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General
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Dominica is called the "Nature
Island of the Caribbean. Without
a doubt, the rolling hills, energetic
rivers and beautiful forests contribute
to that name. Ready to get physical?
How about a 3 hour hike over vhallenging
terrain to Boling Lake? Of course
there is the 3 hour hike out as
well. If that's not challenging
enough, there is always an excursion
to the peak of Morne Diablotin
(Devil's Mountain) in the Northern
Forest Reserve (4747ft.)
Or you can do nothing at all.
Miles of secluded beaches beckon.
Take a leisure cruise on a bike
and enjoy the wonders of the contryside
at your own pace. Take in some
shopping at the numerous little
shops offering arts and crafts
of the island. Or sample the many
restaurants offering local creole
cuisine, fresh fruits, and of
course home made ice cream.
As dramatic as the topside terrain
of Dominica is, so will divers
find below the waves. Over the
past few years, Dominica has earned
the reputation as one of the top
five dive destinations in the
world. In addition to unique dive
sites like "Champagne"
which features a bubbling, underwater
hot spring, 
Dominica's
reefs are full of gorgeous multi-coloured
hard and soft coral, an abundance
of reef fish and fascinating marine
life such as seahorses and frogfish.
The underwater terrain is unique
and diverse, providing dive sites
suitable for all skill levels,
from beginner to the very experienced.
Diving off Dominica offers an
amazing diversity of reef, wreck,
dramatic wall, pinnacle and drift
dives. Dominica has a profusion
of sponges and unique creatures...
Seahorses, Frogfish and Snake
Eels.
Climate 75 - 90F 24 - 32C -- Water
Temp 78 - 83F 25 - 28C -- Can
reach 100+ ft 30 m depending on
river runoff.
Getting
There
Air Travel
There are no nonstop direct
flights to Dominica from the mainland
US or Europe, mainly due to the
fact that the airports (there are
two) cannot accommodate jets. Connections
with local carriers are readily
available from nearby island gateways
such as Antigua, Barbados, Guadeloupe,
Martinique, Puerto Rico, St, Maarten
and St. Lucia. These gateways are
served by international carriers
including Air
Canada, Air
France, American Airlines,
BWIA,
British
Airways, Continental
and Lufthansa.
The Melville Hall Airport is on
the northeastern coast, almost diagonally
across the island from the capital,
Roseau, on the southwestern coast.
Melville Hall is a 1 1/2-hour taxi
ride from Roseau, a drive that takes
you across the island through the
forest and coastal villages; the
fare is $18 per person when there
are four passengers. On your own,
the fare could be $50.
The newer Canefield Airport is about
a 15-minute taxi ride north of Roseau.
The 2,000-foot airstrip accommodates
smaller planes than those that can
land at Melville Hall. From here,
the typical taxi fare into town
is $15. There's also a public bus
(with an H that precedes the number
on the license plate) that costs
only $2 per person; buses come every
20 minutes and hold between 15 and
18 passengers.
For many from the U.S., the easiest
way to reach Dominica is via the
daily American
Eagle flight from American's
hub in San Juan.
From Antigua, you can board one
of the five daily LIAT
flights to Dominica. Another possibility
would be to fly via St. Maarten.
From there, LIAT offers
one nonstop flight daily and two
other daily flights with intermediary
stops.
You can also fly to Guadeloupe and
make a connection on Air Guadeloupe,
which has two flights a day to Dominica
except on Sunday, when there is
no morning flight (flying time is
30 minutes). If you're in Fort-de-France
on Martinique, you can take a LIAT
flight to Dominica.
Ferry
L'Express Des Iles is a high-speed
catamaran service operating between
the and on to St. Lucia in the south.
L'Express Des Iles is an inter-island
high-speed catamaran service connectng
Dominica to both islands of Guadeluope
(Pointe-a-Pitre) to the north of
Dominca, to Martinique (Fort-de-France)
and St. Lucia. There is a EC$20.00
port Departure Taxi
The ferry departs and arrives at
the Roseau Bayfront, a short walk
from the heart of the capital.
L'Express Des Iles is a high-speed
catamaran service operating between
the and on to St. Lucia in the south.
L'Express Des Iles is an inter-island
high-speed catamaran service connectng
Dominica to both islands of Guadeluope
(Pointe-a-Pitre) to the north of
Dominca, to Martinique (Fort-de-France)
and St. Lucia. There is a EC$20.00
port Departure Tax.The ferry departs
and arrives at the Roseau Bayfront,
a short walk from the heart of the
capital.
