puppylover
Active Member
Can I have some feedback please - I am flicking through a brochure and I think I quite fancy a break near Christmas....... opinions please? 8)
Anyone been to Cuba on holiday?
- Thread starter puppylover
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spunkymonkey
Active Member
Ive been on business......was only there for 3 days but of what I saw it was fantastic. Havana is a must, especially before Castro dies. I dont know about you but when I go to places like Cuba, I love to get into the middle of it and away from any sort of tourist hot spots or commercialisation.
If you go to Havana, get yourself into the old town and right in the middle where the locals are. Havana is probably one of the safest cities in the world. There is a policeman on virtually every corner but they are not really noticeable. But the Cubans are very proud and know how much tourists mean to them, so there is virtually no crime against tourists. A lot of the locals are very friendly and very inquisitive as they want to know much more about the outside world, than they already do. They are also incredibly well educated on the most part. Whatever Castro's many misgivings have been, he has definitely gotten the education and healthcare systems correct.
As for beaches etc, Varadero (sp?) is the main tourist hotspot. I would try and stay away from there as it has been built to cater for foreign tourists. There is going to be a huge amount of other unspoilt beaches around but infrastructure (roads, accomodation, bars etc) are probably going to be limited and you could find it difficult if you dont speak the local lingo.
If you want I could try and find out some recommendations of other beaches etc to go to....just let me know what you are looking for.
If you go to Havana, get yourself into the old town and right in the middle where the locals are. Havana is probably one of the safest cities in the world. There is a policeman on virtually every corner but they are not really noticeable. But the Cubans are very proud and know how much tourists mean to them, so there is virtually no crime against tourists. A lot of the locals are very friendly and very inquisitive as they want to know much more about the outside world, than they already do. They are also incredibly well educated on the most part. Whatever Castro's many misgivings have been, he has definitely gotten the education and healthcare systems correct.
As for beaches etc, Varadero (sp?) is the main tourist hotspot. I would try and stay away from there as it has been built to cater for foreign tourists. There is going to be a huge amount of other unspoilt beaches around but infrastructure (roads, accomodation, bars etc) are probably going to be limited and you could find it difficult if you dont speak the local lingo.
If you want I could try and find out some recommendations of other beaches etc to go to....just let me know what you are looking for.
Morbyd
Moderator
Word of warning... I haven't been but friends of mine have and almost everyone said that the first few days are great but then it got really boring. Advice would be not to make it a 2 week marathon visit.
Not sure how that could be true, as it's always seemed a really fascinating place to me, but that's the feedback I've heard from a couple of couples.
Not sure how that could be true, as it's always seemed a really fascinating place to me, but that's the feedback I've heard from a couple of couples.
puppylover
Active Member
My main fear is that I will be bored - looking at the brochures - its all beach beach beach, now I dont mind a bit of R&R on holiday but I dont want it to end up like caribbean holidays where you cant go out by yourself..
I want to hire a car and tour I want to see Havana, I want culture I want it all (with a bit of beach chucked in obviously 8) )
Spunky - that's the type of holiday I want - will let you know if its a definite POA
Morb - that sounds exactly like Jamaica - a nightmare!!!
I want to hire a car and tour I want to see Havana, I want culture I want it all (with a bit of beach chucked in obviously 8) )
Spunky - that's the type of holiday I want - will let you know if its a definite POA
Morb - that sounds exactly like Jamaica - a nightmare!!!
spunkymonkey
Active Member
I believe the main problem with Cuba is that the roads etc are not that great so getting out and doing your own thing is not as easy as elsewhere. But it depends on the individual. If your prepared to get down and dirty with the locals, then you will have plenty to do and see. If you are just going to sit in the safe haven of the "developed" hotels and surrounding areas then it will turn into a typical Caribbean holiday. Havana is full of culture.
Im thinking of going in the next year or so and if I go, Im going to do a 10 day trip with 3-4 days in Havana, 2-3 days doing nothing on a beach and 4-5 days travelling around a little bit.
Im thinking of going in the next year or so and if I go, Im going to do a 10 day trip with 3-4 days in Havana, 2-3 days doing nothing on a beach and 4-5 days travelling around a little bit.
Taffy Raver
New Member
I went to Cuba for 16 nights and didnt get bored one bit it was a last minute deal, I read up as much about the place as I could before going. What you have to remember is that Cuba is a big country (not like little old Ibiza) so there is loads to see and do.
I found the place really fascinating, we stayed at a little resort on the other side of the country to Havana called Guardalavaca, so we had to get internal flights to spend a weekend in Havana so 16 nights didnt turn out to be to long for us (bearing in mind the 10hr flight across the pond). Havana was great we did the touristy thing and went to the famous club Tropicana. The beaches in Guardalavaca were beautiful on weekends the locals would come down and set up a sound system and have massive beach parties. (I suppose it would be like going to Bora Bora 50yrs ago but at a fraction of the price).
