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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ask if you have ever taken a family holiday to Cuba?

22 replies

MandyFl0ss · 21/01/2017 16:43

I would really like to visit Cuba before it changes too much. We are a family of 4, kids will be 10 and 13. Ideally we would like to be in accommodation that will allow them to make friends with other kids and enjoy activities, but we would also like to take day excursions and see a bit of Cuba. We could go at Easter or August. Budget something like 6K for around 12 nights. Do you have any advice, recommendations?

OP posts:

Lazybeans50 · 21/01/2017 16:53

Yes go before it does change too much. We didn't have kids when we went but the Cubans are very child friendly so I think it would be a great place to take the family. We stayed an all inclusive hotel (at the time we went there weren't really many other options but that might have changed by now) in Cayo Guillermo but it was easy to arrange excursions. We flew to Havana for a overnight stay and took another trip to Trinidad. We also went on a boat/snorkelling trip. There were lots of other options as well. When we went food was more basic than was on offer at other Caribbean destinations but the ice cream and the rum was superb!

Mehmehmeh19 · 21/01/2017 16:58

Is it Havana you want to see? If so I'd look around Varadero.
In other places can be a struggle to get there.

Personally I prefer southern Cuba. Lots of things to see Santiago de cuba is a beautiful place. Gibra as well . Also Biran Castro's family home an interesting visit.

I love Cuba great place I think you'll find most Hotels are AI lots for the kids to do. Places to eat out are few and far between.

Enjoy it's a fabulous place

MiddlingMum · 21/01/2017 17:09

No me, but friends went with two teenagers. Their holiday plans fell through at the last minute. They were offered Cuba and weren't sure but took it anyway. They say it was the best holiday they've ever had.

OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow · 21/01/2017 17:22

IT was one of the most beautiful places we've ever been, it was ai, but lots of really fresh fish, fruit and chicken. Went with teen girls, they loved it. Went on 4wd Safari, which was hairy and sea fishing, where they cooked your catch for you. We went south too, the hotel wasn't amazing, but staff were lovely, beach stunning. I'd go back.

PandoraMole · 21/01/2017 17:25

Thomas Cook do a two week Cuba holiday which I'm considering for DD and I in a year or two (well deserved post-divorce holiday! ).

It's a week of 'Discover Cuba' doing all sorts of trips etc then a week at a beach resort.

Would that be any good? Iirc prices were about £1600pp but that was based on adults - presumably you'd get a discount for the kids.

JudithTaverner · 21/01/2017 17:25

I'd really like to go in August too I think. I'll watch this thread - I think you'll be pushing it on that budget tbh. Flights alone seem expensive and I couldn't find any cheap package holidays either.

Cassimin · 21/01/2017 17:29

We went to varaderro last April with 2 teenagers and an 8 year old. Had a great time. Did lots of trips out. Went to Havana on a day tour and left my older son (28) there with is girlfriend. They satiated for 1 night.
There were lots of Canadians there and our little one made lots of friends.

Cassimin · 21/01/2017 17:30

Staid. Not statiated ???

Original poster

MandyFl0ss · 21/01/2017 17:51

Oh thank you for your answers everyone. Cassimin, would you mind sharing the details of where you stayed?

OP posts:

emsyj37 · 21/01/2017 17:57

We went to Guardalavaca and did a 2 night trip to Havana. Cuba feels very safe and the people are friendly. We stayed at the Playa Pesquero which is good, but I wish we had spent the extra money and stayed next door at the fancier Paradisus Rio de Oro. It is AI but all waiter service, no buffets.

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 21/01/2017 17:58

We went recently, not with kids but it is a child friendly place. We did a few days in Havana which is great. A day trip wouldn't be long enough to be honest. Then we went to Trinidad on the south coast, which was amazing. We stayed in a b&b there but there are hotels if you want. Then we went to an AI on the north coast. We hired a car which meant we could be very flexible, I would definitely hire a car if you want to do different places. And driving around is do easy. But you might not be able to do that in your budget.

The AI resort we weng to had a kids club etc but I don't know how good it was. We went out of school holiday season so there were hardly any kids there.

It's an amazing country. We loved it and I would go back again.

ivykaty44 · 21/01/2017 18:01

Try something like Cuba direct if you want to travel around. You may want an all inclusive holiday but DD said the standard wasn't great and you could be anywhere.

