Casablanca, Dominica, oceanfront guest villa, Guest Book, Commonwealth of Dominica, English speaking East Caribbean island, West Indies.

Nathalie is from Germany and visited Dominica in late July 2021, spending a little over 2 weeks with her Dominican friend at Casablanca. They were lovely guests and left the place clean and tidy. After returning to her home in Germany Nathalie had this to say:

Casablanca, oceanfront villa, mid west coast of Dominica

We stayed at Casablanca from 29th July to 14th August 2021. We were welcomed by Colin, very friendly, who showed us around. The house was very neat and well taken care of as we arrived.

The fridge was filled up with a selection of basic items, on the shelf we found local coffee (i loved it so much that I bought it at the store to take home and enjoy the taste of Dominica) and we were provided with a fruit basket on the table. All in all it was a very warm and lovely welcome and we could feel the hospitality of the owners. The house offers several stand fans which we used once it became too warm. My favourite place, however, was the seating area in the garden from which we had a fantastic sea view and could spot whales and dolphins during the day and saw stunning shooting stars at night. Furthermore the house offers easy access to the nearby beach by either a foot walk or a short car ride. Also we enjoyed the location of the house since all attractions on the island were reachable in a reasonable amount of time.

The owners, Cecily and Colin, were always very helpful and friendly. The first day the electric kettle didn't work but it was exchanged immediately, which was a great service. Furthermore throughout the entire stay we were always well informed about Covid Updates by Cecily and Colin which was definitely helpful. Also an extension of one extra night was no problem and super easy dealt with. In the house there is a lot of information material about the island and places to visit. In case you need more information or a tour guide for any excursion, it is best to contact Colin and Cecily for further assistance.

For us as travelers this house offered two important amenities: first, a stable wifi connection to stay in touch with family and friends back home and second, a washing machine. I was really happy about both amenities which made the stay even more comfortable :)

In conclusion, I only can recommend Casablanca to other travelers who look for a unique place to enjoy the island.

Eric, Estelle and their two children, Milo and Louna, are a French family who stayed at Casablanca for six days on their first visit to Dominica in April 2019. We arranged a vehicle rental for them to collect on arrival at the Roseau ferry terminal. On returning home they wrote the following review and also included two photos they took during their stay at Casablanca.

With our 2 children we came from Guadeloupe to spend 6 days in Dominica in April 2019.
It was our first experience there and we had a wonderful stay.
We loved the diversity of visits, walks, waterfalls, hot water pools.

Casablanca House is ideally located to visit the west coast from North to South.
The house is very well equipped and enjoys a superb view.
We never missed a sunset;) (and for that, the small terrace with its table at the end of the garden is perfect)

Colin and his wife advised us as soon as we booked the house.
They booked us the 4x4 with Courtesy and we were lucky to benefit from a larger car at the same price.

They were there to welcome us when we arrived.
They make a phone available to exchange with them and to allow us to call to make reservations.

Thank you again for your kindness and good advice.

We will return with great pleasure.
And we advise our friends to book with you.

Estelle, Eric, Milo, Louna.

Francaise

Avec nos 2 enfants, nous sommes venus depuis la Guadeloupe passer 6 jours à la Dominique Fin Avril 2019.

C'était notre première expérience la bas et nous avons passé un magnifique séjour.
Nous avons adoré la diversité des visites, des balades, les cascades, les bassins d'eau chaude..

La maison Casablanca est idéalement située pour visiter la cote ouest du Nord au Sud.
La maison est très bien équipées et bénéficie d'une superbe vue.

Nous n'avons jamais raté un couché de soleil ;) (et pour cela, la petite terrasse avec sa table en bout du jardin est parfaite)

Colin et sa femme nous ont conseillés dès notre réservation de la maison.

Ils ont réservé pour nous le 4x4 avec Courtesy et nous avons eu la chance de bénéficier d’une plus grande voiture au même prix.

Ils étaient présents pour nous accueillir à notre arrivée.

Ils mettent à disposition un téléphone pour échanger avec eux et pour nous permettre d’appeler pour faire des réservations.

Merci encore pour votre gentillesse et vos bons conseils.

Nous reviendrons avec beaucoup de plaisir.

