Cape Verde...Any one been?

dobsy · 03-24-2013, 10:34 AM

Thinking of booking a weeks break mid april and heard positive things on Cape Verde , any 1st hand experiences?

I want sun and not much else!

Dizzle · 03-25-2013, 04:02 AM

A good mate of mine has recently returned, said in some of the villages he didn't feel comfortable but the general feeling and sights were amazing and he would definitely go back. He stayed in some Rui hotel on the beach. He did say it was a relaxing break, sun and nothing more like you say.

dxb335d · 03-25-2013, 11:03 AM

My mate went a few years ago and said it was really windy.

rogerxp · 03-25-2013, 04:38 PM

A client of mine owns a significantly sized desert there but unfortunately on a less favoured island - worth the square root of fuck all - might one day return some profit though. Other than that I know about as much as this chaps investment is worth

Palmnuts · 03-25-2013, 05:00 PM

Yes, I went about 6 years ago.

Was the second worst holiday I've ever had (after Cairo - that was simply horrendous). No, wait....Cape Verde still earns it's place as the first worst holiday ever because at least Egypt only lasted for 4 days! I had to endure Cape Verde for a whole week

It was extremely underdeveloped back then and the only resort (or anything resembling a fully constructed 'modern' building) wwas the Riu one (Furnana and Garopa IIRC?). We stayed in whatever the posher one was and it was shit. Maybe it's my expectations but it was not even approaching the standard I'd expect. Even though it was only 1-2 years old at the time, the place was already deteriorating, the food was average at best (downright poor in the day, the evening meals were OK but all tasted exactly the same in all the various restaurants....just how they did that I do not know!). Goodness knows what state the place will be in now!

Oh....it's all coming back to me!!! The wind. The flies. THE FLIES!! Nothing like resting by the pool after a shit soggy buffet lunch (which the flies were all over), being battered by the wind and tickled by yet more flies. I mean....how didn't I enjoy it???

Then, when I escaped the resort I was faced with a level of poverty that I've never seen first hand before. I felt so bad for them and I do hope things have moved on for them

Yes, it was relatively cheap but still cost more than, say, a 4-star hotel in one of the Canaries. OK, it was also all-inclusive but it was my first AI experience which near as damn-it put me off AI's for life! Thankfully, a decent resort in Mexico has subsequently restored my faith in AI resorts but I'm still not a real advocate of them!

Of course, there may be other resorts now and the whole place may have improved - it needed to by a significant margin but, if it were my money, it'd be going on another destination (except Cairo)

Hope that helps

m@rk · 03-25-2013, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Palmnuts

I felt so bad for them and I do hope things have moved on for them

:

It hasn't

A bunch of holiday companies have spent a lot of money building resorts on a poverty stricken island in the middle of nowhere

There is a reason all the resorts have big walls and guards with guns.

Not fair on the people that lived there before and to be fair, there was a very good reason why this wasn't a holiday destination before hand.

If you have half a conscience then don't go and if you go anyway then you deserve everything you get.

Palmnuts · 03-25-2013, 05:47 PM

Well, if things haven't moved on in 6+ years then thats really sad. The holiday companies are clearly bringing money into the island and if none of it is flowing to the wider populous then thats appalling.

In fact, I hate holiday companies on the whole (for different reasons) - hence I tend to book my own holidays independently (saying that, Kuoni were quite good the one time I used them)

dobsy · 03-26-2013, 07:23 AM

Blimey I think thats Cape Verde ticked off the list!!

rich1068 · 03-26-2013, 07:47 AM

Sounded quite interesting when I looked it up on Wikipedia.

RichardM · 03-30-2013, 04:45 AM

I had a week on Sal last March and really enjoyed it. It was a beautiful new hotel with one of the nicest hotel rooms I've ever stayed in. Food and the all inclusive drinks were top notch.

The rest of the island was quite baron and it was fairly windy but as a place just to relax for a week it was good.

dobsy · 03-30-2013, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RichardM

I had a week on Sal last March and really enjoyed it. It was a beautiful new hotel with one of the nicest hotel rooms I've ever stayed in. Food and the all inclusive drinks were top notch.

The rest of the island was quite baron and it was fairly windy but as a place just to relax for a week it was good.

Which hotel was that mate?

RichardM · 03-30-2013, 08:37 AM

The Melia Tortuga
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_R...Maria_Sal.html

