Hiking， snorkeling， diving， kayaking and swimming are all popular on this beautiful island
There are no traditional resorts and fewer traditional hotels. Wearing beachwear on the street in the two cities， Roseau and Portsmouth， is considered improper. But in the jungle——where mosquitoes surprisingly aren't a problem——it's a different story.
"The first rule in Dominica is， always wear your swimsuit."
That mantra comes from Samuel Raphael， owner of Jungle Bay Resort and Spa which， true to its name， is nestled in the middle of a jungle overlooking Pointe Mulatre Bay on the island's southeast side. Sam and his wife， Glenda， spent 10 years developing and building the 55-acre property， which is the perfect prototype for Donimica' s slowly growing tourism industry： It's eco-conscious， unapologetically hospitable and naturally gorgeous. Each of its 35 tropical hardwood cottage is raised on stilts for ideal views and circulation； their solar-heated outdoor showers drip back into the jungle， polluted only by natural and organic soaps. All of the furniture is made from local wood， handcrafted by folks from the neighboring villages of Delices and Petit Savane.
Everyone at Jungle Bay wears a swimsuit constantly-and not necessarily to take advantage of the modest swimming pool assembled with volcanic stones. They wear their swimsuits because on Dominica， all roads lead to hikes， and all hikes （most of them， anyway） lead to water.
Take Victoria Falls. Located a few miles inland from Pointe Mulatre Bay， the hour hike to the spectacular 130-meter falls entails traversing a muddy trail that loses itself amid the rapidly growing rain forest， and， thereafter， four river crossings each way. The water is swift but not cold； it's incredibly clean and softened by sulfur. One of the crossings required this 5'11' lady to wade up to her waist； the others are tests of balance and confidence while scaling slippery boulders and wading through swift rapids. The difficulty level of this hike？ "Moderate."
There are no traditional resorts and fewer traditional hotels. Wearing beachwear on the street in the two cities， Roseau and Portsmouth， is considered improper. But in the jungle——where mosquitoes surprisingly aren't a problem——it's a different story.
"The first rule in Dominica is， always wear your swimsuit."
That mantra comes from Samuel Raphael， owner of Jungle Bay Resort and Spa which， true to its name， is nestled in the middle of a jungle overlooking Pointe Mulatre Bay on the island's southeast side. Sam and his wife， Glenda， spent 10 years developing and building the 55-acre property， which is the perfect prototype for Donimica' s slowly growing tourism industry： It's eco-conscious， unapologetically hospitable and naturally gorgeous. Each of its 35 tropical hardwood cottage is raised on stilts for ideal views and circulation； their solar-heated outdoor showers drip back into the jungle， polluted only by natural and organic soaps. All of the furniture is made from local wood， handcrafted by folks from the neighboring villages of Delices and Petit Savane.
Everyone at Jungle Bay wears a swimsuit constantly-and not necessarily to take advantage of the modest swimming pool assembled with volcanic stones. They wear their swimsuits because on Dominica， all roads lead to hikes， and all hikes （most of them， anyway） lead to water.
Take Victoria Falls. Located a few miles inland from Pointe Mulatre Bay， the hour hike to the spectacular 130-meter falls entails traversing a muddy trail that loses itself amid the rapidly growing rain forest， and， thereafter， four river crossings each way. The water is swift but not cold； it's incredibly clean and softened by sulfur. One of the crossings required this 5'11' lady to wade up to her waist； the others are tests of balance and confidence while scaling slippery boulders and wading through swift rapids. The difficulty level of this hike？ "Moderate."