Page 43 - Dreamscapes Magazine | Winter 2021-2022

swim-up bar. Or, for that matter, I could wander back to my spacious, tastefully dec- orated woman-cave situated in one of the 12 low-rise structures that dot the resort where there is also a pool.
And then, I don’t know, get fancied up for an even fancier cocktail in the Piano Bar? Or head to the open-air lobby to watch people people-watching? Happily, I’ve already decided upon dinner—with three à la carte restaurants from which to choose. Food and drink in Cuba is more diverse than the beans-and-beer-centric diet I’d anticipated.
MORE LUXE BEACH CHOICES
With its air of exclusivity heightened by the causeway treks, Cayo Cruz has a once- you’re-here-you’re-here vibe, but resort guests are encouraged to rent a car if they want to explore other parts of the country. I discover more Cuban firsts on Cayo Guillermo where at Gran Muthu Rainbow, Cuba’s first LGBTQ adults-only resort, I’m warmly welcomed with a splash of cocktail and an even splashier dance performance.
If holidaying on an island that is off of an island isn’t remote enough, Kempinski Hotels has rescheduled to reopen Cayo Guillermo Resort Kempinski in January 2022. Cuba’s first luxury non-all-inclusive resort is set to take the lavish vacay one step further. Oh sure, you can stay in one of the glorious suites, but you can also check in to a private over-water villa suspended on stilts, acces- sible by a boardwalk bridge that juts into the sea. Spacious and with a vaulted wooden- beam ceiling that creates an even more airy
OPPOSITE TOP: People watch by the new lobby lounge at Kempinski Cayo Guillermo. Kempinski Hotels OPPOSITE BOTTOM LEFT: All across Cuba there are Hemingway mementos from copies of black and white images to statues. This framed photo reproduction is of Ernest Hemingway and Fidel Castro taken at a fishing tournament. Stephen Smith OPPOSITE BOTTOM CENTRE: At a Cuban resort, you can enjoy nightly entertainment and lively performances from a troupe of talented performers. Stephen Smith OPPOSITE BOTTOM RIGHT: Inquire at the resort about nearby day trips. Sailing is a popular activity in this region of Cuba. Stephen Smith LEFT:Awhitesandybeach,ceruleanblue water, and the tropical heat of Cuba beckon travellers to Cuba’s archipelago, Jardines del Rey off the northern coast. Pictured is Playa Pilar’s dock from the Kempinski. Kempinski Hotels
feel, your secluded getaway includes not only a small private pool but one that has a ladder leading down to the ocean.
UNEXPECTED SURPRISE
Back inside the new resort’s floating villa, I pass a poster-size black-and-white photo- graph of a marlin-toting Hemingway with a fellow fisherman. That’s when it dawns on me. Cuba may have gone avant-garde but curvy cars built in the ’50s still cruise the roadways; resorts boast sexy, leathery cigar bars; and the spirit of the writer who named his famous boat Pilar, after the very beach on which this resort now is situated, lives on. Indeed, the nation has managed to catch modernity without releasing the richness of its past. DS
TRAVEL PLANNER
As of November 15, 2021, all tourist destinations in Cuba have reopened including more relaxed entry protocols for Canadian travellers. Canadians must be either fully vaccinated, or show a negative PCR test done 72 hours before entering Cuba.
For re-entry to Canada, PCR tests are available at the hotel for a $30 USD fee (payable locally by Visa or debit).
For trip bookings, check with your local travel agent on latest Covid protocols. For travel information to Cuba gocuba.ca
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