Authentic Caribe Indian Huts Deep in the Rainforest of Dominica

Quick summary: Roots is a beautiful, off-the-grid, resort in the heart of the rain forest with amazing food. It's in a great location to see the whole island. However, if you are looking for a vacation where you lay on the beach and have drinks brought to you all day, this is may not be the location for you.

More detail:
My wife and I (29 and 35 years old) just returned from 8 days in Dominica at Roots with Pat and Staci. In short, this was one of the top two vacations either of us have ever taken. Dominica is said to be the only island in the Caribbean that Columbus would still recognize and we now know why. It filled with lush rain forest, many rivers and waterfalls, and has a boiling lake, natural hot springs, and many beautiful black and white sand beaches... without another soul in sight. It is probably the last Caribbean island that has not yet been changed significantly by the tourist industry. Not only that, but the island is one of the safest areas in the world - both in terms of crime and in terms of natural dangers. There are no poisonous bugs, snakes, or other animals. Even in the rain forest, there are practically no mosquitoes or biting insects. After 8 days with no insect repellent, I came home with 3 mosquito bites.

About Roots lodging and location:
Simply put, Roots was everything we hoped for and Pat and Staci were the perfect hosts. Roots is positioned in the middle of the lush rain forest and was built in harmony with nature. Water for (water efficient) showers and composting toilets is from rain water collected off the roofs of the buildings. Buildings integrate seamlessly with the surrounding forest and are beautifully constructed with minimal impact their surroundings. The sound of the nearby Bamboo River and parrots and other birds can be heard in the background. We stayed in the newly-finished Arawak cabin and loved it. Despite what another reviewer said, we had plenty of privacy and never felt intruded on. Roots is pretty centrally located and is in a good location to serve as a home base to visit the rest of the island. If you are staying more than a week or so, it may be more efficient to split your visit between roots and another resort in the south or northeast of the island.

About Roots food:
Staci is a trained chef and her food is almost worth the trip to Dominica on its own. We ate at several other restaurants on the island and felt we had wasted those meals because Staci's cooking was so good. She uses mainly vegetable

My family and I had an unforgetable vacation at Roots Jungle retreat. We stayed in one of the traditional Kai Pai for a week and enjoyed every aspect of our vacations. The accomodation was very confortable, extra clean and also it is simple, it offers everything you need for a family to enjoy good time together. The huts are surrounded by the beauty of nature, and everywhere you look is just tropical flowers and greenery. We loved spending time on the terrasse listening to the sound of the river and my 10 years old daughter even forgot about her video games ! I must say that the best part of it was the owners themselves. Staci and Pat are wonderful people and we truly felt like family as soon as we arrived. They gave us all the necessary infos to discover Dominica, recommanded the perfect guides and we learned a lot about the island and its population thanks to them. Staci is a fantastic cook, and we miss her cakes and her home made bread !! Pat is great with kids and he is the best pirate story teller ever! I really recommand Roots Jungle Retreat, for the beauty of the location as well as the good heart of its owners. Sasha, Yoann and Loane from St Maarten. FWI

From the hospitality, delicious cuisine, adventurous exploration to comfy accomodations, my husband and I truly felt that Roots Jungle Retreat was the perfect getaway we needed. We are in awe of how we could enjoy such service in the jungle. Our mornings were filled with scrumptous food from Staci's kitchen, then we'd make a plan of action (Pat and Staci would either take us on a trip or they'd direct us where we wanted to go) then when we came back, there was an amazing feast awaiting us, always with fresh bread and to die for desserts! After the rehashing of our day's excursions as well as listening to Pat's hilarious stories and sharing great conversation with the other guests- we'd retire to our lodge and read or play board games. There was always something fun to do. I regret not making enough time to wander the property more and go on hikes right from our front door. The onsite waterfall and swimming hole is secluded and beautiful. Totally a romantic getaway but when we wanted, we could socialize with the other guests and of course Pat and Staci were not only helpful, but so FUN to hang out with. We love Roots! We will tell our friends and family and come back for a visit.