Et nous conseillons sans problème à nos amis de réserver chez vous.

Estelle, Eric, Milo, Louna.

Andy, a Geordie living in the south of France, visited Dominica in late February 2019 with his friends from Durham, France and Guadeloupe. They spent their week at Casablanca.They hired a vehicle to get around and see some of the sites. One day we joined them for an outing at Bongo Baths, a tastefully designed and landscaped hot sulphur springs spa at the village of Wotton Waven, with a variety of pools of differing size and temperature. Below is what they had to say on returning home, along with some photos I took both at Casablanca and relaxing in Bongo Baths hot pools.

Colin's house is a comfortable and very clean house where you will find everything you need for your stay. In addition, the view from the balcony of the house is beautiful and very relaxing. A beach with snorkelling possibilities is nearby, as well as at least two good restaurants. Colin and his wife, Cecily, are available and very welcoming. We enjoyed the opportunity to book a local meal prepared and delivered to the house by a friend of Colin and Cecily upon our arrival. Another nice touch and practical; the provision of a local mobile phone very useful for communicating with our hosts and for booking different activities while our 'European' phones are very expensive to use outside the EU.

Pierre and his friends from France and Martinique are a group of surfers who have forged a link with the west coast village of Layou, to which they gave support following Hurricane Maria in 2017 and have since helped form a surfing club there. In January 2019 they stayed at nearby Casablanca whilst teaching young Dominicans how to surf on surfboards they have kindly donated. They also hosted a surfing competition. This is what they had to say after returning home.

If you travel with a group and are looking for a place to crash and visit the beautiful Caribbean coast of Dominica, Casablanca house is the perfect spot ! The view is just unbelievable ! Colin and Cecily are adorable and will let you know everything you need about the area ! They've been really helpful ! We will never forget this trip and will be back soon !

Xavier & Joanna are newly-weds from Asheville, North Carolina, USA and chose Dominica to spend their 16 day honeymoon in March 2013. All but their last night, which they spent in the NE close to the airport, was enjoyed at Casablanca on the mid west coast. We had a small Suzuki jeep rental awaiting them on arrival at the airport and arranged a whale-watch boat outing and a Syndicate bird tour for them during their stay. This is what they had to say after returning home.

My husband and I spent a lot of time searching out the perfect honeymoon destination before settling on Dominica. We were looking for a place we could get away from the tourism of other islands and snorkel to our hearts content. I finally stumbled upon Dominica in an article. It seemed perfect, but I didn’t know where to start looking for places to stay or how to decide which side of the island to stay on. After weeks of searching, I was still uncertain about logistics and details. Then I stumbled across Nature Island Destinations and found all the information I was looking for in one place. I contacted Colin and told him what we were looking for and what we were interested in. He found a house rental for us in our price range and by the beach. He arranged a car rental and activities for us based on our interests. Everything was easy and low-stress and all we had left to do was wait! Upon arrival, our car was waiting and we took the adventurous drive to our rental. Colin greeted us and made sure we had everything we needed, down to the last detail. There was food waiting for us in the fridge and even a fresh papaya from Colin’s own tree. We felt right at home and when we woke up at Casablanca we made fresh papaya smoothies and revelled in the view of the sea. Our trip was perfect and relaxing from start to finish. We fell in love with the island, ate delicious fresh food, met wonderful people, and had amazing experiences. The activities Colin recommended (from the best bird tour I could ever imagine with Bertrand to soaking at Screws hot springs) were fantastic. Each day held an adventure that left us feeling more and more like moving to the island! I can’t say enough about how amazing our trip was and how hospitable and wonderful our experience with Colin and his wife were. We left Dominica with new friends and a great love for Dominica. I wholeheartedly recommend trusting Nature Island Destinations with the details of your trip to Dominica!

Joanna Ferdon

Right: Xavier's underwater shots taken with the new Olympus 'Tough' digital camera

Winston and Kathy are from Barbados and visited Dominica for the first time in April 2012 with their 7 year old daughter, Whitley. Due to their evening arrival and early morning departure we arranged their first and last nights at Coffee River Cottage, not far from Melville Hall Airport on the NE coast. The balance of their stay was at Casablanca. They enjoyed Dominica so much that they are now considering purchasing property here.

