A beach in Dominica
1/8If you're looking for a great getaway in the Caribbean, Dominica is definitely a country on the rise.
Often called "The Nature Island," it's a lush, green country that's adding bigger and splashier hotels and is building a new international airport, which should allow them to get direct flights from Canada in a few years.
For now, it's easy enough to fly in via Barbados or Puerto Rico, or, starting December 8, via Miami on American Airlines.
Dr. Lennox Honychurch, a local historian, said on a Zoom call on Thursday that Dominica is the most mountainous island in the Caribbean. I was there a few years ago and found it utterly charming; with amazing nature all around and super-friendly locals.
Honychurch highlighted some of the island's top attractions, including several beautiful beaches, the wide-ranging rivers (apparently 365 of them; one for each day of the year) and a snorkelling spot that has bubbles rising out of an underground hot spring, lending it the nickname "Champagne Reef."
He also mentioned Kalinago Barana Aute, a cultural village that's the centre of a large reserve set aside for Carib Indians, a group that's been wiped out on most Caribbean islands. You can watch locals weaving baskets or take in a dancing and musical show with Kalinago people mimicking a trip to gather water or fish. I visited on my trip and thought it was marvellous.
There's been a surge of COVID-19 cases in the community of late, said CEO/Director of Tourism Colin Piper. But nobody on the island has died from the virus, and visitors can take advantage of a program called "Safe in Nature," which allows travellers to be in a safe bubble for both land and water excursions in Dominica.
Piper said the posh Jungle Bay Resort opened on the island in 2019, as did the Cabrits Resort Kempinski. A new Marriott Autograph Collection hotel called Anichi Resort and Spa is slated to open in 2023, as is the Tranquility Beach hotel, a Curio collection property from Hilton.
