des moines international airport address More than two-thirds of Dominica s land surface is primary rainforest, making it perhaps the most un

767-449-3560, fax 767-449-0768 www.avirtualdominica.com/besthotel 10 rooms $$ This is the newest full-service hotel on the island. The three-level modern hotel has spacious rooms with balconies, cable TVs, and small refrigerators. A restaurant and bar are located near the swimming pool and sun deck. Guests are welcomed with a tropical drink and given passes for free admission to the popular nightclub, Scorpio Underground. Ask about their economical hotel-and-car packages. des moines international airport address

More than two-thirds of Dominica s land surface is primary rainforest, making it perhaps the most untouched island in the Caribbean. St. Lucia is also predominantly rural, and much of its interior rainforest has been preserved, even though early colonists carved plantations out of huge chunks of the original forest. Modern developers have built exclusive resorts on prime land, and many more would like the opportunity to claim a prize piece of paradise. Nevertheless, conservation groups on both islands are doing a fine job of curtailing the rampant development that has plagued some of their Caribbean neighbors.

Don t count on buses at night, on Sunday, or in remote areas. des moines international airport address Check the schedule posted at the tourist office ( 767-448-2045) near the cruise ship dock in Roseau, or ask at your hotel s reception desk about bus stops and frequency of service. Locals frequently hitchhike, but we don t recommend it for vacationers. Check the license plate of any vehicle stopping to pick you up, even at a designated bus stop; a legitimate bus will have an H or HA as a prefix before the number. If you re driving, don t stop to pick up people you don t know.

Slaves built Prince Rupert s Garrison from black volcanic rock cemented with mortar made from limestone found on offshore coral reefs. The red clay bricks seen in ovens and cisterns came from England. Over the years, both the French and English (depending on which nation was in control of the island) added to the buildings until the Cabrits held a fort (Fort Shirley), housing for 600 men, a hospital, seven gun batteries, and a cluster of storehouses. When the fortification was abandoned in 1854, the buildings fell into ruins, and the surrounding forest quickly engulfed the entire peninsula. In 1982, work began to clear vegetation away from the fort and restore some of the buildings.