Janet goes to Cuba
? ? Janet went to Holguin, Cuba in October 2007.? ? It was lovely!!!! Very hot, lots of sun and gorgeous beach to enjoy. Travel in the off season is worth the risk of hurricanes, in Janet’s opinion.
I stayed at the Occidental? Grand Playa Turquesa. It is a? very large resort with all of the amenities. Golf carts were available to take you around if needed, and I could see why. Some folks would appreciate the walking to alleviate the effects of the terrific food, while others would find it too demanding.
The rooms were huge!! The section I was in contained? a series of buildings, each with 4 or 6 rooms set up above the ground. The rooms had 2 beparate beds plus a daybed? along the wall near the balcony doors. The shower stall was a little slow to drain, but certainly not the slowest I have seen! Large counter area in the bathroom and more than adequate shelving and hanging space in the closest.
The beach was delightful- white powdery sand, several large trees for shade but lots of sunny area too. The whole beach was large enough that you could find a spot to relax without being blasted by the speakers in the activity area if desired. Clear water, watersports, beach volleyball and? fantastic massage service! The beach bar staff were always having fun and never batted an eyelash at the number of drinks anyone carried away.
The main pool was inviting, large with lots of lounge chairs. Shade was available and needed!!! The upper pool (adults only) was usually empty but appealing. There was? ? an enclosed area for the childrens’ activities, which worked very suitably. The grounds? contained various trees and shrubs, softening the size and? extensive pathways. Male employees stood? at most crossroads in the path system after dusk.? The food was? good. Well prepared and? presented, although critics of the Cuban style? of? food presentation would? make the usual comments. ? Buffet meals typically contained the same foods each day, but the a la carte restaurants offered a good variety.? One special meal was presented mid week in the large outdoor (covered) theatre area, with entertainment during the meal. I saw several practice sessions for the entretainment staff during the week, and they appeared to be talented and capable of delivering a great product.
One thing I really liked was the foot showers at each area where you came off the beach.? A terrific way to help keep sand out of the pool and your room.
I took 2 excursions. One day I took the local bus (see photo above) over to the little market at Guadalajara. Even a non-shopper would enjoy strolling through this collection of tables. The handiwork is exquisite and the prices so low that you cannot help but purchase! Buses run about every half hour and an hour would me more than enough time to devote to this excursion.? The bus used for the trip was worth the price alone ( I think it was $1). Open? windows!! – ie there was no glass, just a frame. Worth a chuckle.
The other excursion was the full day tour to Santiago de Cuba. It was absolutely worth the time.? We travelled for almost 3 hours through real Cuban countryside, seeing the quality of roads (varied from good pavement to mud tracks sucking in the tires), various housing styles, crops and a couple of towns/cities.? Our guide spoke English as well as most of us, and there was no question he would not answer from the interested tourists. Culture, lifestyle, income, family, work, history, politics… the list went on. There were only? 5 in the van? plus the 2 employees, so it was a? comfortable? group.? We toured? the fort and I decided that the prisoners there? must have only needed to be left outside for a day to either kill them or change their ways- the sun was absolutely baking, scorching hot on the upper levels of? the fort, with no air flow!?
From there we enjoyed a Cuban lunch at the restaurant across from the marina, so the scenery and breeze? went well with the meal. Santiago is? where Fidel Castro started the revolution , and we had free time to explore the centre before stopping to see the bullet holes still in the building where it all began.?
The? resorts at Holguin range from decent to very nice, but as a travel consultant I would? screen my? customers carefully before I suggested this destination.? You need to make sure the resort offers all of the amenities YOU? want, as there is not much around? there to do outside the resorts. ? I would not recommend? this area? to tourists who have not been to Cuba or the Dominican Republic before. Leaving the resorts plunges you into the heart of Cuban life and that can be uncomfortable to some who are not used to seeing anything but a North American standard of living.
Friendly staff, excellent facilites and overall a terrific place to relax. I was comfortable there and felt welcome.
Caution: don’t plan to use the internet often. It is slower than a turtle, made worse by the airflow-less location of the computers and the fact that one was always out of service.
Defnitely excellent value for the price, and the resort delivers what it promises. A winner in Janet’s books.