The whole country is trapped in a time warp, everything about the place is worth visiting in my opinion, its trouble free, crime free, the people are nice. We swam with dolphins, went pony trekking and visited a real cuban home it was excelllent, and I got engaged over there
Go now before Bush invades and turns the place into another Cancun
I found the place really fascinating, we stayed at a little resort on the other side of the country to Havana called Guardalavaca, so we had to get internal flights to spend a weekend in Havana so 16 nights didnt turn out to be to long for us (bearing in mind the 10hr flight across the pond). Havana was great we did the touristy thing and went to the famous club Tropicana. The beaches in Guardalavaca were beautiful on weekends the locals would come down and set up a sound system and have massive beach parties. (I suppose it would be like going to Bora Bora 50yrs ago but at a fraction of the price).
The whole country is trapped in a time warp, everything about the place is worth visiting in my opinion, its trouble free, crime free, the people are nice. We swam with dolphins, went pony trekking and visited a real cuban home it was excelllent, and I got engaged over there
Go now before Bush invades and turns the place into another Cancun
we went a few years back.
Havana is awesome, its like stepping back in time 50 yrs. try and stay at the Hotel Nacional. Visit Santa Clara (Che Town) and Trinidad (slave town!!)
varadero is pretty boring TBH, just hotels (all inclusive) and beaches and not much else but nice for a few days
A country unlike anywhere else in da whole wide world.
Havana is awesome, its like stepping back in time 50 yrs. try and stay at the Hotel Nacional. Visit Santa Clara (Che Town) and Trinidad (slave town!!)
varadero is pretty boring TBH, just hotels (all inclusive) and beaches and not much else but nice for a few days
A country unlike anywhere else in da whole wide world.
I haven't been but I really want to go, specially before Castro dies.
I wouldn't go on an all included resort, going on your own it's supposed to be cheap and you get to meet the cubans who are great, but anyway it's a perfect winter holidays
i've been.
stayed on the cayos which is one of the islands off of cuba, very nice but full of 4/5 star all inclusives so not much opp to explore. good for watersports esp if you get the tail end of a storm like we did !
went to the main land a couple times, havanna (loads to do there but we didn't get a chance), swam with dolphins which was cool and the cheapest place in the world to do it.
one thing to watch is the tipping, if you stay in an all inclusive they seem to expect a tip , the canadians are to blame for this and to be honest it seems a little excessive and provides a bit of a false economy to the rest of cuba!!!!!
its a good place to chill but I would expect on the mainland will be very exploritive and i'm quite sure boredom would take a while to set in (ignore any americans who say they got bored, they have there reasons
!)
stayed on the cayos which is one of the islands off of cuba, very nice but full of 4/5 star all inclusives so not much opp to explore. good for watersports esp if you get the tail end of a storm like we did
!went to the main land a couple times, havanna (loads to do there but we didn't get a chance), swam with dolphins which was cool and the cheapest place in the world to do it.
one thing to watch is the tipping, if you stay in an all inclusive they seem to expect a tip
, the canadians are to blame for this and to be honest it seems a little excessive and provides a bit of a false economy to the rest of cuba!!!!!its a good place to chill but I would expect on the mainland will be very exploritive and i'm quite sure boredom would take a while to set in (ignore any americans who say they got bored, they have there reasons
!)
puppylover
Active Member
Excellent feedback guys - thanks a million - sounds like there is some great exploring to be had - I just had a horrible vision of it being like the caribbean, and not being able to get out and about because the resorts there are basically a hotel and grounds stuck in the middle of nowhere and being stuck with a bunch of americans (during spring break) was my idea of hell (no offence to the cool US contingent on this board) but it truly was an ordeal I dont want to repeat any time soon!
After 2 days we bought the biggest bag of weed and just retired to our room every night to get away from the all inclusive crowd..... there is only so much hotel entertainment and free Rum and Red stripe a person can stomach
If its not Cuba then I have always fancied the west coast of Mexico, which looks fantastic.....
After 2 days we bought the biggest bag of weed and just retired to our room every night to get away from the all inclusive crowd..... there is only so much hotel entertainment and free Rum and Red stripe a person can stomach
If its not Cuba then I have always fancied the west coast of Mexico, which looks fantastic.....
Americans do go to Cuba, but they aren't supposed to ... I hear that they are liable to some big 25000 dollar fine if they do go, but don't think they are strict about handing out those fines. they have to go via another country if they do go.. at least thats what I thought
puppylover
Active Member
Really? Well you learn something new every day - probably a stupid question but do US citizens (if they do go to Cuba) have to have a passport to gain entry?
