Surrounded by beautiful tropical forest and breathtaking mountains, the Cameleon Villas Jibacoa is truly a magical place. We were there in January of this year. The weather was amazing, not a drop of rain the whole trip.

Hi , I spent spring break in Cuba with my 16 year old daughter. We left my husband and older two boy's at home. I found the reviews on this sight to be very accurate. Just a few points to add.

The direct flight from Vancouver was just under 6 hours. We flew air transat on an airbus 310-300 and if going to Jibacoa would recommend spending the extra $30 per person to prebook your seats. On the return flight the bus from Jibacoa arrives at the airport last and by the time you are checked- in there were very few seats left together. We prebooked row 29 A and B in a row of 2 seats and these were great. It took the full 3 hours to get checked in, pay the 25 pesos tax and go through customs.

At the resort I didn't find the front desk staff as helpful as some others had mentioned. On arrival we were not given any info such as where the dining hall was, what times were meals, map of the resort etc. We had our intro the next morning but it would have been helpful if there was a print out at the front desk or in the rooms for reference. The room was clean but basic. Take your own face clothes and hair dryer if you need it. The rooms had both 220 and 110 voltage so converters were not necessary. Also take shampoo as its not provided.

We took our own beach towels and left them with the staff when we left. There is a 10 peso deposit for beach towels.

We really liked the location of this resort. 1/2 way between Varadero and Havana. We took a day trip to Varadero which made me appreciate Jibacao area. At Jibacoa you could ride your bike into small towns and though farming communities which were more typical of Cuba than Varadero. We also took a taxi with a guide with 2 other families from the resort to Havana. This worked very well except for where they took us for lunch. The food was worse than at the resort and pricey ( 30 pesos for the two of us)

One thing not mentioned on this forum was that the drinking age in Cuba is 16 years old, but the drinking age at the resorts is 18. We found this out on the second to last day of the trip. My 16 year old had been given a green bracelet(meaning she could access the bars) and I wasn't aware that the resorts had different age limits. Not that she drank much but I did allow her to have the odd pinacolada with "poco" a little rum.

She loved this resort and is begging to return next year. She appreciates what she has in Canada after talking to many Cubans and seeing their living conditions.

Our flight. We flew with Air Transat out of Pearson on March 31 at 6:20 a.m. and arrived in Varadero at about 9:45 a.m.. Our flight was on time and went very smooth. The pilot said that we were two hours and 56 minutes in the air. Not bad. Although the flight was short we found that getting through customs and immigration at Varadero was long. It took about one hour and 20 minutes to get through customs and onto our bus to the Cameleon Villas Jibacoa. Our tour rep on the bus was quite knowledgeable and his command of English was very good indeed. He was a university student at the University of Matanzas which we passed on the way to our hotel. He gave us the history of Matanzas city and province and I came away from our trip to the hotel knowing much more about Matanzas and its place in Cuba. We stopped for a moment to visit and take some photos of the highest bridge in Cuba which was on the way to our hotel. At that point the bus broke down (oh oh I thought I hope this isn't a portent of things to come on this vacation) but fortunately we had only to wait 50 to 60 minutes for a replacement bus out of Varadero. We were lucky that that was the place the bus decided to break down because there was wash rooms facilities and a place to get a cold drink there. And it was also very scenic with lots of opportunities to take photos of the beautiful valley below. And on the bright side it saved us the expense of taking a taxi there later in the week as that is what we had planned LOL.

Check-in. Arriving at the Cameleon at 1 PM we were then promptly and efficiently checked in by the front desk staff. It was a quick check in for us. Now this sure looks like a better start to the vacation than the bus breaking down. We were assigned room number 85 at the very back of the Cameleon property. At the front desk you could exchange your Canadian money for CUC. The rate this week was about 77 CUC's for 100 Canadian dollars. It wasn't any different exchanging at the hotel than it was exchanging at Varadero airport. Actually we got slightly more at the hotel! Go figure!

The Property. On walking through the property we were very impressed by the maturity of the trees and the general layout of the bungalows or cottages whichever you wanted to call them. The landscaping was absolutely beautiful with bougainvillea, oleander, hibiscus, and King Palms and very tall pines throughout the property. The marvelous sound of singing birds and the knocking sound of the redheaded woodpeckers as they searched for lunch rang throughout the property as we walked to our room. It was kind of like a mini Eco-Park at the foot of some lovely not too high mountains. Since it was spring there was several trees in bloom. I'm not sure but I believe they are called Primavera. They looked stunning with fairly large yellow blooms on leafless branches. Our first impressions of the property were so very positive and remained that way throughout the week.

The room. It was a five-minute walk from the lobby. The porter arrived with our baggage within five minutes and we were unpacked in no time. Very nice room, spacious but Spartan in its furnishings. The room was furnished with two double beds and we also had a day bed. We had quite a nice size closet with lots of hangers and a small chest of drawers in the closet also. The safety deposit box is on the wall in the closet and is opened with your room key. The safety deposit box is an extra cost of two CUC per day (well worth it). The bathroom is quite a nice size with a toilet, a good-sized vanity counter with sink and hairdryer. There is also a shower stall. The water was quite hot all week at any time of day. In the main room we also had a television,a writing desk, a fridge at no extra charge (a definite must for keeping your food in as there is an ant problem if you leave food uncovered in your room) . Two bedside tables with lamps. There was both 220 volt receptacles and 110 volt receptacles in both the bathroom and the main room. I did wonder about the day bed as I really didn't know if this is supplied in the rest of the rooms at this resort. The rooms in our block were quite spacious. On generally looking from the exterior at some of the other rooms that were closer to the beach they looked somewhat smaller but still big enough for two people. We were quite happy with our room. Housekeeping was just marvelous all week and we were treated to towel art every day and some fresh flowers (bougainvillea, oleander) almost every day. Housekeeping sure try to look after you very well and in our case succeeded beyond our expectations.

The beach. The beach length in total in front of both hotel properties that you could walk comfortably was approximately 2 km long. 1 km in front of the hotels and another kilometer in front of the Laguna Cuban holiday campsite to the west of the Cameleon property. The Cuban holiday campsite beach was actually very nice indeed with beige-off-white soft powdery sand and good swimming. The beach at waters edge in front of our hotel and the Brisas hotel next door was a little more grainy and coarse. That said the beaches were quite nice and were a light golden color (not quite white). Of course my wife Karen tells me that I am a total beach snob! After having spent so much time in Cayo Largo spoiled brat that I am I unfortunately do comparisons. Sorry I can't help it.

The pools. Two pools side-by-side. Absolutely marvelous. They are in such a wonderful place close by the beach with a fantastic view of an aqua colored ocean to the north and manicured gardens and wooded mountains to the south. This location that the pools are in is the best I've ever seen. The water is freshwater in the pools and it was just a perfect temperature all week long. We swam every day and enjoyed a certain amount of time at the pool every day. On one occasion (the first Sunday we were there) they had a band to entertain us all afternoon. Just beautiful. Mojitos flowing generously at the pool bar, beautiful dancers, Cuban music! What more could you want. It was a pinch me afternoon. There are quite a few lounges so we never did do the towel bit to reserve lounges and and we always managed to get a couple of lounges when we decided to have a swim at differing points in the day.

Dining rooms and food. We never wanted for anything all week. The buffet was where we ate all week.

Breakfast. For breakfast there was freshly squeezed orange juice which was delicious. You had a choice of cold meats, potatoes most mornings with beans or some other vegetable. There was hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, cheeses, pancakes and of course my favorite which is a freshly made omelet with your choice of several fillings. We did have the omelet most mornings. There was lots of cereal, yogurt and quite a lot of fresh fruit and some canned fruit. I thought the choice for breakfast was very good. There was two toasters working every morning. There was other breads and bread rolls available as well.

Lunch. For us lunch was just great. A nice selection of meats. Pork, chicken, fish. Some cold meats. French fries most days and other types of potatoes. Lots of salads and wonderful tomatoes. Pizza was available most days. Soup was available most days (two kinds). Three varieties of ice cream for dessert (which I took full advantage of). For dessert also you could have sliced fruit or different cakes and pastries. Since we were only at the resort for a week we had absolutely no problem with variety of food. Your lunch beverage choice was beer, white or red wine or ice water. Excellent.

Dinner. Dinner was always good. You had the same variety of meats that you had at lunch. The grill was always working with either pork or chicken freshly grilled. You had the same variety of vegetables and pastas that you had at lunch also. Two varieties of soup also. They did have pizza every night. They also had three varieties of ice cream every night and lots of fruit and cake desserts. Both Karen and I wanted for nothing any time we dined at the buffet. Beer and wine were also served at dinner if you so desired. We really liked when they put a large pitcher of iced water with lots of ice on your table. This was just great.

