Dominica, not to be confused with the Dominican Republic, is a mountainous, rainforest-covered island between the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Its capital is Roseau, and its best-known walks lead to the steaming Boiling Lake in Morne Trois Pitons National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, or along the Waitukubuli National Trail. Dominica is not covered by Roam Like at Home, so a European SIM roams here at its operator's own rates, even though the same SIM works as it does at home on the French islands to the north and south.
Key facts for Dominica
- EU roaming: not covered by Roam Like at Home
- Local networks: Flow (depending on the plan)
- Emergency numbers: 999 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police
- Embassies: the UK, the US and Canada help from Bridgetown, Barbados, and France from Castries, Saint Lucia
The Boiling Lake and the Waitukubuli trail
The route to the Boiling Lake crosses the steaming Valley of Desolation, and a certified local guide is the sensible way to do it. Check with the guides that the hike is safe on the day, as the FCDO advises, or look at the updates from the Office of Disaster Management, which also posts on Facebook. Two rules apply on any trail here: never hike alone, and stay on marked paths.
The Waitukubuli National Trail covers 115 miles in 14 segments, from Scotts Head in the south to Cabrits National Park in the north. Each segment can be walked on its own, so you can match one to your time and fitness. Save your route to your phone before you set off.
Rain, rivers and hurricanes
Heavy rain can bring flash floods and landslides, and the Office of Disaster Management's flood warnings single out low-lying areas near rivers and streams; never walk, swim or drive through flood water. The hurricane season normally runs from June to November, and tropical storms and hurricanes can develop suddenly and unexpectedly, so follow the Government Information Service for local instructions, including any evacuation order. Dominica knows what a direct hit means: when Hurricane Maria struck as a category 5 storm in September 2017, power, phone and internet services were cut, leaving the island almost unable to communicate with the outside world.
Earthquake tremors are frequently felt here. During especially hot, dry spells, a single spark can start a wildfire, which you should report to the emergency services straight away.
The road from Douglas-Charles Airport
Arrange your hire car before you arrive, then get a temporary Dominican driving licence by showing your licence from home (a UK one for British drivers); hire companies usually help. Roads are often narrow and in poor condition, pedestrians walk in them, drivers swerve around potholes or pull out without indicating, and road signs are few, so getting lost is easy. The main highway from Douglas-Charles Airport is prone to landslides after bad weather and has sheer drops where the road has fallen away: avoid it at night. Keep the doors locked, do not stop if pedestrians try to flag you down, and after an accident call the police without moving your vehicle.
Taxis are unmetered, but most destinations have standard fares. Registered taxis carry a windscreen sticker reading 'Nature Island's Standard of Excellence' followed by a number. Agree the fare before you leave, knowing that US dollars are usually accepted, and ask your driver to go slowly if you prefer; minibuses tend to drive faster than the law allows.
Ferries to Guadeloupe and Martinique
The Express des Îles ferries connect Dominica with Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Lucia, and most passengers arriving by sea land at the Roseau Ferry Terminal, while Portsmouth, in the north, has a ferry dock too. Departure tax is charged when you leave by ferry as well as by air, where it is usually included in the ticket. During the crossing your phone may jump between networks: Roam Like at Home applies in Guadeloupe and Martinique, which are part of the EU, but stops once you are back in Dominica, so switch off data roaming on an EU SIM before sailing.
Entry, laws and health
Your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you arrive. British visitors need no visa and are granted six months on arrival (longer stays need a paid extension from the Immigration Division); border officers may also ask to see a return or onward ticket. Cash or travellers' cheques above a set threshold must be declared, and you receive a certified declaration showing that you brought them in. A yellow fever certificate is required if you arrive from a country with a transmission risk.
Camouflage clothing is illegal for everyone, children included, drug offences carry severe penalties, and certain same-sex sexual acts are illegal. Protests sometimes take place and police have used tear gas to disperse them, so keep clear of any demonstration. Crime is low, though walking alone away from the main roads carries a risk, especially after dark. Zika, dengue and chikungunya are present. The Dominica China Friendship Hospital in Roseau handles many treatments, but serious cases may need evacuation, and private clinics may want payment up front, when insurance papers alone may not be enough.
Getting connected
A travel eSIM set up before you fly is online as you land at Douglas-Charles Airport. For the ferry route, a Caribbean plan is the natural fit, since it covers Dominica together with Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Lucia, and a World plan works for longer journeys. Your regular number stays reachable for one-time bank codes if its SIM remains in the phone with data roaming switched off.
Consular protection: who to call in Dominica
- Dial 999 for an ambulance, the fire service or the police.
- There is no British embassy or consulate in Dominica, so British nationals are helped by the British High Commission in Bridgetown, Barbados. The US Embassy and the High Commission of Canada, both also in Bridgetown, cover their citizens, and France covers Dominica from its embassy in Castries, Saint Lucia.
- With most missions based on other islands, use the Telcomia app to find the embassy or consulate responsible for Dominica for your nationality, and keep its number to hand.
- If your EU country has no embassy or consulate covering Dominica, you can ask another EU country's mission for help, such as France's embassy in Castries, and it must assist you exactly as it would assist its own citizens (Article 23 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU).
- English is the official language.
Questions travellers ask about Dominica
Will my EU plan work in Dominica?
Only at your operator's roaming rates. Dominica is not covered by Roam Like at Home, unlike neighbouring Guadeloupe and Martinique, where EU roaming rules apply.
Is Dominica the same as the Dominican Republic?
No. Dominica is a separate, English-speaking island nation in the eastern Caribbean, between Guadeloupe and Martinique, while the Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, far to the north-west.
Which network does a Telcomia eSIM use in Dominica?
Flow, using 4G where available.
Do I need a guide for the Boiling Lake?
It is the sensible choice: hire a certified local guide, and, as the FCDO advises, check with the guides that the route is safe before you start.
The short version
Book Dominica, not the Dominican Republic, install the eSIM before you fly, hike to the Boiling Lake with a certified guide, keep out of rivers and flood water after heavy rain, avoid the airport road at night, switch off EU data roaming on the ferry back, and save 999.
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