Manicou River Resort

Manicou River is a place to go to relax and recharge. You might, before arriving, have an itinerary in mind, but once you arrive and settle in, there is a feeling that where you are is all you need. Many other visitors have commented on the spectacular view from the cottages; the whole panorama - the Caribbean ocean, the peninsula which is now Cabrits National Park and which houses Fort Shirley, the sky, the clouds, the light of the sun, the frequent rainbows….there is endless movement and variation. One cannot help but be drawn into and appreciate the what is right before your eyes. If you do feel compelled to wander out of the Manicou’s grounds, it’s a doable walk to Portsmouth, where there are pleasing, quiet beaches and several nice local dining options. The weekend market was really lively and provided an authentic slice of local culture… definitely worth going to. As Dominica is a relatively small island you can stay anywhere and do day trips to pretty much anywhere on the island. While staying at Manicou, I went on several nature oriented trips – a birding day, a visit to hot and cold springs, waterfalls,…nature hikes. While most tours originate in Roseau, some tours will pick up guests from Portsmouth for an extra fee. A private driver can be arranged from almost any location. While I did not drive on this vacation, from what I could see, the local style of driving was relaxed and safe and the roads were well maintained. There are local buses that leave from a station area in central Portsmouth and go to downtown Roseau – the most economical way to get there, but a bit of an adventure as there is no real schedule and privately run buses leave when the driver determines there are enough people on board. I travelled to Manicou midsummer, at low season and stayed for 10 days. Because Manicou only has a handful of guests at any given time, the experience is more personalized – you get to know the people who look after Manicou and look after you. There is just the right balance between being their being present and taking care of a traveller’s needs, and being left on your own and finding privacy. Nothing feels forced or contrived – which is the vibe of the country itself. Thank you to Kayola and all the wonderful, warm people at Manicou for their nurturance. You can sense that development of the area of just around the corner – with posters for upcoming waterfront projects, an expanded marina, and a large highway being constructed from the airport. A Relais and Chateux hotel, (Secret Bay) is close by, so that speaks volumes. Manicou has a vision – one that works with nature not against it. Manicou is that sweet spot between roughing it and overdoing it; there is a rustic simplicity to the cottages, but at the same time, you want for nothing. I am grateful that there are places like Manicou that are striving to get the eco-balance right. I was sent this list of things to bring to Manicou which I found helpful… Good walking shoes

Manicou River was a really cool place to stay. We had a week in Dominica and split our time between the north and south. The views and just the experience of being 'outside' while in our cottage was really nice. In the south we stayed at a more typical resort (Jungle Bay), and it was a nice contrast between the two. If you're coming all the way to Dominica, it's likely for the nature, and this is the best way to experience it. The view at night of the lights from the yachts in Rupert's Bay and Portsmouth was really beautiful. We had a sundowner every evening at the main lodge and then a really tasty three course meal, mmm good. The staff are excellent, and gave us suggestions on where to eat & stop for snacks. They got up early to make breakfast for us earlier one morning cause we had a birdwatching excursion. If you have a rental, it's a bit tricky to find the cut-off from the main road to start up the hill. Eventually there are signs but i had use Google satellite view to figure out the initial turn. Once we figured it out it was pretty easy, it's very steep but not too bad. It does get hot during the day in the cottage, but we were out touristing and just put the blinds down to prevent heat building up. Also, there was a strong breeze later in the afternoon that provides a nice cross-breeze in the cottage, which kept away almost all the bugs. The mosquito net is also good. The shower is functional and really refreshing after a day out. The wifi in the room was excellent. There was just one plug to charge phones, but it had a 4-USB charger provided (or maybe a previous guest forgot it), so we were good to go. It's a good base to explore the north end of the island, including around Calibishie, and birdwatching in Syndicate Nature Trail. It's about 90 minutes driving time to Soufriere, longer if you stop along the way as we did to sightsee and have lunch in Mero Beach. Overall we really enjoyed our stay, and I would definitely recommend Manicou River, especially if you're splitting your time between the north and south.

We were blown away by the views from our open fronted cottage. It was more rustic that we thought but beautifully done. We very much enjoyed our stay. The food was local cuisine and very good. We were made to feel very welcome by Yolanda and Jennifer so a big thank you to them. Kate also thank you to you for your understanding as our flight was cancelled and we were delayed a day. There are just three cottages and we were only ones staying.

The night we arrived, we had drinks and dinner at the bar and restaurant. The cocktails were served with very little ice and we kept having to ask for more, which they doled out sparingly. Dinner was adequate and mediocre. After dinner in our cabin, the heat was stifling. Our cabin faced west and the setting sun heated our room unbearably. The single shade was totally inadequate. After the sun set, the no-see-ums attacked! That lasted an hour until the mosquitos came in. Between the heat and mosquitos, no one slept in either cabin. Everyone had multiple bug bites on our legs and arms. The next morning, we sought and found other accommodations. We explained the situation to the manager. She said she would prepare our bill and apologized for our discomfort. She said she would text me the amount the next day. I expected to pay for the first night and maybe 1 additional night. She texted me after 2 days to tell me she had charged my card fot the entire stay. That is just wrong! Little Ice Mediocre food No screens Inadequate fan Plenty of Mosquitos. ASK BEFORE YOU GO!

What a unique experience we had at Manicou River Resort. Never having gone eco this was a treat for both myself and wife. We had a million dollar view and cool mountain breezes come through our windowless cottage. Kate and Patrick had an amazing staff so very friendly and warm. The place is special. One of my favorite parts was taking a nice cool shower and then sitting on our porch with the million dollar view. The bed was very comfortable and every one of our needs were met. Kayola, Yolonda , Jennifer and Jeff were the best. The island of Dominica is truly unique and a nature paradise. The people are so warm and friendly. Every morning Jennifer would make us a full breakfast to fill our bellies.. so very good and yolonda created excellent dinners. We rented a car from courtsey car rental and they delivered and piked up the rental car for a small additional which was so easy. Kate was extremely responsive to all of our emails and answered all of our questions. If you need a guide because you don’t like driving on the left which is a piece of cake, hire Jeff to take you where you need to go. Just add him as an extra driver on your rental agreement. You can miss Batibou Beach, Emerald Pool etc etc. Would definitely book Manicou River Resort again. Gene and Mary Haines

Manicou River is so special! Our cottage was one of the coolest places we’ve ever stayed: a large, exquisitely designed, open air treehouse like structure perched over a cliff. The views are truly astounding and the sun sets right over the water in front of you! Magic. Also, while they keep it simple, the beds are super comfy and everything is really clean and well maintained. The staff are incredible. We ate most meals there bc my husband has a garlic allergy which is HARD. We’ve found only the best (usually most expensive) restaurants know how to make things taste good without garlic. Chef Yolanda hit it out of the park! The owners, Kate and Patrick were out of the country but Kayola cared for our every need as if she built the place from the ground up. All of the staff are deeply invested in Manicou and take great pride in sharing it with you. It’s truly special. We spent a full week there with plenty to do nearby. Our favorites were Indian River and snorkeling at Toucari Beach (go left and if you’re a strong snorkeler/swimmer, try to make it all the way to split rock in next cove.) and lunch after at Keepin it Real on Toucari Beach. Next time we would make sure to spend more time in the south as well bc it’s a lot of driving to go back and forth. That said, Manicou River is a rare gem that you don’t want to miss! We rarely go back to the same place twice but we know we’ll be visiting Dominica and our Manicou family again soon.