Restaurant staff at the buffet. I can't say enough about this group of people who made every meal a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It just amazes me that a three-star hotel would have such professional, courteous and friendly staff. Most of the staff spoke good enough English to us which we appreciated very much as even our Spanglish is very bad. My attempt at Spanish is more likely to be called manglspanglish. They all went out of their way to make every meal a pleasant experience. The staff were very friendly with the dinner chat and genuinely interested in who you are and what you do and very proud that you picked their restaurant to come and have your lunch or dinner at. They are all extremely proud to be Cuban and both Karen and I were extremely proud to be their guests.

Bars. What can I say. The service was impeccable. There are two bars at this Hotel, the lobby bar and the pool bar. Just watching these guys at both bars handle so many people and do it with a smile, yes always with a smile. They do an amazing amount of labor-intensive cocktails here. They even had martini glasses. When doing Spanish coffees they certainly put on a show for everyone. One bartender told me that he had 21 Spanish coffees on the go at one time sometime last year. Wow! I liked the lobby bar myself and frequented it more so than the pool bar. The pool bar was also very good but we really didn't hang around the pool too much. You could have mixed cocktails at either one. At the pool bar they served snacks from when they opened to when they closed. Their usual fare was ham sandwiches either plain or toasted and also hot dogs. There was no french fries available at any time here. But those snacks were just enough for Karen and I to tide us over between lunch and dinner. The staff were just amazing at both bars and their command of English was excellent. They are the friendliest and most courteous bar staff I've ever met in Cuba and that's saying something.

Tours. There was lots of coach tours available both to Varadero and Havana and other parts of Cuba. There was local scooter tours available as well. There was Rambo four-wheel-drive tours available through the surrounding countryside. We didn't avail ourselves of any of these tours. We decided to take a taxi into Havana and the Tours desk in the lobby arranged for us to get a taxi for six hours at the cost of 90 CUCs. Each additional hour if you go over the six hours is 10 CUCs. A bargain I would say. We had a great driver with a terrific knowledge of the city and a great command of English and we were thoroughly happy with all of his suggestions on places to visit. He went out of these way to show us different things about Havana than the usual. It was a great experience. He was born and raised in Havana so he knew all the ins and outs. Our Tours rep from Nolitours was Marie Claude and she was a very knowledgeable person and gave us the heads up about the pitfalls and of course many joys of visiting Cuba. A very friendly woman always with a smile and a good word.

The Hotel in General.This is a fairly small resort with about 110 lowrise bungalow motel-like rooms spread throughout the grounds. It is quite intimate and you get to know almost all of the guests and staff by the end of the week. It is quite laid-back and very comfortable. The only minor irritation was that hotel sidewalks are a little rough I would say. The walkways are a little rundown and definitely need some work to be done on them over the slow tourist period. Coming home at night after a few Mojitos under your belt could be dangerous as there are quite a few potholes. The grounds at this hotel are absolutely beautiful though. So I guess a few potholes is just small potatoes. We found everything else to be pretty good for a three-star hotel. Absolutely fabulous value for money here really. This holiday would compare more than favorably with any holiday I've ever had in Cuba at four or five-star establishments. Karen and I will definitely be back to this Hotel in the near future. Just another thing about this property is that it is in a most beautiful part of Cuba. There are lots of hikes to do if you strikeout on your own. We did every day. We actually were invited for lunch at a local farmhouse when we asked if we could pass through their property. It was a lovely experience and gave us some new ties to Cuba. I have put a few photographs of the holidays together on the Web and if interested they can be viewed at the link below.

Richmond Hill, Canada This resort chosen because it was small, quiet and has great snorkeling. We are a couple in our early 40’s, avid snorkelers and are beach people. This is our second trip to Cuba; we were in Holguin last year. Overall, we had a fabulous week that was relaxing & quiet. We will definitely be returning.

Flight & transfer
We flew the afternoon flight out of Toronto, on Westjet. It was a great flight…Westjet is on of the best! The seats are comfy and the staff helpful. “Lunch” was a turkey deli sandwich, cheese & crackers and a butter tart. No complaints, except the butter tart was stale.

Arrived at Varadero a few minutes early…no problems at immigration and getting our luggage. Changed $150 CDN to CUC at the airport, again no problems. Hubby bought a couple of beers and pops for $8 CUC, $2 each. Great to have the refreshments for the 50 – 60 min. bus ride to the resort. The transfer bus was good and included a rep from Cubanatours. The rep was informative and tried hard to be entertaining (he was).

Check-in / Front Desk
On arrival, had DH get the luggage and I went to check-in. Staff was friendly and efficient. All the rooms are already assigned, so check-in was quick. Inquired about a safe and was instructed to come back the next day. Bellhop was quick and again informative. When we asked if dinner was still available as it as already 8:45pm, he said he would call ahead to the buffet to keep it open an extra ½ hour to 10pm to feed us newbies. Great service.

Rooms
As noted in other review, the rooms are in groups of 4 or 6, in bungalows. Each room has its own patio with 2 chairs and small side table. This was great for sitting at for reading or just relaxing. We met many people at the resort this way. The rooms themselves are fairly basic but were comfortable and clean. We did not have any ants in our room. Any food we had was put in to the fridge for safekeeping (from ants). There were two bugs over course of the week…but we are in the tropics! Our room had 2 doubles, which we pushed together…felt like a huge king sized bed! If you like your pillow high…bring yourself an extra one. We brought our memory contoured pillows with us…can’t seem to sleep well w/o them! No problemos… our maid, Yanet, was great! Watch out for the floors when wet…they can get pretty slick!

Beach  We spent most of our time here…while the sand is not white…it is just fine. Snorkeling is great…the reef is very close by and the amount of marine life is quite varied. We brought our own snorkel equipment, as did many of the other guests. We tried to snorkel everyday, however there was dependant on the weather and how windy it was…no point going if you can’t see anything!

The hobie cat rides were awesome. We got in some good waves and got really wet…boy it was FUN! Would advise you to stay on the part of the beach closest to the lobby/beach bar. This part is quieter and you don’t hear the noise/music from the pool.

Pool
We did not spend a great deal of time here. A couple of afternoons at most. We did catch one of the afternoon dance shows and the Band. Both were good, but by the end of the week…a little repetitive (they play at the shows and during dinner at the buffet. There were always loungers available, as well as shade if desired.

Food
As they say…you don’t go to Cuba for the food. I am a very picky eater.
Generally Breakfast is good, lunch okay, dinner, not so good. Breakfast always had made to order eggs, a veggie, hotdogs and bacon. There was also an assortment of cold cuts & cheese if you wanted a sandwich. The fruit / cereal bar was always fresh. Lunch always featured a grilled protein, pasta, fish and fries. While the variety was limited, everything appeared fresh and was replenish regularly. On one day, there was fresh shrimp on the grill. Very good, but the heads were still attached (I’m okay with this) and on another there was liver. Needless to say, it was not very popular! There were other meat dishes to choose from on that day though. Dinner, I found it to have slimmer pickings…there was usually a roast of some kind (Turkey (twice that week), pork and grouper), the same pasta, boiled potatoes and veggies. There are a large number of mixed salads (didn’t try any) and a small salad bar (cabbage, some lettuce, cucumbers and carrots) with oil & vinegar for dressing. As I said, I’m picky…I know others enjoyed the food, I just like more taste! Definitely bring your own condiments…ketchup, parm. Cheese (for pasta) and hot sauce. They had Tabasco available if that’s good for you. If you are still hungry after these meals…you could get a grilled hot dog or ham & cheese sandwich from the pool bar. I enjoyed the hot dog, and the ham & cheese were not bad.

Ala Carte – Thought this was excellent. The appetizers were good, included chicken salad, shrimp & crab and green salad. This was already very filling. Entrée, we had the fish, which was Mahi Mahi. Beautifully grilled, with lobster on top and rice with beans. Dessert was a choice of flan or fresh fruit. All was excellent.

Bars
There are two bars at this resort. Would say that the best one is the Lobby/Beach bar. The bartenders were excellent (Alberto is very good) and pour good and yummy drinks. Try the chocolate monkey…it’s like dessert and YUM YUM! The mojitos here were definitely better than the Pool bar. We found the staff at the Pool bar to be a little stand offish and not as friendly as the Lobby bar. Here too, we did not find the drinks poured as good as the Lobby bar.
Service at the Lobby bar was always prompt.

Excursions
We went to Havana for the day…our guide was good and very informative. Would recommend that to anyone that has not been to Havana. This is an amazing city, very old and full of cool places to explore. We did not go on any other excursions, however we spoke to others that did the Catamaran & Matanzas River tours…and they highly recommended this as well.

My boyfriend and I just returned from a week at this resort during the school March break. We are a couple in our early 40’s and went without my children. Both of us work very hard and were looking for a very quiet holiday away from it all. This is definitely what the resort delivered and we found the reviews we’d read mostly very helpful.

Travel to Cuba
We left early in the morning from Toronto, Ontario and, other than being served an absolutely horrible Burger King Breakfast Sandwich, had a great flight. I don’t know how large people fit into those planes (we had an airbus) but we’re both on the short slight side so it wasn’t a problem for us. I recommend taking a cheap pair of headphones rather than pay for a new set on the flight – anything with a mini-jack works.

