Nature in our ‘backyard’….

Nature in our ‘backyard’….

by | Jun 6, 2020 | Hiking, Nature, River, Travel Tips

A nice walk in ‘the backyard of The Champs’ is to the viewpoint over looking the bay in Portsmouth and Cabrits. You can just start your walk at The Champs and walk up the hill, before the water tank you go left on a small trail. If you are lucky you can spot parrots here!

After about 10 minutes you will reach a gravel road, take this road up to the banana plantation. Each banana plant has one bunch of bananas covered in a blue plastic bag.  The bunches are covered with plastic bags for three reasons: to provide a suitable microclimate for the bananas to ripen more quickly, to protect the bananas (at least to some degree) from insects and other pests and to prevent the bananas from being bruised when it is windy and leaves may brush against the bunch. If  you are interested you can take a look at the shelter were they sort the banana’s before taken to the market.

 

 

 

Just before the shelter on your left hand side you’ll find a small path winding down through the banana plantation (marked Waitukubuli trail). This path will lead you to the Picard Bridge where you can go swimming in the river or just continue hiking along the trail. This is part of the Waitukubuli trail, which spans 115 miles across the island of Dominica and the Picard Bridge is just a tiny portion of it.  The bridge is a little unstable, so be careful when crossing it.

 

 

 

You will follow your way up, some parts are quite steep, there are ropes to help you up. After about 45 minutes you will reach the viewpoint. There is a small shelter to enjoy the view or have a picknick break. From here you can just take the same route down and back to Hotel The Champs where we wait for you with a nice cold beer or cocktail……

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s take a tour on the scenic Indian River

Let’s take a tour on the scenic Indian River

by | Apr 15, 2020 | Nature, River, Travel Tips

Dominica is known as the island of many rivers. The most beautiful one is certainly the Indian River, which became famous for filming movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean.

From Hotel the Champs it’s only a 10 minute ride or 30 minute walk to the bridge just south of Portmouth where experienced boatmen in hand-oared river boats will take you silently past many types of wild life and plant life along the swampy river bank. The 1½-hour return boat ride along this shady mangrove-lined river glides past buttressed bwa mang trees with a chance to spot egrets, crabs, iguanas, hummingbirds and if you are lucky even a flock of Jacko parrots.

 

  

 

The Indian River got its name because Kalinago (Carib Indian) lived along its banks and used it as an access route to the Caribbean Sea. The river was important to their livelihood as they used it to transport goods for trade with sailors and along the island chain.

 

   

 

After rowing for at least an hour you get to a pretty little bush bar where you get a lot of local, exotic rum punches, the most special one is the Dynamite. It’s a mix of sorrel and passion rum, the locals like it a lot!

From here you can make a nice walk through a small garden with different plants, flowers, fruits and if you are lucky some more wildlife. The guides can tell you a lot about the plants and for what medical reason they use it here on Dominica. If you walk long enough you will reach another bush bar for another Dynamite, but this is up to you….

 

  

 

After your walk and maybe a few drinks it is time to go back to the boat and step in and relax for your way back on the river…….

 

     

Daytrip to Salton Falls, a delicious lunch and UNESCO World Heritage Site (PART I)

Daytrip to Salton Falls, a delicious lunch and UNESCO World Heritage Site (PART I)

by | Feb 8, 2020 | Hiking, Waterfall

This will take up the majority of your day, so after a delicious breakfast at Hotel the Champs you can drive southbound following the coast past Coulbistrie and Mero and Layou. On the approach to Mahaut, not long after the Rubis petrol station you can turn uphill onto the Warner Road towards Pont Casse .

You will find Salton Waterfalls entrance on your right. If you get to the Pont Casse roundabout you’ve gone too far. This is a privately owned area and the entrance fee is $5EXD per person. You park at the car park at the top then follow a paved road downhill. You can hear the waterfalls from the first turning and the trail soon becomes unpaved and increasingly wild and ‘jungley’.

 

You will see an array of beautiful plants and flowers of course, and the path gets increasingly steep and sometimes a little slippery – you’ll need more than just flip flops.

flowers orchids

The first falls you come to (lower down) is a double set….

flowers waterfall

Lower falls at Salton

You go back on yourself then up a much steeper path to your right (left when coming downhill)to reach the other waterfall which is much bigger and fall into a great pool for swimming in. Take great care when climbing in as there are slippery rocks

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swim waterfall

Upper waterfall at Salton

a little cold after a swim

 

Enjoy and relax ahead of the steep climb back up the hill towards the most delicious French Creole restaurant for lunch…. detailed in the next blog  next week along with a few other tips!

jungle hike

Steep climb (the part shown is not rocky) but you should bring better shoes than flip flops