Beyond the bar ... and the beaches!

Sitting in the airport in Antigua, waiting to board my flight, I turned to the tanned gentleman sitting next to me and enquired as to whether he had enjoyed his holiday. “It was great”, he replied. “Bar there” he said, indicating to his immediate left “beach there”, pointing to the right. “I didn’t go more that 100 yards from my hotel room ALL week, what more could you want?”

I began to ask myself the same question, “What more could you want from a Caribbean holiday?” I was on my way to the little visited island of Dominica, just 100 miles south, for some Totally Tropical Trekking, my first visit to a Caribbean island, and I was hoping for a very contrasting experience to that of my new acquaintance. Was there more to the Caribbean than just the bar and the beach? I was looking forward to finding out!
One thing is for sure, Dominica is an island best explored on foot. Driving on the tightly coiled mountain roads that snake across the island can be a hair-raising experience and, though only 29km wide, it can take hours to drive the breadth of the island. If you want to explore properly, you need to get your hiking boots on. Using a combination of old colonial estate tracks and ancient trails forged by the indigenous Kalinago Indians, you can spend days exploring the stunning, fruit laden, Caribbean and Atlantic coastlines, but we also venture inland deep into the lush green interior, dramatically shaped by years of volcanic activity and fed by the island’s 365 rivers. Hidden at the very centre of the island you’ll find the world’s second largest sulphur spring, the 60m wide, Boiling Lake. You can’t visit Dominica without completing the challenging trek to this unusual spectacle!

Boiling Lake Hike

Our day-long journey began on a rainforest trail of wooden steps and woven tree routes, the sides of the path decorated with colourful calla lilies and heliconia. Before long we found ourselves climbing out of the valley and high over the top of some of the tall green shards of the Morne Trois Pitons National park. After a short scramble down we eventually arrived at the marvellously monikered Valley of Desolation, the gateway to the lake. Here, amongst the vaporous mud pools and the potent pong of sulphur, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were on another planet entirely! A short distance on and we reach the lake itself (actually a flooded fumarole). While heavily enveloped in a thick cloud of steam, it is still possible to see the blue/green water furiously bubbling away in the centre of the lake. Though we’re all desperate to cool off after our hot trek, it is extremely clear that this is no place to take a refreshing dip; even at the edges of the lake the water can be up to 92 degrees! Returning back the way we came, we find a more welcome opportunity to swim back at the trailhead, in the cold clear waters of Titou Gorge; a great way to end a superb day of walking!

Dominican Philosophy

Besides the beautiful coastline and the great trekking opportunities, Dominica’s real magnetism lies simply in its laid back, Caribbean charm. “One day at a time, no rush” read the sticker on the back of our mini bus; you couldn’t sum up the atmosphere of the island better. Dominica has the largest percentage of centenarians per capita in the world. The oldest islander, Ma Pampo, is said to have died at the fine old age of 128 and her neighbour – a respectable 127! With plenty of sunshine, sea air and a diet of exotic fruit, home grown vegetables and freshly caught fish (all washed down with a reviving glass of coconut water or maybe a cheeky slug of rum punch!), it isn’t hard to see why. The forests are a veritable pharmacy of plants and herbs, which are regularly utilised in age-old holistic therapies, and the interior is dotted with natural hot springs, where you can soak away the worries of the day. Troubles should be left at the airport on arrival!

A Question Answered

So, just 10 days after I began my journey, I found myself back in almost the same seat in Antigua airport, this time waiting for my flight back to the UK. Sitting munching on plantain chips and sipping on a ginger flavoured Kabuli beer, I flicked back through the photos on my digital camera and knew that I’d easily answered my own question.

Was there more to the Caribbean than just the bar and the beach?  Yes, so much more!