Jan 01 2009
Scoping Out Cabarete as an Online Working Destination
First up, happy New Year to everyone! I had a great night here in Gonaives, Haiti after a bit of a crazy day getting back here that you can read about on Wanderstruck if you like.
Sorry I haven’t written in a little while, I’ve been taking a break from the mud and have just returned from a week in the Dominican Republic in a small tourist town called Cabarete. The place is everything someone who has been in Haiti for two months could want – easy, organized, stocked with great food and drink options, and equipped with a beautiful sandy beach to relax our sore bones on.
I left the computer behind and enjoyed a week of doing nothing but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t considering it as a possible working destination. On the plus side you have the beauty of the place, cafes and hotels equipped with reasonably fast wifi, lots of people around and decent nightlife, plenty of activities to keep you busy when you want to escape the internet, and a large number of rental options from hotels to apartments to a surf camp hostel.
On the downside, Cabarete is very touristy and accommodation is expensive and food was a lot more than I expected. I attempted to find accommodation on the internet but couldn’t find much for less than $17 to $20 per night. Once we arrived in town we found a place smack in the middle of the action and across the road from the beach for $10 per person. Cheap by most standards but not the bargain that Asia can offer. Plus, to get this price we crammed four people into two double beds. Had I been travelling by myself, I think I would have been lucky to get a place for $10 per night unless I tried to wrangle a long term deal or stayed in the off season.
All up, I had a great time in this place and it was the perfect way to unwind from the craziness of Haiti. Cabarete is small enough of a place to feel like a town rather than a tourist resort similar to the ones that can be found all around the Dominican Republic. People seem friendly and I think a stop here would be worthwhile, especially for people who are into kite or wind surfing.
I’ll post my December earnings tomorrow and I hope 2009 will see a turnaround in my sliding earnings. All the best in 2009!
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Happy New Year. All the best, and many adventures, for 2009!
Hi Kirsty, I will take the opportunity to wish you a happy New Year as well, and to thank you for entertaining Posts, some great information and a lot of inspiration in 2008. Take care, Frank
Hi Kirsty,
I was living and working in Cabarete for about two month. I liked it very much, partly because I enjoy windsurfing and this is one of the best places in the world to do it.
Happy New Year, Kirsty!!! Good to see you’re still truckin’
Good luck in 2009!
Hi, want to wish you a happy new year, thank you for informative and well written posts and let you know that you are one of my heroes and role-models, I wish I can someday (soon) imitate what you are doing.
Thanks for the New Years wishes everyone! Glad you’ve enjoyed reading.
VE, I’ve always wanted to have a crack at wind surfing but I was too physically spent when I got there to even think about trying. I might head back there on my next break and see if I can uster the energy or I might just take my laptop and try to get some work done for a week, who knows.
Hi I’m interested in getting some work done in Cabarete, staying at a place with VERY consistent internet and kind of quiet, for a month or two
It sounds like you might know a lot about this. Any advice?
thanks!
Clay