Upon landing we were ushered through customs easily, picked up our luggage, and then spotted our tour operator name and were directed to the right bus. We were happy to pay $2 for a cold beer and enjoyed the interesting 55 minute trip to the resort. The bus is typical of everything in Cuba and didn’t have toilet paper so I strongly recommend taking some little packets of Kleenex with you.

The resort
At the resort we filled in our room cards and were taken to our room. The resort has lots of little bungalows that, if not fancy, are clean and spacious and air-conditioned. Our key didn’t work so the porter let us in and later we went back and got a replacement. The room came with 3 large towels so we didn’t ‘rent’ beach towels but we did rent a safe for the really valuable things we brought. Request a double bed by the way or you will get to sleep in 2 twins for your trip. Apparently our travel agent didn’t manage to request one large bed but the staff were very happy to push the 2 together and make them up and it was actually very comfortable. The pillows are smallish and there are only 2 so if you really need 2 you’d better think about bringing one. We couldn’t get an extra although we did ask. Our shower also fell off the wall but after some ‘do-it-yourself’ messing about we managed to get it pointing in a reasonable direction. The shower stall itself was large and very nice.

The beach was great and we spend all our time there. You’d never know that the resort was full though because there was always plenty of room, free chairs and shade or sun. We had a problem with Portuguese man-o-war jellyfish the first couple of days and only waded but the winds changed and we got to snorkel and swim lots after that. The sand was clean and white, the grounds are well cared for and the bar is close by. What more could one want?

The snorkel equipment is plentiful and can be picked up anytime from a hut near the pool and returned by 4:30 or kept over night at your room. The coral is great and the reef and pretty fish are found by walking out into the water in front of the resort. Some of the people who went out on the Hoby Catamaran saw sharks but they were further out and were whale sharks not great whites or anything like that.

There were a couple of shows by the pool which were entertaining and if you’re into salsa lessons or Spanish lessons or water volleyball you can take part at various times of the day.

Food
The food was the downside. There was lots of it and breakfast was very good but there was basically the same thing 2 meals a day for 7 days. Fish or chicken fried in oil, overcooked pasta in tomato sauce, really really overcooked veggies. I was dying for a decent salad (they had shredded carrots and cabbage and greenish tomatoes and oil and vinegar) or a sandwich by the time we were done. You can have something grilled by the pool and I heartily recommend that. The ice cream is also excellent.

Trips
We went to Varadaro which was ok but we wouldn’t go again. It was mostly a touristy commercial shopping trip and we aren’t shoppers so we could take it or leave it.

We did the whole day and Tropicana show in Havana and really enjoyed that. Havana is a fascinating city and our guide was excellent. The show was top notch as well and the whole trip was definitely worth the cost.

Things to take:
Carry toilet paper with you – there isn’t any in the bathrooms 90% of the time or they’ll want to sell it to you at the bathroom door.

Travel mugs – we took 2 dollar store travel cups and did all our drinking from them. Besides saving the environment they hold three beer… of margaritas, or martinis, or whatever.

Band-Aids, calamine lotion, sunscreen, sunburn stuff, an antihistamine … you never know and we used them all at one point!

We took stuff for the Cubans - its hard to get toothbrushes and makeup and razors and bicycle patches and stuff like that in Cuba so we took lots of dollar store stuff like that and distributed it to staff members. We are also musicians and took reeds for clarinets and saxophones that the musicians we met were incredibly grateful for. We’re sending them instrument pads and repair stuff as well because they really need them.

My second visit to this resort. I travelled here exactly the same date last year. Quite a different experience this year, due to a "plague" of Portuguese Man O' War that made snorkelling and ocean swimming all but impossible.

Arrival: I can't say enough about the way this resort treats returning guests. My flight got in fairly late in the evening, and when I arrived at my room the lights were on, the air conditioner was running, there was a fruit plate and a sandwich plate in my fridge, and a nice note welcoming me and inviting me to a special dinner for repeat clients. This in addition to Nolitours gift of rum and coffee and a 1.5 liter bottle of water. The porter brought my bags promptly and informed me of the "goodies" in the fridge.

Room: Room #6, exactly where I wanted to be. Close to the beach, nice view, comfortable room in a quiet location. My maid did a wonderful job keeping things clean and tidy, and amused me daily with "towel art". The water here is always hot and plentiful. (solar heater with units on the roof) The A/C had a problem the first night, (noisy & dripping water) but before I could report it the next morning, my maid had noticed and when I returned from breakfast the repairs were just being completed. Excellent service! I find the beds at Cameleon more comfortable than most. They are softer, which might not suit everyone, but I find the beds at most resorts are too firm for me. At Cameleon I got a good night's sleep.

Beach: Of course, this beach is golden, not white, and it's quite short. If you crave more walking, you can continue to the west past the Cuban campgrounds and go for quite a ways (with the occasional inland detour on sandy paths). As you pass the point at the end of the resort beach, you will often encounter Cubans who are looking for handouts of clothing or supplies. While I sympathize with poverty in Cuba, I do find it difficult to feel charitable towards rather pushy individuals who on one memorable occasion were dressed better than I was, and who had obviously been better fed! In the mornings it was interesting to watch a Cuban biology class who came most days to study the marine life. There is lots of shade at the beach, and enough chairs so it is never necessary to play the "towel game" of reserving a shady spot. It was necessary to watch where you walked on the beach this year, because of the washed up Portuguese Man O' War's that littered the beach and continued to wash ashore after the seaweed and debris had been raked in the morning. I did quite a bit of sailing on the Hobie Cat, despite it being out of commission for a day while having the hull repaired. When I saw the boat upside down on the beach I expected the worst, but was delighted to find it back in service (as promised) the following day.

Weather: Windy the first couple of days....which of course was the reason for so many PMOW's later in the week. We had red flags all week, but only the first 2 days because of wind. Jellyfish stings are never pleasant, and those from PMOW's can be dangerous. I did manage to snorkel a few times, but it was nerve wracking and tense, keeping an eye out for the floating monsters! Several people did get stung, although most superficially. One woman was stung while kayaking when she inadvertently hooked the tentacles of a Man O' War with her paddle and suffered a couple of welts on her arm.

Food & Drink: Just as I remembered from last year. Only one a la carte restaurant which I did visit this year and found the food very good. Most days I ate at the buffet for all three meals, although there is snack food available at the pool bar and on one occasion there was a BBQ and buffet served there for lunch. There was also live entertainment....a very good band with singers....one afternoon at the pool. I had no difficulty finding enough tasty food to eat, and the Spanish Coffee is still excellent at the lobby bar.

Activities: There is a full slate of free activities, ranging from physically challenging like the hike up the hill (which is worthwhile for the view) and the bicycle tour to the less strenuous walking tour and the Spanish lessons. I didn't go on any of the off resort excursions, but there are all the usual choices including of course Havana tours.

Pool: I spent more time here than I usually would, because of the beach conditions. There are two pools, and the deeper one is just fine to swim in.

Internet: Although a bit slow, this was quite reliable and I used it for all my communications home. There is only one computer, located at the lobby. It was not in constant use and I seldom had to line up to use it.

Staff: As I remembered from last year, the staff are very pleasant and helpful. It was interesting to note at the special dinner for returning guests that when asked they all cited "staff" as a major reason for their return.

I will try not to repeat the reviews listed. The one I used as a guide, was the review by YVRck, Vancouver Dec 2006 by Debbies. I would like thank them for their professional guide.

We are in our 70’s and just returned for 2 weeks from Cameleon villas this is our second trip to Cuba . Last year we stayed at Breezes resort (4 star)-next door to Cameleon (3 star). There are some differences. First the Breezes Jibacoa (250 rooms) has a much better selection when is comes to meals.(including lobster night on Thursdays). Also the beach bar has a better food selection. The rooms are more up to date including a bathtub with the shower. They also have an extra bar during the entertainment evenings. The Breezes and Cameleon share the same beach. You are able to walk from one to another-but that is where the benefits end. There is no limit where you can swim. The service at both is excellent. The friendly staff speaks fairly good English and is always helpful. The cleanliness at both is exceptional. I admire the work ethics of the staff. We would come back from the beach the rooms would be spotless, our clothes would be folded, and our room sprayed for ants -which like to live in the rooms where food is available. (killed a spider-when we returned was covered with ants).This is the tropics.

The meals at Cameleon are mainly limited to pork, chicken, ham, fish (mahi the best) and one-day prawns, roast whole pig, and turkey. The rooms are 6 and 2 type villas. We never had to worry about finding loungers at the beach and the pool.

Rudy and Pedro at the main bar can make some unbelievable drinks. Although the bar close at 11.00pm , they work 24 hours and have the next day off- this is standard. The girls at the desk, (Yara, Maricely, Lili, Marile, Maybet, Madilaine and Lisbel) are unbelievable in the help and friendship they have given us. Bring some goodies (crayons, pencils, scribblers for their children).

