Retreat-Holidays
Programme: The garden of creation
Retreat leader:
Dr Stephanie Rybak
Director of Retreat-Holidays
Programme
Day 1: Fly to Antigua - stay at Mount Tabor Retreat Centre
Day 2: Go to the beach at Half-Moon Bay, Antigua
Day 3: Go to another of Antigua's 365 beaches (either Carlisle Bay or Turner's Bay)
Day 4: Fly to Dominica - Stay at Holy Redeemer Retreat Centre
Day 5 - Day 11: Retreat-holiday on the theme of "The Garden of Creation".
The programme has not yet been finalised, but we are planning to include the excursions shown below, along with some quiet days spent enjoying the tropical gardens and rainforest around the retreat centre.
Day 12: free day
Day 13: Fly to Antigua and stay overnight.
Day 14: A last day in Antigua and then to the airport for the flight home.
Day 15: Arrive back in the UK in the morning.
Excursions
Excursion 1: Soufriere and Scotts Head
Soufriere Bay, where a hot sulphur spring bubbles up into the sea through volcanic vents within this circle of stones:
Just behind Soufriere beach is the Church of St Mark, with attractive wall paintings depicting village life:
On this excursion, we also plan to visit and (for those who wish) climb the peninsular of Scotts Head:
Excursion 2: The Carib Territory and the Emerald Pool 
The Caribs were the original inhabitants of the island. Today, they live in a reservation in the east of the island and make their living in great part by selling handicrafts to visiting tourists. We shall be visiting their cultural village, Kalinago Barana Aute, which shows the traditions and former way of life of the Carib people. There is a circular trail to follow, with viewpoints, a pool beneath a waterfall where you can bathe and various Carib huts with examples of canoes and demonstrations of cassava processing. As this is a longer excursion, lunch is not included, but there are places in the village to buy food.
On the way back, we shall visit the most popular of all Dominica's sites of natural beauty: the Emerald Pool, on the northern edge of the National Park.
Excursion 3: Whale-watching boat trip
A half-day boat trip. We can't guarantee that the whales will turn up, but they generally do! We may also see some dolphins.
Excursion 4: Beach
Relax and bathe off one of the black-sand beaches in the south of the island.
Excursion 5: Aerial Tram through and above the rainforest
The aerial tram gives a 70-minute ride in an open gondola through and above the canopy of trees in the rainforest bordering the Morne Trois Pitons National Park. A guide tells you about the trees, flowers and birds around you. For most of the trip, the gondola travels at about 70 feet above the ground, but the drop is a lot more when crossing spectacular Breakfast River Gorge! See more about the Aerial Tram by clicking here.
All arrangements are subject to change.
Dominica is a fairly poor country. We have links with a project providing help to the schools there. For further information, go to
www.show-me-wow.com
Holy Redeemer Retreat House
Dominica dates, price and flights
