Fruits and veggies aren't a problem. There is a market every saturday morning from 6am till everything is sold out, usually before 8am. If you do not want to go to market, you can buy fresh fruits and veggies from the shacks or Dees just know it will cost you more for the convience. And bananas are dirt cheap! At market it's about 1 EC for anywhere between 8-16 bananas depending on who's selling them that day (There is no haggling for a better price). And just so you know how much that is in USD, $1 USD = $2.67 ECD. But if you buy them at the shacks or Dees it's about $2.50 ECD for 5-6 bananas. The food that is suggested to be brought by everyone is canned goods that they may or may not get here that you like and cereal because it costs about $10 USD per box!. Also don't expect to be eating much red meat. The majority of your protein will be chicken...yum.

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i'm a chicken type girl so that makes me happy. i don't mind going to the market. The reason canned goods was weird to me was we are only allowed 50 pounds and shipping myself canned goods seems odd, but i guess its normal to do it there.

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Great information about the foodstuffs. What about milk, I hear that is difficult to get on the island and sells out quickly. Fact or fiction? Wonderng, out loud... if it is worthwhile lugging your cereal boxes if you like to drown the product in milk? And, can you give some examples of canned goods... we talking beans, spaghetti sauce, canned fish, salad dressing, jalapenos, mac and cheese, spices? I take it the fish you buy at market isn't filleted or will they do that for you? And, cheeses? Any other food tips on what to lug down to compliment the fresh produce... Again, many thanks and Cheers!

Fresh milk IS rare here. I've only been living in Dominica since this past August but I've only seen real milk TWICE! There is parmalot alogn with soem other shelf milks and powdered milk. I have brought down cereal and I like th parmalot the best so I always stock up when I see some. As far as canned goods, you can get most of what you can in the US between the local grocery stores and the supermarkets in Roseau, the capital (about an hour away but there is a free bus from the school every Saturday morning). There is cheese on the island too, mostly chedder and mozzarella although others can be found occationally. The fish you buy at market is not filet but when they have the large fish, there are few bones to worry about. My best suggestion abotu food to bring is soemthing that I do. If you like red meat, bring a freezer bag with you on your carry on and when you get to Puerto Rico, There is a supermaket about 5 minutes from the airport called Pueblo. Take a cab there and back and you can stock up on all the meat you can fit into your freezer bag (make sure the size is still a carry on size). Buy about 6 instant icepacks and activate 3 right away. Throw another one in every hour or so to keep the meat cool. As long as you buy all meat with USDA approved sticker on it, you can bring it into Dominica! Also, if you're worried about icepacks gettign through security, I;ve noticed when you tell them this is all the meat you will get for the next 4 months, they tend to look the other way. I hope this helps!

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Do many students bring blankets to sleep with or is is always hot there during the day as well as night?

Some students bring blankets, but if you bring one make sure it is a light summer blanket. No need for a down comforter here!

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Bring any and all prescription and over the counter medications you will need while down in Dominica.

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Recommendations on how much bug spray to bring down and how strong a deet it should be. Anyone use cintronella candles on the island and if so, do they work? Thanks.

i actually bought off spray from BJ's. there are 4 cans to a pack and it has 25% deet

The latest studies show DEET to be "safe when used judiciously". The frequency and coverage necessary in Dominica could possibly be approaching a higher than normal amount and frequency in comparison to what folks apply intermittently during the summer here. I personally have better luck with the Avon Bug Gruard, which is DEET-free, repells as good as or better than DEET, and it smell great.

Citronella, spiked cosmetics and wrist bands fail to fend off mosquitoes for very long, if at all. The findings appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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