Travel Tips, Facts and FAQs

History
Columbus sighted the island on Sunday, November 3, 1493, but the island had been inhabited by Caribs from around 1000 AD, giving the island the name Waitukubuli which meant 'Tall is her body'. The British fought the French over control of the island several times in the 1700s before gaining control in the early 1800s.Independence from Britain came in 1978. Click for a detailed timeline of our history.

Caribs
A name used by Europeans to describe the people who inhabited the islands of the Lesser Antilles at the time of Columbus' second voyage in 1493. This was not what the people called themselves. The repeated use of the name for over five centuries however, has made it widely adopted even by the descendants of the people themselves. The French missionary Raymond Breton, visiting Dominica in 1642, recorded that the "Caribs'" name for themselves was Callinago in the "men's language" and Calliponam in the "women's language", while Callínemeti was "a good peaceful man". This has now led to the adoption of the word Kalinago and Karifuna by cultural groups, anthropologists and historians to describe the Caribs. The "Black Caribs" of Belize, who are descended from ancestors in St. Vincent, call themselves the "Garifuna."
This information is provided by Dr. Lennox Honychurch from his "A to Z of Dominica Heritage."
The British fought the French over control of the island several times in the 1700s before gaining

Arts & Crafts

Dominica is famous for the fine straw crafts made locally from a tall reed called the l'arouma. Many shops in Roseau sell baskets and other gifts made from this material, however, the best place to see the crafts is where many are made, the Carib Territory

Bird Watching
Dominica is home to two parrots found nowhere else. The Imperial parrot (Amazona imperialis - known locally as the Sisserou) is Dominica's national bird. The Red-necked or Jaco/Jacquot parrot is smaller than the Imperial and can be found at lower elevations. The area of Syndicate in the Dominica's Northern Forest Reserve is perhaps the best known spot to see these two spectacular birds. The number of known bird species to be seen in Dominica during the various seasons of the year totals 132, including 4 types of native hummingbird and also includes Thrashers, Tremblers and Flycatchers.

Business Hours

Monday-Friday 8am to 4pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm. Some businesses close for lunch 1-2pm. Some supermarkets open late. Banking hours are 8am - 2pm Mon - Thurs, 8-4pm Friday. Petrol stations open till 7pm.
Cuisine
Our cuisine is like our history and culture, an exciting blend which draws heavily from our Creole past.
Tropical fruits and vegetables are in abundance, and not surprising for an island, our range of seafood is second to none! Particular delicacies you should try land crabs, our delicious locally grown coffee; and a wide range of local fruit juices. Be sure to take home with you our hot pepper sauce!

Driving

We drive on the left! Visitors will need a Driving Permit which costs US$12 and is available from your car rental company.

Entry Requirements

A valid passport is sufficient for a stay of up to one month. You may renew your stay for a further 3 months but you will need to show a return ticket. Visas are required for stays of over 21 days for travelers from Cuba, Haiti, Russia, The People's Republic of China and the Eastern European Countries. Please note that from January 23, 2007, US citizens will need a passport to re-enter the US.

Geography
Dominica is located at 16N, 61W, in the middle of the chain of islands that make up the Eastern Caribbean.
The island is approximately 29 miles long, and 16 miles at its widest. It is the largest and most mountainous of the group of islands known as the Windward Islands, with an area of 289.5 sq. miles. The highest point is Morne Diablotin at 4,747ft.
With a rainfall that in places exceeds 300 inches a year, Dominica has some of the richest mountain rainforest in the Caribbean.
Getting Here

Getting to Dominica, though sometimes a challenge, it is well worth it! Although we've no international airport, we do have two smaller airports. Melville Hall (code: DOM) is the larger of the two and is approx 60 minutes from Roseau. Canefield (DCF) is smaller but is just 15 minutes from Roseau. Though neither presently offer night landing, Melville Hall will have lights in early 2009.
The main airlines serving Dominica are LIAT, American Eagle, and Carib Aviation. Major hubs in the region with flights to Dominica include Antigua, San Juan, St. Lucia, St Martin and Barbados. Effective June in 2008, Carib Aviation is offering new daily services (non-stop flights) between St. Lucia's Hewanoora Airport (UVF) and Dominica's Canefield Airport (DCF).
The neighbouring French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe are also convenient hubs for flights from Europe to Dominica. Additionally, there is a ferry service operating on a regular basis to Dominica. Please note that the ferry service is suspended for maintenance in or around September every year.

Entry Requirements

A valid passport is sufficient for a stay of up to one month. You may renew your stay for a further 3 months but you will need to show a return ticket. Visas are required for stays of over 21 days for travelers from Cuba, Haiti, Russia, The People's Republic of China and the Eastern European Countries. Please note that from January 23, 2007, US citizens will need a passport to re-enter the US.

Public Transport
Mini-buses (look for the number plate that starts with an 'H') serve routes from Roseau to all of our villages and are a cheap way to get around the island. Prices are fixed by the government.
Sample fares:
Roseau to Scott's Head: EC$4.00
Roseau to Trafalgar: EC$2.75
Roseau to Portsmouth: EC$8.00
Roseau to Canefield: EC$2.00

Telecommunications

Dominica has a fully digital telephone system, and indeed was the first country in the world to operate one in 1987. Presently, there are companies providing land-lines are Cable & Wireless, Marpin Telecoms and Orange.
Presently, three companies provide cellular services: C&W, Cingular/AT&T and Orange.

Site Fees
A number (presently 11) of attractions in Dominica require visitors to pay a small fee.

Taxes
There is a 15% Value Added Tax (10% on accommodation).

Tipping
Tipping is generally on a discretionary basis; many hotels and restaurants will add a 10% service charge.
"There is only one way to understand Dominica. You have to walk across it and along it." Indeed, there is no better way to see the island than to experience one of the many excellent walks, more often than not though our verdant rainforest.

Snorkelling
You don't have to dive to enjoy the beauty of Dominica's underwater paradise! There are so many places just off the coast where you can snorkel in crystal clear waters and see so much. This is especially true off Dominica's West and South West coasts. Champagne (about 3 miles south of Roseau) for example is an amazing spot, with underwater thermal springs rising to the surface just a few feet offshore.

Sunset/sunrise

Just 15 degrees north of the equator, Dominica enjoys a tropical climate, and a sunset and sunrise that varies by little more than a hour in the year. Around December, sunset is about 5:30pm; in the summer it's about 6:30pm. Plan your hikes to arrive back before the swift dusk!

Surfing
Although we've a long and rugged Atlantic coastline, surfing is limited there. The north-east coast around Calibishie has been used for surfing.

Weather

Average temperatures range from 75f to 85f. Our dry season is usually from Jan-May, with the rainy season from July to October. Expect cooler nights in the higher elevations...and light showers at any time!

Whale Watching
Whales are present off Dominica's coast all year round. Dominica has become known as the "Whale Watching Capital of the Caribbean" and boasts a 90% success rate in spotting whales or dolphins during a whale watching excursion. There are resident pods of sperm whales. The peak season for seeing whales is between November to June.

Wildlife
Besides our unique parrots (see Bird-watching) and our marine mammals (see Whale-watching), Dominica is famous for our Crapaud ('Mountain Chicken') - a large frog. Other wildlife of note includes lizards, 13 species of bat, 55 of butterfly, boa constrictors that grow nearly 10ft (3m) in length and four other types of snakes. There are however no poisonous snakes or spiders!