Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Champagne Snorkeling & Titou Gorge with Bumpiing Tours in Dominica

We did the Roseau Valley Treasures (wet tour) with Bumpiing Tours.  They were quick to respond to email inquires and their itinerary and instructions with detailed and informative.  Dominica reminds me of Costa Rica with its lush greenery and beautiful views.

The first stop on the tour was snorkeling at the Champagne Reef among the warm bubbles.  The activity included snorkels gear (fins, masks, and life jackets).  Since we had a late start (our fault), supplies were limited but the found us snorkeling supplies from another vendor nearby.   Our group was small, consisting of only 10 people.






The beach area of the champagne reef snorkeling area was rocky. I'd recommend bringing rock shoes.  It was a bit difficult getting into the water with fins on by the guides were really helpful and caring.   They took the time to get each person into the water safely.

The "bubbles" part was not that impressive. There were only a few areas of bubbles. I was under the impression that the whole beach area would be bubbles. Despite that, the scenery was beautiful and the water was clear and warm.

As we made our way back to the van, we were handed ice cold beers, water and drink refreshments by our guide. What a pleasant surprise!

Our next stop was the Morne Bruce, we were had a beautiful view of Roseau City and our ship. This made for good photo op's.  There were a handful of stands to buy refreshments and souvenirs.


We did a drive through of the Botanical Gardens. I wasn't that impressed.

On our way to Trafalagar Falls, we made a pit stop.  The mountainside view as breathtaking.  The guide also picked fresh bay leaves for us to smell.  It was pretty cool.




Our next stop was Titou Gorge, where Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was filmed.  The freshwater was FRIGID COLD! I'm so glad we were safety gear to keep us afloat. The guide even had a rope that we could pull along.  I'm glad I did that because I had a muscle spasm / charlie horse/leg cramp from the water being so cold.  It was definitely a cool experience.






Trafalagar Falls was a bit overwhelming.  There was so many people and it was difficult to maneuver the pathways and stairs.  Finally we made it to the top and were rewarded with the natural hot springs.  The area was a bit slippery, so I'd pay extra caution.







We picked up a few snacks at the nearby food stalls. There were yuca fries and empanadas,



It was a great day, I would definitely recommend Bumpiing Tours in Dominica.  The price was very reasonable at $50.00 a person with drinks, tours, entrance fees, driver and guides.  We threw in some additional cash for tip.