Hotel Riu Karamboa - All Inclusive - Adults Only

Arrived to Riu Karamboa on 25th November, my second visit to Cape Verde (previously stayed at the palace next door and had a great experience)! Upon arrival and collecting my luggage I got a taxi to the hotel costing €10 and around 10 minute drive (worth it in my opinion to miss the queues at check in for the hotel. I checked into the hotel online a few days before my departure to make things as smooth as possible. Once I arrived to the hotel and got my key I was passed a map and basically just told ‘that way’ with no other direction or help. I asked is their stairs/a lift as my case was heavy, at which point I was then offered assistance with my luggage and it would follow me. Support only offered if asked and no offer of an arrival drink or even a glass of water! Arrived to my room which was on the other side of the hotel to open my door and find a member of the maintenance staff fixing a leak and a maid lay on the bed scrolling her phone (everyone deserves a break but I find this extremely inappropriate)! When I asked what was going on I got a curt ‘you cannot stay in this room’ and a point to the leak. I headed back to reception, carrying an extremely heavy hand luggage and feeling exhausted with the heat and feeling quite dehydrated. Got back to reception and waited for 5 minutes for a member of staff to even acknowledge me (note it wasn’t busy as coach from airport not yet arrived), when they did they said they are changing my room and apologies for the inconvenience and they will arrange for luggage to come to my new room, I explained I understood however for me to walk into my room to find a maid lay on the bed and maintenance in there was unacceptable and rather uncomfortable. My new room was assigned and I was told this was a ‘much better room’ and someone would walk me over there. A gentleman walked me over to the block and said ‘floor 3’ so I headed up the stairs and turned around to see he had disappeared without word. Got to my new room and after 2 minutes the electricity totally cut out! By this point I was extremely frustrated. I waited 5 minutes to see if it would come back on and it didn’t so headed back to reception. Reception was empty by this point and members of staff were chatting behind the desk and I waited 10 minutes to be acknowledged again! Once acknowledged and explained the problem the man behind the desk went to speak to someone, I was told there was a power outage and would be sorted soon. I explained ‘soon’ wasn’t good enough considering this was my second room within 30 minutes of checking in and 2 issues now and needs to be rectified immediately. After lots of back and forth I reluctantly accepted the room and another member of staff walked me back over, this gentleman was extremely helpful and offered to carry my heavy bag and waited with me whilst maintenance attended to fix the problem. Maintenance man was in and out of the room for around 45 minutes as once electricity came on, the air con wasn’t working bu

Came here with my partner and my parents to celebrate my 30th birthday celebrations. We have had a lovely stay and cannot thank the staff enough for ensuring we have an enjoyable stay. Highlights: - You can book a restuarant called Perola De Chaves, which is situated right on the beach. You can walk there during the day and it takes around 15 minutes over the sand dunes and do a left at the beach and walk along. We came here on a Thursday and were picked up from the hotel. I came here for my birthday and my partner proposed to me. The staff made it really special. It was 55£ for a 3 course meal and a cocktail included. There are seafood options and vegetarian options. We had the lobster soup, goats cheese salad and for mains we had the delights of the Sea (Tuna, octopus and prawns) and my partner had the lobster. - We went on the day trips of the katamaran and the buggying. The buggying was 2 hours long which was enough for us and you stop off at landmarks around the island. For safety you are required to wear a full suit, helmet goggles and a face mask. This is I found to be uncomfortable due to the sheer heat and driving over the desert landscape. However if you haven't done it, I definitely recommend! The katamaran is a new trip offered by Tui . Make sure you wear flip flops as you will be required to take these off once on the katamran. It is free drinks ( the mimosas) are lovely. You have the opportunity to swim or snorkel in the sea. Then you have lunch and we did a bit of dancing with the staff. The staff are excellent and always put the guests enjoyment at the centre of the experience. - Entertainment: there is lots to do during the day such as aqua fit, zumba and it is all very enjoyable. They also do volley ball, art, boules, darts. The evening entertainment is good and the shows provide an insight into the culture of Cape Verde. The White / Neon Party is an absolute must. My parents said this was the best night in terms of entertainment. - Food: the food is some of the best on offer in terms of all inclusive. There is a main snack bar called Las Dunas which is near the pool. There are two mini snack bars that provide bbq food called Pepes. The main restuarant is self service and there is lots to choose from and on offer. There is 2 themed restuarants, Asian and Italian ( which you can only book once) which were less busier and crowded. I enjoyed these the most as they offer a more quiet dinner service. We tried to book into the gourmet restuarant and bookings for this come out at 11:50, so be quick to book in. - Amenities: there is a gym on the right hand side of the complex which is air conditioned and well equipped. There is also a spa where you can book massages, hair cuts or pedicures/ manicures. I booked my dad a deep tissue massage for 44.50£ or equivalent which is £40 in GBP. There is lots of pools and a water park, which again there is plenty on offer. There is also a local shop on the complex and they offer all toiletries an

