On the north east coast, the beach at Pointe Baptiste was a real find. From our Sea Cliff cottage it was a short walk down an overgrown track to this cute beach. We were the only people on it until a local woman called Fi came by after fishing off the rocks at the point.. Had a good ole chat to her about life on the island. We swam and snorkelled in the strong current. On the north west corner of the island is the excellent Toucari village nestled in it’s own bay. On a small cul-de-sac road with few tourists [View Full Entry]

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We are staying at Sea Cliff cottages in the north east and you can walk down a couple of hundred steps to the beach here. It’s black sand and the Hodges river arrives here, letting you swim in the sea then swim in the river to wash off the salt. We picked up a coconut and took it back, had to borrow a machete from our hosts to get in. It was pretty hard work hacking through the husk but we got there. Fort Shirley and Cabrits National Park are in very north of Dominica - one of those places on [View Full Entry]

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I wrote this back in February and no idea why I didn't publish it... We won't go to them all, but here are the places the filmed in the last 2 films. Indian River - site of the witches house (a great river trip on 8 Feb) Vieille Case - Old Church Hampstead Bay - Waterwheel Titou Gorge (swam up it 2 Feb) Londonderry River - Beach High Meadow, Soufriere Scotts Head - Cannibal village Interactive map of Dominica Short video of locations [View Full Entry]

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Just south of Portsmouth guides tout for business - to row you up the Indian River. Paul was our charming oarsman and he skulled the boat along like a gondolier in Venice. We left the partly constructed new concrete bridge behind and were instantly away from the real world. The river teaming with fish, mangrove and palms on either side, land crabs, heron and kingfishers on the banks. Paul showed us where the “witch’s house” was constructed for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean and pointed out wildlife as we made our leisurely way up the river. The final destination? [View Full Entry]

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On the way to the trail we met Ben (from Paris) on the road. He had taken the bus from Portsmouth and was walking the few miles up into the interior until the nice English folk picked him up. The trail was simple and prepared, all Jurassic trees and unreal root structures. We were supposed to be able to see parrots but it wasn’t until we returned to the car park that we heard then spotted some. This was Dominica’s national bird, the Sisserou or Imperial parrot. Fantastic. We headed off with Ben to the falls and started our trek up [View Full Entry]

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For 3 days the police close 4 roads in a square through Roseau. The town is small so this almost closes the place to traffic completely. The timetable then goes something like… Monday 4am to 9am - Juvey: Music and dancing to see the dawn come. Not one for us! We arrived in Roseau around 9 and saw the aftermath, this is the start of Carnival and it looks like the morning after a bad party. Everyone looks drunk. These people know how to enjoy themselves. There is a lull and we watch the parade preparing to move off. Make-shift bars [View Full Entry]

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Next stop is a private cottage for a week, overlooking the sea on peaceful western cliffs. We can walk down to a black sand beach to a dive centre for lunch (bit of a shack), and we can sit on a cliff top terrace at sunset watching the pelicans soar by. Yesterday we headed into the interior to Morne Trois Pitons National Park with the intention of taking the hike to Middleham Falls - but the weather turned and we didn’t fancy 3 or 4 hours hiking in the rain. We went to the simpler Titou Gorge and loved it. After [View Full Entry]

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They call this a forest but it looks like jungle to me. There is a real Jurassic Park feel to the place. You’ll walk down a track and look up to see a fern 30 feet above your head and vines hanging from trees so high you can’t see the top. Living in the tree house was great fun and an unmissable experience. There were a few other campers in huts and a couple in a tent (yes, a two-man tent in the jungle!), plus a little communal kitchen where we all cooked over a wood fire. Each time we wanted [View Full Entry]

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We had to move on to a new island and new accommodation, this was a trip! We left our tasteful chambre d’hote, drove the hire car to the airport, took a courtesy bus to the terminal and caught a taxi to the ferry port in Fort de France - simple. The ferry trip gave us great views of the departing Martinique and approaching Dominica. We disembarked at Roseau and our hire car was waiting. Straight to the supermarket for supplies because this was self-catered, then an hour across the island to Rosalie Forest. After Martinique’s freeways, the pot-holed roads of Dominica [View Full Entry]

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Our last night in St Lucia saw this beautiful sunset. The following morning it was taxi to Castries and the ferry trip to Martinique. Oh… how French is this! OK it’s January and it’s hot, but apart from that you could be anywhere in France. Hired a Peugeot and drove around the island. St Pierre where the whole town was destroyed in a volcanic eruption in 1903; Fort de France, the capital (will be nice when it’s finished); the south coast beaches and the west coast fishing villages. Every little protected bay is full of sail boats, but we aren’t envious, [View Full Entry]

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