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Like most carnivals throughout the Caribbean region, Carnival in Dominica, known as Mas Domnik or “The Real Mas,” began as an annual celebration of the freedom of formerly enslaved people through dancing, singing, and masquerade.
Dominica’s Carnival celebrations have since evolved to include calypso competitions, village festivals, pageantry, and fetes. The carnival festivities conclude with street parades on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and a burial ritual called téwé vaval on the Kalinago People’s grounds, indicating the end of the carnival season and the beginning of Lent. After receiving the announcement that the Epic Carnival Cruise for Trinidad Carnival 2024 was canceled, my friends and I decided to go to Dominica for Mas Domnik.
If you didn’t know, Dominica, Trinidad & Tobago, Martinique, Curaçao, and several other Caribbean islands celebrate Carnival at the same time. Dominica has been on my list of islands to visit for the longest time, so it was a no-brainer for me to play mas with friends from the island.
This year, the Discover Dominica Authority announced 4635 visitors in attendance for Mas Domnik, a 12% increase from last year. As a traveler and Carnivalist, I long for authenticity when it comes to mas, and Dominica definitely has a unique flair. If you’re looking for an alternative to Trinidad Carnival, here’s my full Mas Domnik 2024 recap, including fetes, cost, and my experience playing mas with Fantacy Tribe.
Things to Know Before Traveling to Dominica
Visa Requirements
As a US citizen, no visa is required when traveling to Dominica if you visit for less than six months, have an onward or return ticket, and have accommodation confirmation.
Where to Stay in Dominica for Mas Domnik
The best area to stay in Dominica is the capital, Roseau. Hotels range from $140-600/night, and guesthouses, depending on the location, range from $60/night.
Recommended places to stay in Dominica are the Fort Young Hotel and Sutton Place Hotel in Roseau, Villa Copthall in Roseau Valley, or Jungle Bay Dominica in Soufriere. You can look at the interactive map for hotels and guest houses that meet your budget.
Language
The official language in Dominica is English, but most residents also speak Kwéyòl (Creole), a French-based patois.
Currency
The official currency in Dominica is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar or EC, but some shops in Roseau accept USD. Visa and Mastercard are also accepted, but cash is best when taking taxis and public transportation. Below was the exchange rate around the time of our trip:
$1 USD = $2.70 EC
$1 CAD = $2.01 EC
€1 EUR = $2.96 EC
£1 GBP = $3.47 EC
Traveling to Dominica from NYC
Visitors can fly directly to Dominica via American Airlines from Miami International Airport (MIA), San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU), or connect through other Caribbean travel hubs like Barbados (BGI), Trinidad & Tobago (POS), Antigua (ANU), and St. Maarten (SXM).
I booked a roundtrip flight from JFK to SJU on JetBlue and SJU to DOM on Silver Airways. Due to the large size and the fact that there was only one flight from Puerto Rico to Dominica, the people in my group had to wait up to a week before getting their luggage, which was frustrating and messed up our plans to attend certain fetes. We would have gone with a different airline if we had been aware of the extensive delay.
After an early morning flight and a delay in Puerto Rico due to inclement weather, we finally reached Dominica around sunset. We rode for two hours to our final destination in Loubiere.
Band Registration and Costume Distribution
For Mas Domnik 2024, we played with Fantacy Tribe, a fairly new band that offers a packaged carnival experience. There was much debate about which band to play with, but we ultimately went with Fantacy Tribe, which offered us the best value. Along with registering for Pretty Mas for Carnival Tuesday, Fantacy Tribe masqueraders receive entry to three additional events: j’ouvert and Monday t-shirt mas.
Fantacy Tribe’s theme for 2024 was Erratic Under the Weather, and our section was Overcast, designed by Lila Nikole. I registered for a backline costume with a wire bra and a small backpack for $700.
After spending a few days in Dominica, we picked up our carnival costumes for j’ouvert, Monday T-shirt mas, and Pretty Mas for Tuesday. Some of the people in our group had issues with sizing and missing items, but the Fantacy Tribe team was able to help us sort everything out before we left. I loved my costume’s color and design, but the quality could have been better. There were several occasions when I had to secure stones that fell off with glue. However, I could see myself repurposing this costume with a modified stone design. My friend and I traveled home with our backpacks using my Carnival Capsule and it held up very well. This was the second time using it and I was nervous because of the connecting flight, but everything came back in one piece.
