In 2015 my wife and I were looking for a less traveled vacation spot. Noticing the absence of big chain hotels we found Dominica. We were excited to see the eco friendly route the island was taking in regards to tourism and started plotting our return.
Since our visit, the Soufriere Outdoor Center has been established by Wes Moses and Kerry Alleyne to offer high quality kayak touring in the Caribbean. They have partnered with NDK, Trak, and Werner paddles to offer quality gear for this trip, and not the typical resort sit on tops. Soufriere Outdoor Center has been instrumental in developing the Waitukubuli Sea Trial. Working with other local businesses Wes & Kerry have developed this tour that covers the entire West coast of Dominica with accommodations and local fare offered along the way.
In preparation for taking people toDominica in 2024 the sensible thing to do was to head down and check out the Waitukubuli Sea Trail ourselves. Recruiting another couple to give us an outsiders perspective was not hard, so our friends Scott and Corinna stepped up to be the test group.
Arrival Day - Landing in Dominica around 2:30 from Miami we met our arranged transport to the Soufriere Guest House and were met by Wes and John the co-owners. Wes also is an owner at Soufriere Outdoor center which organizes the Sea Trail trip.
A little while to get settled, showered and then a 10-15minute walk into Soufriere to meet our guide Freddie and finally Wes face to face after many WhatsApp conversations. Walked the 100 feet over to Bubble Beach with our friends and checkout the volcano heated salt water pool. A dinner of local food was had at Teacher's Place run by the former school principle.
Day 2 started with a breakfast in town of fried accra (a type of fritter) made with various types of fish and bakes stuffed with cheese or salted cod and salad vegetables. Then a short hike up to the hot spring stream behind the guesthouse. Hot spring on an 80 degree day you ask? It was amazingly refreshing and the mineral content of the water was very soothing. After that a short paddle to Scott's Head with Wes to complete the first leg of the Waitukubuli Sea Trail and hike to the top. The views of the Atlantic on one side of the peninsular and the Caribbean on the other are stunning.
Dinner that night was at Chez Wen in Scott's head before catching a pickup truck ride to the guesthouse reminding us of many pickup bed rides as kids.
Day 3 was departure from Soufriere. It was hard to say goodbye to this village, Bubble Beach and the little food spots we found around town. Have I mentioned bakes and accra?
The days paddle was a short one, took our time packing and getting final fits on the boats. A quick lunch of bean burgers from Bottom Time Cafe. The first stop was a snorkeling spot we had to ourselves as opposed to the touristy Champaign Reef further up the coast and Freddie found all the cool stuff for us. Then on to The Anchorage for a dip in the pool and drinks. The Anchorage has full dining room and are other options in the area as well.
Day 4 is the big day, 11 miles which at 3 mph is really only 4 hours of paddling. We of course split up the day with more snorkeling at Rodney's Rock and a fresh water dip in a pretty remote river mouth. Another day of sea turtle sightings and gorgeous views of the coastline. The destination for Day 4 is Sunset Bay Club in Baroui.
As we pulled up on the beach a fisherman was landing a good size Rainbow Jack on an hand line. We were met by the owner Roger on the beach as we landed, an expat from Belgium he has embraced the Caribbean fully. Sunset Bay has a great restaurant, friendly staff, a pool and comfortable rooms.
Since our visit, the Soufriere Outdoor Center has been established by Wes Moses and Kerry Alleyne to offer high quality kayak touring in the Caribbean. They have partnered with NDK, Trak, and Werner paddles to offer quality gear for this trip, and not the typical resort sit on tops. Soufriere Outdoor Center has been instrumental in developing the Waitukubuli Sea Trial. Working with other local businesses Wes & Kerry have developed this tour that covers the entire West coast of Dominica with accommodations and local fare offered along the way.
In preparation for taking people toDominica in 2024 the sensible thing to do was to head down and check out the Waitukubuli Sea Trail ourselves. Recruiting another couple to give us an outsiders perspective was not hard, so our friends Scott and Corinna stepped up to be the test group.
Arrival Day - Landing in Dominica around 2:30 from Miami we met our arranged transport to the Soufriere Guest House and were met by Wes and John the co-owners. Wes also is an owner at Soufriere Outdoor center which organizes the Sea Trail trip.
A little while to get settled, showered and then a 10-15minute walk into Soufriere to meet our guide Freddie and finally Wes face to face after many WhatsApp conversations. Walked the 100 feet over to Bubble Beach with our friends and checkout the volcano heated salt water pool. A dinner of local food was had at Teacher's Place run by the former school principle.
Day 2 started with a breakfast in town of fried accra (a type of fritter) made with various types of fish and bakes stuffed with cheese or salted cod and salad vegetables. Then a short hike up to the hot spring stream behind the guesthouse. Hot spring on an 80 degree day you ask? It was amazingly refreshing and the mineral content of the water was very soothing. After that a short paddle to Scott's Head with Wes to complete the first leg of the Waitukubuli Sea Trail and hike to the top. The views of the Atlantic on one side of the peninsular and the Caribbean on the other are stunning.
Dinner that night was at Chez Wen in Scott's head before catching a pickup truck ride to the guesthouse reminding us of many pickup bed rides as kids.
Day 3 was departure from Soufriere. It was hard to say goodbye to this village, Bubble Beach and the little food spots we found around town. Have I mentioned bakes and accra?
The days paddle was a short one, took our time packing and getting final fits on the boats. A quick lunch of bean burgers from Bottom Time Cafe. The first stop was a snorkeling spot we had to ourselves as opposed to the touristy Champaign Reef further up the coast and Freddie found all the cool stuff for us. Then on to The Anchorage for a dip in the pool and drinks. The Anchorage has full dining room and are other options in the area as well.
Day 4 is the big day, 11 miles which at 3 mph is really only 4 hours of paddling. We of course split up the day with more snorkeling at Rodney's Rock and a fresh water dip in a pretty remote river mouth. Another day of sea turtle sightings and gorgeous views of the coastline. The destination for Day 4 is Sunset Bay Club in Baroui.
As we pulled up on the beach a fisherman was landing a good size Rainbow Jack on an hand line. We were met by the owner Roger on the beach as we landed, an expat from Belgium he has embraced the Caribbean fully. Sunset Bay has a great restaurant, friendly staff, a pool and comfortable rooms.