03-24-2013, 10:34 AM	#1
dobsy Private First Class 6 Rep 133 Posts Drives: E92 320d Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wirral iTrader: (0)	Cape Verde...Any one been? Thinking of booking a weeks break mid april and heard positive things on Cape Verde , any 1st hand experiences? I want sun and not much else!
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03-25-2013, 04:02 AM	#2
Dizzle Major 56 Rep 1,255 Posts Drives: F30 335xD Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: UK, Staffordshire iTrader: (0)	A good mate of mine has recently returned, said in some of the villages he didn't feel comfortable but the general feeling and sights were amazing and he would definitely go back. He stayed in some Rui hotel on the beach. He did say it was a relaxing break, sun and nothing more like you say.
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03-25-2013, 11:03 AM	#3
dxb335d The Tarmac Terrorist 949 Rep 29,345 Posts Drives: 997.2 GT3 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: ''Fandango Towers'' iTrader: (3) Garage List 2010 Porsche 997.2 GT3 [9.50] 2003 BMW E46 M3 [6.00] 2007 BMW E92 335D [5.50]	My mate went a few years ago and said it was really windy.
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03-25-2013, 04:38 PM	#4
rogerxp Major General 165 Rep 5,950 Posts Drives: M3 Comp Pack / QQ+2 Tekna Join Date: May 2008 Location: Stockport, Cheshire iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 350Z GT Roadster [2.00] 2004 Honda S2000 [0.00] 2005 Nissan 350Z GT ... [0.00] 2006 E92 BMW 335i SE [9.00] 2003 Maserati 4200 [6.00] 2006 E90 330d M Sport [0.00]	A client of mine owns a significantly sized desert there but unfortunately on a less favoured island - worth the square root of fuck all - might one day return some profit though. Other than that I know about as much as this chaps investment is worth __________________ Current -: MW E92 M3 Competition Pack / Qashqai+2 Tekna 1.6dci Gone -: 370Z GT Roadster; BMW X3 3.0d xdrive M Sport; E46 330i M Sport Coupe; Mazda RX8 231; Nissan 350Z GT Roadster; BMW E90 330d M Sport; BMW E92 335i SE; Maserati 4200; Nissan 350Z; Honda S2000; Astra Coupe Turbo; Ford Probe
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03-25-2013, 05:00 PM	#5
Palmnuts Lieutenant Colonel 170 Rep 1,957 Posts Drives: Huracan Evo & M8 GC Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Leicestershire, UK iTrader: (0)	Yes, I went about 6 years ago. Was the second worst holiday I've ever had (after Cairo - that was simply horrendous). No, wait....Cape Verde still earns it's place as the first worst holiday ever because at least Egypt only lasted for 4 days! I had to endure Cape Verde for a whole week It was extremely underdeveloped back then and the only resort (or anything resembling a fully constructed 'modern' building) wwas the Riu one (Furnana and Garopa IIRC?). We stayed in whatever the posher one was and it was shit. Maybe it's my expectations but it was not even approaching the standard I'd expect. Even though it was only 1-2 years old at the time, the place was already deteriorating, the food was average at best (downright poor in the day, the evening meals were OK but all tasted exactly the same in all the various restaurants....just how they did that I do not know!). Goodness knows what state the place will be in now! Oh....it's all coming back to me!!! The wind. The flies. THE FLIES!! Nothing like resting by the pool after a shit soggy buffet lunch (which the flies were all over), being battered by the wind and tickled by yet more flies. I mean....how didn't I enjoy it??? Then, when I escaped the resort I was faced with a level of poverty that I've never seen first hand before. I felt so bad for them and I do hope things have moved on for them Yes, it was relatively cheap but still cost more than, say, a 4-star hotel in one of the Canaries. OK, it was also all-inclusive but it was my first AI experience which near as damn-it put me off AI's for life! Thankfully, a decent resort in Mexico has subsequently restored my faith in AI resorts but I'm still not a real advocate of them! Of course, there may be other resorts now and the whole place may have improved - it needed to by a significant margin but, if it were my money, it'd be going on another destination (except Cairo) Hope that helps Last edited by Palmnuts; 03-25-2013 at 05:49 PM..
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03-25-2013, 05:47 PM	#7
Palmnuts Lieutenant Colonel 170 Rep 1,957 Posts Drives: Huracan Evo & M8 GC Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Leicestershire, UK iTrader: (0)	Well, if things haven't moved on in 6+ years then thats really sad. The holiday companies are clearly bringing money into the island and if none of it is flowing to the wider populous then thats appalling. In fact, I hate holiday companies on the whole (for different reasons) - hence I tend to book my own holidays independently (saying that, Kuoni were quite good the one time I used them)
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03-26-2013, 07:23 AM	#8
dobsy Private First Class 6 Rep 133 Posts Drives: E92 320d Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Wirral iTrader: (0)	Blimey I think thats Cape Verde ticked off the list!!
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03-26-2013, 07:47 AM	#9
rich1068 has left the building 90 Rep 3,359 Posts Drives: F30 330d M Sport Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Sounded quite interesting when I looked it up on Wikipedia.
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03-30-2013, 04:45 AM	#10
RichardM Colonel 133 Rep 2,046 Posts Drives: G21 M340i LCI Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Essex UK iTrader: (2)	I had a week on Sal last March and really enjoyed it. It was a beautiful new hotel with one of the nicest hotel rooms I've ever stayed in. Food and the all inclusive drinks were top notch. The rest of the island was quite baron and it was fairly windy but as a place just to relax for a week it was good.
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03-30-2013, 08:37 AM	#12
RichardM Colonel 133 Rep 2,046 Posts Drives: G21 M340i LCI Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Essex UK iTrader: (2)	The Melia Tortuga http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_R...Maria_Sal.html
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