Who we are
Good day and welcome! We’re Kris and Whealan — partners in life, creativity, and adventure.
Whealan grew up in Dominica, with its mountains, rivers, and the unshakable rhythm of the Nature Island. I (Kris) am from North Carolina, but my heart has always been drawn to places where life feels connected — where the air, the land, and the people move in harmony. Together, we’ve built a life between the Caribbean and the U.S., blending our roots with a shared love for travel, creativity, and living with intention.
When we’re not here, we’re in St. Croix, running ib designs, our jewelry studio and store. Just as our jewelry carries meaning beyond the material, this cottage carries a spirit beyond the walls. It was built on family land, with love and care, and has always been our place to return to for peace, inspiration, and grounding.
For us, being here is about more than just a getaway. It’s about space. It’s about breath. It’s about letting the pace of the island remind us what really matters. Waking up to the hush of morning mist, breathing in the scent of fruit trees, and feeling time slow as the rainforest stretches out around you.
We’ve come to see this place as a sanctuary — where we can breathe deeply, reconnect with nature, and remember ourselves. And now, we’re opening that sanctuary to you.
Our hope is that your stay offers not just comfort, but renewal. That you find quiet moments on the porch, laughter with loved ones under the stars, and the kind of spaciousness that stays with you long after you leave.
This is more than our home away from home. It’s a place of belonging, of pause, of presence. We’re grateful to share it, and we can’t wait for you to feel the same warmth and wholeness we feel each time we return.
Kai Island Home Stay
In Kwéyòl — the Creole French still spoken in homes, markets, and among friends across Dominica — the word “Kai” means home. Not a house in the ordinary sense, but a small, grounding place where family gathers, meals are shared, and life flows with ease.
Kai Island Home Stay was created in that spirit. These two cottages sit on family land, surrounded by fruit trees and open skies, a space where you can breathe deeply and feel rooted. Here, “home” means more than walls and a roof. It means belonging. It means spaciousness. It means a pause in the rush of the world outside.
Dominica itself carries the essence of Kai. The island speaks in both English and in its lyrical Patwa — a living language woven from French, African, and Carib influences. It’s in the greetings at the market, in the rhythm of music carried on the wind, in the everyday moments that remind you you’re somewhere both timeless and alive.
We chose the name Kai Island Home Stay because this place is not just for sleeping — it’s for arriving. For stepping into a slower rhythm, breathing with the land, and letting nature reset your senses. Whether you come with friends, family, or on your own, our wish is that you feel the warmth of Kai — a home that welcomes you, holds you, and sends you back into the world renewed.
Contact us
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly. We can’t wait to hear from you!