We had a very enjoyable two-week stay at Riu Karamboa. The entertainment team was a highlight, and we’d like to give a special shout-out to Edna and Ranny for their service and energy, our cleaner Clarice for her attention to detail, and Elizabeth (the "boss lady" at Pepe’s) for her great service. The manager as well stood on the dance floor for the parties fair play to him. The food offered plenty of variety, with the Christmas and New Year gala dinners being particular standouts. The breakfast selection and the cheese board were excellent. We also loved the beach's chilled-out location—it’s a truly beautiful island. We always got the sun beds no mad dash usually had the same ones every day. I really liked the burgers in Pepes. Between the fun at the swim-up bars, the water slides, and the vibrant White and Neon parties, there was never a dull moment in the evening and plenty of relaxing times in the day. There isn’t loads about but walking the beach and finding the bars to the left and right was good adventures for sunset. Room for Improvement: 1. Beverages: While the beer on tap was good, “ Prosecco “ sparkling wine was only available during the Christmas meal and New year dinner. It would be a wonderful addition to have this available year-round, even if only at the lobby bar. 2. The Gym: This was our main disappointment. The facility is far too small for the size of the hotel, and the equipment is dated or malfunctioning. Because it was so busy, we often had to wait for machines. Given how important fitness is to many guests, an investment here is definitely needed. 3. Sports Bar: Great staff and atmosphere for the Premier League, though the satellite signal was a bit unstable, causing us to miss a few goals! Overall, thank you for a memorable holiday. We will definitely return!

Just what the doctor ordered. I quiet relaxed 9 days away. In truth though as we are both mouchers we both think 7 nights would have been plenty. Hotel. Stunning to look at and well set out as you dont walk too far for anything. Although the corridors are very echoy. Rooms. Very clean, spacious and comfy. Well stocked with drinks Food. Could do better I feel. The a la carte restaurants aren't what they are made out to be and are obviously restricted due to time. The Toscana was especially a let down. The main buffet was probably the best but even that could get a bit samey. The pool snack bars can get infested with flys at times. Pool area. Lots of pools but can get crowded, the foam party was good. The sunbeds however are absolutely shocking, how anyone stops all day on those is a mystery to me. They are very very uncomfortable and need a padding of some sort. Beach. Beautiful and clean. The palms are an added bonus and no need for an parasol. The crashing waves make for a great background noise. Beds are far comfier than around the pool. Stunning and you do feel like you are somewhere far different than Europe. Drinks. OK but sometimes I did feel they were watered down. A good touch is pour your own stations everywhere. Entertainment. The team try their very best and succeed on putting on a show during the day and especially at night. We were there for the NYE and Neon party and had a fantastic time, great atmosphere. Staff. 99% are unbelievably friendly and make you feel welcome. Tip your maid as they work really hard. Cape Verde Boa Vista itself. You feel like you've just landed on the moon when you get here as outside of the hotels there's very little to do. Sal Rei town is very small and quite run down which is a shame. All in all a really good holiday well worth the money paid. Top tip. Check in online before you get here and get a €10 taxi from the airport, you'll be sat down having a drink before the rest even get here.

Not been to Cape Verde 🇨🇻 before great for some winter sun . Staff were helpful & friendly sadly not all had a good understanding of English however, we got by. Reception open & airy plenty of places to sit, relax, play cards , coffee etc Rooms were clean great shower , your own bar in your room Our room was a distance from the main part , so was quiet, but the walk ways could be noisy Flies were a pain no idea 🤷‍♀️ how you would control that especially round food Christmas banquet was a little crazy had to queue for quite sometime to reserve a table Getting your food was just a bit overwhelming really , some people I’m sure thought they would never be fed again Food on the whole was ok , a little samey for me and I wish it was hotter but I love mine hot (that’s just me ) The best a la carte was the Kulinarium as it was table service The other two were too much like the usual buffet The one thing the I didn’t like was there appeared not to be a smoking area , so every time we went to main reception we had to walk through a group of people smoking outside - there is ample space around the hotel where a designated area could be put placed , to avoid this

We have just returned from the second visit to the karamboa still a lovely hotel and food amazing but I did think this visit the entertainment was a bit lacking but the staff are brill and always smiling would I return a 3rd time maybe never say never