"Dominica" a Dominica Travel Page by bsfreeloader

It would be easy to find fault with Dominica. It is perhaps the only Eastern Caribbean island where you are constantly hounded by touts and beggars. The non-harassing locals, while generally friendly enough, rarely smile or offer much more than a “good morning,” “good afternoon,” or “ok, man.” The island’s narrow, winding, pot-hole marred roads are without question the worst and most dangerous in the Eastern Caribbean, particularly given the reckless and inconsiderate manner in which most Dominicans drive. The island’s beaches are far from postcard perfect. And, the country’s capital and largest town, Rosseau, is virtually dead after 6:00 p.m., with only a few bars and restaurants not affiliated with hotels remaining open. Add to all that the incessant rain, and it would be easy to form an unfavorable opinion of Dominica. But in the final equation none of these negatives even factor in, as the indelible impression left on you following a trip to Dominica is that, above all else, it is an unspoiled island of incredibly raw natural beauty. Covering a modest 290 square miles, Dominica is the most mountainous island in the Lesser Antilles – nearly half of the island is above 300 meters and the highest peak, Morne Diablotin, reaches 1447 meters. Rugged enough to have in large part escaped degradation and deforestation, Dominica’s jungly, mist-cloaked peaks seem straight out of the age of dinosaurs. Justifiably dubbed the “Nature of Island of the Carribean,” Dominica hits you with more than just stunning visuals. Clean, fresh mountain air combines with the damp aromatic smells of rotting rainforest vegetation and the steaming sulfur vents of active fumaroles. And the silence of the rainforest is broken by the haunting whistles of Red-throated Solitaires and the bubbling warbles of House Wrens. All of this combines to make Dominica, if not my favorite Caribbean island, the Caribbean island I would most like to visit again.