In addition to our costumes and T-shirts for Lumi-Nation and Klubird, our mas bag included drink cups, wristbands, a pack of condoms, BB rum, sunglasses, a small fan, and snacks.
Mas Domnik Fetes
One thing that made Mas Domnik 2024 great for me was the fete experience. We planned on taking advantage of the fetes included with our Fantacy Tribe package but couldn’t due to a lack of transportation, issues with the luggage, and essentially feting too hard.
Drift
Our first fete on Carnival Friday was Drift, a boat ride experience leaving from the Bayfront. Unfortunately, this was my least favorite fete, as the music shut off within the first 15 minutes of sailing and took over an hour to come back on.
A mix of Hip-hop, R&B, Dancehall, Reggae, Soca, and Bouyon music played throughout the night, which brought variety, but since it was carnival season, I would have loved to hear more Bouyon.
Sunrise
Right after Drift, we walked over to the Stadium for Sunrise, a fete promoted by the Dominica Festivals Committee. Headliners included Asa Bantan, Problem Child, and Marzville. We also saw live performances by Signal Band. As a first-timer to the carnival and the island, I really enjoyed Sunrise as it provided a taste of what I was going to experience for the rest of my stay.
Viva La Carnival
Our crew went to a cooler fete called Viva La Carnival on Saturday night, a 10-minute drive from where we stayed, and my favorite fete for Mas Domnik 2024. We had VIP passes, which included drinks and a cabana. This option was convenient for us since it rained the whole fete.
Despite the rain, I was definitely drunk-ish, jumping and wining up the whole night as DJs Hollywood HP, Avalanche, and Cool Blaze played Soca and Bouyon hits. We also saw TK International perform.
Opulence Brunch
On Carnival Sunday, we missed Band Practice after sleeping in but made it to Opulence Brunch. This semi-inclusive fete included light bites and a performance from TK International. It was surprisingly good since it was the same promoters as the boat ride.
Pinknic
The last fete we went to later that evening was Pinknic in the Botanical Gardens. We got there a little after 9 PM, and although I purchased a VIP ticket, I don’t think I got a VIP experience. The process for getting drinks was confusing, and there was no separate section for us to go to.
Despite the confusion, we enjoyed what we could. Like the other fetes, there was a mix of reggae, dancehall, Bouyon, and soca playing before seeing Ezra D’Funmachine from St Lucia and Asa Bantan perform. The fete ended around midnight, and we took a short nap before getting ready for Lumi-Nation j’ouvert.
@msjoannae Dominica Part 2 #dominica #discoverdominica #dominicacarnival #masdomnik #masdomnik2024 #tiktoktravel #traveltiktok #caribbeantravel #carnivalist #fantacytribe #vivalacarnival #sunrisedominica ♬ WHO I AM – Asa Bantan
@msjoannae Mas Domnik Part 3 #masdomnik #dominicacarnival #discoverdominica #masdomnik2024 #traveltiktok #caribbeantravel #carnivaltok #luminationjouvert #pinknicdominica #dominicacarnival2024 ♬ She Wan That Ah – Ridge
Lumi-Nation J’ouvert
Lumi-Nation J’ouvert started at 12 AM at Windsor Park Stadium. We got there around 3 AM, got drinks, threw powdered paint, and jumped up to Signal Band and Asa Bantan’s performances. The truck left the stadium at sunrise, and we followed it down the road until 10 AM.
Carnival Monday: Klubird T-Shirt Mas
I am used to getting dressed after j’ouvert and heading back to meet the band on Carnival Monday, but we stayed in to rest a bit more and met with the band in the late afternoon and evening. To be on theme with my costume, I wore a royal blue bathing suit from En Voyage Swim for my Monday wear and kept my Klubird t-shirt as a sweat rag.
I really enjoyed the Monday mas experience at night since the cooler weather allowed us to move around more comfortably. When we reached the end of the Bayfront around 8:30 PM, we left Klubird to jump up with TK International’s band, Monday Madness, for the rest of the night.
