C a p e Ve r d e Ten Unique Islands - West Africa November 2012 - October 2013 Contents INTRODUCTION OTHER ISLANDS 21 Experience the Cape Verde Islands 4-5 Foya Branca Hotel 22-23 What to expect 6-8 Oasis Porto Grande Hotel 24 Pestana Tropico Hotel 25 ISLAND OF SAL 9 Hotel Morabeza 10-11 MORE HOTELS ONLINE 26 Meliá Tortuga Beach Resort & Spa 12-13 Oosterschelde Tall Ship 27 Odjo d’Agua Hotel 14 ISLAND HOPPING 28-29 Oasis Belorizonte 15 USEFUL INFORMATION ISLAND OF BOA VISTA 16 A-Z Things to know before you go 30-31 Marine Club 17 Insurance 32 Iberostar Club Boa Vista 18-19 How to book 33 Parque das Dunas Hotel 20 Flights 34 Fair Trading Charter 35 2 For more advice or to book call the experts on 0845 330 2046 Santo Antão All the fl ights and fl ight-inclusive holidays in this brochure are fi nancially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certifi cate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (fl ights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our fair trading charter for further information or for more information about fi nancial protection and the ATOL Certifi cate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertifi cate Our ATOL number is 1866. We are also members of ABTA and AITO, the AITO quality charter is on page 31. 5113 Contact your Local Travel Agent or book at CapeVerde.co.uk 3 INTRODUCTION Experience The Cape Verde Islands As the largest independent specialist tour get used to, but in our experience a smile and fi rm ‘no’ operator to Cape Verde we fi rst visited goes a long way. That said, we do believe that if guests the islands 19 years ago and were involved are well prepared for what to expect then they are more likely to enjoy their holiday. in the fi rst direct fl ight from the UK. Our aim has always been to provide a Staff with fi rst hand experience knowledgeable, honest and open service Being a specialist tour operator, we pride ourselves on so that we can be certain we’re helping our knowledge, attention to detail and our customers’ you fi nd the perfect holiday and the perfect needs and requirements. Therefore when you are hotel to suit you. booking your holiday with us you can be sure that our staff are giving you the best choices available and the Honest and informative brochure most up-to-date information. When our staff visit Cape We’re passionate believers in portraying a destination Verde, they write personal reviews of each hotel they in the most honest way possible, which is why this stay in which are then published on our website on the brochure has been put together by those who know and individual hotel pages. You will also fi nd some of our respect the Cape Verde islands and everything they stand customers’ opinions on each of the hotel pages in this for. The archipelago is a genuinely breathtaking place, brochure. with its diverse allure from sandy beaches and warm seas through dramatic island interiors with their precipitous Our resort team rice terraces to bustling cultural centres such as Praia We have our own assigned representatives on each and Mindelo. Tourism here is still relatively new, and for island that live on the islands year round, along with that reason there is information that every holidaymaker assistance from our specially selected partner and agent should be aware of before making a decision as to Barracuda Tours, who have offi ces throughout the islands whether Cape Verde is right for them – some of which with English speaking representatives. Together they may not be mentioned by other tour operators. will always be on hand to make sure your holiday goes smoothly and to deal with any issues you might have. In some towns there is development work and the landscapes on some islands are barren to the point of desolation! You may also fi nd the friendly, cajoling nature of some of the street sellers takes some time to 4 For more advice or to book call the experts on 0845 330 2046 INTRODUCTION What we offer The Serenity service • Holidays to 6 of the 10 islands of Cape Verde The Cape Verde Experience is part of Serenity • A wide choice of hotels from 2½ to 5 . Please see page 8 for more Holidays, an independent, fully bonded tour operator 25 which prides itself on the quality of its holidays and the details on our classifi cations YEARS WEST AFRICA personal service provided to customers. • Hotels on bed & breakfast, bon appetit, half board, full board EXPERIENCE and all-inclusive basis • A choice of exciting island hopping itineraries including a new tall ship • 25 years’ experience of providing holidays to West Africa (see pages 27–29) • In-depth knowledge of