Dominica

Packed with the detailed local knowledge of author Paul Crask, a long-term resident, Bradt's Dominica remains the only up-to-date standalone guide to this Caribbean island. In this new, thoroughly updated fourth edition, a range of accommodation and dining options are described in depth, guide and tour-operator listings are extensive, and 19 detailed maps help orientation. Taking an environmentally conscious and socially responsible approach to travel, the author couples essential advice on activities and practicalities with rich insights into the country's natural environment, history and culture - including the Kalinago, the last of the region's indigenous Amerindian people, whose descendants continue to live here today. Formerly considered an undeveloped Caribbean backwater, English-speaking Dominica is an increasingly favoured tourist destination. The government has invested significantly in island infrastructure following damage caused by extreme weather events in 2015 and 2017, and upmarket boutique hotels are opening. Despite such rising popularity, Dominica remains a place of unbridled, off-the-beaten-path adventure and discovery. This island of mountains, unspoiled rainforests, volcanoes, rivers and waterfalls has much to enchant a variety of travellers. Explore Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a World Heritage Site housing a network of trails that traverse rainforest-covered mountains and connect rivers, waterfalls and the Boiling Lake, a flooded fumarole that is the world's second-largest hot-water lake. Ardent hikers craving further exploration can walk sections of the Wai'tukubuli National Trail or make for national parks such as Cabrits and Morne Diablotin. Wildlife-watchers can seek out rare parrots found nowhere else on Earth, the mountain chicken (actually one of the world's largest frogs) or even a boa constrictor that is the subject of Kalinago legends. Scuba divers and snorkellers can marvel at pristine marine reserves boasting healthy coral reefs, while those who prefer to remain above the waves can take boat trips to enjoy excellent views of sperm whales. Whether you love nature or culture, hiking through wilderness or exploring underwater, the depth of detail and breadth of local insights that characterise Bradt's Dominica render it the indispensable practical companion to exploring this exciting country.