PAX On Location: post-Hurricane Maria, lush Dominica emerges with new and repaired properties

“We want people to be aware we are here, and the island has had a new rebirth,” explains Samantha Letang, marketing executive for Discover Dominica Authority.

Dominica is known as The Nature Island; an untouched eco-island surrounded by lush vegetation, volcanic peaks, glistening waterfalls and 365 rivers. It’s no wonder why several locations in Dominica were used to film Disney’s Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

This 751 square kilometer island can be found halfway between the French islands of Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south. Visitors can get there with weekly flights from Toronto via Air Canada, WestJet and Sunwing offering layovers in Antigua or Barbados, then transferring to a Liat or Air Antilles flight to get to Dominica.

READ MORE: A new ferry service connects Dominica and Guadeloupe

In 2017, Dominica saw 2,800 Canadian visitors. That same year, the island endured one of its worst natural disasters on record, Hurricane Maria, a Category 5 storm that caused extensive damages.

This year, the island’s tourism board launched an awareness campaign called Rediscover Dominica. New properties in Dominica are part of the island’s commitment to putting themselves back on the map, and PAX recently had opportunity to get an exclusive look at what’s up and coming.

Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski Dominica

This five-star property will open its doors November 3^rd, 2019, to coincide with Dominica’s Independence Day. The resort will be surrounded by the Cabrits National Park, the last stop on The Waitukubuli Trail, which is the longest hiking trail in the Caribbean at 185 kilometre-long stretching from one end of the island to the other (it takes about two weeks to complete). This once occupied 18^th century military garrison was built to protect the north area of Dominica and after years of abandonment, doctor of history and anthropology, Lennox Honychurch, began restoration in 1986 and today offers tours of this historical park.

Anichi Resort and SpaMarriott International’s Autograph Collection will open a 120-room property built in the northern town of Portsmouth by the end of December 2020. The groundbreaking ceremony took place earlier this year and it was particularly relevant, post-Hurricane Maria, as it “show[ed] the resiliency of our people while instilling trust in the economic climate and hope in the tourism industry in Dominica,” explained Alick Lawrence, CEO of Anichi Development.  A 10 minute-drive from the resort is Indian River, a 3.5-mile-long mini amazon, which is one location where Disney’s Pirates of The Caribbean was filmed.

Wanderlust Caribbean Adventure Travel Boutique Hotel

Located on the northeast coast in Calibishie, PAX had the pleasure of enjoying this two-month old property, which houses five upscale units. “After you get done playing with us all day, we’ll bring you back to this high-end accommodation where you have your own private veranda looking out over the bay while enjoying a glass of wine,” said owners Tom and Sharie Decherd, who arrived in Dominica more than 11 years ago after stepping off a cruise ship, and decided not to leave.  Travel agents receive a fifteen percent commission on accommodations and can re-sell adventure packages for an additional fifteen percent. 

A five-minute drive from the hotel is Pointe Baptiste, where you’ll find Red Rocks, which gets its name from the iron of the dormant volcano. Be sure to wear shoes with a good grip as the rocks can be slippery.

Secret BayOverlooking the Caribbean Sea, this award-winning, five-star, eco-luxury resort reopened its doors on November 1^st, 2018, after Hurricane Maria hit and caused extensive damages. This secluded hideaway for honeymooners and lovebirds offers six private one-bedroom villas and private plunge pools. Thirty minutes away you’ll find the “Gates to Hell” Rocks – another location where Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed. The rocks get their name from the deceivingly shallow waters until you get closer and there’s a huge drop.

Timbo’s Apartelle

Set on the western side of the island in the capital city of Roseau where almost 15,000 of Dominica’s 73,000 residents reside is Timbo’s Apartelle, which consists of six apartment-style rooms and is a 15 minute drive to Trafalgar Falls. A brief walk uphill offers rewarding views of the twin waterfalls, Mother Falls, standing at 75 feet and Father Falls at 125 feet. A 40 minute drive takes you to Morne Trois Pitons National Park, Dominica’s World Heritage Site, housing Boiling Lake, which locals say is the second largest boiling lake in the world and Emerald Pool, a 40-foot waterfall with a swimming pool that gets its emerald colour from the vibrant rainforest vegetation surrounding it.  

Dominica’s History

Dominica’s name comes from the Carib Indians, today known as Kalinago who inhabit 3,700 acres of territory and are the only tribe still living in the Caribbean. They named Dominica Waitukubuli meaning "tall is her body," describing the mountainous terrain of the island (and where the local beer, Kabuli, derived its name from). 

Dominica local Alexis George further explained: “When Christopher Columbus came to the island in 1493, he changed it to Domingo meaning Sunday, and then the people of the island changed it to Dominica because it is the English word for Domingo.”

Become a Dominica specialist

In early 2019, the Discover Dominica Authority will introduce an upgraded OTT program to get more agents to become Dominica specialists.

“One of our missions is to educate,” explained Jerry Grymek, vice president of LMA Communications Inc. and Canadian representative for Discover Dominica Authority. The Discover Dominica Authority in conjunction with LMA offers webinars for travel agents, and in 2019, they’ll be hosting a FAM trip which will consist of hotel visits and activities to show a variety of options available in Dominica.

Travel agents can also take part in the Discover Dominica Incentive Program, which rewards agents with free hotel nights, gas cards or gift cards on top of the standard commission.

For more information, click here.