The weather during February is there winter month. We had strong wind and cool weather the first four days we arrived. Coming from Winnipeg and -30C and going to 19C we just loved it. Although we are the only people that swam in the pool during this period, we enjoyed every day. The temp then went from 24C to 31C for the next (sunny) ten days. We both came home with great tans.

The main difference between Breezes and Cameleon is that what we paid for one week at the Breezes, we got two weeks at the Cameleon. I do not believe there is a better place to snorkel. I have included pictures of the snorkeling I did 300 yards from the beach at Cameleon. Would we go back- in a minute.

One warning: Cameleon lets you use their snorkeling equipment for the length of your stay. Day before we left (we left our equipment outside) someone walked away with it. The cost to me $50.00C.

My husband and I just got back from our trip to Jibacoa – Cameleon Villas. We were there for one week starting Feb 12, 2007. This was our 4th trip to Cuba; the other 3 visits were in Varadero.

Nolitours was our host as we flew Air Transat. We had a nice flight and arrived in Varadero right on time. The small meals on the plane were not exciting, but edible.

The bus ride to Jibacoa from the airport was unhosted. There was nobody telling us about the small towns that we passed or anything. Drinks on the bus were $3.00 Canadian each – they served beer or rum punch.

The Cameleon Jibacoa Villas hotel staff gave us our rooms and one key then sent us to the bar to relax while other guests checked in. Nice. Soon the bus boy called all of us out of the bar and brought us and our luggage right to our rooms. I love the villas. Very quaint, clean and private. The shower stall was huge. Overall, the staff at this resort was great. Everyone spoke English fairly well. They all were very pleasant.

Food was ok. There was pork, fish, and chicken every evening. One evening there were even prawns being served. The only problem we had with the restaurant was that it totally closed between meals. We missed breakfast a few times. There were sandwiches after 11:00 at the pool bar. The bar tender would grille them for you, which was nice. Everything closes early, so no drinks late into the night!

I only attended the evening entertainment once. I found it loud in the small arena and didn’t stay for very long. There was no disco to be found.

Bring mosquito repellant and benedril! I saw other guests with bug bits like mine. I actually had to go to the nursing station and have my bites treated because they got so infected. The pharmacist sold me some soothing anti-biotic cream for my legs.

Our first 4 days on the beach were great. No problem getting loungers; same at poolside. However, our last 3 days were spent mainly indoors or near cover. Unfortunately, the winds came up and there was even a little light rain. This was a problem for us with being in a 3 star resort. We became very bored.

CAMELEON VILLAS JIBACOA
(aka Club Jibacoa)
Resort rating: 3 star
Location: Jibacoa, Cuba (halfway between Varadero & Havana)
on Arroyo Bermejo Beach
Phone: 005347-295205 or 005347-295206
Fax: 005347-295208
Managed by Gran Caribe and sold exclusively in Canada by Nolitours (formerly World of Vacations).

Date of vacation:
Nov. 27 – Dec. 4, 2006
Air Transat direct, non-stop flight from Vancouver, Canada to Varadero, Cuba

Caveat:
If you’re looking for lots of action, non-stop partying, nightclubs and discos, this is not the right resort for you! This is a very lengthy resort review so I’d prefer to save you the time it takes to read it.

About us:
We are a casual, laid-back, multi-lingual, self-employed, professional couple- mid 50s age group- with extensive travel experience for both business and pleasure. I do all of my own research before choosing the resort and I book our vacations with on-line discount travel agencies. We often travel last minute and this vacation package was booked 15 days before departure at an excellent price ($647 +taxes per person). The primary purpose of our vacations to all-inclusive resorts is rest and relaxation. We are very avid snorkelers and certified scuba divers although we can do without the diving. Excellent snorkeling directly off the beach is a must. A nice beach is also very important to us. We rarely use the swimming pool and/or swim-up bars. We enjoy small resorts, preferably less than 300 rooms, which are open-air and give a tropical feeling. We prefer resorts where the evening entertainment takes place outside rather than in an enclosed theatre or auditorium. We are not picky eaters but we do enjoy good food made with fresh ingredients. The resort buffets serve us well as we like variety and we enjoy eating all types of fish and other seafood. We rarely if ever eat any fast food type meals such as hotdogs or hamburgers and we do not seek out resorts with multiple a la carte dining options or air-conditioned facilities. Resorts with fitness centers, casinos or spas do not interest us. Cleanliness is paramount.

For this trip, our 27 year old daughter decided to join us as the single supplement was only $70 more than what we paid for double occupancy. Our daughter has vacationed in the Jibacoa area twice (Breezes) and this was our fifth trip to the area, but our first stay at the Cameleon. We were die-hard Breezes Jibacoa fans!

Flight & Customs:
Check-in at the airport was quick and efficient. Be aware that all charter airlines are now very strict about the allowable luggage weight allowances and they do charge for excess. Generally, checked luggage is subject to a maximum allowance of 20 kilo (44 pounds) per person. Air Transat charges $10.00 per kilo for overweight. There is also a restriction on the size and weight of carry-on bags and we did have our carry-on weighed as well. Refer to the website of your airline for specifics!
The new security rules governing the amount and size of liquids and/or gels in carry-on bags was in force, so be aware that the size limit of any container is 100ml and all small bottles must be contained in a separate one liter size clear ZipLock bag for easy inspection through x-ray at the security gate. Don’t bother bringing bottled water or a cup of coffee, as these will be confiscated by security gate staff. Unfortunately, the Starbuck’s coffee counter in the departure lounge doesn’t open until 5 AM so a lot of passengers missed their morning “java jolt”. The duty free shop was open as was the magazine/sundry shop, which is where you can buy juice or bottled water to take on the plane. Air Transat offers on board duty free service but with a limited selection of alcohol and tobacco products.
Further details are available at: www.airtransat.com

From Vancouver, Air Transat used an Airbus 300-200 with a seat configuration of 3+3+3. Our flight was to depart at 6AM and would have left nearly on time despite the snowstorm and the need for de-icing. Unfortunately, two passengers who had checked in their luggage managed to “disappear” somewhere in the airport and despite numerous attempts to page them, they missed their boarding calls. According to Transportation Canada rules, no luggage can be carried if the passenger is not on board the aircraft and after waiting for more than an hour, the pilot announced a further delay because the suitcases had to be found and removed from the cargo hold. Everyone groaned at this nuisance delay and luckily shortly thereafter, the two “culprits” appeared and boarded the airplane. We finally departed at 7:30AM.

Charter flights are not known for providing generous legroom and we were fortunate enough to have the middle three seats in an emergency exit row. To be honest, this was not a good location as people constantly trampled on your feet as they crossed from one side of the plane to the other to access the lavatories. Quite literally a real pain!

Headsets cost $1.00 although we prefer to bring our own. The audio plug on this aircraft is a single plug, so pretty much any personal headset can be used. Two movies were shown. The flight crew was friendly and attentive.
Food service is under contract from various fast food type outlets such as Subway, BurgerKing, Harvey’s, etc. so you might want to bring along some of your own snacks if like us, you don’t eat this kind of food.

Since our last trip to Cuba, there has been a change regarding the required tourist visas, which used to be included in the ticket/hotel voucher package from your travel provider. The tourist visa was given out to each passenger on the plane. Be careful not to make any mistakes filling it in! Please make sure you have it completed and ready with your passport before landing! The entire arrivals area of Varadero airport is now also a smoke free environment.

Cuban Immigration was efficient and quick. Remember to go to the booth one person at a time even if you are traveling as a family group and check to make sure you have the departure/exit portion of your tourist visa in your passport before leaving the booth. Once through Immigration, you need to proceed to the security check where your carry on is x-rayed and inspected.
After that, you can proceed to the luggage carousels to pick up your suitcases, which seem to be unloaded quickly and efficiently. We always split up with my husband going to retrieve the luggage, while I head to the currency exchange counter located on the left side near the Customs exit. We brought both CDN dollars and Euro to exchange to Cuban convertible pesos.
Please do not bring any coins (Loonies, Twoonies) as they are not accepted in Cuba! As the exchange rates fluctuate on a daily basis, you can check for the rate at the time of your vacation at this website:
http://www.banco-metropolitano.com/english/

Once you have your suitcases, head towards the appropriate Customs exit and hope you will not be stopped for secondary inspection or questioning. The vacation reps (Sunquest, Nolitours, Signature, etc.) will be waiting and holding up their signs outside beyond the Customs exit to tell you which bus number to get on for transfer to your resort. Welcome to Cuba!!

It should be noted that the restrictions regarding the size and amounts of liquids/gels in carry-on bags did not apply on our return trip to Canada. Each of us had bottles of rum, purchased from the resort shop, in our carry-on bags and the Cuban security authorities said nothing. No one seemed to be checking, nor did they care. If however, you are returning from Cuba and will only be traveling through a major Canadian airport en route to a smaller community in Canada, you may be re-checked going through security and those bottles of rum in your carry-on may be confiscated.

