Dominica is a nation that truly embraces nature. 60% of its land is covered in forest and the island also contains six national parks and reserves, one of which – Morne Trois Pitons National Park – was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. Dominica’s small size, relative isolation and lack of large invasive species makes a wildlife-spotting trip here a world away from a stereotypical safari. The largest land mammals are the manicou – a type of possum – and the agouti, a relative of the guinea pig.
Dominica is one of only two places in the world where one can see the giant ditch frog (also known as the mountain chicken) in the wild, while snakes and lizards climb through the country’s trees and a variety of bats and birds fill the skies. In addition to herons, hawks and hummingbirds, keep an eye out for the magnificent multi-coloured plumage of the Sisserou parrot, a species endemic to Dominica which serves as its national bird and appears on the country’s flag.