For me its got to be cuba read my trip report here we are back for only 3rd time 2010 and we are novices.
If this hotel is to expensive for look at the sister hotel SRLM which is on same beach next door.
Sorry this is long, but worth it.
Holiday at Paradisus Rio de Oro - Guardalavaca - Cuba - 29 June - 13 July 2009
This was a return visit for us, and was amazed at meet dozens of people that were also returning for the same two weeks, all I can say is big thank you to all the friends we meet and made during this and our last stay, which helped make it such a memorable holiday, a big thank you to you all. Mathew will post the Scottish version later !!.
This was by far one the best holiday I have ever had. The hotel is amazing and it is literally what I would call paradise. 5* all the way an All Inclusive hotel with full range of International drinks included.... So, let's break it down -
Flight - Went with Thomson Airways in ex Thomson B767 Premier Star Class. 37" pitch leather air filled seats with footrest, superb food for airline well presented and good choice, very good drinks service included also. 9" seat back TV, choice of 8 films, TV, games and Radio.
Return flight on ex First Choice B767 not as good as ex Thomson plane although same facilities and was a night flight.
The Rooms - we had our normal 'Junior Suite' and it was nice and comfortable with two very large beds, with everything you needed, hair dryer, iron and board, fridge with beers, coke, lemonade etc. The room was cleaned every day and the maids did a really good job. The bathrooms 'were a bit dated' but I found it to be absolutely fine, with lots of big mirrors! And large supply of clean towels daily. We had a center first floor room which are not as nice as the corner rooms, we could have moved but did not want the upheaval of moving.
We did see inside one of the upgraded suites, as we considered upgrading (an extra £700 for the 2 weeks) but the only real difference was a little outside shower (full of fly's etc) and a little terrace with a hammock on the grass.
The Food - Where do I start?! The buffet is fantastic, there are pasta stations, pizza stations, freshly grilled meat and fish (and lobster!!!), salads and more... but wait for it... The a la carte restaurants - absolutely amazing! You have to make reservations for these (one per restaurant per week, but you can go more if there are spaces! Just ask.) There are Four to choose from.
Japanese - An absolute must. Eight people to a 'show table' where the chef cooks and entertains you right in front of you!. Great night out. I my opinion not as good as last year.
Mediterranean - My Favorite lovely menu and free wine list of at least 20 wines.
Two Spanish guitarists play as you eat. (These two are AMAZING)
International (el patio) - Candlelit tables, nice if you want a more romantic intimate dinner. Has a violinist playing while you eat. Enjoyed more than last year.
Cuban (el bohio) - Food is nice, but it gets very hot in here as the air con isn't great.
For lunch you have the choice of the buffet, the poolside restaurant and the restaurant on the beach. The best one being the one on the beach (have the grilled shrimp - they are huge!) a trio of guitarists play there and they are wonderful!, we took a CD out with us with the tune Dueling Banjos on it and challenged the group to learn it and play it, more later.
The Staff - I am not going to name names but say that the staff at the PRDO are a credit to the management and themselves, you will not find a more friendlier helpful group of people anywhere like in Cuba, this is from the Gardeners to top management. I will however make special mention to the team at the beach, when I say team I mean team they all pull together which makes for wonderful service.
The Pool - It was very quiet so there wasn't a real struggle for pool loungers, the beach has hundreds though so you won't go without one there. The pool is quite big and surrounded by palm trees and greenery with swim up bar. You can see the sea from the pool and the beach is ten seconds from the pool. There were a few crabs in the pool so watch your toes but a man comes round with a net to fish them out so don't worry.
There are two Jacuzzi's in the wooded area between the pool and beach which are hidden away a little they put a bottle of champagne in the cooler next to it for you to have while you relax, one of them overlooks the sea and the view is just completely beautiful.
The beach - Simply stunning. Golden sand and the sea is clear and warm. This is the one of most beautiful beach I have ever seen. Every day we went snorkeling and fed the fish with either a banana or a bread roll. You only have to wade out waist deep to see the fish, take water shoes with you.
Activities and Entertainment - No complaints here, lots and lots to do. Every day there was Yoga, volleyball in the pool, water polo, aquaerobics, Spanish lessons, salsa classes, football once a week, tennis courts to use, horse riding, I could go on...
The nighttime entertainment - we didn't really watch many of the shows, but there was one on every night. From what we saw the dancers were very good and they had some very good singers and a good live band. In the lobby bar where everyone goes to of a night there are a couple of pool tables to play on.