Entry Requirements
A valid passport and onward/return
ticket are required for stays of
up to 21 days. US and Canadian citizens
may use proof of citizenship with
photo. French nationals may use
a Carte identite for stays up to
two weeks.
Departure Taxes are as follows:
Dominica residents US$12.00 EC$30.00
Other CARICOM residents US$14.00
EC$34.00
Non-CARICOM residents (eg US citizens)
US$20.00 EC$50.00
Travel
Tips
Getting Around
The best way to get around Dominica
is walking, bus or by organized
tour. Dominica is such a rich and
beautiful island. Unfortunately
for drivers, roads are narrow with
sharp curves and switch backs. Locals
familiar with the roads will drive
very fast on the inland roads making
renting a car a nerve racking proposition.
Public
transportation is readily available
in the form of the ubiquitous mini-bus
(look for number plates that begin
with 'H'); the Old Market in Roseau
is the 'terminus' for busses travelling
south; the West Bridge for those
travelling north. Fares are set
by the government:
Sample
Bus Fares
(EC$)
Roseau to:
Calibishie $9.50
Canefield $2.00
Carib Territory $9.50
Grand Bay $4.50
Laudat $3.50
Loubiere $2.00
Marigot $9.50
Pointe Michel $2.00
Portsmouth $8.00
Scott's Head $4.00
Trafalgar $2.75
Auto
Rentals
There are a handful of small, usually
family-owned car-rental companies,
the condition and price of whose
vehicles vary widely.
Language
and Culture
English is the official language.
Creole (French patois) is widely
spoken also.
Climate
Average daytime temperatures range
from 75-85 F, with cooler temperatures
in the mountains. Dry season is
from January to April. Rainy season
is from July to October.
Bank
Hours
Monday to Thursday: 8:00 am - 2:00
pm
Friday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Currency/Credit
Cards
Local currency is the Eastern Caribbean
Dollar, U.S. dollars are accepted
at most businesses, where the rate
of exchange is EC$2.60. You are
advised to exchange your currency
at banks, where you will get the
most favorable exchange rate.
Electricity
220/240 volts. A transformer is
required for all appliances. Outlets
are three-prong European-style.
Adapters may be needed. Appliances
rated at 110 volts (US Standard)
works satisfactorily with a transformer.
Most hotels provide dual voltage
shaver units. An adaptor plug is
necessary for small appliances.
Emergency
In case of emergency please dial
999 for the police, Fire, and Ambulance.
Medical
The main hospital is the Princess
Margaret and there are smaller ones
in other parts of the island. Portsmouth
the second town, Marigot in the
East and Grand Bay to the South.
Clinics and Doctors can be found
through out the island.
Pharmacies
The island's best-stocked drugstore
is Jolly's Pharmacy, in Roseau at
37 Great George St., and 12 King
George V St. Both branches share
the same phone number and hours
(tel. 767/448-3388). They're open
Monday and Friday from 8am to 6pm,
Tuesday to Thursday from 8am to
5pm, and Saturday from 8am to 2pm.
Safety
Although crime is rare here, you
should still safeguard your valuables.
Never leave them unattended on the
beach or in a locked car.
Taxes
A 10% government room tax is added
on accommodations, and a 5% tax
on alcoholic drinks and food items.
Anyone who remains on Dominica for
more than 24 hours must pay a US$19
departure tax.
Telephone
To call Dominica from the United
States, dial 1, then 767 (the country
code for Dominica) and the local
number. To call Dominica from another
island within the Caribbean, just
dial 767, plus the seven-digit local
number. International direct dialing
is available on Dominica, as well
as U.S. direct service through AT&T.
You can contact AT&T in Dominica
by dialing tel. 800/872-2881. Most
hotel telephone operators throw
up their hands at even placing a
long-distance call for a resident.
Instead, they connect their clients
to the island's long-distance phone
operator, who dials the call for
a client, and then calls are billed
directly to a client's room.
Time
Dominica is on Atlantic Standard
Time, 1 hour ahead of Eastern Standard
Time in the United States. Dominica
does not observe daylight savings
time, so when the United States
changes to daylight saving time,
clocks in Dominica and the U.S.
east coast tell the same time.
Tipping
Most hotels and restaurants add
a 10% service charge to bills; check
carefully to see if it's been added.
If this charge has not been included,
tipping is up to you, though an
additional 5% for particularly good
service is always welcome.
Water
The water is drinkable from the
taps and in the high mountain country.
Pollution is hardly a problem here.