As a tip for fellow travelers, I always cross pack our suitcases, meaning that some of my hubbie's stuff goes into my suitcase, and my clothes into his. Should by some misfortune, one of our suitcases go astray, we always have something to wear while the airline takes their time locating the missing luggage. We also always pack a bathing suit and our snorkel masks into our carry-ons because without these items, our vacation would be a disaster, especially for me because my mask is fitted with prescription lenses. I always bring along a pair of tube (sport) socks and slip each bottle into a sock to prevent the bottles from clanging against one another and breaking while being transported in my carry-on.

Resort Overview:
The Cameleon Villas Jibacoa (Club Jibacoa) is an older, three star, beachfront resort with a total of 110 casa style (single storey, all ground level) rooms arranged in clusters of two to six rooms per unit. All enclosed or indoor common areas of the resort are considered a smoke-free environment. From what we were able to determine, the resort was initially built sometime in the 1980s, but has undergone many renovations and facelifts, especially in the past five years. It is currently managed by the Gran Caribe group and welcomes both Cuban and Canadian guests. Cameleon is a brand/subsidiary of the Nolitours Group and operates as a concierge service for Canadian vacationers at various resorts throughout the Caribbean. We have observed this resort during our numerous previous vacations to the Jibacoa area (Breezes Jibacoa resort directly next door) and have seen it either vacant, under renovation or operating as a VentaClub for guests from Italy. It opened as the Cameleon VJ in late November/early December 2005.

The property is quite large, considering the small number of rooms, and if located elsewhere in one of the popular Caribbean vacation spots, there would be at least two resorts of 400+ rooms on this parcel of land. While the resort was near full capacity by the end of our stay, we often found ourselves asking “Where is everybody?” At no time did it feel crowded anywhere on the resort! The property is lush with well maintained flowering shrubs, palm trees and large lawn areas. Concrete pathways connect the room blocks and lead to all the common areas of the resort. Some of the paths are not especially well lit at night, so do be careful or bring along a small flashlight!

For most all-inclusive vacation packages, the landing airport will be Varadero but the resort is located in the quiet countryside about halfway between Varadero and Havana. The bus ride from the airport is approximately 50 minutes. Nestled between the ocean and a small mountain, this resort is secluded with the quaint fishing village of Santa Cruz del Norte being the closest town. There are only two resorts on Arroyo Bermejo Beach, the Cameleon and the Breezes (250 rooms) located next door. The two resorts are separated by a small creek, which was dry during our most recent visit.

Unless you are vacationing in one of the “gated community” areas of Cuba such as the Cayos, most beaches in Cuba are considered public so expect to meet some Cubans if you decide to walk the beach. As very avid snorkelers, the attraction of the Jibacoa area is the reef located not far off the beach. Guests of the Cameleon resort can walk the beach and snorkel in front of the Breezes resort and vice versa. For those who are not aware and may be offended, it should be noted that the Breezes resort is adults only (age 14+) and there is some topless sunbathing and well as ladies walking topless along the entire stretch of beach.

Sadly, over the years of our many visits to Jibacoa, we have noticed an alarming decline in the overall health of the reef but in our opinion, this area still offers the best and most readily accessible snorkeling compared to the other areas in Cuba we have visited. The reef on the Cameleon side is in better condition as it has not yet been subjected to overuse and abuse.
The fish are less aggressive as well, since they have not been habituated to expecting handouts from snorkelers. Please do NOT feed the fish bread or bananas from the resort buffet. Please do not stand up on the coral formations as they are fragile and break easily. The best way to enjoy this wonderful marine environment is to look but never touch! It will be like swimming in a saltwater aquarium! For those intending to snorkel, a quick and easy guide to the more common fish species of this area can be found at http://www.reef.org/webres/gallery/carib/gallery1.htm

On the resort property in separate buildings to the right of the main lobby entrance, guests will find a pharmacy in which the resort doctor has a medical station, a souvenir/sundry shop, and a few other buildings, which seemed to be dark, locked and presently not used. I understand that the resort also has a hair salon, which some destination wedding brides like to use, but I didn’t notice where it was located. Of interest to us was a four-storey apartment type building near the resort entrance gate. We discovered from the security guards posted there, that this building of perhaps 40 or so rooms, is or will soon be, under extensive renovations and once completed, it will be used exclusively by VentaClub of Italy for their guests. No idea when this work may be completed.

Car rental is also available from the resort and the few cars we noticed in the parking lot were late model Vitaras (compact 4x4 type vehicles). The rental car desk is inside the lobby next to the Nolitour rep’s desk. If you plan to rent a car while vacationing in Cuba, don’t forget to bring your driver’s license with you. An International Driver’s Permit is not required but I believe it is necessary to carry your original passport with you. When we leave the resort, we always carry a photocopy of our main passport page and leave the original locked up in the room safe. The resort offers bicycles for guest use, which are also stored in a small compound in the parking lot.

In various locations throughout the resort, guests will find public phone booths. The front desk sells phone cards which will make calling home to Canada a bit more economical and convenient, however phone calls from Cuba are expensive. One internet station is available for guest use in the lobby area at a cost of 8 CUC for one hour of internet connection time. The time does not have to be used up all at once, so make sure to log out when you finish your session.

Foreign exchange is also offered at reception with rates competitive to those at the airport. We always recommend that smaller amounts be exchanged on an “as needed” basis throughout the vacation as Cuban currency is worthless outside of the country and the buy back rate at the airport on departure is very unfavourable although you can exchange CUC back to CDN dollars in the airport departure lounge kiosk. We vacation in Cuba regularly, so we always keep some CUC for our next vacation, especially some coins and small bills.

This resort does not have a Kid’s Club or activity center for youngsters.
What a shame! In our opinion this resort is an excellent family vacation spot with a wonderful beach. Parents should be prepared to supervisor their children.

The Nolitours brochure indicated that there is a disco at Cameleon, but we sure didn’t see or hear it.

Check-in:
After dropping off a few guests at Breezes Jibacoa, the remainder of our busload had booked to be staying at the Cameleon. The friendly and accommodating front desk staff appeared well organized upon our arrival and a welcome drink was offered almost immediately as we waited our turn to check-in. Refreshing and a nice touch! The reception desk is open 24 hours.

This resort does not hold your passport overnight, but rather asks that a registration form with your passport and visa number be filled out and signed. The room allocations are already pre-assigned and once you return with the completed form, an envelope containing one room key card is provided and a plastic bracelet is put on your wrist to identify you as a Cameleon guest. The guests at the Breezes resort next door are not required to wear these dreaded plastic bracelets.

The cost of an in-room safe is not included with your vacation package but can be arranged at check-in for a fee of 2 CUC per day. The in-room safe is electronic, key card controlled and you will be issued a new white key card, which controls both the room entry and the safe. If you wish to obtain a second card for room entry only, you may request this at check-in.

Resort issued beach/pool towels are subject to a deposit of 10CUC per towel.
The front desk staff issue a towel card which must be returned at the end of your stay and you will receive the 10CUC in cash at check-out, provided the towel has not been lost. Of course, you can bring your own beach towels if you wish.

There is only one bellhop available to take you and your bags to your room.
If you care not to wait to use his services, a map showing the layout of the resort is posted just outside the main lobby entrance and you can wander about to find your own room. Best option is to go to the lobby bar, around the corner from the front desk and enjoy a drink while you wait to be shown where your room is located.

Throughout our stay, we encountered excellent service from all of the front desk staff and they were always willing to exchange a larger CUC note for one peso coins which we used for tipping. Although I was given the resort email address contact, guests should be aware that the resort frowns upon specific requests for room allocations by email prior to arrival. Should there be any deficiencies with your assigned room, the staff will strive to do their utmost to change you to a different location. Preferences for queen size or twin beds, as well as cribs for babies or if you are traveling as large group and wish to have your rooms in one block; these requests should be made to your travel agent when you book your vacation package.

Our Rooms:
Upon check-in, we were assigned room #21 for my husband and I, and our daughter was given room #22 directly next door. Our room was an end unit of a 5 room block, but the rooms were otherwise identical. My special request at booking for queen size beds in both rooms was granted.

Voltage at this resort is 110V with plug configurations the same as we have in Canada. In the bathroom, on the wall next to the hairdryer, there is also a 220V outlet but with flat, North American style plug outlets so guests from Europe should bring an adaptor. The electrical voltage of the outlets was clearly written and indicated on the cover plate.

The rooms are a decent size and while the furnishings are not luxurious or opulent they were in good repair and very adequate considering how little time we spent in our rooms. The beds were comfy and firm, but with very flat pillows. We used the extra blankets stored on the closet shelf under our pillows the first night and by the next day, our maid had already acquired extra pillows for us, so we never even had to ask for them.

