During my stay I was able to stay at some truly unforgettable hotels, each with their own distinctive charm. I started my adventure at the idyllic
Secret Bay, an adults-only luxury hotel resort offering just ten freestanding villas, each nestled into a green hillside overlooking Tibay Beach. All the villas at Secret Bay are composed entirely of sustainably sourced Guyanese hardwood, with no heavy machinery used in their construction, and each ones boasts modern facilities along with your own private pool. The entire resort oozed old Caribbean charm and was exactly what you'd expect from a luxury Dominican escape, with a wealth of space, incredible facilities (with more being built!), and sustainable elements at every turn.
I was then able to visit the exclusive
Jungle Bay, an adventure and wellness retreat on the southeast corner of Dominica, boasting 60 beautiful, hand-crafted stone and hardwood villas overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The resort itself was picturesque and was designed to be in harmony with nature, with native flowers and trees everywhere, such as a banana and pineapple plantation as well as a tropical vegetable and herb garden to explore. This heavenly hideaway also promises an abundance of spa and pampering opportunities at every turn, a commitment to responsible tourism, and a wealth of authentic experiences waiting to be had.
While the north of the island is known for its impressive hotels and chilled out atmosphere, the south promises visitors a hub of activity. Despite some rainy weather towards the end of my trip, I was able to enjoy some of the amazing excursions and adventures on offer from the hotels during the sunny days!
If there's one thing that Dominica has in abundance, it's waterfalls. Another excursion I particularly enjoyed was visiting the Emerald Pool in the Morne Trois Pitons National Park. After a short walk through a pristine UNESCO protected forest, you could see the pool shimmering with greens and turquoises that changed with the sunlight, and we practically had the whole pool to ourselves! Nothing can quite beat going for a refreshing dip when the weather is hot, especially in somewhere like Emerald Pool which is so beautiful and isolated.
Named for the bubbling waters that are a result of the volcanic springs on the ocean floor, Champagne Reef is a beautiful bay offering visitors an underwater treat, with an abundance of marine life coming to explore the warm waters, which was ideal for snorkelling. I particularly enjoyed watching the fish swim around and could have stayed there all day! I was also taken on a serene river cruise along the Indian River, overflowing with mangroves and mystical Bwa Mang trees, where we were taken to see where scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed as we floated down the river, before enjoying some delicious fried plantains at the famed Bush Bar.