 Hi
                                      Colin, 

                                      

                                      Let me express my overwhelming
                                      satisfaction with our
                                      stay in Dominica. Winston, Whitley
                                      and I had a blast! Staying at
                                      Coffee
                                      River Cottage for our first and
                                      last nights as you recommended was
                                      a wise
                                      choice. The accommodation there
                                      was charming, Sandra and Stephen
                                      were great
                                      hosts, very helpful and cordial,
                                      the beautifully landscaped grounds
                                      and the
                                      river....nature at its best.
                                      Casablanca was excellent for
                                      getting around to
                                      other parts of the island and the
                                      accommodation there also surpassed
                                      what we
                                      had anticipated. The view of the
                                      sea and the beautiful sunsets from
                                      that
                                      ridge was a plus. It was a
                                      pleasure meeting Ivor, very
                                      friendly. On behalf
                                      of my family I thank you for your
                                      excellent service and special
                                      thanks for
                                      the vehicle rental. You helped to
                                      make our stay on the island a
                                      comfortable
                                      one and I've already recommended
                                      your service and website to
                                      others. We will
                                      definitely be returning in the
                                      near future and will require your
                                      services
                                      again, hopefully sooner than
                                      later. Give my regards to Cecily
                                      and thank her
                                      for her helpful recommendations.
                                      Winston
                                      and I have a very keen interest in
                                      acquiring property on the island.
                                      

                                      

                                      Thanking you again and keep up the
                                      good work. 

                                      

                                      Regards,
                                      Kathy-Ann Clarke,
                                      Barbados

Jack is a recently retired electrical engineer from Guildford, Surrey, south east England. He has been visiting Dominica on vacation at least once a year for the past 15 years. His friend Paul, a partner in an exhibition lighting company in Guildford has joined him for the past 6 years. Though they have stayed at various lodgings, their favourite is Casablanca, where they have spent many winter visits of three to four weeks.

Casablanca: reflections of a regular visitor...

Set in a garden on a clifftop overlooking an impeccably blue and glassy sea, it is wonderful to return there when England is at its darkest. Early morning before breakfast a refreshing and peaceful swim beckons. The stately pelicans glide by to their cliff edge tree roosts or sometimes spectacularly dive for fish. After breakfast you can have a lazy day reading on the lawn under the shade of a mango tree or on the balcony. Alternatively, you can always find a previously unexplored waterfall, bay, river or mountain, according to your taste.

Shopping for provisions is not so easy unless you have a vehicle rental, which Colin always arranges for us. You can get practically anything in Whitchurch supermarket at Picard which is an easy half hour drive north. Locally you can get basic provisions, sometimes vegetables from Michel, the groundsman who keeps the lawn cut and farms an adjacent lot.

Jack Goody, December 2011.

The fact that you are looking at this site pre-empts my need to expand on the wonderful nature island of Dominica.
More to the point is where you might decide to settle and sleep after your day exploring the island.
I have been coming to

Dominica

for a number of years and the Villa Casablanca is my favourite destination after a day’s exploring.
The panoramic views along the West Coast from the garden at sunset takes some beating and you have plenty of time to wake up in the morning before the sun pops its head up from behind the hills beyond the Macoucherie Valley and Mero Village.
Should you decide on an early morning swim the beach at Mero is second to none and Salisbury beach is a 5 minute walk away.
Even if you decide to have a lazy day at Casablanca, the wildlife will come to you with pelicans passing your nose on the cliff edge, frigate birds soaring just above your head and a wealth of small birds and butterflies going about their days business in the garden.
After the glorious sunset the fireflies begin their display around the balcony to compliment the emerging stars and when all has finally settled into the night the reassuring sound of the lapping waves below you lulls you to sleep.
Should you need any advice on any aspect of Dominica Colin and Cecily who live just around the corner are a telephone call away for advice or recommendation with their vast experience of the island having lived out here for some 15 years.
So.... what are you waiting for!!!

