Some Autumn sunshine in the Dominican Republic

Over half term we were lucky enough to get away for some sunshine and warmth in the Dominican Republic. We booked our holiday as a package with Tui, staying at Dreams La Romana Resort & Spa. The hotel is located in Bayahibe, about an hour transfer from Punta Cana and the airport. We chose this resort because the beach is on the Caribbean Sea rather than the Atlantic, so we were hoping that the water would be a little warmer and calmer.

Unfortunately our holiday did coincide with Hurricane Melissa, and although we were well away from the direct path I do think that it made the sea conditions a little rougher, especially at the beginning of the week. The sea was also quite cloudy, fine for swimming but unfortunately no good for snorkelling. The water temperature was really warm, it was lovely to float out there bobbing up and down and it felt very safe.

We had two rooms which each had two double beds. The rooms were next door so we felt comfortable letting the teenagers share a room, and they loved the independence. 

My favourite part about the room was the balcony. I absolutely love a balcony, especially one that is high enough to be tucked away from the world and with plenty to look at. I spent hours out there every day reading on my Kindle, enjoying the warmth and watching the birds and the people going past. Even when it rained I sat out there until the wind picked up and turned horizontal!

There was a brilliant cafe in the lobby which was always open and served drinks and delicious cakes as part of the all inclusive. Every afternoon I went down to fetch a fruity tea and a couple of cakes to take back to my balcony to enjoy.

The holiday did involve speaking a little more Spanish than I was expecting. Spanish isn't one of my languages although both children can do pretty well. I managed to learn the words to order cheese (there wasn't a huge selection of veggie food) and bottled water as well as a few bonus words like watermelon and butter!

The resort also has a water park which was excellent and not too busy. There was a lazy river with plenty of rubber rings, and although it featured several instances of unavoidable waterfalls they were spaced very well to let you get nice and hot before you were swept underneath to cool down!

On our last morning we were floating happily along when my husband spotted what he thought was a dead crab in the water. A lady by the side of the pool came over and fished it out with her flip flop - it was actually a dead tarantula! I had no idea there were freely roaming tarantulas in the Dominican Republic, I'd been walking around every evening through grassy areas in my sandals!

We had a lovely holiday, and it was a great chance to relax and enjoy some last warmth before heading for cooler temperatures and dark evenings. 

The books that I read while on holiday:

American Sky by Carolin Dasher - an Amazon First Reads selection that was excellent, much better than many of them that I've struggled through, a historical novel that follows three generations of women and in particular their connections to aviation.

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose - a sequel to the The Maid, I enjoyed this very much.

The Restoration Garden by Sara Blaydes - ticked a lot of my boxes - an overgrown garden, secrets to uncover, a time jump between WWII and present day narratives.

The Memory Library by Kate Storey - a simple plot but with the lovely idea of choosing and collecting books for others and explaining their special meanings.

Very, Very Lucky by Amanda Prowse - fairly predictable but a fun easy read.

The Women at Ocean's End by Faith Hogan - a group of women with compelling stories connected by life on a remote island.