Dominican Republic — The Americas — Explore Worldwide 2008/09 online holiday brochure

THE AMERICAS ST LUCIA * MARTINIQUE * DOMINICA Windward Isles & French Antilles 14 DAYS HOTELS/LODGES CORAL BEACHES AND MOUNTAIN RAINFOREST Airport Ref WI JFMAMJJASOND JFMA Windward Isles & French Antilles Ref WI LAUDAT Trois MARTINIQUE Optional Pel�e Saint-Pierre Volcanic Ruins Diablotins 1447m Pitons FORT DE FRANCE Coral Beaches ATLANTIC OCEAN ROSEAU Gingerbread Architecture ST LUCIA MON REPOS Atlantic Beaches Castries Gimie DOMINICA C A R I B B E A N S E A km 0 50 SOUFRIERE Visit Pitons Hewanorra DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Wild coast/Yvonne Ramsey NEW! Alps to the Caribbean TREKKING GRADE A Ref DI JFMAMJJASOND JFMA 10 DAYS HOTELS THE VERDANT ISLE REVEALED The Eastern Caribbean is world famous for its beaches, but this island-hopping trip aims to open your eyes to the stunning rainforests, birdlife and mountains of these volcanic isles. As we travel the language shifts from English to Creole to French, there is time to relax, snorkel, wander through traditional villages or stretch your legs and travel down jungle trails to 200 foot high waterfalls. St Lucia & the Pitons A former British colony, St Lucia is renowned for its physical beauty. Translucent water covers beautiful coral, the forest covered Pitons rear out of the sea, volcanic sulphur springs and banana plantations combine to make an unforgettable visit. We combine both the east coast, famous for its Atlantic breakers along with the sleepy town of Soufriere on the Caribbean here there is plenty of time to enjoy snorkelling, visit the interior or the nearby sulphur springs. Dominica Nature's Island' Travelling by small plane we journey to the rugged island of Dominica, a mere 29 miles long but almost 5000 feet high. Little visited it offers fabulous scenery, snorkelling and whale watching (seasonal). We then head up into the highlands to Morne Trois Pitons NP and our lodge, the base for the next day 2 days. Here there are walks to waterfalls, boiling volcanic springs and time to bird watch in this remarkably pristine area. We then spend two days in the atmospheric capital of Roseau with the chance to travel by canoe along one of the tropical rivers. French & Creole culture of Martinique Reboarding the catamaran style ferry, we cross the Martinique passage to Fort-deFrance. The ambience is distinctly different here with a distinct gallic slant with French replacing English and Creole. We have time to explore the ruins of the former capital of Saint Pierre or relax on nearby beaches. Columbus was so enamoured by the beauty of this tropical island that he even considered staying rather than return to his native Spain. From the UNESCO world heritage site that is Santo Domingo's colonial quarter, to the lush rainforests of the Dominican Alps, we discover the best bits of the interior before unwinding on the coast with the chance (in season) to watch one of nature's finest spectacles; humpback whales mating and calving in the Bay of Samana. Dominican Alps After exploring the well preserved colonial city of Santo Domingo, we drive inland past fields of flowers and coffee plantations up to the refreshing climate of the Dominican Alps. From our base at Jarabocoa we discover the surrounding forests and jungle falls on foot or there's the chance to try your hand at whitewater rafting, canyoning or mountain biking. Jungle Caves From the mountains we descend slowly towards the Atlantic coast of Caberete, pausing at El Choco National Park to discover a network of ancient caves hidden from view along the jungle trails we follow with our guide. Samana Peninsula & Whales Continuing down the rugged coast interspersed with idyllic sandy coves, we arrive on the Samana Peninsula. Walking to the spectacular falls at El Limon we also take a boat trip across the bay for a full day exploring the caves and mangrove swamps of Los Haitises National Park. This region is famous for its humpback whales which, from mid January to mid March each year, bring the waters in the Bay of Samana alive, offering excellent whale watching opportunities. Christopher Colombus, Santo Domingo Alps to the Caribbean Ref DI El Choco NP Caves & walk CABERETE ATLANTIC OCEAN LAS TERRENAS El Limon Optional whale watching Cano Hondo Caves Los Haites NP Explore mangroves By boat & on foot JARABACOA Rainforest adventure Alto C o Bandera C rd 2842m en il tr le a l DOMINICAN REPUBLIC km 0 75 FACTFILE Itinerary Day 1 Fly London/Santo Domingo. 2 In Santo Domingo; city tour; drive Jarabocoa. 3 In Jarabocoa; jungle walks and optional white-water rafting. 4 Drive to Caberete via El Choco NP. 5 Drive Samana Peninsula; walk to El Limon falls. 6 & 7 On Samana Peninsula; full day exploring Los Haitises NP and optional whale watching (mid Jan - mid Mar). 8 Ferry and drive to Santo Domingo. 9 Fly London. 10 Arrive London. Accommodation & Meals: 8nts hotel; 8 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 3 dinners included. See insert p2. Mode of Travel: Charter Bus/On Foot/Boat/Ferry. Comment: An active exploration of this compact, yet varied Caribbean island. Walks are graded as easy and the more strenuous activities are optional. The whale watching season is from mid January to mid March only. Tour Staff & Support: Explore Tour Leader plus driver(s), boatmen and some local guides. Group Size: Approx. 14 to 18. Request a tour dossier for comprehensive tour information Ya q u e Falls Samana Sabana Oz a m SANTO DOMINGO City tour a ra CARIBBEAN SEA Swimming at Middleham Falls/Rick Britton FACTFILE Itinerary Day 1 Fly London/St Lucia; drive to Mon Repos. 2 & 3 In Mon Repos; visit Atlantic coast; tour to north of island. 4 Fly to Dominica; drive to Laudat by Morne Trois Pitons NP. 5 In Laudat; optional walk to Boiling Lake. 6 Optional walk to Middleham Falls; drive Roseau. 7 & 8 In Roseau; optional whalewatching and Indian River canoe trip. 9 Ferry to Martinique. 10 In Fort de France; visit St Anne; optional Saint Pierre. 11 Ferry to St Lucia; drive to Soufriere. 12 Visit Pitons area and hot spings; optional snorkelling or relax on a beach. 13 Fly London. 14 Arrive London. Accommodation & Meals: 10nts hotel, 2nts lodge; 7 breakfasts included. See insert p2. Mode of Travel: Bus/Plane/Ferry/Taxi/On foot. Comment: An intriguing combination of rainforest, mountains, beaches and Creole culture. Walks are optional and time can be spent beachcombing or relaxing. Tour Staff & Support: Explore Tour Leader plus driver(s), boatmen and some Local Guides. Group Size: Approx. 14 to 18. The Pitons, Soufriere 205

The Americas contd… Dominican Republic