As title – wife & I are considering a week before Xmas.

We’ve never been so would be grateful to here any recommendations, experiences & places to or not visit.

Looking to go all inclusive at quality hotel.

neighbours went for their honeymoon, said it was very quiet, as in dead.
were bored stiff after the 2nd day. and out of the hotel was a no go area.

If it’s just hotel/beach you’re after then Sal is perfect. However I consider it a featureless hellhole of a place. I think Boa Vista has more to offer

Right thanks.
Anywhere else you’d recommended with similar temperatures for that time of year?

Anywhere else you’d recommended with similar temperatures for that time of year?
Goa or Kerala? been to Goa 4 times now (Jan/Feb) & loved it. The Indian visa price has gone up to £92.20 though! so put a bit on the overall price, & there’s lots of Russians going there now & they are, in the main, nasty, ignorant & downright **** horrible (especially to the locals, who are proper friendly) The food is as you’d expect it, awesome & cheap (as is everything else)
Wer’e not going next year due to a family wedding, but will be back again sometime. Never been to Kerala but hope to.

EDIT, Don’t go all inclusive in Goa, no point. Food & drink are cheaper than chips.

If you’re looking for a little adventure, and you’re happy to island hop, then Cape Verde is great. Most UK visitors spend a week in a self contained resort on Sal, and if lying on a beach is your thing, then it’s good for that. Sao Vicente is a good place to base yourself, plenty of culture and history. Santo Antao is a short ferry ride from there, and has some great hiking. The island of Fogo is stunning – the village of Cha das Caldeiras is slap bang in the crater of the volcano that created the island, and is still active (although hasn’t erupted since 95):

A friend went with his family and said there was nowt to do, pretty boring. Why don’t you try the Canary Islands good weather comparable with Cape Verde.

^^^ pretty much sums it up. its a good place to relax and stay in your hotel lounging around if youre sun-worshippers. nothing else to do. i dont mind that, but id have liked to have been able to spend more time in the sea. it seemed to be out of bounds most of the time cos of the currents and being too rough.

nice to have been once for a bit of winter sun, but theres too many other places to see to go back.

I went to Boa Vista 2 years ago in October, all inclusive hotel for ten days. Just wanted some R+R which is what I got, nowt outside the hotel and you got mithered to death by the natives. Sea was great, not many fish. Weather was very good. Two weeeks would be too long.

Cheers, were just looking to put our feet up really.

My wife suggests Santa Maria on Sal (Cape Verde) as there’s a small town close by for the odd walk too.
Anyone been?

We went to the riu hotel near Santa Maria, mrs C is terminally ill so we used this vacation to renew our marriage vows and spend some quality time together.
As most will hate on here we sat on a sunbed for 2 weeks talking, reading, sleeping and people watching, came back incredibly rested and ready to take on whatever sh** her illness is going to throw at her next.
Junior C learnt to windsurf whilst we were there too.
Would I go back, not now as I won’t have my best friend with me and I want to keep the memories I have

I went windsurfing at Club Mistral in Santa Maria in Sal. We stayed in a basic hotel in the town and it was fine. Lots of bars and eating places. Friendly people and the occasional scared looking european couple who were intrepidly doing their one breakout from their all inclusive holiday prison, vowing never to do anything so foolish again.

Only one of our group of four blokes got sick – but he scored with a local girl and went to dinner with her family, so that’s probably what got him.

Caipirinhas – the best I’ve ever tasted.

Candodavid – heartbraking – sorry to hear that. Nothing I can say will help but how good to be able to face it together.

The Hotel Morabeza is a good place to stay in Santa Maria, with the Odja d’Agua a close second. Both have pools, sea views, and direct access to the beach. One of the pools at the Morabeza is being renovated at the moment though.

Candodavid. Simply said but so very moving. Take care of yourself.

J