A magical trip up the Indian River, just south of Portsmouth, Dominica.

No motors are allowed, so aside from the clicking of camera and the clunking of the oars, there was silence as we splashed lazily up river, searching for herons fishing for crabs in the shallows and secretive little birds nesting in thick undergrowth.

The boat cruised gently through the narrow, dark waterways, winding its way between twisted buttress roots. Little creatures plopped into the water and scuttled away into the shadows. The heavens opened to soak us and we clustered underneath plastic sheets, enthralled by the mystery of the place.

A stop at the Bush Bar for a tour of the local rums and other produce, before strolling through the beautiful gardens out the back and a section of the Waitakubuli Trail, and then it was time to get back into the boat and paddle back to the real world.

I wanted to stay there, in the thick air and the tangling magic.

Original painting in oil on canvas, measures 20cm x 20cm and is painted on the sides in cobalt blue, which reflects against the offset white wooden frame. This painting is already framed and ready to hang a little tropical sunshine on your wall.

Original painting 20cm x 20cm, oil on canvas, framed in a white wooden frame, and ready to hang.

Batibou Beach - such a glorious place to stop for a quick drink and a snack - or the whole day.

Turquoise waters, soft sand and a little cafe and shop where they sell delicious things (including some homemade cream punch which had more punch than cream!) in the shade of the hot Dominican sunshine.

Peace and quiet, lapping water and rustling palm leaves. Bliss.

The sides of this painting are painted in an emerald shade of green which reflects against the offset white wooden frame.

We had hiked up and down hill, through thick mud and sticky jungle, and eventually slithered down a bank to be greeted by crystal clear water running gaily over a small waterfall, creating a perfect - and very deep - pool.

We all jumped - for me, the fear was very real - the fifteen feet or so into the fresh water, which makes you sink fast if you are used to the buoyancy of salty water. And then we all sat around the edge of the pool and enjoyed the sunshine and the sparkles. Some got out to jump again. I sat and watched, playing with my feet in the current like a child.

The Dominican men are often broad-shouldered, strapping and disarmingly handsome. Our guide was no exception.

Original painting in oil on canvas measures 20cm x 20cm. The sides of the canvas are painted in magenta, which reflects on the inside of the white wooden frame. This painting is framed and ready to hang a little tropical magic and Dominican charm in a corner of your home.

Night falls fast in the Caribbean. If you go ashore in daylight and get sidetracked by rum punches or maybe a delicious BBQ, then it’s going to be dark by the time you head back to your dinghy and you want to hope that you have remembered a torch of some kind…

After just one of those afternoons that slipped into an evening that turned into dancing and chatting to strangers that became friends, we returned to our dinghy to go back to Cesarina. This was the view from the dinghy dock jetty in Prince Rupert Bay, Portsmouth in Dominica, looking north.

We had padded back down the beach, through pools of light in the shallows and deep shadows. There are a couple of bars and tiny restaurants, strung with palm fronds and fairy lights and flags from all around the world. Locals and sailors lounge about, sucking on cigars or fat reefers. The air is alive with insects and bats and the soft throb of creole beats.

Dominica is a special place. Even by night, the beauty of this place is overwhelming and the sky is alight with a billion stars. As we moved away from the bar, we could hear the chirrup of the tree frogs and I swear you can hear them if you lean in to this painting.

This original painting in oil on canvas measures 20cm x 20cm unframed. The sides of this painting are painted in ultramarine blue and the colour reflects on the offset white wooden frame. This painting is already framed and is ready to hang on your wall to bring a little Caribbean night magic into your home.