No or little credit cards so remember to take cash

ivykaty44 · 21/01/2017 18:04

Thomson do direct flights to Cuba and you can purchase just the flights then use another company for the actual holiday. Thomson flights were very very competitively priced against air Canada and ibera which weren't direct and only coppers between price.

isobel79 · 21/01/2017 18:08

I went with family back in 2012. We went with Thomas cook. Two weeks. Was very very very hot I mean scorching. The kids who were 4 and 7 at the time loved it. The entertainment was fab the staff were fab the kids entertainment was fab. This is going back nearly five years now though!!!! Went all inclusive plenty food plenty drink just great

Cassimin · 25/01/2017 21:55

We staid in the iberostar tainos. It was lovely. They had a little disco for the kids at night, a play area kids club. The staff did little competitions with the kids and gave them awards. Our little one loved it.
It is right on the beach and a short taxi ride from 1st avenue which is their main road. This is cuba though and the restaurants and bars are not much to write home about!
We went on a tour of Havana and my eldest stayed for a night. We did this with a guide called felix, he was on TripAdvisor. He was great. Found out so much info about history and day to day life in Cuba.
We also did a catamaran day out to Cayo blanco. That was lovely too.
We also went to the dolphin park and on the bus tour.
Great time, lovely country. Go now before it all changes.

Cassimin · 25/01/2017 22:03

Forgot to mention we booked with peter from horizon direct.
Got us a good price and was really helpful.

PUGaLUGS · 25/01/2017 22:10

We have been. Boys were 14 and 16 at the time.

Loved it.

Just make sure you take plenty of mozzie repellent with you. I have never been bitten before on holiday. Woke up on the 3rd day and was covered from head to toe with something like 58 bites. If it rains on an evening it brings them out.

iknowimcoming · 25/01/2017 22:19

We went 10 years ago and it was our first long haul hol with the dc who were 5 and 7, had a fantastic time, people so lovely. We did a (long) day trip to Havana it was great. One of a few places I'd go back to. Stayed at paradisus varadero (not sure if its still called that) was a riu hotel I think, fantastic huge family room and lots of kids club stuff for the dc.

liz70 · 25/01/2017 22:51

DH and I visited 20 years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

DiggoryDiggoryDelvet · 26/01/2017 00:39

Havana is amazing but uncomfortable if you are a single woman, because of the non-stop harassment and attention. I would assume being part of a family group would alleviate that. But it is fascinating and utterly unique. Be sure to walk around the old parts and eat at some of the (literal) hole in the wall places - they serve up food on proper plates, you sit on the curb or a wall to eat it, give the plate back, and they wash it up for the next person.

Personally I found Varadero a bit creepy. It's good if you want the all-inclusive kind of fake Disneyfied resort experience and to lie on a sun lounger sipping free cocktails all day. I found it disturbing knowing how much poverty existed right outside the massive gates we were discouraged from going past except as part of a guided coach party. I tried to go down onto the beach (the private beach controlled by the hotel) at night once and wasn't allowed to without the hotel's security shadowing me. I felt bad some poor man had to stand there until I decided to leave.

DiggoryDiggoryDelvet · 26/01/2017 00:47

Btw, I don't mean to sound judgemental, but please don't go to the dolphinarium, their record for animal treatment is appalling. Dolphinariums in general are pretty awful places but the one in Varadero is especially bad.

Agiraffeisnotacat · 06/02/2017 13:31

We have booked a similar trip to Usedtobeapaxmanfan for the summer with 16yo and 13yo DSs. 3 nights in havana, 2 in Las -Terrazzas, 1 in cienfuegos, 3 in Trinidad, 4 in Cayo Santa Maria and final night in havana. Private transfers all but one. And two rooms everywhere due to ages of DC. Flights via Paris saved us nearly £1k rather than direct from London.

It is costing £10k for two weeks, mostly b&b but 4 night AI at the end. If you're not bothered about touring we priced 2 weeks in a standard AI for £6-7k, but we thought you could be anywhere really.

We booked through rickshaw travel who have been brilliant. I am sure we could have done it cheaper if we'd booked ourselves, and we do for most holidays, but Cuba is the unknown so I'd rather pay a bit more for the comfort of an expert putting it all together.

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