If you go to Dominica you go to find the waterfalls and it's physically demanding. The rooms are not a problem if you get air conditioning and it's worth the extra money. We only stayed in our room to sleep and had no problem after all the hiking, etc. We rented a 4X4 and needed it. Driving is challenging but my partner did great; we laughed at how the locals must be able to see around curves and through mountains. Snorkeling at Scotts Head was great. The people everywhere on the Island were very happy to help in any way. I couldn't believe with the money exchange($1 US was 2.7 of theirs) more people didn't tip. The servers at the restaurants would go out of their way to please. There is a rum company across the street from the hotel. The Island has beer stands on the side of the road all around; another reason sleep came easy. We stayed a week and it wasn't enough time to do everything the Island has to offer. We also put over 300 miles on the rental car since the Island is large and we went back to the hotel each night. The hotel was in a great location but if we go back I think we will stay somewhere close to each place we are going. We wouldn't drive at night over there. I was glad the hotel had free breakfast each morning. We had a great time and it was the best birthday present ever.

The beds are hard little cots and the room was too hot. The ceiling fan just did not cut it. You can't sleep outside due to the bugs.

Management and owners are nice enough and it was great having a snack bar on the property. But none of that matters if you can't sleep.

This hotel is definetly geared towards Europeans.

We stayed for one week and the island itself is very rustic but we grew to love the Tamarind Tree hotel with the excellent views and peaceful surroundings. You must have transportation to stay here and we enjoyed that it was half way between Portsmouth and Roseau but too far to travel to either for dinner. We ate at the hotel every night to avoid the roads which are filled with potholes and to avoid the crazy drivers. We snorkeled and hiked the island and the hotel restaurant was good but we did not do the meal plan. We did not have an adapter for a German switch but we managed to charge blackberries etc. at the office. The owners were pleasant and we were the only English only guests but we felt right at home. The snorkeling on the island was good and our scuba diving was excellent. I would rank the hotel higher than the island but I was glad for the A/C as it was the dead of summer.

My wife and I stayed at the Tamarind Tree Hotel for 10 days in October 2008, it was our third stay at this beautifull island.

The hotel is situated on a cliff (Oh! What sunsets!!) at the west coast between the capital Roseau in the south and Portsmouth in the north, about a half an hour drive away form Roseau. It's perfect for starting hikes or trips to the UNESCO heritage site (Morne Trois Pritons) or the other points of interest.

The facilities are basic and very clean, the owners lately improved the Hotel so there are "Superior Rooms" now which have air condition. The "Standard rooms" have no air condition, only fans.

The Swiss-German management (Anette and Stefan) is helpfull and they tried everything to make our stay pleasant and comfortable. It may be important for other tourists that there is English, French and German spoken!

We arrived together with the new German chef Tobias so we were the first hotel guest to taste his creations. The quality was very good, the food fresh and tasty - we missed a little bit the typical Creole domestic cuisine, but I'm sure he will learn to cook "Dominican stlye" very fast as he is ambitious and a good chef de cuisine.

As advised in a review below we rented a car at Courtesy Car Rentals in Roseau and we were highly pleased about the service. We had a small accident with our car and the owner at Courtesy regulated the issue without any problems and absolutely fair.

Some hints for travellers who try to visit Dominica from Europe, US or other international locations:

Since Dominica doens't have an international airport you have to travel from one of the surrounding islands which have an international airport (Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Barbados, etc.).

Connection flights from this islands to Dominica are offered by LIAT, but be carefull! This airline and their schedule is absolutely undependable! They often change departure times and even departure airports at will and often without prior notice - they even cancel flights randomly and you get informed about the cancelation just when you're at the check-in counter.

So if you have an international connection flight waiting for you at one of the mentioned islands it's absolutley crucial that you plan one extra day for your outward trip and another extra day for your return trip there.

Therefor I would recommend travelling by ferry boat (L'Express des Iles). Besides it is cheaper than a flight with LIAT it is much more dependable. But you have to make your reservation early enough because the ferry is crowded sometimes.

The ferry boat itself is at the dry dock two times a year from mid June to mid July and from mid September to mid October - then there is no other possibility to reach Dominica but with LIAT. Unfortunately we had to travel with LIAT and we hat a lot of troubles with them.

So sometimes it is really difficult to reach Dominica, but it is worth all the efforts! Hiking, Scuba diving, mountain biking, taking a shower under the water falls, whale watching ... Dominica is a top spot for nature lovers.

If you like clubs with all inclusive atmosphere, animation programms and laying at the beach all day long you'll probably be disappointed from Dominica.

Thanks again to the crew form the Tamarind Tree Hotel for 10 days full of unforgettable experiences.

Robert & Conny from Munich, Germany.