When travelling with your spouse/partner, divide your belongings between your luggage. This way if one of your suitcases goes astray upon arrival at your destination, you will have some clothes to get you by until they can locate your suitcase.
Destination: Puerto Plata – 4* RIU Mambo– 7 nights all inclusive
PRICE: $637 + tax
Source: Sunquest
Location: Jibacoa, Cuba (halfway between Varadero & Havana)
Hotel: Breezes Jibacoa (guests must be 14 years and older)
Date Visited: December 2-9, 2006 (one week stay)
Price Paid: $648 + tax (booked 2 months ahead)
Room#: 2209, Building 15 – ocean view room (total hotel rooms – 250)
Weather Conditions: Weather was very good except for the last day. A large amount of jelly fish, Portuguese man-of-war, also known as the blue bubble, blew in. They are a brightly blue coloured inflated bubble and have very long stinging tentacles. If stung, for immediate treatment rinse the area with seawater or fresh water to remove any tentacles stuck to the skin. Do not apply vinegar. A study has indicated that vinegar in these type of stings sometimes makes the sting worse.
Snorkeling: Did not have a lot of opportunity to explore, but overall it was worth checking out.
Beach: I rated this beach a 5 star as it had plenty of palapas and shade trees.
Food: Cuban specialty restaurant was very good and had a great shrimp cocktail. The buffet offered lobster on Thursday evenings. Overall good food.
Opinions/Tips: The Piano Bar was a great place to spend the evenings. Internet was available for $8 pesos per hour, though it was very slow.
Would I return: Yes.
Identify your luggage! Tie a distinctive ribbon on the handle of your suitcase to make identification simple as those hundreds of bags round the carousel.
Destination: Puerto Plata – 5* RIU Bachata– 7 nights all Inclusive
PRICE: $797 + tax
Source: Sunquest
Location: Turks and Caicos
Hotel: Club Med
Date Visited: March 15-22, 2008 (one week stay)
Room#: E2149 – Good location on the resort. Interestingly, no rooms at this hotel have balconies or terraces.
Weather Conditions: Weather was exceptional for the first three days until a tropical storm blew in that resulted in mixed sun and cloud conditions. Evenings were a pleasant temperature as well.
Snorkeling: Hotel provides a snorkel boat that goes out twice a day, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. We saw an assortment of very large fish, as well as octopi. There is really no snorkeling right off of the resort beach, but I did see one very large starfish in this area.
Beach: Amazing! Incredible large, white, sandy beach that goes for miles in each direction. Perfect if you like to walk the beaches. The ocean was a beautiful colour of turquoise. Pictures do not do this beach and ocean water justice! The hotel offers beach towels as well as sun umbrellas.
Food: Overall good. Excellent breads of all kinds are offered at the main buffet, Grace Bay. We did not like the beer, Turks Head, and preferred to buy Corona. Liquors were of a good variety and you could get premium brands for an additional cost. Sharkie’s Bar located at the beach’s edge, offered amazing entertainment an hour or so before sunset.
Service: Good. Personal service upon arrival in that you get escorted to you room by a staff member who provided helpful information.
Opinions/Tips: Great little open-air shops and small pub are located directly off of the beach, just east of Club Med.
Would I return: To Turks and Caicos Island definitely, but not necessarily to Club Med.
Place a plastic dry cleaner bag over your freshly pressed clothes for a wrinkle-free trip to your destination. It really works!
Departure: March 5, 2009
Destination: Riviera Maya – 4* RIU Lupita– 7 nights all Inclusive
PRICE: $727 + tax
Source: Sunquest / Signature
