The Best Is Yet To Come

Athie Martin (left) is pictured here with a guest from Canada who came with his family.

Along with his wife, Fae, Atherton (Athie) Martin owns Exotica Cottages in Dominica. Athie is both an internationally recognized environmental management consultant and a musician. Everyone seemed to gravitate to Athie to engage him in conversation. His passion for the ecological and economical well-being of his country helped me to understand what it takes to maintain Dominica's pristine beauty. He clearly had thoughtful and ambitious plans for the future of Exotica.
While we were at Exotica, Athie was often off during the day either attending an environmental conference or recording music with his fellow musicians. A former government minister for agriculture and planning, Athie travels throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and other international locations when the global environment is the topic. At home in Dominica, Athie may be found working to preserve and enhance the future of his beloved country or playing the pan (steel drums) throughout the island and for his guests at Exotica Cottages.

Lullaby In Birdland

During our stay, there were other guests at Exotica who came just to hike about and go bird watching. I did not have to go far - I saw many bulfinches and hummingbirds while I sat in the lounge chairs on our porch.

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Many times, after exploring Dominica and taking hundreds of photographs, I couldn't help but relax my shutter finger and nap on our porch while my new husband claimed his time with the cameras.

You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

Tangering cottage, our home for our week stay in Dominica.
Each cottage is crafted from local materials and each is given its own character by local craftsmen. French doors open onto the porch allowing us to sit in the living room but still see the gardens and feel the breeze.

What A Wonderful World

Exotica is a tribute to its environment--
organic, lush and focused on sustainability.
The owners and hosts, Fae and Athie Martin, obviously appreciate the world they live in and work hard to make it work for them without taxing its resources or contaminating its purity.

Organic Gardens.

Solar Panels.

It Might As Well Be Spring

This lovely tree in front of the Pomegranate cottage is called Snow On The Mountain. It smells like honey and drives the bees crazy. I was told by Fae that it is related to the poinsettia.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Lush. Inviting.
This path lured us to leave our cottage and wander the grounds.
At the top of the property, from this grassy embankment we could look out over the garden to the ocean.

Lovely Day

The mountains of this volcanic island are full of steamy hot springs.
One morning in the garden I was gifted with this serene view.

Oh, What A Beautiful Morning!

Every breakfast Fae fixed us her own specially blended coffee and a bowl of fresh fruit from the garden. She graciously sent some of her coffee home with us. I don't know if we could have coped with not having it. Now we can ween ourselves off of it slowly before we just have to go back and get more.

True Colors

The grounds at Exotica were so much fun to wander with a camera.
Vibrant colors on both flora and fauna were everywhere I looked.
Although I spent much of my vacation exploring the island, I made sure to spend at least one relaxing day exploring Exotica, taking pictures, sitting in the grass eating oranges.

Some Enchanted Evening

The Sugar Apple Cafe shines at dinnertime.

We took walks in the glow of the moon and soft lights along the paths.

A view of our cottage at night with the ocean beyond.

I Woke Up In Love This Morning

This was the view from the front porch of my cabin, Tangerine, on the first morning that I woke up at Exotica. I wish I could wake up to this every day.

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Caribbean sweet potatoes, pigeon peas and rice, eggplant and the best curried chicken in this hemisphere. Fae prepares such outstanding dinners that were this my very last meal ever, I would be content.

Seeds of Love

Just outside the Sugar Apple Cafe, Fae plants a garden for use in her cooking. The salads Fae made from the lettuce and vegetables in this garden were so good. The lettuce was fresh and the arrugula was spicy.

Let the Sunshine In

This is the secluded, rainforest view from the bedroom window of Tangerine cottage.
Dominica has no predators or annoying insects, so we felt free to just leave the windows open to the breeze, night and day.

Heart & Soul

Fae truly is the heart and soul of Exotica.
She makes the gardens grow and made me feel like family.

Tangerine Dream

Exotica has seven cottages, each with a a living room, kitchen and front porch as well as sleeping quarters. We stayed in the Tangerine cottage. Each cottage is named after a fruit or nut tree that grows in front of it. The other cottages are Cashew, Soursop, Pomegranate, Tamarind des Indes, Carambola, Pommerac and the Sugar Apple.