maxpaste

We are considering a family trip to Dominica next summer. 2 adults, 2 teens, 2 grandP's in their 60s but still active. We enjoy an active vacation - snorkel (not scuba), hiking, etc. I have read guide books, online postings, etc but still can't tell if Dominica is the island for us. We've been to Grand Caymans, Cancun, St. Martin, and a few other places and enjoyed them. Dominica is obviously a bit more rustic. Just looking for some advice and sharing any experiences you may have there. Hurricane risk, and filling 9-10 days also a concern. Thank you very much!!

doug_stallings

I don't know that I'd want to spend 9 or 10 days on Dominica, but it does sound like a good location for you and your interests. The chances of a hurricane there are about the same as anywhere in the Caribbean.

What I can say is that there is ferry service that links Dominica with Martinique, Guadeloupe, and St. Lucia, so it might be feasible to split your trip among a couple of islands. I'd suggest Martinique or Guadeloupe so you could take advantage of some white sand beaches. Guadeloupe probably has a greater range of outdoor activities.

rickandpat

My husband and I were there in Feb. 2004 (the summer may be wetter, we saw plenty of rain during the "dry" season) and we loved it. But it was very different from all the other places you listed, much less touristed and rough around the edges. Heck, just getting there is an adventure. But it is a big lush and gorgeous mountainous island with some geothermal features and lots of waterfalls. One day we rented a kayak across the street from Soufrie Bay, kayaked not very far to Champagne reef to snorkel. Then kayaked back to Scotts Head to snorkel there, great place. Another day we did the Boiling Lakes hike, the toughest hike I've ever done, which says a lot because we lived in Colorado several years and still go out west to hike and backpack often. More than once I wondered that I was actually doing that hike, esp. when we were scrambling across a waterfall. Anyway, with only 4 days we didn't do all the hiking we wanted, or even a whale watch - but 10 days might be pushing it. I know we'll go back sometime, and I've noticed that there are more lodging options these days. Good luck whereever you choose!

ParrotMom

Just had the most exciting experience of my life.. went on the Aeral Tram through the Rain Forest..WHAT A HIGH!!! Remember I am an overweight senior citizen I got off in the middle and walked with the guide through the jungle and the suspension bridge..I can't even talk about this experience to anybody without the excitement bursting from me.. Then the ride over the tree tops, the orchids, the ferns, the birds,...Understand they have built this same tram in St. Lucia and Jamaica.. Friends who cruise to Dominica say it's their very favorite island for beaches and being unspoiled.. I believe it..

StanKase

What I can tell you from fellow avid snorkelers is that the snorkeling is 90% better in Dominica than St. Martin or Cancun unless you went down to the area, the name excapes me,but it is right near Tulum (an hr. south of Cancun) where it is quite good. My friends say it not as good as Grand Cayman but the beauty of the island compared to GC which is almost like an elevated sand bar with a few hills, based on my 2 visits there, it may makes up for the difference in snorkeling, I would think. I really want to go but it would take me an entire day getting there and that has held me back to this point from going but I am running out of new places to visit so I probably will go 2010-2011. I want to give the island a little more time to recover from the hurricanes that hit the island the past few years. I agree with rickandpat that rain could be an issue since it is the season for tropical depressions and hurricanes and as Doug Stallings said 9-10 days may be too long but since it will take a day there and a day back you actually only have 7 full days there if you go for 9. Maybe staying in the Barbados for 3 full days/4nights on the trip might be woth considering since that is one way of getting there and make it a 6 days/7nights in Dominica. The teens might like that trip arrangement more, as well.