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

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 fascinating history of how Jungle Bay was constructed.

Hiking

Since Dominica has as much to see on land as in the sea, we enjoyed some hiking to Victoria Falls, which included several river crossings. Two in our group braved the Boiling Lake hike and one immediately headed to the spa for a massage after wind-down yoga while the other rubbed down with bay oil. The hikers were also treated to outdoor mud facials and a dip in a waterfall.

Diving

Ah, the diving. We dove Scott's Head Marine Reserve with Nature Island Dive and dove around Soufriere Bay. We did a variety of dives, including a night dive, but the most spectacular dive was Scott's Head Pinnacles. Todd called it one of the best dives he has ever been on.

Some of the aquatic life sighted, and captured included sea turtles, frog fish, and a pregnant seahorse with his mate. The coral formations were incredible as well.

Whale Watch

We capped off our week with a whale watch tour aboard a newer vessel with Captain Jerry. Though we spotted some whale tales, 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:

• Dives
• Hikes
• Resort
• Whale Watch

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.

Next Trip

We are currently organizing our next adventure for 2010. Please contact either Kimberlee DoYoga@8thElementYoga.com or Todd GoDive@8thElementDiving.com or (406) 880-4442 if you are interested and also if you have some ideas for our next location. To read more about our backgrounds, please visit our biographies: Kimberlee and Todd.