Cuba, Varadero, Sandals Royal Hicacos Resort

Cuba is like stepping back to the 1950’s.  Most of the cars are from that era.  Very strange to see so many 1950 Chev’s driving around.  There is nothing American here.  It’s very strange to see.

Cuba’s greatest treasure is it’s people.   They are the nieces and friendlyest  people I have ever meet.  It doesn’t matter if your in the hotel or on the street or in a alley, they all are genuine and sincere.

They guys at sidewalk cafe insisted by wife join in (she plays a guitar)

Cuba is different than the other Caribbean countries since it is a communist country but they also enjoy free health care and education.  They are slowly switching to a market society.  This means the hotel staff usually have a better education then you do.  Most can read and write three or four languages. For example the CIA lists infant mortality rates by country.  Cuba has 4.76 (infant deaths per 1000 births) while USA has 5.90 (infant deaths per 1000 births). This is an indication of the strong health care they have.

Crime:  Cuba is very safe.  You never see security guards with billy clubs or gun like on other Caribbean  islands.   In Dominican Republic and Jamaica we could usually spot a guard just off the beach with a shotgun.  In Cuba, I never see any gun or even billy clubs.

Meeting the locals:  Many of my friends, virtually even one I know that went to Cuba, meets locals and becomes friends.  They go off the resort and have dinner with them at there house.  They usually bring streak of something the family many not have access to, but everyone I talked to has done it.

The Hotel: This hotel has lots of steps and the walk ways are all elevated for some reason and usually over a body of water.  So if you have a hard time going up steps this hotel is not for you.  Its the only resort I stayed at the the main buffet is on the second floor.  It gives a great view but again there is more steps. The room was great and always decorated with a towel animal from the maid.  The room is similar to other rooms in the caribbean. Water is safe to use too.

Entrainment: The entertainment is excellent!  They have a new show each night from professional entertainment groups.

Beach:  Long beach for walking, very nice sand.  Some seaweed but cleaned up daily. Usually one or two vendors on the beach but will not bother you.

Food is great but you may find the steak tougher than usual.  Remember in Cuba food is harder to get then other islands.

There is lots of cool lizards if you keep an eye out for them.

 

They guys at sidewalk cafe insisted by wife join in (she plays a guitar)

Cuba is a must visit place before it completely switches to market economy.

Orlando, Disney Beach Club Resort

I booked this hotel because it is attached to the Epcot Park in Disney World.  This is a premium resort which means it cost a lot.  I find that the rooms are very similar in Disney resorts.  The higher cost does not necessarily mean a higher quality room.  It means your closer to the parks.

I have been going to Disney since my kids were small.  They are 32 now, so  we are taking our grandkids. One of my main complains with Disney in general is back 30 years ago it was the land of tomorrow, innovation, new ways of transportation etc.  What we have today?  Buses!  buses! and more buses.  You feel more like your in the big city with all the diesel smoke and pollution.  What happened to the electric people movers and monorails? Even Las Vegas is using monorails to get people around easily but Disney uses an innovation called a city bus.

Buses should be outlawed in Disney.  They can use boats, monorails, electric people movers, trains, at the very least electric buses like they have in Europe.  Anything but city buses.

Anyway this is why I booked us in at Disney Beach Club Resort, so I could avoid the bus routes.

I have several issues with the hotel.

1. There is virtually no advantage staying at this resort.  I didn’t realize at the time but Epcot park does not open till 11AM so you have to go to another park till it opens.  This is the only reason to justify the higher costs but it’s useless if the prk is closed.

2. There is no buffet type breakfast that you have in all the other Disney resort hotels.  The only resterant is the Yachtsman Steakhouse. You can buy a muffin or yogurt at a corner type store or use the Yachtsman Steakhouse that is slow and expensive. Most other resorts you can order a waffle or bacon and eggs and get on your way quickly.

3. The pool is unique with a sand bottom.  When we stayed there was a family of ducks living in the pool.  It was cute but not very healthy .

The have a very nice beach but no swimming.  That is common at most of the resorts.  It must be due to high bacteria in the lakes.

I guess the bottom line is if your going to be forced to take city buses around Disney why not stay outside the park, get the hotel for half the price, get free breakfast and wifi.  If Disney wants people to stay at these hotels they need to make a unique way to travel to the parks and not on a stinky city bus.

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• Best Resort to stay in Disney World (benh007.wordpress.com)

Dominican Republic, Puna Cana, Iberostar Dominicana

Great place for kids, lots of activities both in the pool and in the evenings.

They have a very large lobby area with covered walkways that are walk ways over waterways.

They have two large pools.

The hotel is unique with inter quads with trees, water and large turtles.  Interesting to watch during a rain shower.

Rooms are great, beach is great, food is great.

They have a ice cream booth by the beach that is cool and a smaller buffet by the beach.  It has everything that is in the main buffet so you don’t have to go back to the big buffet to eat.

Pink flamingos walking around the grounds which are link being in a park or public gardens.

Entertainment is similar to any other hotel in DR.

A nice resort with or without kids..

We stayed there in 2011 with our grandson.