The rooms are otherwise equipped with a desk, on which you will find a TV with remote. Beside the TV, we found a bottle of Cubay white rum, a 1.5 liter bottle of drinking water and a 250 gram package of Cubita ground coffee as a gift from Cameleon. Nice touch! A large mirror is hung on the wall above the desk, which can double as a dressing table, and beside the desk stands an unstocked mini-fridge. Two chairs and several lamps including ones with extendable arms by the night tables round out the furnishings. No alarm clocks are provided so bring your own.

The large window next to the entry door is actually a new and recently installed sliding patio door. We felt it would have been nice if screens had been provided, as we prefer to minimize the use of air conditioning, especially at night. Both rooms had powerful LG brand air conditioning units mounted on the wall above the entry door. A remote is provided for the unit.
During our stay, water from the A/C unit in our room began to pool and puddle on the tiled floor and before we even thought to report the problem to the front desk, the maid had already arranged for a repairman to fix the problem. We thought it very cleaver that the condensation water from the A/C unit was piped outside and down the partition wall to be used to water the flower planters. The double sized closet contains a rather small four drawer dresser and hanging bar with about 15 sturdy plastic clothes hangers on the right-hand side. We opted to place the portable suitcase storage rack inside the closet on the left, below the safe, which is found inside the closet. No iron or ironing board is provided.

The bathroom featured a large shower, which was certainly big enough for two! There are no bathtubs. Water pressure from the wall mounted, European style, water saver showerhead was adequate and we never ran out of hot water. It should be noted that this eco-friendly resort uses passive solar heating and you can see the panels mounted on the roofs of each building block. The toilet has a dual flush function as a water saving measure. This is very common in most European countries, but confusing to some north American guests. There is no bidet. It was handy to have a small bathroom window above the toilet area to open for ventilation. Condensation on the large vanity mirror was a temporary problem after taking a hot shower as there is no bathroom fan. The built-in, wall mounted hair dryer in our room lacked it’s hose, so was broken, but the same unit in our daughter’s room worked fine. I suggest you bring your own hairdryer, as well as facecloths and a box of tissues. Other than two very small bars of soap, no toiletry items are provided so bring your own. Each room was supplied with four bath towels, which were changed daily. The room was in generally good repair except for a couple of loose tiles in front of the sink.

We rarely saw the maids who were great at keeping both rooms spotless. Any gifts/tips for the maid can be left on the pillow. Anything we left laying on the desk, night tables or bathroom counter, including money, was not touched or taken. The maid even folded the odd piece of clothing and placed it on a chair. The maids did have a great sense of humour, and occasionally used our hats or sunglasses as props for the towel art pieces they created every day.

The patio area provided a relaxing area to sit and read or enjoy a drink before getting ready for dinner. The resort does not provide in room coffeemakers, but this would be a nice addition to the rooms for people like me who enjoy a cup of java first thing in the morning.

Unfortunately, our daughter had a problem with small cockroaches in her room for the first several days after our arrival. The number and frequency of the “sightings” diminished as the week progressed. Having to do a “cucaracha dance” with plenty of heavy stomping became a daily ritual! We found it necessary to remove the carcasses as they attracted carnivorous ants. We were perplexed as to why our daughter’s room was infested, but ours was not.
Initially, we felt that the proximity of our rooms to the main buffet may have been the source of the problem, but I think the real culprits were previous guests who had brought plates of food into their rooms and didn’t immediately bring their dishes back to the buffet. The resort does not provide room service, and we did notice several guests walking from the buffet back to their rooms with plates of food. On the other hand, perhaps the small frog we discovered resident in our room found cockroaches to be a delicacy. Regardless, do remember that you are vacationing in a tropical country, so insects of various species may be encountered. At least they are not poisonous! You might wish to consider bringing along a couple of ant traps.

Restaurants and Food:
As a general rule, one does not vacation in Cuba expecting to have a gourmet dining experience. While some food supplies may be limited, we find that because most produce in Cuba is organically grown, the foods offered are fresh and tasty. This was the case at Cameleon.

The main buffet food stations had just undergone some renovation work so we were fortunate to have the main buffet re-open the day of our arrival. We preferred sitting near an open window to enjoy the lovely breeze, but noticed that the central area of the buffet got a bit stuffy, especially at dinner. During the hotter months, I suspect that the windows are kept closed and the air conditioners are used. The buffet staff were friendly and efficient at clearing away the plates or bringing beverages to your table.
We were even so lucky as to have one staff member take it upon herself to “reserve” our favourite table and as it turned out, she remembered us from the Breezes resort where she had worked previously. Please note that both the buffet and a la carte restaurant offer a smoke free environment.

The main buffet is open for breakfast (7-10am), lunch (1-2:30pm) and dinner (7-9:30pm).
The breakfast offerings, which seem to be the usual all-inclusive fare, included made-to-order omelets, French toast or pancakes with syrup, hard-boiled or scrambled eggs (which were often cold!), cold cuts & cheese, an assortment of delicious sweet pastries, bread which could be toasted, some hot dishes, various breakfast cereals, yoghurts and a fruit station.
The fresh squeezed orange juice is “out of this world” delicious. I was thrilled that the Cameleon serves Cubita brand coffee exclusively.

We opted to eat lunch and dinner at the buffet rather than at the snack bar rancheron located near the pool. The “snack shack” served only hamburgers and hotdogs.
There really wasn’t a major difference in the selection of food options between lunch and dinner. For dinner, a carving station was added and throughout the week, it alternately featured a lovely stuffed pork roast, or turkey or ham. For both meals, a chef worked at the grill cooking smaller quantities of the meat or fish so it was always hot and fresh. If you enjoy fish as much as we do, you’ll love the Cameleon. There were always pizza, pasta, rice or potato dishes available, unfortunately not always piping hot and sometimes, the staff were a bit slow to replace empty trays. What did impress us was the quality, imported from Italy, Barilla brand pasta that the resort used. I have trouble finding this brand at home, so to see it in Cuba at a 3 star resort really surprised me! I pondered whether the former VentaClub operation had left behind a cargo container load of pasta products. The concept of cooking pasta “al dente” seems to be foreign to most Cuban chefs though.

The salad bar offerings were limited, but I always managed to create my own salad plate and I enjoyed the homemade dressings offered along with the vinaigrettes. Lettuce was not readily available, but shredded cabbage was always offered along with sliced cucumbers, peppers, or tomatoes. Ready-made salads were well done and creative, such as the macaroni/fruit/cheese combination served in hollowed out watermelon shells. What the buffet lacked in selection, they made up for with quality and presentation. The breads and pastries were always freshly baked and we enjoyed the cakes because they were not overly sweet. The homemade ice cream was to die for! We always found something delicious to eat and although we were not tempted to overindulge, we still managed to gain a few pounds. By the end of our week, the buffet offerings were getting a bit repetitive. It would have been useful to have signs indicating what the various dishes actually were, although guessing the ingredients was part of the fun.

Alcoholic beverage choices for both lunch and dinner included white or red wine (imported from Spain), although they ran out of white wine for a couple of days and beer. In the buffet, Mayabe is on tap. A pitcher of cold drinking water is always available as are soft drinks such as Cuban coke or juices. No diet soft drinks are available.

One a la carte restaurant is available at Cameleon and reservations are made at the front desk. Seating is limited and various sitting times are available from 7PM onward. A dress code of long pants and a collared shirt is requested for men, but we didn’t notice enforcement as all male guests during our sitting were already wearing slacks. The Mediterranean is located next to the pool bar and swimming pool. We opted to eat dinner at the Mediterranean restaurant once during our stay. It was an enjoyable experience orchestrated by a gregarious and very funny chef who made a point of providing personalized service with flair.

This is not a true a la carte restaurant as the only thing you get to pick from the menu is your entrée, and there are five choices: paella with seafoods, paella with chicken & pork, catch of the day, orange chicken or beef (which was not available the evening we ate here). For starters, you’ll be brought the chef’s special soup of the day with a plate of homemade croutons. Next comes a plate of appetizers, which included some crackers with tuna salad, a toast with shrimp (complete with the heads still on!) and three sardines, which were from a can but imported from Spain. As if on cue, when the sardines arrive at the table, so do two of the resort cats! The cats sat on the floor next to our table waiting patiently for a handout. The entrée portion is huge! Try as we might, we absolutely were unable to finish everything on our plates. Dessert was a delightful puff pastry swan. Wines available were the same ones served in the buffet. Service was good.

We only opted to eat at the a la carte once during our stay so I’m not sure whether there is a limit as to how many times per week guests are permitted to eat here. I suspect that this depends on how full the resort may be at the time of your visit. I do know that when the resort is at low capacity, the main buffet may be closed and the a la carte venue will be used for all meals.

Bars and Drinks:
To my knowledge, the drinking age in Cuba is 16 years so parents who do not wish their teens to be served alcohol should make their wishes known to the bar staff.

Two bars are offered at this resort. The lobby bar is open from 9 AM until around 11PM (sometimes a bit earlier). The pool bar closes around midnight.

