May 13th, 2010
Looking at the wonder and beauty of the Caribbean island landscapes, it’s not hard to imagine why historically, much of the prized Caribbean was fought over. Largely, the British and French dueled over control of many islands of the West Indies and other Caribbean island groups. Today, the influence of the French culture remains prominent among many islands in the Caribbean. Areas in or around the Caribbean region that are predominantly French-speaking or French-Creole speaking are known as the French Islands of the Caribbean, although only a few are still officially owned or under the rule of France.
French-Owned Caribbean Islands: Martinique and Guadeloupe
The French Islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe are two of the twenty-six regions of France, each being classified as an ‘overseas region.’ Thus, Martinique and Guadeloupe are somewhat more developed islands promising tourists the luxury of five-star hotels, paved highways, and extraordinary shopping centers. Martinique boasts a number of mountains, rainforests, and even an active volcano just north of its more developed southern region. Guadeloupe consists of five islands, each with its own distinct characteristics and attractions. Guadeloupe is the island upon which Columbus first discovered the pineapple, and still today tropical fruits remain a large part of the export industry on the island.
French-Speaking Caribbean Islands: Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin
Other French speaking islands include Saint Barthelemy and Saint Martin. Saint Martin is a Caribbean island split between France and The Netherlands. The French ‘half’ of Saint Martin (about 60% of the island), is an overseas collectivity of France. Visitors to Saint Martin have the unique opportunity to experience aspects of French, Dutch, and indigenous cultures in one setting. In addition to its exotic cultural history, Saint Martin is also known for its many gourmet restaurants. Saint Barthelemy is also an overseas collectivity of France, although it is the only Caribbean island once controlled by the Swedish. St. Barts, as it’s abbreviated, has long been considered a playground of the rich and famous, known for pristine beaches, chic bistros, luxury villas, and high-end designers.
The French-Creole Speaking Islands: Haiti, Dominica, and Saint Lucia
Haiti, on the island of Hispañola, is largely influenced by French culture. Haitian Creole, the most “French” of all Creole dialects, is spoken by the population in addition to French. Additionally, on the islands of Dominica and Saint Lucia, versions of French-Creole are widely spoken even though these islands were eventually controlled by the British, each later becoming independent.
May 11th, 2010
The Island of Dominica was formed from more than seven volcanic centers, even though the island itself has never recorded an eruption. In the late 1800s, however, a steam blast that occurred in the Valley of Desolation led to four hot sulfurous areas, including the still-active Boiling Lake, a popular destination for tourists who venture to the island of Dominica.
Situated about six miles east of Dominica’s capital, Roseau, Boiling Lake is a flooded 200-foot wide fumarole, bubbling with blue-gray water typically encompassed in vaporous clouds. The low visibility and rugged terrain that leads to Boiling lake are two of the contributing factors to the strong recommendation that tourists and visitors should always get a guide that knows Boiling Lake well. Costing approximately $30 per person, a tour guide quite possibly offers the best investment for your dollar: your peace of mind!
Starting in Laudat, the eight mile trail through the Valley of Desolation, which ends at the Boiling Lake, includes razor-thin cliffs and rocky scrambling. A round trip will take nearly six hours in time, so it’s also recommended to start early and plan nothing else that day (and some warn, plan only to rest the day after!). As one would expect, getting dirty on your trip to the Boiling Lake is almost certain, so save your favorite outfit and wear your grubby clothing if you can.
Venturing into Dominica’s Valley of Desolation grants visitors the opportunity to stand at breathtaking vantage points, witness water in unimaginable colors, and learn the amazing adaptations of fumerole vegetation in such an unforgiving environment. Upon reaching the final destination, Boiling Lake, hikers will discover what makes Dominica the most natural island in the Caribbean–there’s nothing there except the lake, unspoiled in all of its natural wonder. No tourist shops, buildings, or businesses exist at Boiling Lake, a testament to Dominica’s commitment to preserving its environment. Other than the amazing geological formations and vapory warm springs of Boiling Lake, the only other thing visitors might witness are a few other visitors!
May 9th, 2010
If you ask a Dominican how many rivers there are on the island of Dominica, he’s inclined to tell you there are 365 rivers in Dominica–one for every day of the year. As the Caribbean’s most pristine island, the lush mountains and river basins of Dominica make it the ultimate eco-tourist destination in the region.
The rivers of Dominica are many, but each has its own characteristics and attractions to tourists as well as the local inhabitants. Some rivers are very easily accessible, such as the famous Indian River, which served as a filming site for two of the Walt Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Because of Dominica’s breathtaking mountainous terrain, though, there are number of rivers and streams that may require the assistance a local guide to reach. Many of Dominica’s rivers are interrupted by these mountains, a path which creates dozens of captivating waterfalls.
