Cape Verde, Club Hotel Riu Funana

For my February holiday we decided to go to Cape Verde. We booked online with Thomson which you can find more about in another review. But anyway we got to the hotel and I was very surprised to find that the hotel exterior and interior was ver modern and nice. When we got to reception we were all given a glass of fruit juice and the staff were all nice and polite even if they couldn't speak much English. The rooms were very nice and there were only 2 small power cuts on 1 of the nights. The rooms were all kept exceptionally clean. The food was delicious in all the restaurants and was always served hot. Finally the swimming pool was very cold but nice and relaxing but beware there is a strong wind and when you get out of the pool it is freezing.

For my February holiday we decided to go to Cape Verde. We booked online with Thomson which you can find more about in another review. But anyway we got to the hotel and I was very surprised to find that the hotel exterior and interior was ver modern and nice. When we got to reception we were all given a glass of fruit juice and the staff were all nice and polite even if they couldn't speak much English. The rooms were very nice and there were only 2 small power cuts on 1 of the nights. The rooms were all kept exceptionally clean. The food was delicious in all the restaurants and was always served hot. Finally the swimming pool was very cold but nice and relaxing but beware there is a strong wind and when you get out of the pool it is freezing.

The RUI Fanana does exactly what it says on the tin. Surroundings well cared for, rooms comfortable, food you have an amazing choice for every meal, staff most helpful and caring, entertainment always available, beaches and sea very clean and safe and generally a relaxing place to play or just chill out and do nothing.

If this is not what you want from a holiday then don't go to Cape Verde and Sal in particular. It's just a volcanic island in mid Atlantic shared with loggerhead turtles. The Thomsons/First Choice representatives were excellent. It was my 61st birthday during our stay in July 2010, the hotel staff once notified by my wife were simply excellent, special table for dinner beautifully decorated and 'Cava' served liberally throughtout dinner. My special cake was Euro 12 but well worth the money.

The only drawback is the flight, at my height of 6' 3" the seat pitch of the Boeing 757- 200 is murder!. Limited extra leg room on a first come basis did not help, as all the seats were grabbed by small people who derived no benefit from their chosen seat. After 6 hours in a cramped position I was glad to be off the plane at either end of the journey.

This apart, it was a great holiday.

Club Hotel Riu Funana was a very nice hotel, very relaxing and all the staff were polite and friendly. Nice food and a huge selection. The beach was wonderful, quiet and you weren't squashed in next to strangers. We really enjoyed our time in Cape Verde and felt relaxed and well looked after. The hotel was beautiful, clean and comfortable. We will be going back!

There were not many bad points for us. We were there during the hurricanes which started near the islands and moved to America which was unfortunate and did cause some power issues in the hotel. But they dealt with it brilliantly and it did not effect our honeymoon at all.

ClubHotel Riu Funana was brilliant, it had something to do for everyone and had a good choice of food. But I wont be going again for another of couple of years as Cape Verde has not progressed yet and the trips were very expensive.

Very good all-inclusive hotel, I wouldn't go to Cape Verde if you want to do and see lots of culture. It is a good place to chill out and get away from it all. Remember it is a volcanic island and all food and water have to be imported.

Cape Verde is ideal for kite/windsurfing as it is a very windy place but the rescue cover was a little lacking. The island is very poor and we did our best to spend time/money in the local village Santa Maria. The beach was quiet in contrast to the hotel, which was too busy, often with no beds or shade. Most of the ClubHotel is flat, ideal for the less able bodied but spread out over a large area. I would hope that some money reaches the locals as they are very poor. It is not everybody's cup of tea but worth a visit as the sun is almost guaranteed.