Since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to go to the Caribbean. Perhaps inspired by the Bacardi ads or James Bond movies from childhood? But that part of the world has always been my dream destination.

When Marcel and I got married in 2001, our plan was to become scuba diving instructors in the Caymans, or another island nearby. Practicality and other reasons helped us choose The Netherlands instead, but the dream didn’t fade. Both of us wanted to go.

What better reason than a 40th birthday? On 1st of March I was born four decades ago. Wow. What a thought. It used to sound so old …

After a lot of surfing (on the net) we finally decided on the Catalonia Royal Bavaro in Punta Cana on the Dominican Republic and booked a two week stay.

Just before we left, Marcel made a last minute purchase … a Pentax Optio W60 underwater digital camera. What a good decision, it kept him occupied for hours while I splashed about making waves in the clear turquoise water. Marcel enjoyed the challenge of trying to capture the best underwater shots.

I was really impressed with the wide angle and the shots we could take. So we´ll probably need to invest in yet another Tamron lens for the “big” Pentax at some stage. Sigh! Does it ever end?

Catalonia Bavaro has two parts to it, the normal family resort on the left side, and the Royal resort on the right hand side, where no children are allowed. We don’t have kids so it was a no-brainer for us. Peace and quiet when we wanted, and a quick walk to the buzz if we missed it.

This was the best holiday we’ve ever had. It ticked all of our boxes. We really didn’t want to leave. As soon as we can afford it again … we’re on the next plane over.

Muy bien! Gracias.