Firstly, lets start off with what Dominica isn't. It's not the Dominican Republic and it's not your cliché Caribbean island. Consider it Costa Rica of the Caribbean, at least in my eyes. There is no other island in this sector that remotely resembles the sheer topography wow factor that Dominica possesses. This mountainous paradise is mostly volcanic and has very few manicured beaches therefore tourism has developed rather slowly. It has a dense rain forest, freshwater lakes, hot springs and jaw dropping waterfalls – I'm talkin' national geographic status! I managed to capture some shaky amateurish video of an uncharted black sand beach not even the locals or taxi drivers know about. We tend, I think, to romanticize poverty when it's surrounded by natural beauty. It's a country that's proud of it's indigenous population, its lifestyle make its people some of the happiest in the world from what I gather. Barely scraping by on banana, aloe and soap exports this impoverished country welcomes the true eco-tourists who come to gape. Despite Dominica being a very underdeveloped island not always preferable for the average traveler, I do plan on revisiting to spend more time exploring the hidden gems for your post viewing pleasure.