Recent posts by hawkowls | Debbie's Caribbean Resort Reviews Forums

HelloWe will be going to Jamaica for the first time this winter and we are wondering in which area can we find the best beaches? We are used to Punta Cana and was wondering where we can find the same kind of beach.Thanks

Hawkowls

hi Does anyone know if there is a bank next to the resort to exchange US dollar to CUC? And also what is the current rate. Is it better to exchange Canadian dollars or american?

hawkowls

Wow, classic male vs. female responses.Some of us want to "FIX" Hawkowl’s problem. Even when he hasn’t got a fixable problem.Others want to let him know we feel his discomfort/annoyance/unease and want him to feel better.Hey Hawkowl. I think you’re a good sport.Anybody want to start a thread about our Customs/Border experiences?kai-pur-EEN-yah, (Caipirinha) sounds great right now.The Spunk thats a good one spunky…lol ;D

Hawkowls

HiI was down there last week and put all my diving gear in a bag and labelled it sporting goods. It made it on the plane at no extra charge. Just remember it can be heavier then 20kilos.

Hawkowls

Good Luck! I little reminder…they xray your carry on and your luggage when you enter Cuba.

hawkowls

hawkowl, you make some very good points, and I don’t really think you ruffled any feathers, just people defending their favorite second home. If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t go, but you will be missing a very special place…..as far as we are concerned anyway, but in a democratic country, you can go wherever you like.
Cheers Hi Iggy1 Thanks I agree that it is a very special place. I found it just as beautiful and even nicer then several places that I have visited. Like I said before Im going to let it pass and maybe there will a a next time but not in the near future.

Hawkowls

Socialist vs democracy, I would rather face a Cuban with a machine gun than one of those Homeland security yahoos. Not me. Lets remember its about everyone own personal feelings. I dont care if you or any others dont want to go back its none of my business!!

Hawkowls

Hi Iggy1You wrote: to me seems like they are just doing their jobs and if that caught you by surprise, well, you should try coming into Canada sometimes.

In fact I do from 1998 to 2007 I have traveled internationally on business every week and I had my share of border super agents trust me. In fact one day I had a US National guard armed with a M16 ram sack my travel bag looking what I had for lunch. After he found a orange he simply tossed it in the garbage and told me that i couldn’t take that in the US. Even if he would of yelled his head off I would not of bothered me as I was in a democratic country.

I’ve been told twice since by Customs officials I should have made a complaint against him.

Try doing this in Cuba and see how far you will go with your complaint!

If the Cuban officials got to you over a raised voice and no smile, think what might happen to you coming home.

Again it was profound yelling not a raise voice, As my first response was I come home every month!

And about your friend with fifteen ball caps, no one in one week is going to use 15 ball caps, or 3 for that matter, so it should come as no surprise. When traveling, be smart, not dumb!

You have a very good point on this and it makes a lot of sense.

I seem to have ruffled a few feathers because I simply implied that I dont think I will go back to Cuba. There are a lot of people that I know that went and wont go back. This forum only represents a small portion of the people that travel to Cuba. Lets keep that in mind.

Hawkowls

hawkowls – I’m sorry you had an unpleasant experience with Customs. I am always a little apprehensive and intimidated when I approach Cuban Customs but I’ve always managed to to make them smile by the time they’ve processed my paperwork.

Please don’t let this unpleasant experience deter you from going to Cuba again.

Thanks shirleyujest

Beside my experience with customs i had a extremely beautiful vacation. As i noted the Cubans are very friendly and go out of their way to make you feel at home. It is a tropical paradise thats for sure!!

In the future who knows but my wife is a bit shy about going there again any time soon.

hawkowls

Hi Booklady6635Who said anything about upset? I just mentioned that I did not like my experience with customs and that i don’t think I will go back thats it. I did not call down the citizens of Cuba I just mentioned that my experience makes me doubt the authorities of this country thats all.I think that pretty clear I don’t understand what all the fuss is about.cheers

hawkowls

Lastly, don’t confuse anecdote with data. I’m sorry you had a tough time at Immigration but your experience is not the norm and thus cannot in all honestly be used as a reason to not visit a country again. If ongoing hassle by Immigration or Customs was normal practice then you’d have a valid argument.

I’m not arguing at all. I did not like my experience with customs and thats it! I loved the resort the people everything else but not my experience with the authority. I will repeat again that im not going to go there again in the near futur thats for sure i will wait and see. Maybe later all this will seam silly but not at this time.

Hawkowls

No thats exactly what happened. They held him up and acused him of importing them to sell in cuba. His wife was told to wait outside and she was very scared for him. They finaly released him but kept the ball caps. All that because he had 15 ball caps. He swore he would never return and never has again.

hawkowls

	hawkowls is the beach bar – Cuban restaurant open i read lately that they were putting the windows back in and it was closed Yes the windows are back and the bar and restaurant is open the whole time we were there. We ate there almost every day.hawkowls

Wouldn’t dream of it. Speaking from my own experience, not anyone else’s. Of course, in 20 plus trips I haven’t had any problems, and my husband…..same number of trips, also solo….hasn’t had any either. Just lucky, I guess.