Dominica is teeming with wildlife, and one of the main reasons is the number of rivers in Dominica. Taking a boat tour on one of Dominica’s many rivers is a great way to engage in bird-watching or fishing, two activities that are popular among tourists. When planning a river tour in Dominica, be prepared for a slower-pace of movement, as many rivers strictly prohibit motorized watercraft. A hike along the banks of Dominica’s rivers will also reveal the amazing biodiversity of the tropical plant life indigenous to the island. Spectacles such as the buttressed Bwa Mang trees are often witnessed in the North of the island.
In addition to great scenery and wildlife adventures, the rivers of Dominica offer many chances to swim and relax. From deep pools of the L’Or and Chaudiere Pools, hot water bathing at Glo Cho, and extreme tubing on Dominica’s longest river, the Layou, there’s no shortage of excitement with a chance to plunge in and enjoy the naturally beauty of Dominica. There is even the chance to trace an old slave escape route, as you follow the trail of Jaco Flats, part of which leads directly through the river (hint: wear your swimsuit!). Many of Dominica’s rivers are accessible to children or older travelers. Please note that admission to some may cost a nominal fee. During the rainy season, flash floods can occur, making travel to some rivers dangerous.
May 5th, 2010
Absolutely the most festive of seasons in Dominica, Carnival is a month long celebration of bright colors and cultural dancing. Called Mas Dominik in the local French Creole language of Dominicans, or “The Real Mas,” Carnival in Dominica draws spectators and tourists to the lush, green island every January, Februrary or March.
Held during the weeks before Lent, Carnival in Dominica officially kicks off every year with a grand Opening Parade usually one month before the feast of Ash Wednesday. Proudly marching in the Opening Parade are pageant contestants, Calypso dancers, stilt walkers (natively called moki jumbies), and Dominicans in West-African sensay costumes. What can’t be missed are the elaborate, brightly colored costumes steeped in rich cultural traditions from Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Huge crowds line the streets every year to see the amazing kaleidoscope of colors.
Because Carnival in Dominica is closely tied to the rhythmic dancing of calypso, there are many musical shows, concerts, and a National Calypso contest. Semifinal and final rounds of dancing and competition between calypsonians are some of the most popular events to attend, as well as the final reigning of the National Calypso Champion of the Year.
In addition to adding another Calypso icon, Dominica’s Carnival also crowns Miss Dominica, and there is a teenage pageant. While the Miss Dominica contest is often called the “Queen Show,” and the winner regarded as the island’s informal queen, the teenage pageant produces a “princess.” Dominicans are said to be extremely loyal to each year’s winner, who will wear exquisite dresses and jewelry.
“Jump Up” refers to the final two days of Carnival–Carnival Monday and Tuesday in Dominica. These days offer exciting programs, concerts, and street parties, comparable in some aspects like Marti Gras of Fat Tuesday celebrated in places like New Orleans. Travelers to Dominica do not want to miss these two especially vibrant days on the island, where a true cultural experience and integration with the native population is almost certain.
These non-stop, no-sleep festivities eventually calm down when Vaval arrives on Wednesday afternoon. During Téwé Vaval, Dominicans travel to the Carib Territory of the island and to Dublanc to bury cloth-stuffed representations of the spirit of Carnival. Cardboard masks are walked down the streets and are burned at sundown to symbolize the end of the celebration and the shift to a more grim season of Lent.
April 30th, 2010
The Eastern Caribbean sea is sprinkled with a number of independent islands, as well as several islands that are territories or protectorates of other larger nations. While nine islands officially make up the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, many other islands are geographically categorized as part of the Eastern Caribbean–namely the Leeward and Windward Islands of the West Indies.
The Leeward and Windward Islands of the Eastern Caribbean were named for which side of the British ships they were located upon when British explorers passed through a small channel between the chain of islands in the Caribbean sea. Islands to the North (located leeward from the ship at the time), include the islands of Dominica up to the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. The islands known as the Windward Islands are located to the South (historically windward from the ship’s position), beginning with Martinique and ending with Trinidad, near the South American coast. The Windward islands are also known for being the first islands to meet the tropical ‘trade winds,‘ a steady pattern which keep clouds moving fast and allows for plenty of sunshine and higher levels of sand.
