How are Este and Taif and their Dominican dream going now? – I’m leaving

On Saturday 9 April 2022, we follow the adventures of Este and Taif. In the Dominican Republic, they buy a former kitesurfing mecca Cabarete addict’s shelter that they want to convert into a meeting place for travelers. Did their dream come true?

Kibayo Cabarete update

We are doing very well, we are having fun every day. We live with our dog Smokey in a beautiful apartment in the center of Cabarete, walking distance from the beach. Even though we come to the beach almost every day, few kites ever came. Our priorities lie elsewhere. Who knows in the future, but now we are in no hurry, todo tiempo.

Life in the Dominican Republic feels free. The sun, the green of nature, the sea and the beach help greatly with this. But the greatest freedom lies in the conscious choice of what we want to do every day. Nothing is necessary, everything is allowed. The concept of “work” is gone, even though we are “working” harder than ever before. We never put a lot of hours and energy into anything, and we never get a lot of energy from anything. Everything we do is new and out of our comfort zone. We innovate, reflect and learn, every day. And this is only the beginning.

From dream to reality in a few months

It’s great to set your own schedule each day, although this brings with it challenges as well.

  • Which direction do we want to go?
  • What has priority?
  • How do we ensure more income?
  • What are our core values?
  • What do we want to convey to our employees?

travel at home

The past period was intense. It was the most beautiful and difficult period of our lives. From dream to reality in a few months, it can continue that fast. We have been open since December and love to receive guests. We meet many interesting people every day, without having to move ourselves. It feels like we’re on a trip, but at home. We are very grateful for all the nice comments we have already received from our guests.

What we had in mind has come true. Creating a place where people feel at home, where everyone can be themselves, without judgment, where living in the present, enjoying and adventuring is paramount. And all at your own pace.

Our dreams are big

We love Hotel Life. We particularly enjoy bringing people together by facilitating the venue and organization of events and workshops. Think cocoa ceremonies, ecstasy dances, full moon celebrations, yoga and pilates, singing circles, parties, dinner parties and more. We certainly want to transfer operational activities in a timely manner. Our ultimate goal is not to run a hotel. We are excited to create and expand our brand, find and train staff, and keep working towards bigger dreams.

We are now living the life we ​​dreamed of back then and that’s more than wonderful. But of course we didn’t stop dreaming in the meantime. Our dreams have evolved, just like us. Our dream now is to have 3 locations in the Dominican Republic within 5 years. In addition, we want to start this year’s foundation and we want to have our wedding here again next year with all our friends and family.

Everything that happened happened to teach us what we know now

We regularly get asked “what would you have done differently then”. Our answer remains the same: absolutely nothing. Without all of these experiences we wouldn’t be where we are today. We are very happy and proud of where we are now.

Estee and Taif

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