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Getty Images, Westin Kierland, iStock WINTER 2018 BCA A .COM 15 THE CAA DIAMOND RATING SYSTEM Looking for more trusted getaways? The CAA/AAA Diamond Rating System awards hotels and restaurants One to Five Diamonds based on amenities and service. There are great options at all Diamond levels, like the One Diamond Oso Negro Coffee in Nelson and the Four Diamond Sparkling Hill Resort in Vernon, both mentioned in this story. bcaa.com/trip-planning the colour "Varadero Blue" that was fashionable in the 1950s. Standing on Varadero's powder-soft sand, watching kids splash in this placid aquamarine bathtub, you can see why you'd want to wear it home. Cuba is the perfect escape for the darkest days of winter. Varadero alone, at the northwestern tip of this sunny island nation, is home to dozens of all-inclusive resorts that fit all budgets and traveller types, from boisterous families to adults seeking solace. Most Cuba holidays come in packages that include flights, airport transfers, accommodation, food and drink. The resort could easily occupy a family for an entire vacation, with pools, fun activities and buffets of unbelievable choice for kids; plus tennis courts, dance clubs and Havana Club rum for grownups. But many will want to explore farther afield. Take a catamaran trip to Cayo Blanco, a small sandy island with a shallow beach that seems to stretch to the horizon, and enjoy a barbecue of fresh fish and rock lobster. Or, book a day tour into Havana (most resorts offer them; transportation included) to visit the city's historical highlights, like colonial architecture, '50s-era American cars and historic squares and buildings. You'll see what the city is becoming, too. "In the past six years many changes have happened," our guide told us, when our family was there last winter. "Fewer travel restrictions, more private businesses." To demonstrate, he took us for lunch at La Fontana, a private restaurant where we had our best meal of the trip – tender lamb served over spiced rice, with creamy flan for dessert, all washed down with a Hemingway daiquiri. We came away with a better understanding of the country; a mix of culture, history, creeping change and natural beauty that checks all the boxes.