just back from a cracking ‘rui’ hotel in cape verde and fancy cuba next year. know nowt about it tho really. any resorts/ hotels to recommend/ avoid?
we just been all inclusive, but it was an island with nowt there but the hotel really. i expect it may be better to see more of cuba, so is it better to pay more and still go all inclusive, or pay less and live a bit more outside the hotel maybe?

thanks for any experiences/ recommendations.

Hi sadexpunk,
Went to Cuba 2004 so it could have changed a bit, but prob not too much.
We went all inc. and didn’t regret it. It wasn’t much more expensive and at the time was easiest. It was always nice to have a breakfast and evening meal available , whether or not we were off camp for the day.
To be honest, there wasn’t much available outside the site to spend money on and i’d recomend all inc.
You need to remember this is a country that is subject to severe embargoes on its international trade, and needs to be pretty much self sufficient. If it doesn’t grow there, you can’t buy it. on the other hand, they do everything they can to look after their tourists with whatever they have, ithinkits just easier for them to concentrate this in certain places i.e. the all inc resorts.
Do go off site aswell though, its an extremely interesting and very beautiful country.
Also, all the watersports were included in our deal so if you like sailing or scuba its great value.

Btw, thinking of cape verde next year myself, any tips ? 🙂

I did a cycling tour last year – fabulous place, some great scenery, and cycling is a great way to see and experience the country. We spent much of the first week to the west of Havana around the Vinales area which is a main tobacco growing area. Then spent the second week on the south and central area in places such as Trinidad.

Unique place to visit – best go now before it changes too much.

philby – forgot to say itd be a family hol so cyclings off the cards really 🙂

loum – thanks for your advice mate, much appreciated. im aware cubas slowly changing tho from what they say, so mebbes best to go see it before it changes too much.

as far as cape verde goes, we had a cracking holiday. depends what youre after tho. theres nowt around apart from the hotel and beach, so obviously best to go all inclusive. really lovely place. left the kids at home so just me and mrs, lovely and hot, lots of lounging on the beach, by the pool, free cocktails and beer. miles of white unspoilt sand and blue sea. scuba/ kiteboarding/ windsurfing if you want it at an extra cost. just a real lovely place. they say itll be built up over the next few years, so again, mebbes best to go soon 🙂

any more specifics about hotels/ places just mail me.

cheers

forget the package holiday go see the real Cuba – we’ve been a few times. Stayed in Cuban equivalent of B&B’s , casa’s do an internet search heres a good start– they are all government registered – you’ll be made very welcome

I’ve also done the Cuba Solidarity cycle challenge click here (in fact thats me on the far left of the photo) which is highly recommended if you can raise the funds

The whole island is beautiful. Trinidad is a nice place – good beaches, lovely old town and the nightlife at weekends is good – go to the main square and sit round with a mojito watching the dancing

and you have to have at least one drink in the hotel Nacional in Havanna
There are also some great old art deco type hotels in Havanna. Breakfast on the roof overlooking the whole of Havanna is amazing.

I like Cuba – you can probably guess. Take lots of sweets for the kids and toiletries for the locals and you’ll be looked after like a long lost relative.
Lovely country – lovely people

We found Havanna really expensive and the food rubbish.
Amazing snorkelling though.

We went with captivatingcuba.com
They will tailor any trip to what you want, absolutely brilliant
We went for 3 weeks
Havana (the room we stayed in was the very room where ‘our man in Havana’ was written and had previously also been Al Capones HQ)
Vinales
La Moka (wouldn’t recommend too much)
Varaderro (paradisius hotel)