What is a bit unique about the Cameleon is the proximity of the lobby to the beach, so the lobby bar also doubles as the beach area bar and it serves this dual purpose well. There is a “window” to the lobby bar from the beach, so no need to go traipsing into the lobby wearing your wet bathing suit. Both bars have plenty of seating nearby so glassware is usually used in the late afternoon and evening. For use at the beach, we prefer to bring our own small size (14 ounce) thermal mugs. Keeps the sand out, keeps the drinks cold and cuts down on the litter of small plastic cups, which we feel are not very environmentally friendly. I’ve never understood why the tour companies don’t issue thermal mugs as I think it’s a great way to promote their companies and be environmentally responsible.

There is something to be said for small, older resorts who don’t have those fancy slushie machines and other gizmos found in the bars of larger resorts.

The drinks at the Cameleon were excellent!! All of the bartenders were talented and armed with only a cocktail shaker or blender, they made some of the best alcoholic beverages we’ve ever had in Cuba. Guests who wished to have soft drinks or just a glass of water could use the self-serve machines at the end of the bar. The bartenders also gladly re-filled the 1.5 liter water bottle from our room, so no need to buy extra bottled water. We also kept the smaller 500ml water bottles from our flight and having these bottles re-filled was never a problem either. Unlike the water in many other Caribbean destination resorts, water (and therefore the ice cubes too!) at resorts in Cuba is filtered and treated so no worries about getting sick.

The espressos and cappuccinos served at both bars were excellent. Cubita brand coffee beans appear to be used exclusively at this resort. Tea is also available. After dinner and throughout the evening, we also enjoyed the Spanish coffee, which was crafted with care by the bartenders and just watching them was a real “show”. Delicious, but watch out because they pack quite a punch!

Keeping in mind that the Cameleon is a 3 star resort, we found no premium brands of alcohol available and the alcohol brand of choice for this resort is Cubay. If you crave things like Bailey’s, then bring your own by buying a bottle from the airline duty free. The selection of liqueurs was adequate for the various popular cocktails, but Amaretto for example was not available. As is often the case, the mint necessary for making mojitos (mo-hee-toe) was severely rationed but we managed to enjoy this Cuban national drink twice during our stay at the Cameleon.

My husband enjoys beer and was delighted to find that three brands of Cuban beer are offered at this resort. Cristal is on tap at the lobby bar, Mayabe is available in the buffet, and his favourite, Buccanero is on tap at the pool bar. Cans of beer and soft drinks are available for sale at the resort shop if you’d like to stock your mini-fridge.

Service at either bar was never a problem and in fact, there were rarely any line-ups with the exception of a few minutes wait at the pool bar after the evening show ended. Guess we had “light” drinkers staying at Cameleon for the duration of our vacation. The bartenders were often rather lonely and more than happy when guests stopped by for a chat or to practice their Spanish language skills. Tips were appreciated but never necessary to get service. Everyone was treated fairly and equally!

The Beach and Pools:
What we absolutely love about the beach at Jibacoa is the natural vegetation, which offers shade if a palapa (sun shelter) is unavailable. Unlike the beach in Varadero where the sand is soft and white, the sand at Jibacoa is more beige and not quite as soft. Unless you have exceptionally tender feet, water shoes or aqua socks are however not necessary. The Cameleon resort offers plenty of loungers at the beach and getting a palapa anytime during the day was never a problem. No need to play the dreaded “towel on the chair” game! Plastic loungers with wide slats, multi adjustment backrests, and big wheels for easy movement in the sand were great. A shower was also available at the beach and it’s located near the lobby bar.

The beach in front of Cameleon is longer than that in front of the Breezes and since it serves only 110 rooms, it was often almost deserted. At a leisurely pace, the beach can be walked in about 20-30 minutes however beyond the Cameleon property, the beach continues to a campground used by Cuban families and the area in between is very private and quiet. If you do encounter some Cubans along the way, don’t be surprised if they ask you for some donations of soaps or used clothing.

Each morning, the beach was groomed and sea grass washed ashore was removed.
There are several clear areas for entering the water and swimming and the dark patches near the shoreline are beds of sea grass, which are a vital habitat for the abundant marine life. Due to a very gradual slope, and almost unnoticeable tidal fluctuations, this beach is great for young children. There is also a lifeguard on duty during most of the day and in front of the lifeguard stand you’ll find the flag indicating water conditions. It is not advisable to be swimming in the ocean on red flags!!
We did encounter jellyfish (Portuguese Man of War) one day, so do be careful and don’t touch them when they get washed up on the sand.

The swimming pool is basically a large square with a divider and walkway in between, so it’s actually two separate pools. One is 1.5 meters deep and the other slightly shallower with a smaller kiddie play area on the side. Pools in Cuba are as a general rule not heated so many guests find the water cold.
The ocean was much warmer than the pools!!
There were again plenty of loungers as well as tables and chairs set up either in sunny or shady locations around the pools. In this area, the loungers are the more comfortable mesh style. Showers were available at the side by the kid’s area and also by the beach/pool towel hut. The towel hut is open from 9AM- 4PM but closes for lunch at 12:30. There is no swim-up bar. One pleasant feature of the pool location was its proximity to the beach, so one could loaf in the pool and gaze at the ocean while listening to Cuban music from the sound system set up close by.

The pool is also used for novices wishing to book an introduction to scuba lesson. Although maintenance of the pool was done daily, getting all the sand off the bottom was almost impossible. Generally the pool was in very good condition with no apparent broken tiles or grates. We are beach people, so we didn’t spend a great deal of time by the pool but found the pool bar to be a lovely place to spend the late afternoon just before the sun set over the mountain.

Resort activities:
In the lobby, you will find a large activities board, which shows the times and activities offered by the animation staff on a daily basis. The activities are dependant on guest participation and are included in the cost of your vacation package. Among the offerings are beach volleyball, dance lessons, Spanish lessons, cocktail making sessions, bingo, soccer, walks and hikes in the nearby areas, bike tours, etc. We highly recommend doing the walks and bike tours as they offer the opportunity to explore the area outside of the resort including a nearby farm. The hike up the mountain to the lookout will reward the participant with a fabulous view of the Jibacoa resorts. Don’t forget your camera, hat and drinking water!

The young and energetic animation staff do their best to keep all guests involved, happy and entertained throughout the day. Participation in their activities is free, and you are never pressured to participate. Under the direction of their supervisor Luis, who is himself a very “hands on” kind of fellow with a real sense of humour, they also present an evening show in the theatro located behind the pool bar every evening at 9:30PM. Unfortunately, the seating in the theatro consists of amphitheatre style, concrete benches which are very uncomfortable. Bring a folded towel or pillow! No smoking is permitted in the theatro and there is no bar service. The shows vary in content from audience participation to variety/dance/cultural presentations involving performers from nearby towns. A house band also entertains at the show on some days and we really enjoyed listening to them. The band provided the music for salsa lessons by the pool one afternoon, which was a nice change from the usual CDs that were played throughout the day. It would have been nice to have more live music at the resort! The Nolitours brochure mentions a disco at this resort, but I have no idea where it might be.

There is a dive shop on site and for non-certified divers, an intro lesson in the pool can be arranged at no charge. Dives are charged at 30 CUC per tank. Unfortunately, the Cameleon does not have a dive boat so only shallow dives are possible because they use one of the pedal boats to get you out to beyond the breakers. This arrangement is satisfactory for novices, but experienced divers would find it amateurish and a less than satisfying experience. The dive master and his assistant are very competent and the equipment is in good condition. If scuba diving is your main vacation activity, you might be better off booking the Breezes Jibacoa resort next door, but I understand that Cameleon guests are permitted to arrange dives with the Breezes dive shop. Prices at Breezes are the same.

Other watersports activities offered for free as part of the all-inclusive package included pedal boats and kayaks, which may be taken out when weather conditions permit (green or yellow flag). Lifejackets are available, including a few sized for young children, and should be used. Snorkel equipment is available at the beach towel hut and appeared to be in good condition although we always bring our own. As the resort was not at full capacity during our visit, there did not appear to be a time limit on how long you were able to use the equipment. Many resorts restrict their equipment to one hour per person per day.

Parents should be aware that this resort does not offer a Kid’s Club and we didn’t see any kind of playground facility. Despite this, there were many families with younger, pre-school children at the resort enjoying a true “family” vacation. There were only two “tweens” ( age 11-13) at the resort and the girls made friends with one another quickly and even spent some of their time playing with the toddlers. There were no older teens at the resort during our stay.

Excursions:
We always recommend that you attend the welcome briefing given by the rep.
This is usually done in the lobby, the morning after your day of arrival.
Various excursions are possible from the Jibacoa area and often involve guests from both resorts.

Scooter tours/rentals are popular and reasonably priced, although you should be aware of the dangers and accident/liability issues if you plan to rent a scooter. Javier at the Breezes Jibacoa resort will take Cameleon guests on his well-organized scooter tours. You’ll find him in the parking lot area outside the lobby entrance. His prices range from about 12-15 CUC depending on the tour and length of time involved.

