101 Things to Do In Dominica
Maybe you are planning a trip to Dominica soon, maybe you are thinking of going on holiday but you don’t quite know where to go or maybe you are already in Dominica but you don’t exactly know what’s best to do in Dominica Or maybe you fit neither of these categories and you just happened upon this page. Either way you are lucky because you are going to find a truck load of information that’s going to make you very excited about this beautiful country Dominica.
#1Visit the Dominican museum.
You shouldn’t leave Dominica without visiting the museum. On the Bayfront and overlooking the Old Market is this fascinating small museum. It is designed to allow you a 'time walk' through Dominica's cultural and social history, from geology and archeology to the present day. Admire the carefully designed exhibits Get a good overview of Dominica’s history in an hour or less.
#2 Be sure to try some great new taste to awaken your palate.
Dominica has a very diverse heritage and this shows up in the mixture of West African and Carib (Kalinago) cuisine this amounts to a distinctly Creole taste. Dominica is blessed with rich volcanic soil, adequate rainfall and temperate climate which make it easy for a variety of produce to easily grow, resulting in abundance of foods for your enjoyment.
Dominica’s taste is unique the local spices and other local condiments add to its distinctive taste try some of the provisions (starchy root vegetables) used to make delicious exotic dishes. Try the callaloo. Mouth watering puffs of avocado bread fruit or dasheen, pa’te banane & coconut cheese will satisfy your sweet tooth; skillfully blending ingredients like Scotch Bonnet peppers with coconut milk is just an example of a unique Dominican practice. In Dominica traditional fishing villages still exist and fish and shellfish are plentiful.
While dinning in an exquisite hotel may be a great choice we’ve found that in Dominica small family restaurants, local eateries and seaside cafes can often be the most genuine and satisfying way to taste the full range of Dominican cuisine. In these humble places special care goes into the preparation of the meal that you purchase, carefully prepared and perfectly seasoned. If you are concerned about healthy living then you are in the right place Dominican’s grow a wide variety of organic produce which is often used to prepare dishes.
#3 Explore a pristine tropical rain forest
In 1997, UNESCO recognized the unique beauty and value of Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park, and designated it a World Heritage Site.It s a hikers dream with several spectacular hikes to experience. There you are likely to hear the Siffleur Montagne, a mountain bird heard only in Dominica and whose song has a striking clarity and sweetness. You may also see and hear two endangered parrots, the Sisserou (Amazona imperialis) and the Jacquot (Amazona arausiaca). However you're much more likely to see the Antillean Crested hummingbird and the Purple Throated hummingbird. You may also see the Crapaud or mountain chicken ( a very large frog) and a few retiles wever don’t be concerned you won't see any large mammals, but you will see a wide range of insects, birds, crustaceans, and a few reptiles. There are four species of snake, all non-poisonous.
It’s a very safe and exciting adventure don’t miss out on it.
#4 Visit the Emerald Pool
Emerald Pool gets its name from its verdant green setting at the base of a 12m (40ft) waterfall.
You get to the pool via a 5 minute walk through a beautiful rain forest of ferns and tall trees. Emerald Pool is generally a peacefully quiet spot except on cruise-ship days, when one full to capacity mini-van after another arrive at the site. The water is cool and refreshing just what you need after a long day. The road from Canefield is a pleasant drive as you meander through thick jungle vegetation, mountain views and other flora and fauna that may surprise you on you drive to the Emerald pool
#5 Hike to the Boiling Lake
Dominica's most excellent trek is a rugged day-long hike to Boiling Lake, the second largest actively boiling lake in the world. This strenuous hike will take three to three and a-half hours each way, beginning at Titou Gorge. It requires a guide, which you can arrange in Laudat attempting the hike without an experienced guide is discouraged. Wear sturdy walking shoes and expect to get muddy.
Geologists believe the 63m/207ft-wide lake is a flooded fumarole (a crack in the earth that allows hot gasses to vent from the molten lava below. The eerie-looking lake sits inside a deep basin, its greyish waters disguised in steam, its centre bubbling as if it were a large pot on a hefty fire.
While on route to the lake the trail goes through the suitably named Valley of Desolation, a former rainforest destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 1880. The hike follows narrow ridges, snakes up and down mountains and runs along hot streams. Wear sturdy walking shoes and expect to get dirty and muddy.
#6. Visit Titou Gorge
This delightful spot is at the start of the hike to the Boiling Lake, and is a small waterfall deep in a water-filled gorge ('Ti tou' means 'little-throat' in Creole). You will have fun wading, swimming, slipping and sliding up the 'throat' of a mountain to a waterfall located inside the gorge. The gorge was formed thousands of years ago and is flanked by the rock walls that provide an intricate and breathtaking setting.
#7 Visit The Trafalgar Falls
The easily accessible and spectacular Trafalgar Falls on the eastern edge of Morne Trois Pitons National Park are worth a visit. Actually two adjacent waterfalls - the taller one is the Father, the lower, shorter falls is the Mother At the base of the Mother fall, an inviting pool beckons you for an invigorating swim.
Both falls are accessed by a .4 mile (600m) walk along a well trodden trail that leads to a viewing platform. Bring your camera. If you are adventurous enough climb higher up the falls to a second pool and have a swim there. After a swim in the pool, you could find a comfortable seat in the rocks to the left of the pool and enjoy the warmth of the thermal seeps from the rocks - all the time looking southwest down the valley to the Caribbean beyond.
#8 Stroll or drive to the Fresh Water Lake
This is Dominica’s largest Lake. Start near the village of Laudat and continue your walk up to the lake Admire gorgeous views in the valley below and out to the sea. The lake is also a major source for hydro electricity the country’s major form of producing the energy form.
A legend has it that a single-eyed monster resides there and that the lake is bottomless although it is actually only 55ft deep... If you visit on a grey, misty day when wind-swept vapors swirl across its green surface, you will forgive the story-tellers for creating their far-fetched legends.
#9 Go whale watching
The deep tropical waters of Dominica are home to over 20 species of whales including the female and juvenile sperm whales. Arrange to be taken out to sea on a whale watching trip with Dive Dominica http://www.anchoragehotel.dm/ it is believed that Dominica’s West Coast which is completely sheltered, deep water represents an ideal calving and breeding ground for one of earth’s largest animal, the Sperm Whale. Dominica has received increasing credit as an ideal destination for the viewing of social units of Sperm Whales. The opportunities to see the interactions of females, males, juveniles and young calves may be unsurpassed anywhere else in the world. Enjoy an opportunity of a life time. Don’t leave Dominica without going whale watching.
#10 Visit the Champagne
Champagne is a rocky stretch of beach lined with a mixture of black sand and pebbles south of the village of Pointe Michel. A stairway leads down to the beach from the main road above. What’s special about Champagne is the bubbles that form from volcanic gases beneath the sea bed. This is much more visible offshore towards the south of the beach. It’s an amazing site.