Looks like I share your luck eeeefarm!

Sorry about your experience hawkowls. I can understand your anxiety about returning to Cuba, given your experience. I cannot dispute your perceptions, but I can tell you is that I’ve travelled to Cuba 13 times by myself and another 5 times with my son, and I’ve never felt intimidated or unsafe.

As I mentionned this was just at customs the rest of the trip was great and cubans are very very nice people I felt safe but not at customs. I not saying I will never go back maybe later but not in the near futur thats for sure.

hawkowls

My point is I didnt like my experience and others in our group didnt either. I didnt ruins the entire country just as my post indicated it ruined my confidence in the authorities. I can put you in touch with a local guy here who got detained for about 5 hours because he had ball caps in his luggage. I have been to several countries including the US with their customs agents that dont smile much either when they feel like it but never did I feel uncomfortable. You cant speak for us as you were not there..Hawkowls

I don’t know if you read all my post but it was not just the not non smiling customs agent but the yelling and uncertainty that did it for me. If custom agents here in Canada would threat me like that I can tell them exactly what I think about them without the fear that I will be locked up with no rights what so ever. But you cant in Cuba. Everyone around got nervous when she started out. I was not the only that felt uncomfortable..

hawkowls

Welcome back hawowls! Glad to hear you had a good time. Are you a Cuba convert? Did you do any excursions or go off the resort? How was the beach? We look forward to a review and maybe some pics?

I’m not sure I’m a Cuban convert just yet. Read my other post " thing you should know before going to Cuba" Yes i took a new tour called Pillar Plus. Its a combo of the speed boat tour and tour of Pillar beach with a lobster dinner and 2 drinks for 59 pesos. It was fun but the dinner was cold and not very good. If it would of been hot it would of been another story. The beach was nice at pillar and at the ID. There is a lot of seaweed that washes up on the shore but they clean that very good. We found that the beach at ID is better then Melia because at high tide the Melia does not have much room but there is plenty at the ID. I loved my vacation..

Hawkowls

I know but I still found the place clean. I would have to see the other places before making a judgment. And I might not be able to make such a judgment as I’m not sure I would ever go back to Cuba.Hawkowls

Was it something specific or just in general? If you have the time please elaborate why you don’t thin you would go back.

Well first of all the Cuban people are fantastic!! I have rarely met such nice people however the Cuban authorities are another story. This is a communist state and its important not to forget this. When i was entering customs i was served by a young lady that did not smile. She told me to take off my hat. then she yelled at me because my wife you was nervous was talking to me. She asked me what I did for a living, why I came to Cuba and kept a very serious look on her face. She made me feel very uncomfortable and I’m not sure that I want to go through all that again. I have heard horror stories about things that happened to tourist from my area and I’m really not sure that I will go there again. When I go to a foreign country I like to feel safe and I did not feel very safe at customs.

hawkowls

Just boodked for the ID leaving March 28..just a couple of questionsWhich restaurants are available for lunch….just buffetHow do you reserve for the alacartes…I believe there are 2 or 3Do you have to pay to use the safes in the rooms. What room were you in……..any info I’d appreciate first time to CG and ID

Thanks in advance

Hi First of all there are 3 ala carts restaurants. The Mexican situated next to the buffet , the Italian situated near the pool and the Cuban situated on the beach. For Breakfast , dinner and supper you can eat at the buffet which is very good. You can eat breakfast and diner at the Cuban on the beach which was also very good. The Italian sometimes serves diner I know that almost everyday you could eat there. They were announcing seafood day and BBQ day at least twice when i was there.The Mexican ala carte and only serves supper. For reservation they are taken near the front desk between 10.00 am and 12:00 Pm If I were you reserve the first time it is open because they go fast. For an example we arrived on Sunday and i was in the line up on Monday and could only get a reservation for Friday and Saturday at the Mexican and Italian. We could not get a reservation at the Cuban so book early and you may get lucky.Safes are available for 2 pesos per day payable when you leave.I was in room 2244 in the Baracoa building. It was beach front and the very last one to the right. It was OK but the rooms were old but they were clean. I heard that the Camaguay and Holguin building have some renovated rooms.hopes this helps.Hawkowls

	I know but I still found the place clean. I would have to see the other places before making a judgement. And I might not be able to make such a judgement as Im not sure I would ever go back to Cuba.Hawkowls

I was mostly at the pool but did not catch the names of all the bartenders there exept the ones that I mentionned . They are the ones that got my attention as they gave me the best service and were very friendly.

Hawkowls

Sorry but I did not see them. I always dealt with Liever, Felix and Alberto. The others I dont recall their names. There was one guy that was amazing , he could catch an ice cude with a tong. from far away. Amazing…

Hawkowls

Hi Lazaro was a blast. He was by far the best waiter at the buffet during supper time. It was fun going to his corner and enjoying the meal. He always wanted to escort our wives out of the restaurant after supper.

hawkowls

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