Clarice tells us everything about the blogtrip she put together for Discover Dominica…

In March, I had the opportunity to visit the island of Dominica, escorting 5 bloggers and a TV crew as part of an extensive TV filming and blog trip, which will be broadcasted before the summer on a leading French TV channel.

This in itself was a personal challenge for me as this was not only my first experience in front of camera but also the first time I had the chance to accompany a group of bloggers to Dominica.

My 3 favorite experiences in Dominica

• For them to discover the the natural abundance and diversity of this unknown island (in the French market at least) which is nevertheless located between Guadeloupe and Martinique, and often confused with the Dominican Republic;
• To highlight the efforts that have been made to restore the island following the Erika storm in Dominica last summer. The island is now ready to welcome back tourists!

• Bloggers have become essential players in the promotion of an unknown destination like Dominica. It is also a way to communicate more directly and spontaneously with a target audience as bloggers generally share their experiences and feelings in real-time.

A rich and diversified programme

As part of this trip, we had the chance to travel around a great part of the island, discover fabulous places and take part in unique experiences: Creole cooking class, a chocolate making class, hiking along the largest Caribbean trail whose name is quite difficult to pronounce: the ” Waitukubuli “; whale watching, discover the beautiful beaches of the north of the island, but also meet with the Kalinago, the last native Caribbean “Indians” still present in Dominica.

Difficult to stay natural in front of a camera…

Having a TV crew with you as part of a blogtrip is personally and professionally a pretty amazing and rare experience; but it is equally a daily challenge! The greatest difficulty was time-keeping and avoid over running or all our activities and ensuring that everyone still had enough time to enjoy discovering Dominica; yet whilst leaving enough time for bloggers and journalists to take their perfect shots, photos, videos and interviews … which often meant changing the time of lunch every day!

It was not easy to forget about the presence of the camera and the microphone plugged in all day while remaining as natural as possible. But after a day of shooting, we quickly forgot the camera was there and even get used to it 🙂

Photo : B.Louvet

My 3 favorite experiences in Dominica

• Experience a natural spa in the lush rainforest: a peaceful haven and green paradise located in the Caribbean, Dominica deserves its ‘nickname’ Nature Island of the Caribbean. We were all overwhelmed by the lush vegetation and the natural abundance of the country. After a long day, there is nothing better than to relax in one of the natural spas of Dominica. The water is naturally heated by Sulphur, known for its benefits to the skin. We had a relaxing time and the chance to share in front of the cameras!

• Visit Dominica like Pirates of the Caribbean: a boat-trip along the Indian River, fthe amous filming location for Pirates of the Caribbean 2 with Johnny Depp!
• Batibou Beach: Wild and not overrun with tourists, this paradisic beach is ideal for people looking for relaxation. One of the bloggers filmed an enticing video using a drone. Click here for an overview of Dominica and the beach: http://www.worldelse.com/destinations/voyager-en-dominique/

  Links to the Blogger’s Dominica articles:   

  • World Else: http://www.worldelse.com/destinations/voyager-en-dominique/
  • Capucineee: http://www.capucineee.com/category/travel/la-dominique/
  • Travel Me Happy: http://www.travel-me-happy.com/category/voyages/amerique/antilles-amerique/la-dominique/
  • La Penderie de Chloé : http://www.lapenderiedechloe.com/2016/03/hello-roseau.html
  • Voyager Loin / Buzzly: http://buzzly.fr/partir-en-dominique.html