We are from the Toronto area and went to the Cameleon Jibacoa for 14 nights from April 14-29, 2008. Our trip cost approx. $3,000 in total. We have 2 viewpoints on this resort: from the perspective of a 22-year-old female first time visitor to Cuba who has never been to an all-inclusive, and from a 54-year-old male three-time visitor to Cuba who has been to a number of 4 star all-inclusives.

SHE SAYS:

I give our trip an 8/10 and enjoyed most of it. I would definitely return to this resort because of: its location, the lack of crowds and the price.

The Good
The location is excellent because it’s only an hour away from Havana, which makes a Havana excursion very doable (vs. from Varadero, it’s a 2-hr ride to Havana). The snorkelling is awesome and doesn’t get boring. I took a scuba lesson and a dive with Chenos, one of the friendly scuba instructors – we swam through caves and saw a lobster and it felt like we were in the movie The Little Mermaid – amazing! I think I’d rather have the coral reefs right off shore and the proximity to Havana than have the white sand beaches found in Varadero, by comparison.

This resort is small and quiet, which I really liked. No lineups at the bar, always tables available in the restaurant, no crowded beaches, and only 15-20 people on our excursion to Havana and our hiking excursion.

The price is very reasonable. For a 3-star in Cuba, I was prepared not to eat gourmet food or swim in a fantastic pool. And I was quite satisfied with our room and bathroom – it wasn’t gross, it was big enough, the TV had some good movies and it was right by the restaurant.

The weather was half-good. Our first 5 days were chilly, windy, cloudy and red flags. The next week was much better. In total, we had about 3 green flag days, 6 yellow flags and the rest red. It was constantly windy or breezy, which got a bit tiring.

The Bad
On our 2nd day, I had the fish for lunch around 1:00. Then during the afternoon and evening, for about 4 hours straight, I got horrible stomach cramps and threw everything up until I started dry heaving. My friend ended up calling the on-site doctor, who came to our room and gave me a gravol shot in the bum. The first thing he asked us was, “Did you have the fish today?”… It took me about a day to recover. My friend felt a little nauseous all day the next day as well (he also had the fish), but he didn’t throw up. I stayed away from all meat food for several days thereafter.

The Ugly
On our 3rd day, I applied some sunscreen enriched with aloe vera (Banana Boat Ultra Plus waterproof sunblock, 50 SPF) on my face, neck and arms. I don’t know if it’s because I have sensitive skin, or it was more sensitive in the sun and heat, but this sunscreen absolutely wrecked my skin. In about a day, everywhere I had applied it, I broke out into small red itchy bumps and my face swelled up so much that I couldn’t recognize myself. During the worst of it, I woke up at 4:30 am on Thursday, the 4th day, and my left eye was so swollen that I couldn’t open it.

So again we went to see the doctor. The first thing he asked me was, “Have you been using aloe vera? It can react with the sun in hot Cuban weather.” Argh… I had to contend with my freak face for the next 4 days – I looked like an alien with slitty eyes and orange peel skin. I was embarrassed to show myself in public. The doc gave me a cream that helped reduce the inflammation and in about 4 days I was better.

In Sum
I’d definitely go here again and I hope it remains a small, non-crowded resort. The snorkelling/scuba is super fun, the grounds are lovely to walk around, the food is yummy, the price is right, and my companion was the best I could ever ask for.

HE SAYS:

First of all, this was a thoroughly researched trip and the reviews on this web site were very helpful and, as we found out at the resort, quite accurate. However, there are a few negatives and omissions that I’d like to tell you about as a heads-up if you go to Cameleon Jibacoa.

One of the reviews suggested that this 3-star could pass for a 4-star in some respects. In my experience, none of the elements of this facility could be mistaken for a 4-star. From the mismatched furniture in our small room to the uncomfortable foam mattress with the worn sheets to the faded curtains and the lack of screens on the windows and doors that let in mosquitoes, the management of this facility could try a little harder to make the accommodations more comfortable. We were finding ants in the bathroom and elsewhere although this was not a major problem. I was disappointed by the amount of black mould that was growing on our shower stall tiles.

During our walks through the very pretty grounds, we did see the infrastructure problems reported, including broken sidewalks, cracked foundations, broken flower planters and villas that appeared to be below ground-level that would certainly flood during a heavy rain.

The staff were, as has been reported, quite friendly and obviously hard working. The only negative to report was several staff approaching us asking if we’d like to buy counterfeit cigars. The food and drink were generally good, although we were disappointed by the occasional watery pina colada and the rum drinks used an inferior rum. I was surprised to see the pool bar run out of tequila and there were no straws to be found for several days at either of the bars.

It’s been reported that the water is good to drink in your rooms, but I’m suspicious about this. You are provided with a large bottled water upon arrival and, during orientation, the Nolitours rep suggested refilling the bottle at the bars or restaurant. After falling ill, I can’t help but wonder if the bathroom water was fit to drink.

There is a noise problem from the animation crew activities. It’s hard to escape unless you are at the beach or wear earplugs when you go to sleep. Personally I think they could crank down the volume of their shows and music.

My biggest beef was with the tourists who put out their cigarettes and cigars on the beach, in the grass and in the flower beds. It was not unusual to see plastic cups and other litter throughout the grounds, which is a shame and says volumes about our North American culture.

Our trip to Havana was interesting and better than my last trip, due mainly to our smaller bus. But I found the street people more aggressive than I remembered 4 years ago. I would suggest leaving your shopping for the duty-free at the Varadero airport rather than picking up gifts and booze from the resort or marketplace. No stamps were sold at the store next to the resort or at the resort front desk. It seems you can’t get them unless you go to Havana, which is where we mailed our postcards. Also, visitors should be aware that, while they can purchase pesos at the reception desk upon arrival, the Cameleon does not cash in unspent pesos for Canadian dollars. This has to be done at the airport before departure.

