Rochelle

Has anyone been to either Sol Palmares, Sol Sierra mar or Melia Las Americas? Myself and my partner are going to Cuba for 2 weeks end of January and we want to chill out for about 5 days on the beach before hiring a car and exploring Cuba further. We like big pools, decent food & service, lay back atmosphere. Also any tips for our tripping around in the car? <BR>

Denise De Paola

You cannot go wrong with either the Sol Palmeras or the Melia Las Americas. Both hotels are tops (5 stars). <BR> <BR>Personally, I would not rent a car to visit Cuba. On the license plate of the rented car you are identified as "Turismo" therefore, you become a target for theft. The highways are deserted, no gas station and the road signs are very rare. The price to rent a car varies between $85-$125 U.S. <BR> <BR>There are excursions from your hotel that will take you anywhere in Cuba. All excursions are fun and very well planned. You are not alone, you have a local guide, most excursions include a meal and the prices are reasonable. <BR> <BR>I will be in Varadero again this year (in March) for the 5th time. I have never been disappointed. <BR> <BR>Have a good trip and enjoy every minute of it. The cubans are fantastic people. <BR>

Marilyn Couch

We just came back from Verodaro and I can tell you where not to stay, at the Villa Cuba! We will go back as we had a great time, the highlight of the trip being a day spent in Havana. I agree with the last posting as it is very easy to get around without renting a car and the rentals stand out like sore thumbs as most of the cars there are really old. Most people have bikes or scooters. Some of the people at our resort rented scooters and they were reasonable either by the day or by the hour. When we were in Havana the traffic was crazy not something we would like to drive in. Any questions just e mail. Marilyn

jj

We stayed at the Sol Palmeras. The resort area was nice, pool was nice but chilly. The bungalow was not what I would call the cleanest and definately not 5 star. The buffet food was adequate, nothing to rave about. The pizza at the resaurant around the pool was excellent. They had a loud speaker going around the pool each afternoon, and it was loud talking about activities, I presume, but not sure since it was always in either spanish or italian. The bungalows were all set back behina large berm so there was NO view or sound of the ocean. The beach was calm and beautiful. There were no water sports here so the beach was quiet and relaxed. The clientele here were mostly European. We hired a taxi and drove to the Alligator "farm" where my kids held a baby alligator and we tasted alligator meat; then took a speedboat down the canals to an island with native Indian replicas. That excursion was worthwhile, even though it took aabout 2-3 hours drive to get there. The highlight of the entire trip was swimming with the dolphins. They are in a natural lagoon, and you lay on their back, hold onto their fin and go for a wild ride. Then they propel you forward with their nose on the bottom of your feet! The owners give you an amazing amount of time with the dolphins for only 25 US dollars; however I was exhausted quickly! You have to book this ahead through your hotel. It was very close to Sol Palmeras. We had dinner outside the resort in the tourist town and were disappointed. Overall I would not go back to this hotel, and maybe not to Cuba. I paid close to the same price as what I would have paid going to another Caribbean island and would have had better value (except for those wonderful dolphins). We went the 1st week of Jan.1997.

exotique

I would definitly reccommend Varadero as the destination for any traveller to visit. Cuba is a very beautiful and exotic nation and Varadero, as its most famous and more developed resort offers the traveller everything that the modern traveller has come to expect from a major resort.It offers very cheap or moderate accomodations, just like anywhere else, but in addition to that, it also offers very beautiful magnificent resorts that will impress even the most discerning of travellers. It all depends on how carefully you plan your trip and the resort that you choose. Generally, although not always, the more expensive the resort the better the quality of the service, and the better the location, and the more beautiful the resort. One cannot go wrong with these resorts, if what you want is modernity and confort away from the hussles of a more budget-minded vacation.I definitly reccommend spending a little bit more, as the quality of the entire vacation seems to be higher in general. I say it from personal experience. <BR> <BR>Varadero is a peninsula that extends for about 12 miles. It is very beautiful, especially towards the end, where most of the more beautiful and more expensive resorts are located&gt;this area boasts very pretty exuberant vegetation and the beaches are free of husslers or vendors.The resorts are fantastic, again the more you pay, the better the holiday. It is worth it to pay the extra 200 dollards. <BR> <BR>The resorts that are located in town&lt;which is by the way a small town, tend to be cheaper, and less confortable. The beaches in the town area are not as pretty as those where the more expensive resorts are found <BR> <BR>The beaches in Varadero are gorgeous, and if you choose the right resort, a large number of the most modern and fun watersports are available at your fingertips. and fun is what is all about is not it? <BR> I will definitly reccommend a couple to visit "the Superclubs Club Varadero". I was there last summer and i found the resort very beautiful, it has very lush manicured gardens, the rooms are all suites, so they are quite confortable and very nicely appointed, the pool is huge, it is an adults-only resort(if thats the kind of atmosphere you are looking for). The food is excellent. I was certainly impressed, since i have visited other top resorts and the food did not compare. The food was very nice, with a top-notch italian a la carte restaurant, and the main buffet. it also has watersports. the hotel has a very couply feeling, so a couple will feel right at home. it is a very pretty private and cozy place. and very romantic, with the main buffet restaurant being very close to the ocean providing nice views, and with the sea breeze allowed to enter.This is an all inclusive resort. this type of vacation is definitly reccommend it for varadero, as all your meals, accomodation, sports etc is prepaid. <BR>Another very nice resort is Sol CLUb Las Sirenas. This resort is found right next to Superclubs Club Varadero. This resort belongs to the famous Melia chain of resorts, and it is also very nice. The atmosphere here is different. Here there is more families, although there is also plenty of couples and singles. It offers a great atmosphere for a family holiday with kids program etc. The accomodations are good, as well as the food. the pool is pretty. and the entertainment was simply AMAZING, it was fantastic. wonderful shows, a great very friendly atmosphere. this resort is very confortable and beautiful. i reccomend it to anyone. <BR>I also heard ,although i have not been in any of these two, that the "Club Med Varadero" and the newly opened "Beaches Varadero" by Sandals are AMAZING. ( and in the case of beaches, will be very nice(i am not sure if "beaches"is opened yet.) <BR>i cannot give a lot of opinions about these two resorts because i havent had the chance to be in any of them. The club Med i heard is simply gorgous,as this one is one of Club Meds finest villages. I heard this is a great resort, and i have heard great things about Club Med in general. The BEACHES VARADERO is going to be opened soon or has been recently opened(whatever the case), and this is also a great resort to consider. This is going to be adults only, and is described as a five star ultra all inclusive managed by the famous chain"sandals." <BR>Although the following two resorts are not all inclusive(unlike the ones i previously mentioned),the melia varadero and melia las americas look good too. however, i have not been to any of them , so i cannot give my personal opinion. Oh well, i hope i helped someone . i wish you all a good and safe holiday in varadero, BONNES VACANCES <BR> <BR>