Dominica or the Dominican Republic? A First-Timer's Orientation

They are two different countries, hundreds of miles apart, and confusing them is the most common mistake travellers make before landing here.

Dominica is a small English-speaking island in the Lesser Antilles, sitting between Guadeloupe to the north and Martinique to the south. Around seventy thousand people live here. The currency is the East Caribbean dollar, though US dollars are widely accepted. Roseau, the capital, sits on the west coast, and most of the island's population lives along that coastline.

What it is: rainforest, rivers, hot springs, volcanic peaks, sperm whales offshore, and some of the best diving in the Caribbean. Much of the interior is national park, including a UNESCO World Heritage site.

What it is not: a beach-resort island. There are beaches, and some good ones, but nobody comes here for a swim-up bar. If your ideal holiday involves not moving, this is the wrong island, and we would rather tell you that now than after you have booked.

Getting here today usually means a connection through Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia or Guadeloupe, then a short hop or a ferry across. That changes when the new international airport opens.

Creole is widely spoken alongside English, driving is on the left, and a rental car is worth having for the interior even if you do not need one in town.

Rose St Gardens is in Goodwill, walking distance from Roseau.