometers long and 16 miles/26 kilometers wide with five separate ecosystems, from coastal scrub to mountaintop elfin forest – each with its own range of climate, plants and animals – found on the island. Beaches in the south are mostly volcanic, while the northern coast has a few white, coral-sand strands.

Climate:
Wintertime highs average in the mid-80s, while summer days hover around 90^(o) F. It is cooler in the highlands and downright cold on mountaintops after you’ve been soaked by rain. The windward side of Dominica’s central mountains is one of the rainiest places on earth. Up to 400 inches/10,160 millimeters can fall in a single year, while the Caribbean side is relatively dry. Dry season is January to April, rainy season July to October.

Tourist Information 718-261-9615 , www.dominica.dm
Contact Information:
National Development Corporation
Phone: (767) 448-2045
Fax: (767) 448-5840
Email: [email protected]
[email protected], [email protected]
Web: http://vacations.to/dominica, http://www.dominica.dm
Address:
P.O Box 293, Roseau
Commonwealth Of Dominica
Int’l Offices Contact Information:
UNITED STATES OFFICE
Contact Person: Mr. Steve Johnson
Phone: (718) 261-9615
call us toll free 1 888 645 5637(only applicable to North America)
Fax: (718) 261-0702
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Web: http://vacations.to/dominica, http://www.dominica.dm
Address:
110-64 Queens Blvd. P.O. Box 427,
Forest Hills, New York,
11375-6347
New York, NY
Contact Information:
ENGLAND
The Saltmash Partnership
Phone: 020 7928 1600
Fax: 020 7928 1700
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Address:
The Copperfields,
London
SE1 0ENContact: Susie Tempes
Location Dominica lies in the middle of the Lesser Antilles between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Political Status Parliamentary democracy
Capital Roseau
Population 71,000
Size 289.5 sq. miles. It is 29 miles long and 16 miles at its widest.
Language English is the official language, but most locals speak a type of French patois (Creole) at home.
Currency Eastern Caribbean Dollar (US, British and Euro currency widely accepted)
Taxes $50 departure tax for nonregional visitors. A 7.5% sales tax is levied on food, drinks and merchandise. There is also a 5% room tax on hotel and other chargeable short-term guest accommodations.
Tipping Tipping is discretionary. Most hotels include a 10% service charge
Electricity 220/240V. Be sure to pack your own converter.
Area Code 767
Time Atlantic Standard Time – one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
Documents A valid passport and return ticket are required. US and Canadian citizens may use proof of citizenship. French nationals may visit for up to two weeks with a Carte Identite
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