Lost in the Dominica Rainforest Jungle: Wild Rivers, Waterfalls, Volcanic Springs
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Lost in the Unspoiled Rainforest Jungle in Dominica.
It felt like we were lost in another world of Waterfalls, Wild Rivers, Volcanic Springs, and Rusty Rocks.
Dominica - the Nature Island - lies in the Eastern Caribbean. We will take you with us on our tour to see:
Syndicate WaterFalls and Trail
Calibishie Red Rocks
The Chocolate Factory
Cold Souffriere
And our favorite - the Indian River.
We drove past Portsmouth shorelines, residences, the old medical college, a plant farm on the way to the waterfalls. (BTW there are 9 volcanoes on Dominica).
Syndicate Falls are over 100 feet tall. It is located at the foothills of Dominica's tallest mountain – Morne Diablotin – and close to the edge of the Picard River Gorge. The 205 acres of land, which is known as the “Syndicate Preserve”, was incorporated into the national park when the latter was established in January 2000. The falls were quite beautiful and we were the only ones there! At the visitor center, they even brewed drinks from the rainforest’s plants and we were able to sample them.
The next stop was Red Rocks in Calibishie on the eastern windward side of the island. Very unique place - very different for the island. It was formed when a fast moving lava flow ran down and ignited everything in its path straight to the sea. It boiled the ocean, kicked up steam, cooled and left a slate grey earth. Over time, the iron in the earth oxidized - it rusted - and that’s how Red Rocks came to be. We had Lunch at Coral Reef restaurant with its panoramic view of Red Rocks, and Dominica’s longest coral reef where we watched the locals fish.
Next stop the Point Baptiste chocolate factory where they grow, harvest, ferment, cook and blend the chocolate.
It all began with a love story between Lennox Napier and Elma Gordon Cumming. They decided to leave England and the aristocratic conventional milieu with whom they belonged, to live a rural bohemian life in the island of Dominica that they had fallen in love with at first sight in 1930.
Next stop is the only white sand beach on the island in Woodford Hills.
Back in the van, we passed by a mountain being torn down. When we asked why, we found out that the materials were being used to build an airport. Actually the Chinese have the contract for building the airport and their trucks passed us by multiple times almost running us off the road.
Next we drove up and down hills so steep it felt like a roller coaster ride on the way to the Cold Souffriere, a cold sulphur spring bubbling in the middle of a volcanic crater within Morne Aux Diables. Hot sulphur springs are much more common, but this is quite a unique site.
What was really cool about this is that as we really looked around, you could tell you were in the middle of a former volcano. Hills on each side formed a circle around where we hiked.
Indian River takes you down the wildest River in Dominica. Unfortunately, it is being threatened now by some development occurring nearby where they are filling in the land, causing water levels in the river to rise. We stop at the Bush Bar for a drink and walk the ginger lily gardens.
Last but not least, we wanted to show you the difference between the Portsmouth and Roseau anchorages.
TIMELINE:
0:00 Introduction
0:60 Tour Begins - Portsmouth Harbor - PAYS Group
2:16 Syndicate WaterFalls Hike
2:55 Drink your Natural Medicine!
4:00 The Waterfalls
4:32 Red Rocks Calibishie
5:10 Chocolate Factory
10:23 White Sand Beach at Woodford Hills
11:55 Cold Souffrierre
14:40 Indian River
21:16 Portsmouth Anchorage
21:46 Roseau Anchorage
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COMPLETE PLAYLIST: SAILING & CRUISING VIDEOS
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Blue Dot Voyages is a Sailing Adventure Company. We recently packed up our belongings, sold our house and moved on to our Leopard48 Sailing Catamaran PILAR, where we are traveling the world. We offer travel advice as well as boat maintenance tips. We offer charter sailing experience trips when we can. Watch our videos and live vicariously through us!
Master Captain: Stephen Bell
First Officer: Dawn Bell
