Eco Trip

The next afternoon, we returned to Papillote. A rain shower had swept through, leaving the blood-colored ginger lilies, dark green elephant ears and purple orchids glistening. Two bright green hummingbirds were catching a nip of nectar in the last gasp of sunlight. The soothing warm waters of one of the natural springs splattered in an outdoor bath.

I recalled the pronouncement that Mr. Rochester, a character in Dominican-born writer Jean Rhys's novel "Wide Sargasso Sea," delivered about the island. "Too much blue, too much purple, too much green. The flowers too red, the mountains too high, the hills too near."

To that I would add, too short. Five days on this island was way too short.

Details: Dominica

GETTING THERE: There is no direct service to Dominica from D.C., and many itineraries have two connections, such as US Airways's $683 round-trip flight from Dulles, via Charlotte, N.C., and St. Maarten. I flew American from Dulles to Gaudeloupe, via San Juan, for $590, then took a ferry from Guadeloupe for $80 each way.

WHERE TO STAY: The Papillote Wilderness Retreat (767-448-2287, www.papillote.dm), above the Roseau River Valley about five miles from Roseau, has one of the lushest gardens I've seen in the Caribbean. The rooms could use an overhaul but are worth the $95 double rate. Meal plans, including breakfast and dinner, are $35 a day extra. The Sutton Place Hotel (25 Old St., 767-449- 8700, www.avirtualdominica.com/sutton.htm; $95) is an elegantly furnished boutique hotel in Roseau.

Budget travelers who want the full-tilt nature experience should try the 3 Rivers Dominica (767-446-1886, www.3riversdominica.com), near Rosalie. Rates for ecologically friendly cottages start at $70.

In Guadeloupe, La Case A Miel (011-590-590-929-266) offers one- and two-bedroom cabins in Trois Rivieres. The basic units have kitchenettes and great sea views, and a lovely shop sells honey products next door. Rates from about $40 a night.

WHERE TO EAT: Celebrate a special occasion at the Sutton Grille, in the Sutton Place Hotel in Roseau, where a dinner of grilled fish or chicken, calloloo soup and rum punch goes for around $70 for two. For more basic fare, try World of Food, inside Vena's Guest House (48 Cork St., Roseau). For lunch, a grilled fish sandwich and orange juice cost around $4.

INFO: Dominica Tourist Office, 888-645-5637, www.dominica.dm. Or see www.avirtualdominica.com, a private tourism Web site. -- Gary Lee