My family of 4 just returned from Jibacoa (the area in the province of Havana) Cuba. We had 7 days at Villas Cameleon. Arrived at the Veradero airport and travelled by bus for 1 hour to the hotel. We were assigned 2 villas side by side. 2 double beds in each room, tv, refridgerator and full bath. The property looks a little run down, but we go with the flow as we've travelled quite alot in the carribean. We were in room 54 which was fine for us, just freshly cleaned and stocked with the welcome from Air Transat of coffee,rum and a bottle of water. The housekeepers put a fresh flower in the room and it was overrun with ants, so we quickly ridded the room of that, even as pretty as it was. We entered the room that my 17 and 20 year old were staying in right next door. and the overwhelming smell of mold greeted us. I advised them to leave the airconditioner on so that it would at least circulate the air, and to keep the door open as much as possible to keep fresh air coming in to dry out the room.
This was new years eve, and we had been travelling since 8 am
had a small meal on the plane about noonish and now it was 5pm after we got into our rooms and changed. I had heard there was dinner at 7:30 that evening, a large fiesta, we were hungry and decided to go have a sandwich and drink at the bar next to the pool. When we got to the pool and ordered a sandwich we were told there was no food there and would have to wait now until dinner at 7:30....rather a long time to go between meals since we were up at 4am and no real breakfast in us either.

We had a delicious dinner for NYE, and there was entertainment nightly in a building next to the pool area.

Day 2 . We got up as breakfast is from 7:30-10:00 am, got into the shower, which was...cold ..or colder, assumed it was just that maybe someone took an extra long shower in an adjoining room and went with it. We spent a wonderful warm day on the nearly deserted beach. Returned to the room later in the afternoon to shower and relax before dinner (7-9:00) again,...cold or colder shower. We mentioned to the reception staff we would like to have the water repaired on day 3, and were told no problem however by day 4...tired of cold showers, especially that the weather had turned cold..and it wasnt fun having a cold shower when you were already cold. Spoke to the air transat rep. in the lobby and it was repaired that same morning...finally.

Our room fridge didnt work either, and we had that repaired also.

The beds are comfortable after the first night, only thing is...I like a thicker pillow and what they gave us was a very thin pillow so we asked for a few more and received them with no problem.

We did encounter some bad weather for 2 days...lots of wind and we were repeatedly out of power for 10-15 mins frequently throughout the day and night. The paths are not that well lit at night so in the dark it was a bit of a challenge. Dinner in the dark by flashlight was also very entertaining.

Room 56 had issues with the locking mechanism for the slide card and when the reception was told they took care of it immediately. However, the smell of mold lingered right through the week and when we arrived home could smell it in our luggage.

The hair dryers in room are not the best, and I would suggest that you do bring your own if you are needing to style your hair.
Bring facecloths also, and shampoo, these are not supplied at this particular hotel property,and no clocks in the rooms.

There are no screens on the sliding glass doors nor on the bathroom window, and we did encounter mosquitos. so bring along a bug spray if you are sensitive to bites.

The buffet was great for the first few days, but after eating basically the same menu for 6 days in a row, I couldnt imagine staying at the property for 2 weeks and having the repetitive meals. There are only so many ways that the cooks there prepare potatoes, boiled or oven baked, sometimes seasoned, most times not. The salads were not really that great, mostly cabbage and onion and very limited, there are no salad dressings, but they did have ketchup available. Jam is either mango or another type (not strawberry or raspberry of course), no peanut butter, no hot chocolates, and only orange pekoe (black leaf) tea. The fruits were also very repetitive and not much in the selection of cheese, one type..all week in every dish you can think of. The breads however are excellent. I would suggest that if you want to eat a meal, get there as close to the opening of that meal,or you will find they run out of items quickly and do not replenish. Example, in the am, bacon is there from 7-9 but then here is none again until 10 mins before closing (I have a feeling thats so there are leftovers for the staff). Service in the restaurant is great in the am's, and lunch, evening however is usually a fresher set of staff..and they arent as attentive. We did ask for
red wine with dinner and was told they "ran out",that was from day 4 onward.

There are quite a few cats and dogs on the premises, bring along some snack foods for them if you have, they do get fed well from the buffet though and know exactly where to sit near the door.

There was a day that we were at the beach and decided to forego lunch, instead to go to the pool bar to order a grilled ham and cheese again. We were told there wasnt enough there for us, and there might be after, but right now the bartender needed to "feed his friends" who were a group of locals that were staying at the hotel and a relative of a staff member of the entertainment group. We werent impressed. So dont rely on the pool bar for lunch.

The trip to Veradero is very nice, we found it rather rushed though. and the trip to Havana was great, although you dont spend alot of time in the city, mostly a good half hour having a drink in a local upscale restaurant and then onto the bus for lunch at an italian restaurant, then back to the old city for some 1 hour of wandering. There is no refreshments on the buses, either on excursions or from the airport to the hotel and back to the airport, so if you are thirsty..come prepared.

