The Caribbean island of Dominica is known as the “Nature Island” for to its volcanic peaks, lush rainforest, clear waterfalls and abundance of rivers. It’s not your typical Caribbean island, where hordes of visitors are content to seek the sun on the beach all day, interrupted only by occasional bar service. Here, hikers and divers abound, but they’re not always interested in budget accommodations. For a luxury wellness approach to your Dominica vacation, the Rosalie Bay Resort does it right.
Located on the Atlantic side of the island, the resort has 28 spacious rooms to offer as your home base on Dominica. Guest rooms range from riverside suites (along the Rosalie River) to ocean-view suites to garden-view rooms. All include air-conditioning, flat-screen TV, coffee maker, iPod docking station, complimentary Wi-Fi and more. Rates range from $149 (a special Turtle Season rate offered right now) to $499 (the best room during high season) per night. Continental breakfast is included.
I spent countless hours on my oceanfront veranda, overlooking a black sand beach. In my four nights at the resort, I didn’t use the air-conditioning once, preferring to let the sea breeze cool my room and loved hearing the tree frogs chirp at night along with the sound of ocean waves.
Zamaan, the on-site restaurant, features Dominican favorites, as well as healthy dishes, and even includes vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free choices. Walk on in for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and get fantastic service along with your tasty meal. If you’re in an even more casual mood and don’t want to get too far away from the pool, Oscar’s Pool Bar has plenty of options for noshing along with refreshing beverages.
The focus on wellness goes beyond the restaurant, with daily yoga classes, a fitness center, personal strength training, wellness coaching, nutrition counseling, cooking light classes, quiet meditation spots (including a labyrinth) and massage lessons.
The beach here is a major focus for turtle conservation on the island, and during nesting season, guests can wake in the middle of the night to watch a leatherback turtle make her nest. It’s hard to want to get out of bed at first, but when you’re standing on the beach under a star-studded sky, watching a huge turtle lay her eggs, you know you’ve made the right choice.
See more at the official website for the Rosalie Bay Resort.
Article written by Jill K. Robinson of Danger Jill Robinson
Photos by Jill K. Robinson
I was a guest of the Rosalie Bay Resort during my stay in Dominica.
