After very steep but short climb we arrived to a beautiful grounds of Manicue River. Our bungalow was half open, but very private and had amazing view. We were the only ones staying there for the most time and had 2 wonderful ladies cook us breakfast and dinner every day. The meals were delicious and they were able to adjust menus to our taste. That was our highlight of beautiful Dominica island

We stayed at Manicou River for a week earlier this month and loved it. We woke up to a beautiful view every morning, followed by dramatic sunsets in the evening. Living in an open air treehouse-like cottage high up on the hill was a unique, wonderful, and tranquil experience – off the beaten path, private and quiet.

The bed was comfortable, the shower hot, the staff helpful, and the food fabulous: we ate breakfast and dinner there every day we were there, and it was like having a private chef since we were the only guests for more than half the time we were there.

What convinced me to book with Manicou, in addition to their photos and website, was a detailed TripAdvisor review from July 2021 (“So different! So fun! GO!) – and we pretty much had the identical experience on all counts, so I recommend reading that review also. One update is that while we were there, they reconnected WiFi to the cottage, which was convenient.

We also rented a 4WD car, which Manicou helped us secure, and enjoyed the flexibility of being able to come and go as we pleased. Manicou’s driveway – and driving in Dominica in general – is a bit of an adventure, as the roads are narrow, often very windy and steep with deep drainage ditches on the side – plus they drive on the left. Not for the faint of heart, but we got used to it.

We did daytrips both in the north of the island near Manicou and in the center and south. We enjoyed two local beaches: Tanetane beach and Batibou Beach (and the Keepin’ It Real beach restaurant); our guided nature/birding outing with Dr. Birdy was a highlight as well; and we did some amazing hiking in the center of the island, e.g. at Freshwater Lake. That same day we also went to Titou Gorge and the Ti Kwen Glo Cho hot springs in Wotten Waven, which was great after hiking. A quirky favorite at the southern end of the island was the Bubble Beach Spa in Soufriere - which is nowhere near as fancy as it sounds but we still got a kick out of it, much more so than Champagne Beach, plus there is a beautiful 18th century church right behind it.

Manicou is beautiful. The view from on high is awe inspiring. Recently retired, we wanted to escape, to get away, to relax and just wind down a bit, and we did. There are exactly 2 wholly separate, private, open-air eco “cottages” at Manicou. We were in 1, the other was empty. There were 2 young ladies staying on property to look after our every need. That’s 2 guests and 2 staff; an incredibly nice service ratio! VIP treatment.

To start, let me say that all of the pre-travel communication and questions were handled VERY professionally and quite promptly. Nice.

Manicou arranged for our arrival transportation. Manicou met us upon arrival. Manicou settled us in, and Manicou cooked and fed us a delicious, multi-course, home cooked meal late, after we’d traveled all day. We watched the sun set during dinner, from their open-air restaurant, and then turned in.

The bed is very comfortable. We used the Manicou supplied mosquito netting and had no issues. We fell asleep with cool breezes, to a symphony of frogs, birds and insects. I do not sleep well, typically get between 5 and 6 hours, but I slept 9 1/2 hours on our 1st night, 9 hours every other. A miracle.

Manicou’s restaurant is maybe 25 yards from the cottage. We walked down to find an absolute smorgasbord of tropical fruits, fresh squeezed juices, fresh baked bread, and to-order eggs, plus coffee of course. All with a hummingbird flying in, out and about.

We rested, read and relaxed our 1st full day in Dominica. Kayola and Yoli prepared us meals, on our schedule, and those meals were impressive. Each dinner consisted of an appetizer, a main course, 3 or 4 sides made from Manicou grown fruits and vegetables, and a dessert. These girls made us ice cream, they grilled pineapple, they produced multiple layered cakes and they made everything from scratch..

We were taken care of. Manicou arranged for drivers and tours. We went on a river tour and a birding tour. Both favorites.

On our 3rd day we ready to venture out on our own. Manicou arranged to have a rental car delivered. The wife and I drove to Batibou Beach and to Keepin It Real restaurant. Both are “must do’s”. The driving is different. The roads are in good shape but you are on the left and the roads are narrow. The good news is, Waze works in Dominica.

We stayed 6 nights. I read 2 books and spent countless hours bird watching, all without moving a muscle.

Our cottage had a kitchen, but we never cooked. We just could not find a reason to do so, what with the meals Manicou was producing.

The sunsets are right there. We had intermittent rain during our week, but we never got wet, actually enjoyed the showers and saw maybe a dozen rainbows.

Hopefully this review is pretty glowing, cause we were blown away with how nice Manicou, and the Manicou staff were. GO.

Notes: Manicou is open-air, so at night, when you turn a light on, it will attract moths. We had a lizard living over on a side wall. He was pretty and he minded his own business - a good guy. The cottage had electricity, but no WiFi. WiFi was available in the restaurant. Dominica is not a rich country. They’ve pretty much recovered from Maria 3 1/2 years ago and Covid absolutely devastated their tourism, but they’re opening up, the island is lush and beautiful, and the people are very nice and friendly.