Cape Verde

shodan

Booked up to go in November. Me the missus and our kids 9 and 6 years old. And.... My parents...
Personally I'm dreading a week with my father... But then I'm miserable and would rather spend the money on my house, but my parents sneakily spoke to the missus first and so I was blindsided into it...

Has anyone been before? Any thoughts or experiences? Any photos suitable for sharing? Apparently we are going to the Sal Dunas resort and it is all inclusive...

gg13533

Not been myself but a friend went.  Apparently very unspoilt and not touristy.  I think they did some dune buggy type stuff but basically there wasn't much else.  That's my recollection anyway, could be wrong and might have changed as it was a year or so back.

shodan

Thanks, I'm planning on relaxing, playing with the kids in the pool, swimming in the sea working out in the gym and eating and drinking tons!

tonycommander

We have been, not to that resort but to riu toureg.

Very desolate island, volcanic although extinct.

Brilliant weather, very windy though so can get burnt if not careful.

Two best hints.. Seriously.. Take some pegs for your towels on sunbeds or they will be blown everywhere. And take a large thermal mug, you will soon get fed up fetching half pints in their glasses!

tonycommander

Oh yeah... Unless you're a damned strong swimmer don't bother with the sea... 4-5 feet waves were the norm with strong tides..

Arcam_boy

I went in 2009 when it was just coming about and there was only the 1 Riu hotel on the island.

It was extremely windy so much so that we ended up building barriers out of unused sunbeds as it just battered you all day long and became unpleasant after a while.

Lovely weather though and very hot as you'd expect.

We walked to Boa Vista which was along the beach/sand dunes. Plenty of warning about the locals asking you in to the dunes and robbing you. Felt very unwelcome in the town.

It does look like in the last 7 years its expanded massively in terms of hotels and tourists and they may now be alot more welcome to the island.

I don't think I'd go back myself however I'm positive it'll be a lovely escape from the UK in November especially if you stay around the hotel and rinse the all inclusive!!

shodan

Cheers mate, that's my plan exactly! I was hoping for a bit of swimming in the sea and running on the beach but that's looking increasingly unlikely...

plloydie

Hi
We went to Boa Vista back in 2012 and had a great time even though this is not our normal type of holiday. The beach was simply stunning and took a walk most days along it, once we were maybe 1/2 mile from the hotel we simply didn't see anyone at all. The hotel had lots of water sport activities going on and there was a quad bike tour and a buggy tour which we did both ( The buggy was the more preferable).
We had no trouble whilst walking along the beach however the quad bike tour stopped in the town and once the guide disappeared for his pint the locals descended on us trying to get us to buy stuff ( I took no money with me but they were relentless) Also speaking to another couple the travel reps took a group on a walk into the town and even gave them a voucher for a taxi back. The guy told me everything was fine whilst the reps were about but once they left the locals came out en-mass he said everyone was back at the hotel within 15 minutes. Would I go again for a relaxing beach holiday? absolutely.
Boa Vista by Paul, on Flickr

shodan

Superb, thank you.

tonycommander

wave size... can be intimidating