Firstly, this is not The Dominican Republic. This is The Commonwealth of Dominca, and it’s a beauty! The second best way to appreciate this incredible island of rugged landscapes, epic waterfalls, parrot enchanted rainforests and black sand beaches is to watch this video, the best way is to book yourself a flight pronto!
Come to the Caribbean I thought. Relax on the beaches, I thought. Have a rum punch, I thought. But no, Dominica had other ideas for me; the first being throwing myself off a canyon edge into the cyan waters being illuminated by the sun, and boy it was EPIC!
This gem of a country has a tiny airport, so it’s impossible to fly here long haul, rather you’ll need to change in a neighbouring island such as Antigua.
But that makes it feel all the more untouched, as only a handful of small planes arrive here delay. I visited during the off-season (June) which also meant there were no cruise ships in port, and most place I visited there were just a couple of other tourists. I’ve heard and can imagine that due to the mountains when the cruise ships are in, the main sights would get uncomfortably busy. So, I would suggest avoiding cruise season if you can.
This honestly was such an incredible island, hence it shooting right into the top of this list. There is fresh fruit everywhere, amazing diving, a resident sperm whale population which I saw alongside dolphins, super friendly guides, rare birds, never-ending rainforest… you get the idea, this is a nature island and the locals are proud to call it so.
Also, there is a distinct lack of resorts on the island like much of the Caribbean, and one of the highlights for me was the beach-side bungalows, stepping out on to the black sand in the morning to enjoy my coffee usually under a rainbow. Words can’t do this place justice, so you’ll have to go see it with your own eyes!
