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Travel + Leisure

I Never Liked the Caribbean—but This Island Made Me Fall in Love With It

I've been to the Dominican Republic twice, yet it feels like I've never truly experienced it. The first trip was all Airbnb beachfront lounging, and the second ended with a resort security guard stopping me from going on a simple run outside. While my travel companions soaked up the sun, I've always been more of an explorer—someone who craves wandering, connecting, and discovering what makes a place tick. Long, lazy beach days just aren't for me. After similar trips to St. Martin and the Bahamas, I started to wonder if the Caribbean simply wasn't my scene—until I remembered a trip to the tiny island of Saba 15 years ago, where people kept telling me: If that's your travel style, you'd love Dominica. Not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, the island nation of Dominica—tucked between Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Lesser Antilles—rightfully earns its nickname, The Nature Island. While it has its share of white- and black-sand beaches, it's the lush rainforests, winding rivers, waterfalls, and volcanic hot springs that truly define it. A couple of months ago, I finally flew there, thanks to a new nonstop route from Newark International Airport (EWR) to Douglas-Charles Airport (DOM). The road to the capital city of Roseau twisted and turned past dramatic sea cliffs and through thick, verdant forest—every turn a surprise. We drove through rustic villages and the hills and canyons of a national park before eventually winding our way to Fort Young Hotel. Unlike other Caribbean waterfront accommodations, the site was built in a military fortress dating back to 1699. While it's served as a hotel for six decades, it ha snow transformed all that heritage into a contemporary, sleek, and comfortable space, complete with an on-site dive shop and art gallery. Embracing the island's natural assets and culture, and located right across from downtown, I was able to walk to local markets and coffee shops in under five minutes. Throughout my five-day stay, Dominica never stopped enticing and entertaining me with its endless activities showcasing its natural beauty. I was floored by the side-by-side twin cascades of Trafalgar Falls (read more about my visit to them here) and couldn't get enough time in the natural sulfur hot springs of the family-run Ti Kwen Glo Cho, Creole for 'little corner of water." Despite most of the terrain being endless shades of green, I was stunned to find the Calibishie Red Rocks on a barrier reef, an area filled with nooks of sea caves and crannies where waves crash high into the sky. We also sailed down the serene Indian River in a rowboat with Cobra Tours. The way the tropical foliage reflected on the glassy water made it feel like a real-life version of Disneyland's Jungle Cruise. Just as I had that thought, our skipper pointed out that the little shed to the left was the exact location used as the witch's house in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. It's no surprise Hollywood discovered this picture-perfect setting. Trafalgar Falls in Dominica. Rachel Chang/Travel + Leisure But what pulled at my heartstrings more than the nature were the people who have made Dominica home. With so many buildings still visibly impacted by Hurricane Maria in 2017, there's a quiet strength in the community's welcoming spirit, ranging from the locals and Indigenous people to a passionate expat community drawn to Dominica's natural beauty. Among them was Simon Walsh, owner of Nature Island Dive, who opened his shop more than three decades ago and is now pioneering new ways of rehabilitating coral infected by waterborne diseases. 'We've got corals out there with five or six scars from where we treated it … and you can see the rest of the coral is healthy and they're spawning, creating the next generation of corals,' he told Travel + Leisure . He's also launched a coral bank to preserve dozens of endemic species. Over at Paradise Valley Garden Nursery, Dominica native Dian Douglas spent years in New Jersey learning the art of landscaping, when he obtained this dream piece of land that was part forest, part farm. 'From the moment I purchased this place, I couldn't sit still in New Jersey,' he said. 'I had to come home and do something with it. I couldn't sleep because of the beauty I saw—it was an open slate to be creative with plants.' Now he's turned it into exactly that: a tropical oasis of botanic artistry, decorated with found items from gigantic wheels and oversized pots to dragon statues and ringable bells. Douglas has a story—and boundless passion—for every item and every leaf, recounting how he transformed his vision into a nearly 60-acre slice of, well, paradise. That same kind of love for the island was shared by everyone I met. From the members of the Indigenous Kalingo community, who showcased their culture with a recreation of a traditional village at Kalinago Barana Auté, to a Brooklyn couple who moved their young family to Dominica and now run a homestay while crafting small-batch gin with local botanicals through Sea Cliff Botanical Gin. The island's energy culminated with a stay at Secret Bay—a longtime T+L favorite that has graced the magazine's cover multiple times. The treetop villas offer such sprawling views of Dominica's oceans and cliffs that it feels like you've got your own private corner of the island. Add to that a botanic garden dining experience with the chef cooking al fresco right in front of us, pulling herbs and ingredients just steps away. With a quirky obsession for funiculars, I was instantly taken by the self-operated one on site, mesmerized by the shifting views as it glided uphill toward my villa. As Dominica-born Gregor Nassief, who owns Secret Bay, summed up best over dinner: 'In Dominica, it's the depth, authenticity, and the people element of the experiences that make it so unique in the Caribbean.'