I don't know... all I know from people who've been there is that its full of Canadians because we get such cheap package deals there... so you could find the similar package-holiday types there too... just Canadian ones... they may be just as bad!!
they're just aren't any flights going from the US... the US doesn't want them to go to Cuba... but I THINK Cuba is fine with Americans visiting... they have to go via Canada , Bahamas or Mexico.... but if they caught they can get a fine.. don't think it really happens though
they're just aren't any flights going from the US... the US doesn't want them to go to Cuba... but I THINK Cuba is fine with Americans visiting... they have to go via Canada , Bahamas or Mexico.... but if they caught they can get a fine.. don't think it really happens though
puppylover
Active Member
I don't know... all I know from people who've been there is that its full of Canadians because we get such cheap package deals there... so you could find the similar package-holiday types there too... just Canadian ones... they may be just as bad!!
they're just aren't any flights going from the US... the US doesn't want them to go to Cuba... but I THINK Cuba is fine with Americans visiting... they have to go via Canada , Bahamas or Mexico.... but if they caught they can get a fine.. don't think it really happens though
I work with a bunch of Canadians seconded to our Project and they are such a good laugh - very similar humour to Brits I find - well they seem to get our humour anyway
I think I am going to have to look into visiting Cuba off my own steam, and not through a package deal. Thanks for the tips everyone!
I stayed in cuba a couple of years back, down in the cayos, which is a small strip of islands which are linked to mainland cuba by a raised road across the water.
I found the island a little scary, having said that its the only place ive been too where i felt truly in a foreign country. The beaches are great, the food isnt, and i didnt like the tipping culture over there, primarly because salaries are very low and so are everyday commodities that we are used too.
You may find it quite intimidating visiting some of the mainland towns and cities, as a tourist you stand out a mile and constantly get hastled by peeps either wanting you clothes of your back or a dollar to show you around the place. It certainly isnt the type of place you would do a diy visit and go off on your own, personally i never felt truly safe. but then again, maybes just cos im too used to ibiza too much.
Best time of year is around january or february, nice and hot but not too hot and your out of hurrican season.
There are restrictions about how much currency you can take in and take out, everything has to be converted into the 'convertible peso' which is primarly a tourist currency only. American backed credit cards arnt accepted (youd be surprised how many actually are american backed) and anything paid in dollars has a 10% surcharge.
I would defintely recommend going, even if only for the experience, however the cayos are quite remote and unless you venture off them you might as well be anywhere in thecarrabean as you dont get a taste of the real cuba.
I found the island a little scary, having said that its the only place ive been too where i felt truly in a foreign country. The beaches are great, the food isnt, and i didnt like the tipping culture over there, primarly because salaries are very low and so are everyday commodities that we are used too.
You may find it quite intimidating visiting some of the mainland towns and cities, as a tourist you stand out a mile and constantly get hastled by peeps either wanting you clothes of your back or a dollar to show you around the place. It certainly isnt the type of place you would do a diy visit and go off on your own, personally i never felt truly safe. but then again, maybes just cos im too used to ibiza too much.
Best time of year is around january or february, nice and hot but not too hot and your out of hurrican season.
There are restrictions about how much currency you can take in and take out, everything has to be converted into the 'convertible peso' which is primarly a tourist currency only. American backed credit cards arnt accepted (youd be surprised how many actually are american backed) and anything paid in dollars has a 10% surcharge.
I would defintely recommend going, even if only for the experience, however the cayos are quite remote and unless you venture off them you might as well be anywhere in thecarrabean as you dont get a taste of the real cuba.
cuba
Americans can goto Cuba with a permit from the US state department. I went in 2000 I had a good time. It is not a clubing holiday but they have cars from the 50 and 60's on the road still I thought that was amazing. I went for 2 weeks could have stayed longer. I wish the USA would lift the embargo so we can travel there freely. If you fancy cigar or Mojito you can get both fresh made and the food was great.
Americans can goto Cuba with a permit from the US state department. I went in 2000 I had a good time. It is not a clubing holiday but they have cars from the 50 and 60's on the road still I thought that was amazing. I went for 2 weeks could have stayed longer. I wish the USA would lift the embargo so we can travel there freely. If you fancy cigar or Mojito you can get both fresh made and the food was great.
I don't know... all I know from people who've been there is that its full of Canadians because we get such cheap package deals there... so you could find the similar package-holiday types there too... just Canadian ones... they may be just as bad!!
they're just aren't any flights going from the US... the US doesn't want them to go to Cuba... but I THINK Cuba is fine with Americans visiting... they have to go via Canada , Bahamas or Mexico.... but if they caught they can get a fine.. don't think it really happens though