From St. Vincent, we boarded InterCaribbean Airways JY 717 at 12:20pm.
Their new airport, built just 8 years ago, still has some operational quirks. The staff double-printed my first leg itinerary from St. Vincent to Barbados without including my onward ticket to Dominica. Fortunately, Mel caught the error as we were about to walk onto the tarmac to board. Staff made a frantic dash to bring ticket paper to the gate and print my Barbados-to-Dominica boarding pass. That’s a first for me!
As a testament to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves’s political alignment — he has served for 24 years and is the longest-serving democratically elected state leader globall — there’s a “Coalition of the Willing” portrait gallery by the VIP lounge stairwell, featuring Fidel Castro, Ralph Gonsalves, and Nicolás Maduro displayed side by side.
We landed in Barbados (BGI) an hour later with enough time to rest in the lounge before boarding our 2:35pm connection on JY 740 to Dominica.
Another hour’s flight later, we touched down on the Nature Island of the Caribbean: Dominica.
Checking In: Intercontinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa
After booking an $80 taxi (EC$200) and taking an hour drive to Portsmouth, we checked into the InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa, entirely booked on IHG points.
The property sits on the northwestern coast, nestled between rainforest and the Caribbean Sea.
With open-air architecture, infinity pools that blend seamlessly into the horizon, and the dramatic backdrop of Cabrits National Park, it’s one of the few places where modern luxury and raw nature can seamlessly coexist.
The property sits next to a horse ranch where you can book horseriding tours along their private beach.
You can also hike directly from the property into the attached Cabrits National Park. First time seeing a noni fruit in the wild!
The resort’s design is intentional, sustainable, and sumptuous. Each room features a balcony or terrace inviting the ocean breeze inside, while spa treatments incorporate local herbs and volcanic minerals.
Thanks to complimentary Platinum Elite status from IHG Credit Card ownership and the relative scarcity of guests (we counted at most ten other visitors during our stay) we received a triple upgrade from the most basic room to the Kwéyòl Suite. This suite features a separate living room and bathroom, plus a balcony with private lounge seating and bathtub.
Within half an hour of checking in, we headed to the spa for their weekly restorative yoga at 6pm. Tony, the on-site Ukrainian yoga teacher/singer/sound bath practitioner/multi-hyphenate (who had recently worked in Kurdistan Iraq), decided to take us to the edge of the hotel’s pier dock for an hour of restorative yoga under the stars.
What to Do in Dominica
Nicknamed the “Nature Island” for good reason, Dominica is an island of waterfalls, hot springs, volcanic terrain, and rainforests untouched by mega-tourism. We began our tour the next morning on “Creole/Kwéyòl Day,” when locals dress in traditional, colorfully patterned Creole clothing.
Our half-day city tour doubled as an immersive history and nature experience, beginning at our request with Titou Gorge.
Life jackets are mandatory for swimming through Titou Gorge. Since it’s easy to become submerged, don’t bring your phone unless it’s waterproof and floatable. You swim approximately ten minutes through a narrow river-cut canyon ending at two private waterfalls; an unforgettable experience.
- Sulphur Spa: We then drove to a village famous for its hot springs. One of their many sulphur spas features a series of tiered geothermal pools, each at a different temperature, framed by tropical flora. Soaking in these mineral-rich waters as the sun set through the steam felt utterly magical.
- Roseau Valley (Drive-through): As we ascended through the valley, we glimpsed colorful villages, fruit trees laden with mangoes, and caught the distinctive scent of sulfur wafting from hidden geothermal vents. We stopped at Freshwater Lake, one of Dominica’s pristine mountain reservoirs.
- Trafalgar Falls: Possibly Dominica’s most iconic natural site, these twin waterfalls (known affectionately as “Mama” and “Papa”) plunge down fern-draped cliffs into clear, swimmable pools below. A short, well-marked trail brings you up close to their thunder of mist.
- Morne Bruce: Just a short drive uphill from the gardens, this panoramic viewpoint of Rouseau offers spectacular views.
- Dominica Botanic Gardens: Conceived in 1889 and established in 1890-1891, this lush sanctuary in Roseau once served as an agricultural research station. We strolled among towering palms and vibrant heliconias, and saw the haunting remains of a school bus crushed by a fallen baobab tree during Hurricane David in 1979.
- Dominica Museum:
Housed in a former colonial post office directly facing the cruise dock, this compact museum tells the island’s story through indigenous artifacts, colonial relics, and memories of resilience through natural disasters. We didn’t go inside this time, but it’s worth noting for history buffs. We instead celebrated Creole Day by grabbing authentic Dominican food at The Banana Tree Bar & Grill in town.
After lunch, we walked along Roseau’s waterfront, where mega cruise ships typically dock.
A Day of Rest
On our third day, we did exactly what you’re supposed to do in a place like Dominica: absolutely nothing. Between dips in the resort’s infinity pool, lazy beach walks, and long conversations over rum punch, we let the island set the pace.
Eventually, it was time to go. We left on InterCaribbean JY 713 at 12:10pm, transferred through Barbados again, and landed back in Grenada by 2:55pm, another island, another and final destination to this Caribbean monsoon.
- At time of posting in Dominica, it was 32 °C - Humidity: 63% | Wind Speed: 29km/hr | Cloud Cover: occasional rainstorms, and then hot, sunny, and humid
