CUBA TRAVEL GUIDE - CARIBBEAN ACCOMMODATION GUIDE

CARIBBEAN TRAVEL GUIDE

Cuba Travel Guide:

Take Spanish lessons and visit Cuba, before its too late!   by Roger Johnson

Cuba is the largest island in the Caibbean, some 750 miles in length and is the worlds 16th largest.  The Republic also includes some smaller islands, the largest of which is the Isle of Youth.  The notorious Guantanamo Bay has been leased to the USA since 1903.

Cuba was a Spanish possession for 388 years but after long,protracted wars of independence and with the help of the USA, it finally gained full independence in 1902.

Fidel Castro and Che Guevara overthrew the former corrupt regime, which was in large part financed by the American Mafia.  The revolution of 1959 saw Castro installed as Cuba's President, which makes him now one of the world's longest serving.

Since the Revolution,very little has changed in Cuba.  That is what makes it such an interesting place to visit and why you should try to get there sooner, rather than later.

Many beautiful Spanish Colonial buildings have survived and they can be found all over the island.  Many have been restored and are colourful reminders of the past.

Cuba is famed for its music and it can be heard everywhere you go.  Jazz and Salsa are played in the smallest villages and in the largest towns.

Cuba has pristine beaches, mountains, lush tropical vegetation and friendly welcoming people.

In the countryside it is still possible to see sugar cane harvested with machetes, ploughs pulled by oxen and hedges made of cactus.The little fincas (farms) grow sugar cane,sweetcorn,tobacco and a large variety of fruits.

Things will rapidly change.  As the health of Castro deteriorates, so will his his influence.  The necessity to adhere to his form of socialism will no longer prevail. The Cuba in the books of Ernest Hemingway and Graham Greene survives.  But for how much longer?

As with almost all Spanish speaking destinations,a knowledge of the language, however small, will be a real help and will really enhance your experience.

About the Author - Roger Johnson speaks English and Spanish and has a Colombian wife.  For more information visit www.blueskyspanish.com

The Highly Thought Of Cuba Resort Cavo Coco For A Last Minute Cuba Vacation   by Jeff Cowan

We travelled with Thomas Cook, and are very glad we paid extra for Premier Class Seats, and we landed at Jardines Del Ray, and it only took about ten minutes to get to the resort. We changed money at the airport, but it would have been better to have done this at the resort.

Champagne and a cool flannel greeted us at the resort, and check in was quick and efficient. We had a Lagoon Room on the ground floor, a large balcony, chairs, sunloungers facing east so we got a great view of the sunrise. Also being over the lagoon we could feed the fish.

We liked the beach, even if it was a bit narrow, plenty of sunbeds and palapas. The sea was very clean and crystal clear, warm, and full of friendly tame fish. There is a beach bar, a watersports and diving centre, and to be truthful we spent most of our time on the beach, partly because of the persistent breeze.

We did visit the pool area, but felt it too warm, although it was a good place to go in the mid afternoon, by which time sunbeds were not a problem.

There are three restaurants, serving good food, the Buffet, The Italian, and The International. Whilst the buffet got a bit repetitive, there were stalls cooking dishes to your liking. The a la carte options in the other restaurants were all good. We could not fault the catering at all, and during the day there is the snack bar next to the pool, and the beach grill were you could choose all the usual suspects, freshly cooked and brought to the table.

One word of caution, mosquitos - make sure you bring sprays etc, because they are a nuisance, so Deet is an essential.

Finally, what really made the holiday was the staff. They were happy, friendly, helpful, and the management believe in managing by wandering about - always a good thing.

This may not be on the best of the Cuba vacation beaches, but Cuba resort Cavo Coco comes from us as the top cuba vacation recommendation. We will definitely return.