Friday, September 30, 2011

I'm a little excited to be on St John for the weekend; it feels like a lifetime since I spent the day at the beach and the weather has been beautiful the last few days. We're also considering a movie and dinner at La Plancha del Mar - they're showing "Super Troopers," have you seen it? We went a month ago and had a blast (it's something fun to do on St John.)

What are you all up to this weekend?
Thursday, September 29, 2011




Middleham Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls on Dominica. The trail entrance to Middleham Falls is in Laudat and has a well-marked sign that makes it easy to find. I recommend picking up a copy of Bradt’s Travel Guide of Dominica by Paul Crask, this is a fantastic guide with clear directions and tips.

The Middleham Falls hike takes about an hour each way, has a well-maintained path with steps and bridges, and is an enjoyable hike through the rainforest. I saw an Agouti (looks like a Guinea Pig) for the first time, some of the larges Chataignier Trees I’ve ever seen, and had a chance to break my FiveFinger hiking shoes in on this trail. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Dominica.


Wednesday, September 28, 2011



We rented the Master suite at Villa Passiflora in the village of Calibishie. The villa is built overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean with two beaches below. The home takes advantage of beautiful Dominica with huge windows and doors that open to crashing surf and stunning views. It’s a very unique home built of concrete and wood using the local hardwoods found in Dominica.

We chose to stay Villa Passiflora to unwind and relax from all the hiking we’d done earlier in the week in the southeastern side of Dominica. We wanted to be in a place that had everything we needed so that we wouldn’t have to leave the villa and be as lazy as possible; infinity swimming pool, hammock to read in, TV to watch movies on, someone to cook for us, massage, and a 20 minute drive to the airport. The staff was amazing; Isalene has to be one of the happiest people I’ve ever met, her laughter is contagious and her food is wonderful. Stephane and Florence, the caretakers, made absolutely sure that we where comfortable and happy.

Villa Passiflora is a great place to unwind on Domininca.





Dominica is almost 300 square miles of lush green vegetation and steep mountains. It can take over 2 hours to drive from one side to the other. When selecting a place to stay location is a major factor in this respect. Dominica’s main natural attractions are mostly on the southeastern side of the island luckily there plenty of options for accommodations.

Trafalgar Village was the perfect location for our vacation; within walking distance to the best hot-spring spas, Trafalgar waterfalls, Papillote’s Garden, and we where welcomed by a friendly community of Dominicans. We rented an apartment (The Trafalgar Cottage) from a friend and instantly felt like a ‘local.’ The first thing I did, was pick a grapefruit from the tree in the yard for breakfast, yummy! The first day our neighbors stopped by to say hello and brought us an armful of fruits from their yard, a local lady baked us fresh bread, and we even had fresh coconut water delivered (we felt spoiled.)

The Trafalgar Cottage was a comfortable apartment that right away makes you feel at home. Simple but comfortable furniture and a full size equipped kitchen and refrigerator provide all the creature comforts of home. I highly recommend renting The Trafalgar Cottage for your next Dominican adventure.

PS You can find more information The Trafalgar Cottage HERE.

Monday, September 26, 2011


Our little island hop from Dominica to St John is taking us a couple of days, with a long layover at the Antigua Airport and a night over on St Thomas. Our vacation on Dominica was the definition of relaxing with the perfect combination of adventures exploring and relaxed unwinding. We made a lot of killer photographs, met some amazing people, and have some fantastic stories to share.

Vacation blogs coming soon..... 
Friday, September 16, 2011

Well, we are off to vacation world today, YAY!!!
Going to spend the next week on the most natural island in the Caribbean, Dominica. We plan on hiking, jumping in waterfalls, relaxing in hot water springs, exploring the boiling lake, eating fresh fruit we pick from trees, getting to know some of the nicest people on the planet, and relaxing in the most beautiful rainforest I've ever seen. I'm not sure if I will be checking in on my blog or posting during the week, but the good news is I'll be making lot's of photos for you all to see later.

Hope everyone has a great week!!! 



Wednesday, September 14, 2011


Gibney Beach is one of the 4 beaches located in Hawksnest Bay. It is located just east of Hawksnest Beach. Gibney Beach does not have a sign, parking is very limited, and there aren’t any picnic tables, restrooms, covered pavilions or changing rooms. Gibney Beach does have fluffy white sand, good snorkeling, and because parking is limited there’s normally not very many people on the beach.

To get to this beach you enter through the gate that leads to the Oppenheimer community building by walking down a short driveway. This is what the entrance looks like from the road.


Gibney beach is also called Oppenheimer Beach after J. Robert Oppenheimer, who invented the atomic bomb. Read more about the history of Gibney and Oppenheimer Beach HERE.



P.S. I just made a page about all St John things on my blog HERE.


Monday, September 12, 2011
We have a trip planned for Dominica and are going to rent a small apartment from a friend in Trafalgar. We're planning on doing a lot hiking, exploring, photographing, and taking in all the Dominica has to offer. The last couple nights of our trip we thought it would be luxurious to check into a hotel or a bed and breakfast to just relax, sit next to a swimming pool, get a massage from all the hiking, and eat good food someone else has cooked. 

Here are a few of the places on Dominica that look like amazing possibilities for resting and relaxing:


This place offers eco-luxury cottages and has a yoga retreat that looks out of this world amazing. They also happen to be closed durning the time of September that we will be on island, so we won't be staying here this time.


This is the most 'American' looking place that we're considering for reasons like a hot-tub, room service, and not needed to leave the property if we don't feel like it. 


This resort is the most luxurious place we're considering on Dominica, everything about it is breathtakingly beautiful. 


Has the option to rent the entire villa or just a room, has a pool, and lot's of peaceful privacy. This is the option that I'm leaning the most towards at the moment.



Is a small secluded hideaway that has a reputation for amazing food and exceptional snorkeling steps away from the inn. This is yet another great possibility for accommodations on Dominica.


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Welcome to my Blog

I’m a photographer living on a little island in the Caribbean called St Thomas with my husband Eric and Mambo (my talkative cat). My website is sagehammond.com

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