Colourful Cuba
We flew with Thomas Cook Holidays on an all-inclusive package which covered our arrival visas. The flight from Gatwick to Holguin is 9 hours. The airport is small so we were soon on our way to the resort in Guardalavaca. We stayed at the Brisas resort which has a main hotel with an adjacent villa area which is quieter so there are rooms to suit everyone. Our room was large with aircon and slightly dated décor compared to other Caribbean islands I’ve visited, but this is Cuba!
The resort has 2 pools and 5 restaurants to choose from. There were all sorts of activities going on all day from poolside entertainment to tennis to chess tournaments. One cloudy morning we rented some bikes and stopped off in the local square where the barber was giving haircuts then visited the local souvenir market. Of course, there is also a long stretch of white sandy beach to relax on a lounger with a book if that’s more your thing.
My expectations of the food were minimal but I was pleasantly surprised by the huge buffet selection available at breakfast and lunch, plenty of fresh fruit, salads, fish and there was always something tasty. The a la carte restaurants bookable for the evenings, were an eclectic selection, our favourite meal was at the Internacional. Whilst staying at hotel, there was a Cuba Tourism conventional being held, so hotel guests were also invited to evening entertainment on the beach, salsa dancers and celebration buffet. The tourism minister gave a rousing speech to the delegates and the marketing video truly highlighted the uniqueness of Cuba.
From Holguin there was an overnight excursion to Havana to experience the bustling capital city, encompassing visits to tobacco factory and Ernest Hemingway’s house. Nearer places to visit from Holguin included Santiago de Cuba, the birthplace of the 1950s revolution and original capital. Traditional colonial architecture sits side by side with eastern European influences in the main cities.
Revolution reminders are everywhere and Castro is celebrated with statues, memorials and plaques. The population are still living with ration books in the 21st century, the average monthly wage is equivalent to $15, people try to make an extra peso raising a pig. Pigs are more common than dogs, however cows are rare and protected, hence the name Guardalavaca – guard the cow! Most people cannot afford to buy cars or houses, washing machines are still considered luxury items, however the people are welcoming and friendly and seem happy with life. School, university and healthcare are all free here. Health tourists from other South American nations such as Venezuela come here as the health service is so good!
Raul Castro came to power a few years ago, after Fidel Castro retired and is starting to relax some of the regulations, relations with US are defrosting so more changes are certainly on the horizon. Most tourists come from Canada, UK and Germany currently; many guests at the hotel were on their 2nd, 3rd 4th even 16th visit!
Exploring outside of the hotel, seeing the way of life, culture and history were the highlights for me. I can certainly see why people return and why particularly now Cuba is a popular destination.
I recommend you go soon!