I agree that this resort was good value for the money and will likely be enjoyed by many travellers who are looking for a low-budget place by the beach. The snorkelling offshore was the best I have experienced anywhere. Despite the tired look of this place, I would recommend it. I would say, however, that during our 2 weeks we did see a number of surveyors at work on the grounds and near the beach. So be aware of any upcoming work on the property that may change the look and feel and maybe the cost of staying at this resort.

I just got back from Villas Jibacoas, after spending a week there in early May with my boyfriend. The hotel is an hour outside of Varadero, which we weren't really expecting, and was VERY QUIET. However, apart from the distance from Varadero, it was a great experience - the hotel staff are very friendly and nice, the food is very good (well cooked, unlike other hotels I've been to), the drinks are great (bartenders are AWESOME!!). The rooms are just typical rooms, but nice none the less. If you go to this hotel, DEFINATELY go on the excursion to Cayo Blanco, it was VERY FUN!!! Bring 10 pesos for the amazing lobster dinner. All in all this was a very fun trip - had a great time with the boyfriend, met lots of nice travellers, and made friends with the awesome staff. Great hotel!!

My friends and I (all in late 20's) decided to book this resort because we wanted to getaway from our busy lives. We all needed a break and we got it! I loved every minute of it!

Location: I personally loved the fact that it is in the middle of nowhere. I loved the well groomed graden, the coconut trees, the beautiful and very colorful flowers that surround the resort and most of all, the birds! You go to sleep listening to the birds, you also wake up listening to the birds.

Rooms: I have no complains with the rooms. We got a triple one and it was spacious enough for us as well as the bathroom. You might find a few ants and a couple of cockroaches but they won't harm you. LOL Mosquitoes was a problem. The patio is great! The tiled floor was so clean. I loved the villa style.

Food: I'll keep this short and simple, not great but good enough.
I suggest bringing your own snacks which we luckily did. You'll always find something to eat but there may be days when you might have a hard time swallowing it esp. if you're picky like me.

The Beach: Not as beautiful as the beach in Varadero. Some days I thought it needed some serious cleaning but I heard it's great for snorkeling. Unfortunately I don't snorkel.

Pool: Nothing fancy. There are two pools side by side. One is for the kids and the other for adults. They try to have some activities on a daily basis such as games, water aerobics, and dancing by the pool depending on how many people are around.

Activities: I highly recommend hiking. It was a good learning experience. Yosmani was our guide and he knows quite a lot and can explain things very well. He does his job very well. You'll love the view once you get to the top, the people you'll meet along the way esp. the children (we brought candies for them). You'll get to taste sugar canes, coconut and my most favorite the bananas!

Entertainment: I love love love the resident band Sonora Jibacoa. They play both at the theatre and the restaurant 3 or 4 times a week. We got to see the comedy show, hmmm I have nothing good to say about it so I'll just leave it as is. They all work hard to entertain the guests. It's a tough job! I truly enjoyed dancing the "club dance"! Especially the "You want to touch me? Si!" It was fun!

Staffs: AMAZING PEOPLE. Each one we passed by would greet us with hola. I love the smile on their faces. Some tried to talk to us in spanish. We could understand some words but unfortunately most of the time, all we could say was "No Comprende". Mr. Emilio, the gardener brough us flowers twice while we were there. He seems so nice and we could tell that he truly enjoyed talking to us. The only thing that I didn't like was the security staff who was so friendly and all with us then, we found her knocking at our door asking for money. Bartenders were great. Jose is one funny guy. Elmer seemed so sweet.

Excursions: Havana Special is a must! Our tour guide was great! Don't take the Varadero one. Although it only costs 25 CUC, I thought it was a real waste of time. Take the taxi instead. You'll get to enjoy your own time rather than spending 10 mins. here and there and an hour driving around the stupid resorts. I didn't like the tour guide at all.

Other: We became friends with Ania, one of the staffs at the buffet restaurant. She's so nice. We asked her if she and her husband can take us around the Matanzas City. Instead of paying the taxi, we told her that we'll pay her instead. We got to see her house which was great! She had a tamarind tree, mango tree, guava tree and a few animals like pigs and a cow. Her house is immaculate. Small but looks very new even her furnitures look new. this is one of the best things we did in Cuba. Her husband, although didn't speak english at all, gladly drove us around the city in his old car. He was very accomodating. They also brought their daughter who is just adorable! I wish I can see them again.

This resort is for people who has an open mind, don't expect anything fancy, appreciative of little things, people who want peace and quiet and who is in more of a learning experience rather than drinking and partying! Definitely not for those who like to party. I prefer this resort than the ones in Varadero.

My wife, in-laws and our two boys (5 and 2) spent a week here and loved it. The accommodations are clean and the staff are friendly. The units are small detached villas with tiled patios to sit out on. The beach is great (can be rough when the wind kicks up) with easy access to good snorkeling and diving. Great pool area for kids. Dinners are late for young children so bring snacks and eat big ate lunches to get them thru. We preferred this to a high rise type building on the Varadero strip - mostly families and older couples so very quiet. The surrounding area is rural and lends itself to nice walks/hikes etc. Only an hour ride from Old Havana which is worth a few hours of exploring. Food - well, now I know what everyone meant when they said "You don't go to Cuba for the food"! Overall we would stay there again based on our experience but won't likely because we'd like to see other parts of the country.