We found the area to be very laid back, very quiet not a party central like the breezes was. There are only 2 hotels that cater to visitors on this stretch of the beach and the reef right on the beach is wonderful for snorkelling. The breezes is only a short walk up the hill and you can also go on a hike with the guide in reception that will take you right past the entrance to Breezes ,up onto a hill for a panoramic view of the area and onto a local farm.
The family is very sweet and I would heavily suggest bringing them something for their trouble or at least tip them on your departure from their home. There are a few teenage girls there
that would appreciate a gift Im sure.

Varadero Airport:

Okay..so you get dropped off...go to check your bags and maybe change your money back over to Canadian dollars at the money exchange. Now you pay your departure tax of 25 cuc's get your boarding card stamped..now what do you do with your next 3 hours. According to a very nice young man..there is nothing on the other side of security, and you should wait upstairs before going through security, in the "restaurant", because there are "no amenities after security....well.this isnt true. Go through security, dont pay the extra for "quick check in" its just a grab, there are always plenty of seats on the other side of security and lots to eat, including a duty free and bathrooms and a smoking area.
Beware of the blonde middle aged woman in Duty Free, she likes to make tips for herself by not giving you correct change.
My daughter is 20, went in and bought some snacks for the ride home, she gave the cashier a 10 cuc and her total came to 4.65, so the woman gave her the change for 5 cucs' and said .."5 for me" closed the til and waited. My daughter counted her change and looked at her perplexed, not once but 2 or three times. She kept repeating "5 for me" and my daughter said No, Finally she opened the til up and said.."never mind, you gave me a 10"?
My daughter said yes, and the woman handed her back her 5 cucs'. This has never happened to us before travelling to Cuba or anywhere else, very blatant and totally unsuspecting because you think you are safer in a Duty Free, you arent. Also dont buy toilet paper from the nice young woman sitting right inside the bathroom door, there is paper supplied for you IN the stalls and it doesnt cost you. She does nothing for you. We also realized that the layout for the Cayo Cocoa departure area is exactly as it is in Varadero.

Had a great 2nd time around at the Jibacoa all inclusive resort in mid November 2007. Temperatures hovered around a perfect 22-27 degrees, which was quite a bit cooler than in February. This time, the resort had just opened up for the season and the few, primarily Canadian tourists readily connected with each other as if they had always been part of the same family. The staff was pleasant and the grounds were spacious with plenty of room to mill around.
Although the weather was mixed, we enjoyed few excellent days for snorkeling and other water activities once the winds eased. With a couple of pesos as a tip, the life guards eagerly took guests for a catamaran ride or helped peddle the paddle-wheeler out to the reef's edge for snorkeling or diving adventures. Unfortunately my run-in with a portugese-man-of-war jelly fish was quite an unpleasant experience, reminding me to heed the red flag warnings posted on the beach. Wisely, I had come prepared with plenty of Antihistamine pills and Benydryl topical gel which took the sting out.
The usually bland Cuban food had improved somewhat from last time, with some tasty meals, but less variety, probably due to the low number of guest at the season's start. Nightly entertainment was mostly a repeat from the February shows, but with exceptionally good and lively performances by the local "Senora Jibacoa" band. Lunch & dinnertime music would have been better without repeatedly playing Aerosmith, but then the DJ's really do have limited resources. A much appreciated gift for the entertainment staff would be some nice background music, although they would arguably prefer to play the newer techno/dance type 24-7.
If you are considering a holiday at the Cameleon Jibacoa, you may want to take a few spices along, herbal teas & salad dressings, as well as an alarm clock, facecloth, shampoo, conditioner and soap etc., since those are either not supplied or of poor quality. As for gifts/tips for the staff and locals, any toiletries, children's clothing or school supplies are always much appreciated. Oh, and expect that at least one staff member will beg you for your travel mug!
In conclusion, it was the perfect place for a chill-down, relaxed, non-crowded holiday at an economical price which left me looking forward to another one.

We chose the Jibacoa area for its great snorkeling. At first we saw Superclub Breezes, but suddenly in the brochure, the page across from Breezes revealed Cameleon. For $800 cheaper per person for our 2 week stay. We have a tendency to like smaller hotels, which Cameleon is. So we went and were not disappointed in the slightest.

Jibacoa sits almost halfway between Varadero and Havana. About an hour drive to each, making touring Havana a much less grueling bus ride. The area is more rural than Varadero, with more natural forest and native areas. There are only two resorts at the site, with a few Cuban camps/resorts further west along the beach from Cameleon.

The hotel consists of several villas, containing 4-6 rooms each, spread through a very large garden. Villas are older, yet well maintained and private. Each room has a patio door, and ours opened up to a wonderful ocean view. Outside our room was a hibiscus tree that was loaded with hummingbirds to watch each morning.

The beach was very nice, very long and never crowded. Palapas were spread along the beach and not bunched up like the ones at Breezes, next door.

