Cuba Experience

Sandals Royal Hicacos...... its.....blah!

Advantages: Excellent staff. Right on the beach. Very clean.
Disadvantages: Very dated. Limited food choice. Bizarre entertainment.

...Hicacos and not Cuba or Varadero as a place to visit. I can't fault Cuba as a holiday destination.... it's fabulous! I`ll get straight to the point instead of giving a blow by blow account of my entire holiday. We stayed at this resort of 2 weeks in July 2007. Good Points: The staff were wonderful. Especially the waiters/waitresses and the maids. They are paid buttons and work very hard for tips but they don't at all come across as pushy and never ...
...maid cleaned our room and arranged our towels into some sort of amazing sculpture! Swans, hearts, flowers.... we saw it all... literally works of art... with towels! Our maid wrote us a little welcome letter and a little "hope you enjoyed your stay and will remain in love with each other forever" letter for us on our last day.... very sweet. She was discreet and we never actually saw her and our room was always very clean. Our fridge was kept constantly ...

LGRAY26 10.03.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Varadero (Cuba)

See as much of Cuba as possible and talk to the people

Advantages: Friendly People, beeches and Hotel service
Disadvantages: Be aware of the free loaders and people offering services

If your thinking of a holiday in Cuba, then read this. Firstly, if you just fancy sitting around pools in luxury hotels, why go all the way to Cuba? Yes the private beaches are fantastic, the sea clear and warm and the hotel service in general, is very good. But I think the only way to enjoy Cuba is by getting amongst the people of Cuba. I have been twice and the first time I traveled to the second city Holguin and stayed in a private rented house ...
...so I struggled to order food and drinks etc, But the second time, armed with a little Spanish, I again traveled to Holguin, but this time I also traveled to Havana and took in a few nights at an all inclusive in Varadero too. My advice then is to plan your holiday to try and see as much of Cuba as possible and meet and talk to the people. I booked through one company who arranged all my flights, accommodation and interconnections and it cost about ...

Bright_III 24.05.2009 · Read full review
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Review of General: Cuba

pleasantly suprised!

Advantages: nice beaches, nice scenery, and fantastic staff!!!
Disadvantages: bugs! :) i dont like them too much personally :)

...deal on it too, the Melia did not disapoint..while its not a 5* in itself...the staff are the ones who truely make it a 5* to rival the best in the world! mosquitos are bad...but granted bugs are bad in canada in the spring and summer too :) bring bug spray or as the Cubans like to say about their own solution to the bugs drink more rum to make your less aware of them and the mosquitos drunk too ;) We went on one excursion that was a full day trip ...
...farm, a boat ride, and to the sugar mill on a locomotive, which i have to admit was absolutly amazing...a little pricey (75 CUC ) but when you take into consideration that Cayo Coco is an ISLAND linked to the mainland...it can almost be understood :) it was a lot of fun though! The beaches are fantastic, the pool was a little cold(but again for January in Canada it would be frozen) and the ocean was really amazing, HUGE waves. there were always ...

GHCB 26.01.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Melia Cayo Coco - Cuba

Tryp Cayo Coco, AMAZING!!!

Advantages: Everything was an advantage
Disadvantages: people asking for tips!

...worked in and around the hotel were very friendly! We expected to get an iron in the room but we didn't so we told our maid and she brought an iron in for us straight away this is how friends the staff our they will do anything for you. You have gardeners coming up to you giving you hat, bugs, fans ect made from coconut leaves! It was amazing there wasnt really any bad thing you could say about it apart from the mosquitos but that isnt the hotels ...
...sun, the hotel do supply umberellas in your wardrobe for you girlys who dont want to get your hair wet! If you dont get an umberella tell the customer service office and the will get one put in your room in 10 mintues! Really good holiday you have to go!!! ...

kenworthy20 01.11.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Hotel Tryp Cayo Coco - Cuba

Guardalavaca

Advantages: Beautiful Beaches
Disadvantages: Mozzies and opressive

...Cuba is a beautiful country, guardalavaca is a bit out on a limb and a long long long way from havana. If you want to go to havana then stay somewhere else like caya coca then it is easier to travel. We were advised by our rep not to fly internally in Cuba as the planes are old and not particuarly safe so please travel by road only. Be prepared to be sniffed by the dogs on the way in, Cuba has a very strong policy of no drugs, which is good. Some ...
...suspiciously. If going to guardalavaca be prepared for the mozzies, they are terrible and buy the insect repellant when you get there, ours does not work!. Take sun cream with you there isnt a great deal to chose from out there and take your own cards/games etc. I can honestly say i relaxed over in Cuba, there isn't much else to do. The trips are very expensive, but then they would be as Cuba now relies on tourism. It was an experience, i'm not ...

mandilou66 21.05.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Guardalavaca (Cuba)