Excursions - the rep gives you a sheet of choices at your welcome meeting. We did the dolphin trip, if you're going to do any of them do this one!!! Around £55.00 each swim and show by coach 10 minutes.
We also this year went on the overnight trip to Havana an early 05:30 pick up from hotel by coach with guide to Holguin Airport domestic terminal meet with utter confusion, Flight 2 hours as stops in Cayo Coco on route plane Jet or Turbo Prop flight departure 08:30, then informed flight is now direct to Havana flight time 1:40hrs leaving at 09:00, finally take off at 09:30 on ATR-42.
Meet at airport by coach and quickly underway with a short guided city tour stopping in Revolution Square then onto restaurant for lunch. After a very nice lunch visit the Rum Factory which was very interesting and more sight seeing then back to our overnight Hotel which was The Nacional de Cuba on the water front build in the 1930s it still oozing with old -fashioned, colonial grace, time for a quick rest then dinner in the hotel before heading off to the famous Tropicana Club, we were having a very heavy thunder storm at the time so the Tropicana show was moved inside, a vast auditorium seating around 600 people at tables with starlight glitter ceiling, once seated we were entertained by a local band before the main show. The ladies were each given a carnation, we were then offered a glass of bubbly and give a bottle of Havana Club Rum between 4 people and one can of cola each, with 3 non drinkers on our table of 8 we had enough rum to last us the evening. The show was for me a little let down this could be due to tiredness or the rum, it was as expected very showy with superb costumes and dancing but lasted half an hour to long running 1.5hrs, having said that I would not have missed the opportunity to visit The Tropicana when in Havana, returning to our hotel around 00:30 time for good nights sleep ready for 09:30 start on day two.
Breakfast in the hotel before coach pick up 09:30 off for more sight seeing then under the tunnel to the other bank of the harbor entrance visit its forts, with a very enthusitic guide who told us everything, by this time its going on lunch time so back to centre of Havana to square near to Capitolio Nacional for some free time, then lunch in a favorite watering hole of Ernest Hemingway. After lunch short coach ride to Old Havana and walking tour around part of old Havana followed by free time before getting on the coach at 17:00 back to the airport. Flight home on B737 1 hour on time landed at Holguin at 20:10 coach back from airport, a good night and thank you to a superb guide who was with us for the whole trip, room service and bed.
A very good trip very tiring but worth the money Havana is a wonderful city new and old alike and the cars well I think most of them were rebuild on rebuild NO MOT in CUBA.
Cost which included all food and Tropicana 315CUC around £220.00 each.
If you are going to take any gifts then they do a trip to a school every Wednesday. We took pencils, pads of paper, rubbers, toothbrushes etc to give out. The people here are very poor.
You can take a taxi or a horse and cart (much better as you get a little tour) into the town of Guardalavaca and go to the market, it's very small but you can but lots of souvenirs for very little. Wood carvings, paintings and Che Guevara t-shirts galore! And afterwards enjoy a beer on the beach with the locals.
The Spa - is very nice, it has a small private beach and sauna's, steam rooms, Jacuzzi's etc... The spa is something you have to pay extra for but it's a nice little break, we had a back, neck and shoulder massage cost around £50 for the both of us and you can use all the other facilities after it also has a hairdressers and nail salon! And doctors.
Next door to the Spa was a well equipped gym, we, well my wife, did manage 3 visits.
Mosquito's - we didn't really know what to expect here, so we took every repellant on the market!!! Every day we sprayed a small amount of repellant on our ankles and elbows and had only a few bites each in the whole two weeks. We did see some people who had been bitten quite badly but we think this was due to the location of their room. That is, there are some rooms closer to the wooded areas that have lots of trees and bushes around - our was closer to the lobby and we had no trouble at all. Although we kept our patio doors closed so as not to let them in!
The only wildlife we saw were birds, fish, lots of cute lizards and crabs and the occasional frog or two. Also some on visit to mini zoo down the road.
All in all - an amazing place, amazing people and if you choose this resort you WILL have an amazing time!.
Can't wait to go back to Paradise, HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
Please do not tell people about this hotel as I want to keep it all for myself.
And as we left the hotel, the beach Trio played the Cuba premier of Dueling Banjos exceptional well to raptures applause, so this is now in their repertoire, so if you visit the PRDO request Dueling Banjos.
