“This was our first holiday to Cape Verde and also with RIU. We were not disappointed. We flew with TUI in an all exclusive package for one week and pick up was easy and swift directly from outside of the airport. A short 2-3 minute coach journey from the airport sees you arrive at the vista that is Karamboa. (There are only two flights in and out of the airport every day so there is no worries about aeroplane noise)As you enter through the grand entrance you are met with a cold fruit drink from a friendly member of staff who takes your cases and directs you to the check-in desk. We were greeted by the check-in staff and asked to pay for the Cape Verde mandatory Tourist Tax. For a week this cost the two of us around €32 euros from memory. You are then asked which room you would like and advised as to the layout of the hotel through a handy map. This map also includes all opening times of bars and restaurants within the complex in 4 different languages.We had a twin room with balcony tucked away to the far end of the hotel (still within a 2-3 minutes walk to the centre of the complex and the pool). Room was super clean and had everything you would expect from a modern hotel. All rooms come with Aircon and a ceiling fan as standard.The pool area is situated in the centre of the complex towards the sea. It has three main pool areas, a jacuzzi and a bar in the water should you want a drink from the cool of the water. The pool is not heated however, so be aware it may be a shock from the heat outside it.The beach is beautiful and stretches for as far as the eye can see. Standing on the beach with the hotel behind you; to your right along the beach leads you to the town, to the left leads you out away from civilisation - great for a romantic stroll, especially when the sun sets. As the island is relatively isolated in the Atlantic it can get very windy. This leads to inevitably rough seas, with flag systems in place within the lifeguard supervised areas. The red flag is no joke however as waves can easily reach 6-10ft as they break, tossing you aside if you are not a confident and competent swimmer. Be wary if you want to swim in these conditions. If the flag is not red however, you will be blessed with crystal clear waters and fish around your feet, even in the shallows. Another thing to also be aware of is the 'street sellers' who will roam the beach pressuring you to buy things from them. Be wary, they wander in groups and will often haggle until a deal is done. They surrounded my fiancé whilst I was away getting us a drink to which I returned to find two sellers pushing items in front of her. Politely asking them to leave often works but be wary of their persistence.Food wise you are spoilt. There are 3/4 specialist restaurants available for booking (no fee) at the reception and we would recommend the Asian restaurant. The main, non-booking, restaurant is centre of the complex and features a large dining area inside and out with large buffets cycling every cuisine you could think of or indeed want. Most food is different every night and I guarantee you will be spoilt for choice. The freshly cooked joints of meat hand carved in front of you was a particular favourite of mine.As well as the beach and pool there are many other activities. Tennis and shooting can be booked at the reception and there is a wellness centre featuring gym, spa and paid massages and facials. Whilst on the topic of money, Cape Verde accepts Euro's, but will convert anything you purchase into their own currency by multiplying it by 110 so be aware.One thing we could not fault at any point in the holiday was the staff. They are so helpful and really bend over backwards to offer anything you could want. They are also multi linguists so whichever language you speak there will always be a member of staff at hand to speak to you fluently. They were also super helpful when our flight out had engine troubles and we had to stay longer at the hotel, putting us up in a room for no extra cost.Best holiday ever!!!!”

“Perfect place if you want to relax in the sun stress free. We returned yesterday but the memory still lingers of the wonderful time we spent on holiday at the Riu Palace. The hotel and the staff are excellent the entrainment both night and day will keep you occupied if you so desire. Plenty of variety of food and drink. The  beach is few minutes walk from the room, if you want a swim in the sea this is not the place for you the red flag is always flying. As they say on the island 'No Stress'”