Scuba Diving and Yoga Adventure - March 7-14, 2009 - Dominica

In a word: glorious!

First, we had the best group of participants we could have hoped for. We had people from both the East and West coasts, with diverse backgrounds. Yet everyone was active, easy-going, warm, fascinating, and fun. And by the end of the trip our son Ivan had made several great friends.

Resort (watch our video tour)

The resort where we stayed, Jungle Bay, was absolutely perfect. It goes beyond most eco resorts in that even the construction of the resort was done in the most environmentally sustainable fashion by using recycled materials and building cottages on stilts to protect the gomier and cedar trees. Jungle Bay also contributes to the well-being of the people of Dominica through projects such as building a school for disabled children.

Aside from supporting a wonderful institution through our tourist dollars, everyone truly enjoyed the resort. We had fresh fruit and juices to accompany a hearty breakfast every morning, and wonderful soups and meals in the evenings. The restaurant staff was very friendly and warm. We slept to the sound of frogs and had lizards and hummingbirds visit us during the day. We enjoyed the well-equipped upstairs yoga studio and practiced to the sound of surf and the site of fruit bats darting in the evenings.

The jungle canopy provided nice shade as we walked to and from the cottages every day, but the sun-seekers found what they were looking for by the pool. Several of our guests made repeat trips to the spa for a massage with coconut, castor and bay oil — it was that good. We enjoyed several presentations on-site, including a presentation on the healing herbs that grow in the jungle, and a fascinating history of how Jungle Bay was constructed.

Hiking

Since Dominica has as much to see on land as in the sea, we enjoyed a hike along the White River to Victoria Falls, which included several river crossings and a swim in the water below the gorgeous falls.

Two in our group braved the Boiling Lake hike. It was a grueling, amazing hike, and Todd highly recommends it. During the hike we were treated to mud facials and a relaxing dip in a warm waterfall, and at the end of the hike we jumped into the cool water at Titou Gorge and swam through the huge boulders (which reminded Todd of the Baths in the British Virgin Islands) to get a pounding massage by the waterfall inside.

 

Diving

Ah, the diving. We dove Scotts Head Marine Reserve with Nature Island Dive and dove around Soufriere Bay. We did a variety of dives, including a night dive during a full moon; turning off the dive lights during the safety stop and lying back in the sandy bottom to watch the moon shimmer through 15 feet of clear water was a relaxing way to end the dive. Although we enjoyed every dive, everyone agreed the most spectacular dive was Scotts Head Pinnacles, with life-filled walls all around us and several swim-throughs. Todd called it one of the best dives he has ever been on.

Some of the aquatic life sighted and captured in photos included sea turtles, frog fish, and a pregnant seahorse with his mate. The coral formations and the diverse life they supported were incredible.

Whale Watch

We capped off our week with a whale watch tour aboard a newer vessel with Captain Jerry. We spotted some humpback and sperm whales, and watching the dolphins follow the boat's surf and leap out of the water delighted us to no end.

Photos

By now you are probably wanting so see some photos, so enjoy:

Feedback

We are proud to report that in our post-trip survey, 100% of our guests said they would take another adventure trip with us and they were very happy with our service.

Next Trip

We are currently organizing our next Adventure Trip for 2011. Please contact either Kimberlee or Todd, or call us if you have preferences for our next location.

If you would like to be kept informed of all of our dive trips, including our next Adventure Trip, sign up for our "Dive Travel and Organized Trips" mailing list.

To read more about our backgrounds, please visit our biographies: Kimberlee and Todd.

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