THE CARIBBEAN SERIES, DAY 8&9
SINT MAARTEN – DOMINICA
Quading & getting ghosted by my hotel in Dominica. Since yesterday was almost uneventful, apart from stepping foot in Anguilla, I wanted to get out and see as much as possible today; consequently, carpe diem et al!
SITTING OUTSIDE THE DOOR OF THE HOTEL AND STILL GOT TURNED AWAY
The area of Maho and Simpson Bay caters to the mass of tourists arriving daily from cruise liners. As a result, it wasn’t long before I found a suitable mode of transport quickly…
ISLAND TOUR
Sint Maarten is only a small island at 13km x 16km and takes just 2 hours to get around. Therefore, it’s ideal for a day’s drive and, moreover, much better done on a quad since many beaches are accessed off the main roads. I rented mine from A One Car Rental who although pricey (everything is in a touristy town) are happy to deliver their vehicle to your hotel.
DAILY INFO….
- HOTEL – Picard beach cottages $80 6/10 & Hotel the Champs £60 8/10
- RESTAURANT – Kenan Shawarma King
- FOOD – Shawarma
MEDITERRANEAN ESQ
I had only 3.5 hours before I needed to be at the airport but it was more than perfect. I found Saint Marten more rugged and more Mediterranean than the other Caribbean islands, and although it didn’t have the number and quality of beaches that the likes of Antigua and BVI does it was still a stunning place to drive around. If you are into wind surfing, check out the beaches on the east.
After another session of photos on the runway beach, the rental company happily dropped me off at the airport for free! I hugely appreciated it considering the minimum fare seems to be $15!
Quading & getting ghosted by my hotel in Dominica
DAILY TRAVEL STATS….
- Steps – 8,800 & 3,000
- Number of flights -1
- Flight itinerary – Sint Maarten – Dominica
- Airlines – Intercaribbean Airways
- Miles covered – 213 mi
Quading & getting ghosted by my hotel in Dominica
DOMINICA
I arrived in Dominica poorly prepared because I booked my accommodation and flight at the airport, leading to problems. The authorities confiscated my dried mango after another arrival PCR test. I noted it on my declarations form, and I learned to never mess with immigration – they hold the keys!
WHERE IS DOMINICA?
Dominica
THE RENTAL
Then it was time for a rental car. Although all the places were shut (I took a gamble), I fortunately came across a guy waiting to hand a car over to another arrival. He called the private mobile of another company who drove out along with a colleague with a spare car and set everything else up, $135 for 3 days. You can’t imagine that happening at home; it just wouldn’t! Didn’t take me long to realise why the car was such great value…🚜
RELATED READ: THE BEST BEACH IN THE WORLD ALL TO MYSELF
GETTING GHOSTED
Lastly, and by no means least, I was nearly sleeping in the car in about 5 minutes. Imagine if I hadn’t gotten the rental! It wasn’t until I drove up the lane of the hotel that I called just to make sure I was at the right place – their lane was like nothing I have ever seen.
“Sorry we don’t have any bookings tonight?”
“I made my reservation through AIRBNB.”
“Sorry we don’t have a booking.”
“Do you want one? I am literally right outside” (It was 10pm!)
“No but I can give you another number.” I appreciate the audacity.
Quading & getting ghosted by my hotel in Dominica
FACTS:
- One of the youngest islands in the Lesser Antilles, and due to geothermal-volcanic activity is still growing.
- It is known as “The Nature Island of the Caribbean” due to its lush scenery and varied flora and fauna.
- Rainforest largely covers Dominica, which is home to Boiling Lake, the world’s second-largest hot spring.
- Dominica is especially vulnerable to hurricanes as the island is located in what is referred to as the hurricane region.
- Dominica is a popular destination for whale-watching.
PICARD BEACH COTTAGES
So it was onto Portsmouth and onto Picard Beach Cottages where I took part in the slowest check in world championships. $90 for very little besides flashbacks of Koh Rong and a spider made itself at home on my bed. The security man snapped it up, holding it in his hand while showing me around the hut.
HOTEL THE CHAMPS
After waking to the sound of thunderous rain (which didn’t stop all day), I had to find a new hotel quickly, which led me to Hotel The Champs. Truly, what a difference good accommodation makes to your experience. Honestly there have been fewer places I have stayed with better customer service, the people here cannot do enough to help and given the rain, my experience here will only be positive.
The hospital called to arrange a PCR test and made me a sandwich for an early start tomorrow, making me feel gutted for not staying all three nights. Saying that if the first place was opened, I would have never have got this far. There is a reason for everything!
ABOUT THE COUNTRY – SINT MAARTEN:
- LANGUAGE – English/Dutch
- HELLO – hello, bonjour, hallo
- HOW TO CHEERS – cheers, tchin-tchin, proost
- POPULAR BEVERAGE – Guavaberry
- POPULAR SPORT – Football
- STAPLE DIET – Conch and Dumplings and Callaloo soup
FINAL THOUGHTS
Saint Maarten goes straight into the top 5 Caribbean countries! Dominica has some work to do.
NEXT UP
Part 1 of a PCR nightmare! Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
149/229
This post is part of The Caribbean Series, click to explore the series or for episode 1, click here.
To watch the video of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.
