I need a vacation.. suggestion needed!

[Oilers]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Cuba is nice, but I haven't been with kids so can't suggest family activities. I don't see any problem with your wife going. If you go, make sure you book 5 star, as that's going to be about a 3 star anywhere else. If you go to a resort, eat local food, it's what they make best. There are a lot of good restaurants in town, and you can probably arrange a home cooked meal through someone at the hotel. Some of the best meals I had was while staying with a family in Havana.

When did you go Brad? I will definitely try the local foods there. I love trying out new dishes. Do they speak a lot of English there? What did you use to get around town?

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Oilers

When did you go Brad? I will definitely try the local foods there. I love trying out new dishes. Do they speak a lot of English there? What did you use to get around town?

I've been a few times. The resorts are pretty good for English, but the family I stayed with spoke none at all. Most people in the city do not speak it. Last time I was there was 3 years ago.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Oilers

What did you use to get around town?

To get around, I took the public bus, or private taxis in Havana. You'd need to speak Spanish though, so maybe stick to the tour arranged transport and legal taxis

[Oilers]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

To get around, I took the public bus, or private taxis in Havana. You'd need to speak Spanish though, so maybe stick to the tour arranged transport and legal taxis

Yes sir. Too bad I didn't take Spanish in High school instead of French. Time to register for Spanish 101 I guess

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by Oilers

Yes sir. Too bad I didn't take Spanish in High school instead of French. Time to register for Spanish 101 I guess

As long as you show some effort, the locals will appreciate it. You can learn the basics in a week.
The first time I went anywhere was to Havana, and spoke three words in Spanish. It was embarrassing So when I got home, I started studying and now speak a fair bit so I can carry on casual conversations.

But Google basic Spanish, learn greetings, please, thank you, where is stuff, etc. Cuba is de nada for you're welcome vs con gusto in other countries. Papaya is a bad word and do NOT use it outside of the buffet at the resort
most other stuff is generic. A popular tourist phrase is "mucho bueno" which means nothing in any proper form Those were 2 of my three words my first trip -lol And spending the week with a family that spoke 2 words in English made it very interesting. Actually one of my most memorable vacation times, but I felt bad for assuming everyone in a foreign country would speak my language. They don't!

[Aquattro]

Oh, and if you know French at all, Spanish shouldn't be tough. Same language structure with feminine/masculine, verb tense, etc. Also formal vs. casual greetings.

"Como Estas" for casual, staff that call you amigo or campenero. "Como esta usted" for more formal greetings. Assume all women are Senora, not seniorita.
But similar to French. Not tough to learn if you've already played with other languages.

[Reef_Geek]

I went to Varadaro twice. IMO it's in the category of good value for relaxation. It's hard to find a destination like this for $1K to $1.5K including flights, a week of food and lodging.

You can pay a bit more for nicer places. I went to Sandals for about $1800 per person. It's adults only, but I assume there are other choices that are kids friendly of this caliber. The food at Sandals was great. I pretty much had surf and turf every night with smoked salmon appetizer. Not local food, but really good resort food.


Sandals Hicacos (18+ only)

[Reef_Geek]

On another trip, we stayed with Iberostar Varadaro. It was for a friend's wedding and there were kids within the group. This place has ok food, but it's just your run of the mill foods. It was a great resort though, with nightly early shows for kids, and then the adult oriented live shows followed. The resort also had regular activities where staff went around and solicited participation... I played a lot of volleyball with friends there. Kids easily met friends at the pool or beach, but the place was big enough that kids and families didn't bother us. It was nice to drink with friends and chill on the beach.