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Champagne Reef
Like snorkeling in a bottle of bubbley! After our hikes thru Dominica’s Morne Trois Piton National Park we needed a few days of rest, of just hanging out on the boat, and maybe going for a snorkel or two to work out our sore muscles. Luckily Scotts Head Marine Park is just south of the anchorage in Roseau and it is known to have some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. Unfortunately we were not allowed to bring our big boats over there because it is a protected marine park. So one day we decided to pack up our mask, fins, and swim gear and caught the local bus to Champagne Reef. There is a nice facility at Champagne Reef, where you can pay your park fees and shower and get a snack and rent snorkel gear or even hire a guide to snorkel with you. So after a quick change we were ready to get in the water. And I must say that snorkeling at Champagne Reef was one of the most unique and fun snorks we have ever done! There is an underwater thermal spring just off the coast which emits warm, rising bubbles from the underwater volcano below. So once you swim
Fresh Water Lake
Do you see the Loch Ness Monster??? out to the reef you can feel the temperature get warmer and all of a sudden you are surrounded by tiny sulfur bubbles. It literally feels like you are swimming in a bottle of champagne (hence the name). The craziest part is the noise though, like the constant boil and bubble of a cauldron as the gas works its way thru the earth’s crust. It was great fun to swim around in Champagne Reef, and it was as close to a hot tub that we were going to get out here. A perfect way to rejuvenate ourselves before we continued our explorations thru the Morne Trois Piton National Park.
We found out at the information desk that there would not be a cruise ship in port the next day, and in fact that it is the only off day planned for the next 6 weeks. So we decided to take advantage of having the island all to ourselves and explore more of the famous sights in the Morne Trois Piton National Park. But this time we hired a different guide, Harold, and he promised to not kill us with all the technical hiking. We all agreed that there would
Trek up to Titiou Gorge
Although we all walked on the path, not the pipeline like our guide. definitely be more driving than hiking this time- thank goodness. And we held Harold to his word. You all know the saying, “Fool me once, shame on you. But fool me twice, and it is shame on me.” We all wanted to make sure that we didn’t get stuck in the same situation we did the last time we went trekking thru the Morne Trois Piton National Park. But true to his word, Harold was a great guide and he showed us the best of Dominica. It really turned out to be a fabulous day!
After Harold picked us up in his van, we went off-roading up to Morne Trois Piton. It was a beautiful drive with lots of scenic overlooks. And at the top was Fresh Water Lake, which is at approximately 2,800 feet above sea level. The first thing we noticed up here was the drastic drop in temperature and climate; it was so cold, windy, and misty that we thought we were in Scotland. And indeed, there is a legend about a one-eyed sea monster that lives in the depths of Fresh Water Lake. Dominica’s very own Loch Ness Monster. Spooky! So we hesitantly got out
Suspension Bridge
Jen on a suspension bridge, on our way up to Titou Gorge. of the car and had a short walk around the lake, not because we were afraid of any monsters though. It was just so cold and we were all dressed in our island wear; shorts, tee-shirts, and flip-flops (not quite adequate to keep us warm). So after a couple of quick pictures we loaded back up in the van and drove off to our next destination.
A couple miles down the road back towards Laudat is the trailhead to Titou Gorge and Boiling Lake. The hike up to the Boiling Lake is probably the most famous and most difficult hike in Dominica- so we were skipping that. We came here to see Titou Gorge, which was used during one of the fight scenes in “Pirates of the Caribbean 2; Dead Man’s Chest”. Harold led us on the short hike up to the gorge. We had to cross a couple of suspension bridges to get there, but the path was well marked and ran along the water pipeline for Roseau most of the way. Once we got to the entrance of Titou Gorge we changed into our swim suits and Harold jumped in. We quickly followed. He told us to
Swimming up Titou Gorge
So Awesome!!! Like swimming up a canyon in the middle of the rain forest. use our fins because we were going to swim up the gorge to a waterfall, and the water runs pretty brisk here. So we all swam thru the narrow entrance between the granite boulders of the gorge and were instantly in awe. It was so beautiful, like swimming in a canyon surrounded by the lush rainforest above. And at the end is a dramatic waterfall cascading down with the force of a charging bull. We all swam against the strong current to get under the falls, but it was like swimming up to a fire hydrant open at full blast. The experience was unreal, and just like from the movie. No wonder why “Pirates of the Caribbean 2” was filmed here.
Our next stop on our tour of the Morne Trois Piton National Park was Trafalgar Falls, Dominica’s most famous site. Actually Trafalgar Falls is a comprised of two falls, named Papa and Mama, which combine at the base to form pools in the riverbed below. What makes Trafalgar Falls so unique is that it is both a hot and cold waterfall. Due to the volcanic nature of this area, natural hot springs combine with the cold river water
Titou Gorge
The waterfall at the end of Titou Gorge. to make areas of both hot and cold rushing water. So we hiked down to the pools to check out this phenomenon. It was so amazing, like being at a spa. We spent a couple of hours hiking from one pool to the next, sitting in the cold waterfall until we got too cold and then moving over to a hot waterfall to warm up, all the while being surrounded by the natural beauty of Dominica’s rainforest. It was another unreal experience; something that we never knew existed on earth. We now understood why Dominica is known as an unspoiled country filled with natural wonders. And we felt fortunate to be able to sit and soak it all in, literally.
But out tour did not end there, Harold had one more surprise for us. Our last stop was Screws Bar and Hot Spring. We pulled up to this fun and funky bar, which is more like a hut out in the middle of the forest, and went in for a drink. Screws makes their own rum, which is equivalent to Caribbean moonshine- this stuff is potent! And it must be an acquired taste, because we all hated it. They
Trafalgar Falls
The hot and cold water falls in Dominica- so cool!!! soak bark and spices in the rum, which gives it an earthy flavor not unlike tobacco. Disgusting! But we did not come here to drink the homemade rum. What makes Screws so special is the hot springs in the back. So we all grabbed another drink, steering clear of the homemade rum this time, and hiked down the path thru the rainforest behind the bar. Here we discovered the many different soaking pools and hot springs. It was absolutely lovely! We spent the rest of the day here, floating around from pool to pool. And we watched how the forest changes from dusk to dark. The tree frogs and other night critters come out, creating their own symphony with their calls, which combines nicely with the reggae music pumping from the bar up above. And the forest goes completely dark, as black as night can be. The only lights are from the bar, which cast their reflections onto the hot springs and the surrounding rainforest canopy. The combination of it all is magical and truly a perfect way to end our tour.
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Rita
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Thank you !
Dear Jen and Jay, what a great blog of your discoveries in Dominica. I am glad you are enjoying your visit here and telling the world how great it is. Dominica is still relatively undiscovered and unless you experience the adventures yourself it is just too amazing for words (although you have captured the spirt very well). Look forward to reading the rest of your adventures and I hope you have a great time.