It is possible to hire a taxi and English speaking driver/guide for an independent visit to Havana. The front desk staff can assist in arranging the taxi. Expect to pay about 90 CUC. The advantage will be the flexibility to see Havana at your pace and according to your agenda however it would be wise to have researched the noteworthy city sights in advance. The Lonely Planet or Moon Guide to Cuba are great resources and available at many local bookstores or at your local library for free.

Alex, our Nolitours rep. offered the following excursions and a minimum of 10 people are required or the excursion will be cancelled and your payment refunded. Credit cards are accepted.

1. Havana City tour with English/French speaking guide including lunch. Cost is 51CUC per person on Wed. or Sat.

2. Havana Special including Tropicana Show combines the city day tour with the famous Tropicana Night show. Lunch and dinner are included and a courtesy room at a Havana hotel is provided for guests to freshen-up before the show. Cost is 125 CUC per person on Wed. or Sat.

3. Discovery Tour involves driving through the area in 4x4 Jeep, including visits to caves, Matanzes City, etc. Cost is 69CUC per person, offered daily

4. Seafari Cayo Blanco is a catamaran tour including snorkeling and the dolphin show in Varadero. Leaves from Marina Chapelin in Varadero. Lunch included. Cost is 75 CUC per person, offered Tues. & Thurs.

5. Trinidad City (UNESCO World Heritage Site). A caution for this excursion is the very lengthy travel time involved. Expect a bus ride of approx. 4 hours each way! Cost is 71 CUC per person, offered Tues. & Thurs.

6. Varadero & shopping Cost is 25 CUC

Conclusions:
We very much enjoyed our vacation at the Cameleon and would definitely go back at the same low price. The Breezes Jibacoa resort costs anywhere between $300-$400 more per person. For our personal likes/dislikes, the price difference and savings were better spent on further exploring Havana independently. Our daughter however felt that if she were traveling to the Jibacoa area alone, the Breezes Jibacoa resort is worth the extra cost to her. She did enjoy her vacation at the Cameleon and would go back again with friends or family. Judging from the comments of a few other single travelers we met at Cameleon (age group early 40s), our resort was just a tad too quiet and one guest who had also visited Breezes during a single’s week last year, wished she had booked Breezes. Cameleon guests are required to wear resort bracelets, so you’ll have to come prepared or use some imagination and ingenuity to be able to sneak over to the Breezes undetected.

I strongly caution that the Cameleon Villas Jibacoa is not for everyone. We definitely recommend the resort for families with young children or for those who are avid snorkelers seeking a rest and relax type beach vacation.
Fussy and finicky people would do better going elsewhere as this resort lacks the “bells and whistles”. Those who thrive on active socializing while on vacation may find the resort on the quiet side. Having said that, the atmosphere at any resort depends greatly on the mix of guests at the resort during your vacation time. Vacationers wishing to spend a larger chunk of their vacation time in Havana would do well to book this resort and use it at the beginning and end of their planned time in Cuba. At a sell-off price, it is probably more cost effective to book this all-inclusive package than it would be to book separate airfare and transfers. You’ll have to do your own math based on your city of departure!

Always remember that the sun shines just as brightly on a 3 star resort as it does on a 5 star resort. With the right attitude and reasonable expectations, I can’t imagine someone not having a great vacation at the Cameleon Villas Jibacoa. Go and enjoy!

This is a great resort. The staff does whatever it takes to make tourists feel comfortable. Keep in mind that this is a 3 star hotel. The food is good (it helps if you have an open mind and like to try new foods because there is a variety of Cuban food as well as pizza, hotdogs, hamburgers etc). The orange juice for breakfast is 100% pure; I never tried anything like this before. Thank you Daymaris. The beach is incredible. The snorkeling (thank you Jose) and scuba diving (thank you Frank) are amazing, we saw lots of colourful fish swimming near the corals and in and out the caves and we even saw an octopus near shoreline. Great horseback riding (thanks Don Mario), tennis, ping-pong, billiards, volleyball and soccer (thank you Santiago). Great Salsa and Spanish lessons nightly as well as nightly entertainment (thank you Luis Alberto). Great Margaritas, Pinas Coladas, Daiquiris and Mojitos (thank you Juan).

I took my wife and two sons (aged 7 and 11) to Cameleon Villas Jibacoa from Nov 10 to Nov 17 and the 4 of us had a great time. My sons said they rather go back to this resort than go back to see Mickey Mouse!!! This is a great place if you want to stay away from the loud music of disco bars and if you are traveling with kids/teenagers. The rooms are big enough and the is a fridge and a safety box in each room. Lots of security guards in every corner of the resort so you feel very safe. You can walk beyond the resort and the locals are very friendly. Give them a souvenir and they will remember you every time you walk by. My only complaint is that our week flew by so quickly that now we are back in Toronto with only great memories of this great place.

May I suggest you take some used adult and children clothing and basic stuff for the locals (like toothbrushes, toothpaste, cologne, perfume, socks, face cloths, etc from the Dollar store). The Cubans will love you.

If you like fishing this is a great place. Whatever you fish, they will clean and show you how to clean, cook on the grill and you can eat it accompanied with red or white wine (thank you Lazaro). Where else can you do all this for about $520.00 per person (tax included) departing from Toronto?

(bring some hooks, fishing line and small flash lights for the locals if you can)

Contact me if you need more information about this place.
guatecana@hotmail.com

We will go back in August 2007.

We have just returned from Cameleon Villas Jibacoa after spending a wonderful 2 weeks there, on the beach, snorkelling and going out on the kayaks and paddleboats. The hotel staff was wonderful and friendly, very helpful, proudly showing us photos of their children and families.

Check in took very little time and fuss, and our luggage was quickly carted to our room while we received information on the resort. The front desk staff sent us off to have lunch right away, saying that we could drop by later for any information etc. The hotel is in a park like setting with mature trees and shrubs, gorgeous grounds and lots of birds, and we woke each morning to the sound of the birds in the trees. The gardeners were very friendly, always calling out a greeting, or bringing flowers, or serenading us with songs.

The rooms were basic and very clean, with a patio door, and the regular entry door. The shower was very spacious with a handheld nozzle that was attached to the wall. Didn't miss a bathtub. Hot water was plentiful at any time of day and the towels were thick. There is 110volt service, so you can take your battery charger, and we would recommend you take your hair dryer. The existing ones tend to have broken hoses which the hotel doesn't have enough stock to repair or replace. There is no clock...but the remote control for the air conditioner shows the time.

Food was excellent. We have stayed in 4.5 star hotels in Cuba and the food was not as good as here at Cameleon Villas Jibacoa. After 2 weeks, we did not tire of the omelets, ice cream, fresh squeezed orange juice or the fish. It was served many ways along with grilled pork and grilled chicken, cooked while you wait. Breads were to die for along with the desserts.. Their pastry chefs are amazing! And the Mediterranean a la carte restaurant serves up a mean red snapper!!

Bartenders were attentive, and made wonderful capuccinos and pina coladas. No waiting.....always ready to chat while they prepare your favourite drinks.

Serving staff was open and friendly and would bring your beer or coffee to your table while you browse the food selections.

Tipping is not required, but extremely appreciated, since these people make 12 to 15 CUC per month, and something like shave cream or hair conditioner, costs them 2 to 5 CUC to purchase. We recommend you take along toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, lotion, hair shampoo and conditioner, T-shirts, candy and gum for tips as well, Your clothing or other item tips are just as valuable to them as your money, because the items are so expensive. We packed one suitcase of stuff to give away. Note: 1CUC is about $1.25CAD.

The beach is long and sandy and is adjacent to the Breezes Jibacoa which is twice the price. Excellent snorkelling along the coral reef, even in the shallows we saw many kinds of fish. It was like the movie Finding Nemo, but in living colour. We are not strong swimmers, so we put on life jackets and went out with no worries. Just avoid the yellow coral.

Thiis is not Varadero. It is between Matanzas and Havana, and is in a secluded spot, with mountains in the background. It's guiet and lovely, not busy and packed with hotels. Varadero is 1 hour away by bus and you can go for 25 CUC. You can take the choo choo train for a nice morning of sightseeing the area and see Hershey Park, Santa Cruz and lots of countryside for 15CUC. We recommend that and the Ecotour which takes you to the caves, snorkelling and to lunch at a coffee plantation. Havana is also a must see for the architecture and the market, although the Varadero market is just as good.

Recommendation: If you want super modern buildings and average service and mediocre food, go to the Breezes and pay twice the price. If you want great service, good food, beautiful grounds and great value for your money, go to Cameleon Villas Jibacoa. Of the 3 Cuban hotels we've visted, this one at 3stars beats the 4 and 4 1/2star we're stayed at in Varadero. If you want to party hard, this is not the place for you, but if you want to bring your family, the pool is appropriate for young children, there's lots of sand on the beach, lots of chairs, and plenty of security. You will be well looked after!