Cape Verde, Africa
Cape Verde: Welcome to 5 Star Africa
With small, colorful markets and pavilions, the quiet capital of Sal Rei, Boa Vista is a fast-growing destination in the Cape Verde archipelago. Situated just off the coast of Africa near Senegal, this beautiful island is home to about 12,000 inhabitants and visited daily by traders and tourists. Many tourists will be surprised to hear that Cape Verde does not belong to Portugal, deapite the official language still being Portuguese. In fact, the Republic of Cape Verde declared its independence in 1975, though the constitution came five years later. After much change and difficulty, the island is peaceful and stable. Keep your eyes out, though, as pickpockets still may be looking out for opportunities.
What's it like there?
Most Europeans associate these islands with riches, as the getaways here run a pretty Euro penny. This is true in some sense, as the resorts here look quite literally like palaces and the two RIU resorts (Karamboa and Touareg) that belong to the TUI Group are ranked with five, well-deserved stars. The tickets to both arrive and stay here are indeed quite expensive, but don't let that fool you. Wandering into the local villages will be an eye-opening experience as you view firsthand the rapidness and yet delays that developing infrastructure and newly-granted independence brings to a destination like this. The people are very friendly and can often be seen wandering the streets or beach on their way to work or school, stopping for a chat with the neighbors or local business owners.
Are there nice places to eat?
There are a few restaurants in the capital that are clearly marketing to tourists as their prices reassemble a restaurant in mainland Europe, albeit with top quality cuisine to match. The Café del Mar sits near the beach and has the best filet-mignon with Gorgonzola sauce that I've ever had. If you stroll along the beach to the right from there, you'll find a few other places to eat where expats and tourists are frequent and very welcomed guests.
What can you do on Boa Vista?
Apart from the stunning resort complexes, countless swimming pools, excellent buffet choices and show cooking, and soft white sandy beaches, there's not that much to do on the island of Boa Vista. If you want to get your adrenalin running a bit, though, you can rent ATVs, (called Quad bikes here) for a thrill running across the sand dunes and rocky, arid landscape. The humpback whales just arrived, as usual around the first week of spring, so you can take a boat tour out to see them as well. If boats are your thing and you don't mind rising early, sea fishing excursions can also be arranged by TUI and their local partners. What caught my eye was the stunning setting for the Sunset Party which is offered to TUI guests (and employees) with food and champagne as we watch the sun take it's spectacular rest in an array of indescribable colors over the Atlantic Ocean.
Want to get involved?
TUI is very focused on sustainability which does not just include saving water and energy. Cultural sustainability and a focus on human rights is also a core focus, so you can give back, too, as the excursions and boutiques highlight locally made souvenirs and experiences as well as opportunities to donate school supplies to the local schools. In fact, if you're flying over with TUI's Thomson airways, your school supply donations will be allowed to fly free, not being charged for that extra weight as it will support the community in Cape Verde. The TUI rep can arrange a taxi for you to take you straight to the school to make your personal gift and support of education. Also, all guests are encouraged to leave behind clothes, shoes, and hygiene or medical products which are collected by the TUI reps and given directly to the local community and hospitals, which are under equipped. TUI as a whole is working jointly with the Tourism Board and local government to provide better energy sources, wifi cabling, clean water, and paved roads so that the destination can grow not only for tourism, but for better standard of living for the locals as well. I'm sure this will find its way into the news eventually, so keep an eye out for sustainable tourism you're interested.
So yes, this is a five-star destination where you can be pampered and catered to in a splendid resort. It is also a fast-developing country that has occasional struggles with infrastructure. You can also give back and engage with the local people as they teach you words of creole and dance with you to the live music playing in the bar.