The Eastern Caribbean islands are often described as more exotic destinations for U.S. tourists, as several of them are less ‘commercialized’ and experience less tourist traffic than other Northern Caribbean islands such as the Cayman Islands or the Bahamas. Rich histories, lush tropical landscapes, and pristine, unspoiled beaches are among some of the alluring qualities of the Eastern Caribbean islands. Thus, Eastern Caribbean islands make great destinations for travelers seeking remote beaches, eco-tourism or wildlife adventures, and ‘reality tours’. Additionally, most islands of the Eastern Caribbean are situated only 1000-1600 miles from Miami, allowing for relatively quick flight times of only 2-4 hours from Miami International Airport. Several U.S. cities also offer direct, non-stop flights to many islands within the Eastern Caribbean, and a number of cruise ships and ferries take port in the Leeward or Windward islands.
Because the EC dollar has remained a stable currency for many years, it makes the islands of the Eastern Caribbean a favorable destination spot for Americans. Unlike other islands whose currency is the US dollar or the Euro, tourists visiting several Eastern Caribbean nations will more than double their dollars upon exchanging currency (about 2.67 EC$ to $1.00 USD). The islands that use the favorable Eastern Caribbean Dollar, or EC, are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
A Listing of Major Eastern Caribbean Islands by Geographical Territory*
Leeward Islands
The U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Martin, Saba, Saint Barthlemy (Saint Barts), Saint Eustatius, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Dominica
Windward Islands
Martinique, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
*several smaller islands, some of which are uninhabited or owned by other Eastern Caribbean nations, have been eliminated from this list.
A Listing of Eastern Caribbean Islands by Official Language
English-Speaking
Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Anguilla, Saba, Saint Eustatius, U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda
French-Speaking
Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin (French half), Martinique, Saint Barthelemy (Saint Barts)
Dutch-Speaking
Saint Maarten (Dutch half), Saba, Saint Eustatius
Papamientu-Speaking
Saint Eustatius
French Creole-Speaking
Dominica, Saint Lucia
April 26th, 2010
The Caribbean island of Dominica was discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus, who named the island ‘Sunday’ (Dominica, Latin) after the day of the week on which he first took in the sights of Dominica’s breathtaking cliffs and emerald peaks. The Spanish didn’t stay long–when they found no gold and met resistance from the natives, Spanish explorers left Dominica ripe for the French and English to colonize.
Dominica, however, became the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by any Europeans. The immense resistance of the native Carib people (for whom the Caribbean region is named), who had settled in Dominica more than a hundred years before Columbus, fiercely protected the island they called Waitikubuli (‘tall is her body’). It took nearly 150 years from the discovery of the island before France claimed the island of Dominica in 1635. Subsequently, Dominica’s history during much of the 17th and 18th centuries encompasses battles between the British and the French for control of the island. After the French burned the capital city of Roseau in 1805, the British were able to take over the island, and began establishing small sugar plantations on the milder slopes of Dominica’s jagged terrain.
The importing of slaves to the Caribbean during the period of colonial rule led to the present-day demographic of Dominicans, nearly 90% of whom are of African descent. In recorded Dominican history, many escaped slaves (called ‘maroons’) sought out Dominica as a safe haven because there were no large scale plantations on the island. In the generations following the abolition of slavery in 1835, black Dominicans began to become landowners. Eventually, the freed slaves and the Caribs joined together to gain autonomy from the British in 1967 and became an independent republic within the Commonwealth in 1978, nearly 500 years after Columbus’s discovery and one year before Hurricane David slammed the island with 150 mph winds that destroyed three-fourths of the islanders’ homes.
Though an extreme minority now, the nearly 2,000 Caribs of Dominica (who comprise 2% of the island’s population today) make up a significant portion of the remaining Carib people left throughout the Caribbean region, and some believe that the Caribs of Dominica are the only remaining full-blooded native population. Many Caribs were hired by Disney when they filmed Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3 on the island of Dominica in 2004 and 2005.
Despite a turbulent history of Dominica, though, the island has been a pioneer in some areas, such as electing the first woman prime minister in the Caribbean and becoming known as the ‘Nature Isle of the Caribbean’ for its resistance to development and preservation of an unspoiled, lush green landscape.
April 18th, 2010
If you visited one waterfall every single day, it would take you almost an entire month to see all of the majestic waterfalls on the island of Dominica. There are 29 named waterfalls and a few additional smaller cascades in Dominica, which is arguably the Eastern Caribbean’s most “natural” island. With much of the rainforest and lush island landscape remaining undeveloped, it is said that Dominica is the only island in the Caribbean that Christopher Columbus would still recognize today.