the destinations • Tailor-made itineraries for any island and hotel combination, subject to • Knowledgeable English speaking representatives internal fl ights • Loyalty discounts for repeat customers • Service from our local representative on each island • 5* AITO sustainable tourism status • A comprehensive website with essential information on the islands, fl ights • Widest choice of fl ight options to the islands from 4 UK airports and accommodation More online at CapeVerde.co.uk Visit our comprehensive website where you can book securely online 24 hours a day and view more in-depth information on the individual islands and all of our accommodation – including maps, hints and tips, staff and press reviews, online chat facility, photo galleries and videos. You can also see our latest destination news and stay in touch or share your experiences with our various online communities. A Personal Experience For anyone looking for guaranteed tropical sunshine, miles of unspoiled white-sand beaches and a low-key, laid-back family experience, Cape Verde is a fantastic option; like discovering the missing link between the Canaries and the Caribbean... “No stress”, we were told several times, is the Cape Verde motto, and the package offered by our hotel delivered on that promise. We’d never been on an all-inclusive family holiday before, but after a week, we were converts... In Cape Verde, we got a proper, relaxing break, with all the convenience and ease of a package holiday, but without any of the crowds. TRACY MACLEOD Th e Independent Contact your Local Travel Agent or book at CapeVerde.co.uk 5 INTRODUCTION What to expect Hard to beat as an all round holiday destination The Cape Verde islands are a crescent shaped archipelago up to an incredibly alive destination, raw and emerging for sure, but with a 500km west of Senegal in the Atlantic Ocean. They enjoy tropical climate and enough beauty and beguiling charm for even the most their own diverse culture, strong sense of history and jaded of travellers. identity that has been widely infl uenced by Africa, Portugal The short fl ights (around 6 hours), the small time difference and the friendly and Brazil, yet remains unique to Cape Verde. people all add to the appeal – not to mention that the islands are still low key enough to feel like a bit of a discovery. This diversity is only multiplied by the fact that each individual island is also so different from its neighbours – different in people and history, different in The ten islands all offer something different, and whilst it’s true that most landscape, different in levels of development and even in dialect. It all adds holidaymakers come to Cape Verde to simply relax in the sunshine it does CAPE VERDE WEST AFRICA ISLANDS SENEGAL THE GAMBIA ATLANTIC CAPE VERDE ISLANDS OCEAN BRAZIL Santo Antão Ribeira Grande Pombas PORTO NOVO Sal MINDELO Santa Luzia ESPARGOS São Vicente VILA DA RIBEIRA BRAVA Fly from: Gatwick Manchester Santa Maria Birmingham São Nicolau Boa Vista SAL REI Fly from: Gatwick Manchester Birmingham ATLANTIC OCEAN Glasgow 0 10 20 kilometers Santiago 0 10 20 miles Maio Fogo VILA DO MAIO NOVA SINTRA Brava PRAIA SÃO FILIPE 6 For more advice or to book call the experts on 0845 330 2046 INTRODUCTION pay to explore, as there’s so much variety on offer. You’ll find excellent Currency hotels and beaches; sun and surf on Sal and Boa Vista; an active volcano on The currency in Cape Verde is Escudo expressed as $ or CV Esc before Fogo where they produce their own wine of notable quality; the genuinely the amount which can only be obtained on the islands. There is a fixed breathtaking interior of Santo Antão with its rice terraces clinging to crags exchange rate of $110 to 1 Euro and as Euros are also generally accepted and precipices, the history of Santiago and the throb of music in the cultural we recommend that you take Euros in place of Sterling. Travellers cheques centre of Mindelo on São Vicente. Something for everyone! can be changed on some islands but the commission rates are high. Visa and Mastercard are accepted, and all other cards ie. Switch and Flying is the most practical way of travelling from island to island however it Maestro are not. Please do not rely soley on ATM machines. should be noted that TACV (Cabo Verde Airlines), who provide the island’s internal flights, can and do change schedules and flights are sometimes delayed, cancelled or even depart early, though this has improved a good deal in recent years. For this reason we may recommend an overnight stay on Sal or Boa Vista for one night prior to, or following an international flight.