We spent 7 days in Cabarete with the intent of taking kiteboarding lessons and getting some much needed R&R. From the first contact we made with Laurel Eastman Kiteboarding (LEK) we were instantly treated to a high level of service not only for our kiteboarding needs, but also for general travel information for Cabarete.

Upon arrival in Cabarete, Amanda went out of her way to help us out with directions for ATMs, groceries and all sorts of other recommendations. This was just the first glimpse of the awesome, friendly service we'd receive throughout the week from the entire staff at LEK.

I took 4 days of lessons and must say I love their teaching style! I've taken kite lessons in the US and the way that LEK teaches on short lines, having your instructor right next to you so they can coach you through flying the kite, body dragging, getting the board on your feet - it makes a WORLD of difference! In a sport with such a steep learning curve, they've managed to get you confident in your kite skills and out in the water in pretty quick order.

After a long day of kiting, it's also fun to hang out with the LEK crew for a few beers. They have a really diverse staff with interesting backgrounds and you quickly make friends with them as well as other kiting students.

I also had a special request of LEK the week we were there - it was my boyfriend's birthday and I wanted to have a surprise party for him after kiting that day. The LEK crew conspired with our hotel's concierge and my kite instructor to keep my boyfriend out on the beach long enough to get his cake and rum punch ready for his surprise as he came in off the beach. They were great to help pull this off and my boyfriend was thrilled with his birthday surprise.

Summing it up, LEK is a well-run business that manages to keep things fun and laid back. We made great friends (including Laurel herself) that will bring us back to Cabarete and LEK!