This is where it all started ... our first holiday together in the Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic. We were excitable as hell at the prospect of our first 'All-Inclusive' holiday resort ... eat/drink as much as you want, or in my northern mentality, eat/drink as much as you can!
We stayed in the Gran Ventana Beach Resort situated in the Playa Dorada developed tourist area. This is a purpose built horse-shoe of modern hotels, restaurants, private beaches, and a golf course near the northern town of Puerto Plata. All in all, it was a very nice experience with clean rooms, multiple restaurants, good service and a nice chilled out pool/beach atmosphere.
We will be forever grateful to the Dominican Republic for offering up the opportunity to learn scuba diving. Thinking back to those first experiences bubbling around in the hotel pool, makes us appreciate how far we have come since and the amazing underwater life that we have seen.
The highlight of the holiday was the day-trip down to Saona Island on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic. The boat trip was fantastic and the beaches are the very definition of a tropical paradise!
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By Darrell Grundy - visited on 30 April 1998