Anyone been to Cape Verde?

[rainsbows]

We’ve booked for Boa Vista for October 2027. Conflicting advice on vaccinations so would appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been.

edited to add that we’re staying in a beachfront all inclusive resort rather than off the beaten track.

Just read the reviews… personally it’s one place I would absolutely avoid like the plague

Hated it

My parents have been for the last 3 or 4 years to Boa Vista, they love it and it’s the first time I’ve ever known them repeat the same holiday destination. Not a lot to do though I believe unless you like swimming and sunbathing. They do go in mid winter though, not summer so don’t know what it’s like at the moment

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cape-verde/health

Hated it. Never again

Have you been to a travel clinic? Who is giving you conflicting health advice?
Hopefully this outbreak will have cleared by the time you go:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy18l59yxxo

Everything I’ve heard about it makes it sound like a hellhole.

We stayed on Sal (in Santa Maria) last year. No illness, but my god it was one of the most boring holidays I’ve ever been on. And it was really windy so it was cold in the evenings. The hotel was lovely, food was varied and hygiene standards good but I would never go back. Wish we’d gone to Mexico or something instead, I was trying to save on flight time and wish I’d not bothered.

Seems it’s been a close shave only spending £300 deposit then…!

Where would you recommend for a hot beach week in October? Max 5/6 hour flight.

I loved it. Been to Sal twice, would happily go again. Hygiene around the hotel was impeccable. If you want a sunshine pool AI holiday in UK winter and less than 7 hours flight then it’s great.
having said that, I wouldn’t go in summer as there are so many other places to go that are warm and chilled.

Loved it!! Stayed at the RIU Cabo Verde in Sal. Yeah there’s not a great deal to do but there is day trips to do which looked really good. I didn’t do any though. After a massive mental breakdown I was more than happy to just chill by the pool or on the beach. We did do the water park one of the days but that was part of the hotel nearby to where we stayed and we were able to use it free of charge. We were very nearly out off by the reviews on TA but decided to go with an open mind. It turned out to be one of the best holidays we’ve been on. Absolutely nothing wrong with the food. It was hot, rotated regularly and temp checked regularly too. I ate meat, fish, seafood, salad annd fruit with no issues whatsoever. Just made sure I sanitised my hands each time I went back for food. Had ice in my drinks and just cleaned my teeth with the bottled water provided in the room, and made sure to keep my mouth shut in the shower. Everyone we met out there was so warm and welcoming. After all Sal is the land of no stress. Yeah the sunbeds are grubby. That’s easily solved by putting a towel on them. Just be warned it’s hot. Don’t be fooled by the wind. I’ve never had sunburn as bad as I did last year. Tbh I think most people’s sickness is far too much sun, far too much alcohol and overloading on too much food. the amount of people sat at the swim up bar for hours and hours on end without getting out to go to the toilet don’t help either!

I visited about 12 years ago and stayed in a RIU in Boa Vista. I really liked it, the hotel and weather was great (went in December). But, there is nothing to do. It’s very much a sunbathe and chill holiday.

We went 7yrs ago, flies all in the food, dead and alive (lovely), and when we got into our room there was blood splattered up the net covering the patio door. Would never go back, all the stories I’ve heard since are horrifying I think we got off lightly!

I enjoyed it.

there’s not much to do but if you just want to relax, sunbathe and enjoy AI it’s great.

We went 12 years ago and, tbh, we had a great time. We knew it was going to be a fly and flop holiday so were not expecting anything else. The food was of a really good quality, there were no flies on it, neither of us were ill.

However, when we went there were only 2 hotels on the island and the flights weren’t full. Now I don’t think the infrastructure can cope with the amount of people who are flying in and out, the illness that they have will be difficult to get rid of because they don’t have the resources to deal with it. And, also, people don’t take responsibility for themselves when they are ill, they go out and about around the hotels so it spreads constantly.

It’s such a shame how it’s gone because I’d love to go back.

Family conference! We’re switching to southern Cyprus - glad I asked on here!

Went 13years ago in August, worst holiday I’ve ever been on! It was so boring, hardly anything to do apart from sit around a pool! It was like visiting the moon only worse! Went on an island tour ‘this is where a golf course will be built in the future’ was the highlight! The locals were very pleasant but lots of poverty made me uncomfortable.

I went to cape Verde Boa Viste stayed at TUI karamboa .
Absolutely beautiful hotel ,short distance from airport.
Would go back .

Two friends havd been there - neither would go back.
First one and her husband got locked in by a very aggressive shop keeper who wouldn't let them out until they bought something.
Second said everything in the hotel was like we'd have had in the 50s. Very odd food and most stuff geared towards German tourists.

We went about 4 years ago, dh and I. Went to the Riu palace in Boa Vista, there were a couple of beach bar/restaurants down the beach in each direction where we’d wander to on hotel days and every other day we did a trip/tour of some kind. We had a perfectly relaxing time, I was going through some rough grieving at the time and we needed a fly and flop type holiday. The hotel was absolutely immaculate, we didn’t get ill, there was enough stuff to occupy us outside of the resort and equally we went in October time, it was hot but certainly not busy so it was pretty chilled at the hotel.
i wouldn’t go back but that’s because we pretty much saw everything we wanted to in the 8 day trip.

I returned 3 weeks ago from Sal, I must be in the minority because I had a lovely holiday and wasn’t sick.

We’ve swapped to a luxe hotel in southern Cyprus, same temperatures and £1k less. Thank you so much all!

@rainsbows I'm surprised Cyprus was cheaper. I thought one of the reasons people went to Cape Verde was because it was fairly cheap.

Well to be fair, we’ve gone a week earlier in the first week of half term rather than the second when most schools are off. Cyprus in week 2 would have been £2k more than Cape Verde.

I’m not surprised Cyprus is cheaper at the moment with all the Middle East tensions 😬