Carnival Tuesday: On the Road with Fantacy Tribe
On Carnival Tuesday, after getting ready and finishing our makeup, we drove into town to meet the band right before lunch. Due to our “late” arrival, we didn’t see the traditional costume bands parade, including moko jumbies, black devils, and other characters. If this is important to you, mas with the traditional mas bands starts at 10 AM and lasts until noon.
On our way to the rest stop, we saw other masqueraders in their respective bands: Amneisa, Pulse, and Hysteria. For lunch, I had a fish meal that included rice, potato salad, breadfruit, and macaroni pie, and it was one of the best things I had on my entire trip to Dominica.
@msjoannae Carnival Monday and Tuesday #masdomnik #dominicacarnival #discoverdominica #masdomnik2024 #caribbeantravel #carnivaltok #fantacytribe #carnivalist ♬ Hold Your Liquor – Asa Bantan
Mas Domnik’s parade route is a continuous loop, and the Bayfront was the biggest space in Roseau for masqueraders to jump up. We initially stayed in front of the truck for judging purposes but moved toward the middle and back as the day progressed. A bonus for us being in the front was a drinks truck nearby for water, beer, and daiquiris.
There was a DJ playing soca favorites like Savannah Grass by Kes the Band, Nailah Blackman and Skinny Fabulous’ “Come Home,” and Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2024 Road March King Mical Teja’s “DNA,” but the crowd was energized by the sound of Bouyon music once the live bands started playing.
I love the concept of the carnival being for everyone, whether playing mas or not. At 6 PM, the ropes dropped, and non-masqueraders were able to jump in the band. It is important to note that the roads are small and it will get extremely crowded.
As some people in our group followed the trucks toward the end of the Bayfront, I stayed by the cruise port before returning to our house for the night.
Mas Domnik Cost
One thing that steers many people away from participating in Carnival is the cost, as it can be very expensive. For the eleven days spent in Dominica, I paid a little less than $2100, which included flights, food, transportation, fetes, and other miscellaneous items. That was almost half of what I paid for Trinidad Carnival 2023.
Depending on your length of stay, costume, and fetes, you can easily spend $3000 USD for Mas Domnik. This does not include spending money on food, getting around the island, finding things to do in Dominica outside the Carnival, transportation, and other emergencies. Below is a cost breakdown of what I spent in Dominica.
Flight From New York City (February 6-17): I used 27,100 points and spent $11.20 on the flight from NYC to Puerto Rico on Jet Blue and $550.93 from Puerto Rico to Dominica on Silver Airways.
Accommodations: $0. We did not pay for accommodations as I stayed with my friend’s family. However, the estimated costs for hotels and Guesthouses for a week in Dominica range from $300-1500 per person.
Fetes: $367.77. This was the cost for Drift, Viva La Carnival, Sunrise, Opulence Brunch, and Pinknic.
Transportation: – $270. This included our ride to and from the airport, taking public transportation the first two days, car rental, and tipping our driver
Costume: $700. For a backline costume with a small feathered backpack.
Miscellaneous: $130. This was the cost for a barrel shipped down that included food, drinks, other necessities, food purchased while we were out, and souvenirs.
Overall Mas Domnik 2024 Experience
For my first time playing mas in the Caribbean outside of Trinidad and Tobago, I enjoyed the experience. Dominicans have real energy and LOVE their Bouyon music. I also loved the live bands. I’m so used to DJs on the trucks during carnival, but the live music on the road stood out the most.
If you’re interested in participating in the Caribbean carnival experience in Dominica, save the dates for Mas Domnik 2025, slated for March 3rd and 4th, 2025.
Things to do in Dominica
Outside the carnival, we found things to do in Dominica, such as visiting Scotts Head, Mero Beach, Hot Springs in Soufriere, and Emerald Pool. If you’re interested, here are some places to visit in Dominica and resources for your trip planning:
If you found my Mas Domnik 2024 recap helpful, share it with your social community and pin it for future reference.
Read More Carnival Tips and Reviews
The Ultimate Planning Guide to Mas Domnik
Carnival Makeup Inspiration for the Road
A Guide to Attending Tobago Carnival
Have you been to Mas Domnik?
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