The hotel provided very good food - nothing fancy, but good quality for Cuba. A favourite with our group was the homemade ice cream, the fresh squeezed orange juice, the roast pork and the breakfast buffet. At the pool is an a la carte which provided beach and pool fare at noon - hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches. Again nothing fancy, but certainly edible, especially if you didn't like leaving the water to walk up to the restaurant.

Ocean is not a good swimming ocean. Sea bed is covered with coral and sea grass - perfect for us snorkelers, but someone just wanting to swim may not be happy. Snorkeling was VERY good with loads of area to snorkel in. We found snorkeling in front of the Cameleon better than that in front of Breezes although certainly both areas were available to swim in. We appreciated the large snorkeling area where motor boats were kept out - only occasionally the dive boat would head out the channel. So we were never faced with dodging jet skis.

The staff at the hotel were phenomenal. Extremely friendly and very accommodating.

The gardens were beautiful and well maintained as was the beach. Security are posted throughout the resort, including on the beach, so we never felt afraid to leave our things on the beach chairs while we were in snorkeling for hours at a time.

Entertainment was available each night, but was pretty standard and nothing exciting or new.

The hotel has road train tours available for 15 pesos that were well worth it. The road train lived at the Cameleon resort as did the Jeep rentals, however both were available for people from both the Cameleon and Breezes resorts. Motorbike/scooter rentals were available at Breezes for people from both resorts. And each resort had it's own fleet of rental bicycles.

Cameleon had 2 peddle boats available for free to guests. Guests of Breezes could use these for a nominal $. Both resorts had kayaks and small sail kayaks for use.

The two resorts at Jibacoa both offer a wonderful experience. If you prefer fancier fair, newer, larger volume of rooms and people, then Cameleon is not for you. Cameleon is for those who don't mind a smaller resort, in more of a garden setting. But note that the food, beach, snorkeling and accessibility to tours, etc are exactly the same at each resort.

Trip Date: April 7-14, 2007
Travelers: All adults (47-74 yo)

We recently spent a week at this low-key resort. I went with my parents and the three of us enjoyed a relaxing time among beautiful people.

Location: This resort, surrounded by hills and nature, is about 45 minutes to Havana and not far from Varadero. The nearest town is Matanzas, which is a colonial city with a few interesting sites. The gardens were well-looked after with colourful flowers and palm trees. We also saw beautiful birds, butterflies, and rare spiders.

Weather: It was very good, hot and sunny almost every day (30 C). We had a rainy day and a rainy afternoon that helped us catch up with our reading.

Room: We shared a triple room; comfortable & very clean; mini-fridge, AC w/remote control; Cable TV; great closet & storage; pretty large bathroom (shower only); clean towels every day; and extra blankets (we didn't need any).

Beach: We were only steps from a nice and private beach; no waves; clear waters and soft sand. We did snorkling and suntanned under beach umbrellas. They had long plastic chairs available. We also had access to snorkling gear; peddal boats, sea kayaks, and a guided catamaran ride. Scuba diving had to be booked and it cost $30 for about 3 Hrs. We didn't go this time.

Food/Restaurant: We loved the food, it reminded us of home cooking. It was tasty and fresh. Cuba doesn't have access to exotic or foreign spices so they use mainly salt, pepper and some local spices. We enjoyed the fresh fish everyday, which they cooked in various ways: steamed, grilled, fried, breaded, etc. We really liked the home-made breads, sweet yogurts and freshly squeezed orange juice every day. Yummy!

Service: The servers were very polite, always offering to help with anything we needed. They even made a little cake for dad's birthday. All of them were polite and friendly; they never asked us for anything (tips or goods) and they showed a beautiful smile. We brought some presents to give away, things we bought at a dollar store, and they were very grateful. Cubans appreciate anything people give them: soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hair things, pens, pencils, note pads, T-shirts, etc. We were happy to give them everything we had because they treated us like royalty.

Pool: It was a lovely pool, very clean, not fancy, but just perfect to relax and cool down from the heat. There was a bar and hot "panini" sandwiches were available all day. There was a DJ and one day a week they had live music and dancers. We spent little time by the pool since we preferred the beach.

Drinks: Light beer, great Margaritas & Daikiris, and sweet Spanish coffees. Mmm... The Pina Colada and Chocolate Monkey were creamy and tasted like smoothies. Very yummy. The bar tenders were polite and extra careful to prepare your drinks. We did not hesitate to give some tips.

Entertainment: This was kind of poor. They had good dancers, and one good comedian, but in general the shows were amateur. However, we went on good spirits and laughed a lot and clapped their efforts. The disco played a little bit of everything, but mostly music approriate for a younger or single crowd.

Dad went on a biking tour one morning and said his bicycle didn't have good brakes and it didn't have a switch to change gears. He still enjoyed it, but it was tiring for him and a bit unsafe.

Tours: We highly recommend the catamaran tour to Cayos Blancos. That beach is unbelivable.

Overall, we had an excellent time and would love to go back to Villas Jibacoa. We highly recommend this resort to families with children, couples, older folks, or people who want to have fun and save a lot of money.

Solymar Toronto, Apr. 2007