Practical information for visiting Dominica

The currency is the East Caribbean dollar, XCD, issued since 1965 and pegged at 2.70 to the US dollar since 1976; the tourism authority quotes EC$2.67 to US$1 at the counter and says businesses everywhere accept US dollars, pounds and euros, and the Canadian advisory confirms US dollars and euros are widely taken. Most tourism businesses -- hotels, restaurants, tour operators, car hire -- accept Mastercard, Visa and American Express. Banks open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 8 to 5 on Friday, closed Saturday; shops 8 to 4 on weekdays with a lunch hour, and 8 to 1 on Saturday. The park and trail fees are quoted in US dollars. Taxi fares can usually be paid in US dollars. Tipping and ATM coverage are not summarised here because no authority page opened for this page spoke to them.

Both advisories rate Dominica as needing normal precautions. Petty crime -- pickpocketing, bag-snatching, theft from vehicles -- occurs, robberies and violent assaults have happened near tourist facilities, and crime rises around Carnival in February or March and the World Creole Music Festival in October; avoid unpatrolled beaches and isolated areas after dark, carry a photocopy of the passport page, use licensed taxis, and keep valuables in the hotel safe. Women alone may meet harassment, and sexual assaults occur.

The hills and the water: the Boiling Lake is heated by magma, steam explosions happen and the water can return to the boil without warning, swimming in it is prohibited and it is to be visited only with an experienced guide -- the UK advisory says to check with guides or the Office of Disaster Management before setting out. Do not leave marked trails. Coastal currents are stronger than they look, rip tides are common and most beaches have no lifeguard; dive operators may not meet international standards, so check equipment and insurance.

Roads and power: narrow, steep, unlit roads, a landslide-prone airport highway to be avoided at night, and power cuts several times a day, sometimes for hours, even in Roseau. Nature: hurricane season June to November, earthquakes with frequent tremors, a tsunami risk within minutes of a nearby quake, and wildfires in dry spells.

Call 999 for an ambulance. The advisories list dengue, chikungunya and Zika as risks, so use repellent, cover up and sleep under a net where rooms are not fully enclosed; a yellow-fever certificate is required only if arriving from a transmission-risk country. Insurance should cover local treatment and medical evacuation, and the Canadian advisory suggests a travel health kit away from Roseau. The Boiling Lake trail is six hours of steep, hot walking through sulphur steam that scalds; go with a guide, with water, and early. Hospitals, pharmacies and tap water are not summarised here because no authority page opened for this page spoke to them.

Camouflage: it is illegal for anyone, children included, to wear army or camouflage clothing or carry items made of it. Drugs: severe penalties, jail or heavy fines; pack your own bags. Driving: left-hand traffic, the 30-day temporary permit, and a 50-milligram drink-drive limit that one drink can breach, with the licence confiscated on the spot if the police suspect you. Entry: six months' passport validity and an onward ticket. LGBT+ travellers: the UK advisory describes attitudes as mostly conservative, still lists certain same-sex acts as illegal, and warns of unwanted attention for public affection.

Manners are courteous and, the culture article says, British in their etiquette and bureaucracy: greet before asking, dress modestly away from the water, and expect Sunday to be quiet on a Catholic island. In the Kalinago Territory ask before photographing people and buy the baskets from the makers. Tipping and drone rules are not summarised here until they have been read on an authority's page.

Emergency numbers: 999 for police, fire and ambulance.

Consular: no Canadian office on the island; Canadian Citizen Services by web form or on 1-246-629-3550, and Global Affairs Canada's emergency line at any hour. Natural hazards: hurricane season June to November with the Government Information Service and the Office of Disaster Management issuing local instructions; earthquakes and tsunami risk; wildfires in dry periods; steam explosions at the Boiling Lake. Power: outages several times a day are normal; keep the phone charged and a torch to hand.