This Caribbean Island Is Back From the Brink—and Ready To Share Its Treasures With the World

Every product that appears on Condé Nast Traveler has been hand-picked by our editors. However, we might receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase using one of our retail links.

The paintings of Italian-born artist Agostino Brunias, who made a profession of depicting the island in subdued, stylized settings that covered up the harsh realities of colonial control, were my first visual introduction to Dominica. However, as soon as I step onto its winding roads, which begin to twist shortly after I arrive, it becomes evident that this region, which is situated in the center of the Lesser Antilles’ curve, is anything but tame. The two-toned leaves of its bois canot trees, which change color from green to white when they sway in the wind, shimmer and bristle with the power of the volcano. It lulls with the erratic sound of its numerous waterfalls, scatters rainbows haphazardly across its breathtaking horizons, and enchants from the depths with its vibrant coral reefs. And it roars come storm season.

The indigenous Kalinago people of Dominica survived invasion by the French and British, who imposed slavery on the Africans who now make up four-fifths of the island’s population and left a linguistic legacy of English and French-based Creole, by mastering the lush tropical rainforest that covers more than 60% of the island. If you visit Trinidad for roti and Jamaica for jerk, you should travel to Dominica for green things like bush rum and flower teas. There are a ton of medicinal herbs in the forest.

The Jungle Bay Dominica resort, located smack dab in the center of the Soufrière jungles, leans into nature instead, maybe realizing the futility of fighting against the earth’s generosity. When I finally get there, the kitchen is closed. Joanne Hilaire, the operations manager, tells me that they never let guests go hungry, though, so I can feel the warmth of Dominica’s welcome. The cook is preparing an excellently stewed dish of beans with taro, rice, and plantain for our late dinner, off the menu, while I have a refreshing ginger-lime cocktail that is a local favorite. When I wake up the following morning, I find that my villa’s doors open onto a private veranda that faces southwest toward Soufrière Bay, where the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean converge. I let the light wake me for the remainder of my stay by leaving my blinds open.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Beaches in the World

Hawaii’s Kilauea Hawaii is well-known for its magnificent beaches, huge waves, and ideal weather for tanning, but it’s not without its risks. Hawaii is home to many volcanoes, the most active of which is Mt. Kilauea.
Kilauea beach has black sand due to volcanic ash, and although it’s a great spot to visit, there’s always a chance of the volcano erupting.

Mexico’s Playa Zipolite #2
Even though the moniker implies that this is the “beach of the dead,” a lot of people still come here each year, despite this warning.

3 Australia’s Fraser Island
Unfortunately, because of the hazardous jellyfish and sharks that inhabit the waters, Fraser Island is a paradise that is off-limits to humans. The island is home to some of the deadliest spiders in the world as well as a few huge crocodiles, so the beach is equally perilous.

4 South Africa’s Gansbaai

5 County of Volusia, Florida

6 India’s Chowpatty Beach

7 Bikini Atoll, US Islands of MarshallThe waters are teeming with sharks, and from 1946 until 1958, the area served as a nuclear weapons test site.On the islands, some 20 nuclear bombs were detonated, causing radioactive fallout. After all, the location has been deemed safe by the authorities.

Russia’s Schitovaya Bukhta 8Although Schitovaya Bukhta is renowned as one of the best places in the world for surfing, it is also home to a number of military installations.

Antarctica’s 9 Heard Island

10 Andaman Islands’ North Sentinel Island

Post on Facebook.

Related Posts

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*