Five main waterfall sites generally enjoy the most tourist attention out of Dominica’s many waterfalls. These include the waterfalls at Trafalgar, Middleham, Emerald Pool, Sari-Sari, and Victoria. While these five sites encapsulate the most visited waterfalls, there is an abundance of other waterfall sites whose cascades are just as majestic. Tourists who visit the waterfalls of Dominica will have the chance to spot dozens of colorful rainbows, bathe in bubbling hot springs, and slide down smooth, natural rock water slides.
There are a handful of waterfalls in Dominica that are easily accessible, and several that are even marked as “kid-friendly.” Visiting the majority of waterfalls in Dominica, though, can be a bit of a challenge! Even some of the most popular waterfalls of Dominica require a technical inland (guided) hike, and a select few of the more remote waterfalls require seven hours or more of total hiking time. Many tour operators recommend an early start for most waterfall visits, and advise tourists to schedule only ‘beach time’ on the following day so their bodies can recover from the hike!
A List of Dominica’s Waterfalls (in alphabetical order)
- Aba Rivine Cyrique
- Boli Falls
- Brandy Falls
- Brenner Falls
- Coco Cascades
- Dubique Falls (3 small waterfalls)
- Emerald Pool Falls
- Flocky’s Twin Falls
- Fond Morgan Falls
- Grand Fond/Derniere Falls
- Isulukati Waterfall
- Middleham Falls
- Penrice Falls
- River Cyrique (also called 3 Basins Falls)
- River Jack Waterfall
- Sari-Sari Falls
- Soltoun Falls (several smaller cascades)
- Space Mountain Falls
- Spanny’s Twin Falls
- Syndicate Falls (also called Milton Falls)
- Three Rivers Falls
- Ti Tou Gorge (small waterfall)
- Trafalgar Falls (twin waterfalls)
- Victoria Falls
April 12th, 2010
When Disney film producers went searching for a location to film a legendary tale of Caribbean pirates (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest), the Eastern Caribbean island of Dominica was hands down the most obvious choice.
The untouched natural beauty, exotic cliffs, and lush rainforest in Dominica provided the perfect setting for the Pirates of the Caribbean sequel. In fact, the island’s majesty was so irresistible to producers that they not only filmed scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest in Dominica, they went right ahead and began simultaneously shooting for Pirates 3: At World’s End.
Northern Coast of Dominica
Much of the filming for Pirates of the Caribbean took place around the northern village of Calibishie. Some scenes, though, were filmed in Vielle Case (“Daredevil Landing”), where filmmakers constructed an old, ruined church, and in the Portsmouth area, home to Dominica’s winding Indian River (called “Patano River” in the movie). The northern coast welcomed The Black Pearl, where the Caribbean Sea surrounding Dominica was where most ship scenes were filmed for Pirates 3: At World’s End. Hampstead Hodges, a picturesque isolated bay on the Northeast coast of Dominica, served as the film location for one of Johnny Depp’s “inside a runaway water wheel” sword fight.
Interior of Dominica
Titou Gorge, which translates as “little hole” or “little throat,” hosts a series of caverns and pools at the base of a waterfall, surrounded by high cliffs that house a canopy of trees. Titou, located near the interior village of Laudat, was the site for the scene in which the bone cage drops into a gorge. Since Titou Gorge water in the Titou gorge is coldest on the island, actors complained when producers spent two days filming scenes in the frigid pools!
Southern Coast of Dominica
Said to be the first settlement for the Pirates of the Caribbean film crew, the Southwestern coast of Dominica was immediately transformed by set directors. Near Scott’s Head beach, spanning two cliffs, film crews placed a suspension bridge. Just above Scott’s Head, at High Meadow, the Pirates of the Caribbean film crews built the infamous “Cannibal Village.” Both the suspension bridge at Scott’s Head and parts of “Cannibal Village” remain in tact and at least partially viewable for tourists visiting Dominica.
February 15th, 2009
Here is the list of activities in Dominica this week in celebration of Carnival “Mas” 2009
Feb, 15: Teenage pargeant beauty show
Feb 16: Lagon Heritage Festival
Feb 17: Pan by de Bay
Feb 18: Stardom calypso King of the Tent
Feb 19: Lapo Kabwit in St. Joseph
Feb 20: Miss Dominica beauty pageant
Feb 21: Beer Festival and Calypso Finals
February 7th, 2009
These are the list of activities scheduled for the next week for Mas 2009
Today February 7: Calypso Semi Finals
Sunday, February 8: Princess show
Wednesday, February 11: Stardom Tent
Thursday, February 12: Carnival Reload
Saturday, February 14: Soca Monarch Competition & International Artist night
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