Paul Hyldon, December 2011

Wil +Lily are Jamaicans who spent their adult lives in Canada but have decided to move back to the Caribbean. Jamaica, however, has become too unsafe. On visiting Dominica in 2009 they fell in love with the island and the following year purchased some riverside land on which to build their new home. On their most recent 2 week visit in May/June 2011 they stayed at Casablanca on the mid west coast. We also had a small Suzuki jeep rental awaiting them on arrival at the airport.

Hello
                                            Colin,

Dominica
is
                                          the ideal place for us to be,
                                          because we both love nature
                                          (the
                                          natural environment of
                                          Dominica is superb). One
                                                  of
                                                  Dominica's many
                                                  great assets is
                                                
                                                  it's clean water. Visiting
                                          Dominica has made us
                                          want to be a part of such a
                                          peaceful and pristine country
                                          and one with
                                          such wonderful people. Getting
                                            to meet your family was
                                            tremendous and it reminded
                                            us of our observations and
                                            experiences when
                                            we first visited Dominica in
                                            2009. For
                                            Lily and myself it would
                                            have been ideal to have met
                                            you both in 2010 and
                                            purchased property
                                            through Safe Haven. I must
                                            say I did get a lot of
                                            valuable information
                                            (and still do) on Dominica
                                            from the Safe Haven website.

Staying
                                                at Casablanca was great
                                                for us as we found the
                                                residence to be central
                                                to every part of
                                                Dominica and most
                                                important - clean,
                                                comfortable and
                                                extremely quiet.
                                                Sitting and looking at
                                                the ocean and observing
                                                the ships and fishing
                                                activity taking place
                                                was very relaxing (my
                                                binocular was a great
                                                asset). We enjoyed the
                                                beach below the cottage
                                                and also the walk to the
                                                wonderful beach in the
                                                village of Mero. The
                                                trip that you planned
                                                for a
                                                day in the hills beside
                                                the river will always be
                                                memorable (extremely
                                                relaxing). Our afternoon
                                                at DOMFESTA was
                                                entertaining and
                                                refreshing as
                                                we got to sample a bit
                                                of Dominica's culture.

                                          

I
                                                  am planning another
                                                  trip to
                                                  Dominica soon to meet
                                                  with our builder
                                                  and intend to stay
                                                  again at Casablanca. I
                                                  will be getting in
                                                  touch with
                                                  you when I have a
                                                  clearer picture as to
                                                  the time I can be
                                                  away.

                                            

Looking
forward
                                          to be there soon.

William and Lily

Nigel & Tania Harrison are from the south east of England and took their first Dominica vacation in February and March 2011, spending 3 weeks in 3 different parts of the island. First stop was Cherry Orchard Apartment in the Roseau Valley followed by a few days at Calibishie in the north then lastly, Casablanca on the mid west coast. We had a Courtesy jeep rental awaiting them on arrival at Dominica's Melville Hall Airport. Below are extracts from their detailed feedback.

Cherry Orchard
Apartment, Trafalgar
Village

Good afternoon Colin,

What did we think of Dominica? The island is a very beautiful place, we loved the vegetation, the rivers, waterfalls and valleys. It was really good to see crops growing that we haven't seen before i.e. banana, cocoa, coffee, sugar cane, pineapple, mango, coconuts (there were others we had no idea what they were). The rivers were so clear and we are always up for a good waterfall...Middleham was probably the most impressive that we saw. We did lots of snorkelling - the water was really clear most of the time with visibility about 30 - 40 meters. The people we found almost without exception to be friendly and helpful. People in the rural areas seemed to be the most friendly and even as we drove past would say hello or something similar (even when carrying the national all purpose tool...the machete). When we were walking one day we stopped to talk to a person who had obviously been working on the land and he immediately gave us some Grapefruit and refused to take anything for them.

The accommodation that we got though your good self was really good. Nelista (Cherry Orchard Apartment) was a really nice person and made us most welcome. The accommodation was great too. We would recommend it to friends. Ivor's place (Casablanca) is an ideal location and had everything that we wanted. We would go back there again (and to Nelista's). I know that Ivor went out of his way to ensure that we had our own undisturbed space. The pricing of the accommodation was good and the vehicle we had did the job and on some of the steep and rough roads the 4 wheel drive was very good.

Thanks for your help and assistance. Nigel