One Week in The Dominican Republic
I never really imagined traveling to the Dominican Republic - I don’t know why, but it was never on my radar. But in 2022, the World Surf League has finally restarted the Qualifying Series contests (which my husband Shaun competes on) and they announced a contest in Cabarete, on the north side of the DR. I started to do some research, and even though flights were a bit expensive, I thought why not go spend a week in the Caribbean sunshine?
How to Use the Barbados Bus System
The Barbados public bus system is intimidating, confusing, and then—suddenly— awesome!
The Bathsheba Rock Pools
The East Coast of Barbados is worlds away from bustling Bridgetown and the tourist-centric South Coast. It's an incredibly quiet town abounding with locals, and remains true to its roots of genuine Bajan charm. However, the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast does not mirror its Caribbean counterpart of picturesque, calm turquoise waters... The coastline in Bathsheba is rough and uninviting to swimmers, with strong surf and an intimidating reef/coral bottom. Luckily, the rocky shores create a handful of nature-made pools for the timid swimmer like myself to still take a dip!
Snorkel Trip in Carlisle Bay, Barbados
Carlisle Bay is a mile-long white sands beach known as a snorkel haven with incredibly clear turquoise water. There's plenty of wildlife with endless soft reefs, tropical fish, sea turtles, black urchins, and moray eels. However, the real crowd-pleaser is the handful of shipwrecks less than a mile offshore. Watch the two minute GoPro video of our experience >>
An Honest Review of Our Airbnb in Martinique
We stayed at an Airbnb in Sainte-Marie, Martinique while we were visiting for the Martinique Surf Pro. Budget nightly rate, basic (but sufficient) accommodation and dozens of great reviews. What could go wrong? Well, hundreds of mosquito bites, several power outages, and an unreachable/unresponsive host. At least the garden is pretty, though.
Basse-Pointe, Martinique Surf Pro
Typically, our travel destinations are determined by surf competition locations. This Caribbean getaway was no exception! We came to Martinique for the Martinique Surf Pro which Shaun competed in. The contest was held at a remote point break in Basse-Pointe, on the northern end of the French West Indies' island of Martinique. The northern half of the island is rugged with jungle and rocky cliffs, sprinkled with tiny towns every few miles.