Tia's, a laid-back, calm and friendly place, where you can soak in hot sulphur pools under cocoa and nutmeg trees (and stay in bamboo cottages) is an ideal place to unwind and recharge. It is one of four places in the village of Wotten Waven that has hot sulphur pools (see previous article). Each of the four differs- Tia's is the one I kept going back to and then made my base at, while exploring the island.
The path winds down through gardens to the stream below.
On the way down, there is a bamboo hut with a private hot pool (charged out at US$5 per person per hour- otherwise the outdoor hot pools are the same price for as long as you want to stay).
This is the top indoor private hot pool, with the hottest water.
My personal favourite is the outdoor hot pools, bordering the tumbling stream in a secluded tranquil spot. In the day, you look up at cocoa trees and banks of ferns and at night you watch the steam rise from the water and the constellations shine.
The St Vincent and Grenadines Under 15 Cricket Team dropped in one afternoon during the 2011 Windward Islands cricket tournament. Despite having been bowled out for 52 runs by Grenada (and broadcast on the Dominica national news), the guys seemed pretty cheerful. The sulphur hot pools experience was a first for them- St Vincent, mountainous and volcanic in nature, is less geologically active than Dominica.
Here are the friendly Tia and Bernadette, who own and manage the place.
There is a bar and restaurant up at the top.
Where you can look out over the forest and hear the stream below. A cold beer after a hot sulphur bath is always welcomed and Tia's sister, Vernell, makes a great freshly-squeezed grapefruit juice.
One of their specialities at dinner time is Callalou, a delicious and healthy Dominican stew made of reduced spinach, parsley, okra and coconut milk with chunks of carrots, sweet potato, tania (a local root vegetable similar to a taro), dumplings and smoked chicken. In this photo is Tia coming back from his vegetable garden with carrots, parsley (for the night's Callalou) and lettuce.
There are four bamboo huts in the gardens, covered by creepers and looking out over the stream.
Double huts cost US$65 per night and the family hut (king-sized bed plus a bunk bed) is US$120. They are comfortable, simple and natural. For those staying, the hot pools can be used at free will.
Further information on http://www.avirtualdominica.com/tiasbamboocottages/
