Anyone been to Cuba

[bakingbee]

Just booked 2 weeks in Cuba for August. Anyone been?

Yes but some years ago! Have you booked your hotel? We stayed in Havana which was great - lots of crumbling Spanish colonial architecture, great music & interesting history - the food was horrible (I'm a pescatarian) but you can't have everything! We booked the Hotel Nacional which from memory was built by A l Capone & lots of famous people have stayed there over the years. It was past its best a bit but still good overall. We did do a day trip to Varadero (where a lot of the package holidays are based) which really could have been anywhere in the Caribbean - just hotels & beach basically and barely a Cuban in sight except for the waiters. Apologies if that's where you are staying but after all the colour & life of Havana, it was really blah. We also went to Pinar del Rio on a day trip - the countryside was like going back in time with people riding the fields in horses. Went to a cigar factory in Pinar del Rio which all ok & overall a good day trip. Cuba felt safe - we were two thirty somethings going to clubs & to see bands at night & we didn't get hassled. For me the only downside was the horrible food & on that basis, I wouldn't take the 10 year old super fussy eating DD there. My friend also got food poisoning. It was overall s really good trip though!

Yes, I love Cuba! Which part are you going to?

Yes, hired a car and drove round staying in casa pariculars. Great holiday.

Thanks for the replies! We're going near Holguin - I think it's got some interesting history and architecture but won't be as good as Havana and we're too far from Havana for a trip - which is a shame but hoping to explore a little around the area. Super excited - lots of reading and research over coming weeks....

Did you take £ and exchange there? Or will travellers cheques be easier?

I feel totally disorganised as it was a very last minute decision.... and booked yesterday having never thought about Cuba...

Any tips much appreciated. We will be on a resort AI but we do tend to explore life outside the resort and love getting to know local life, people and places.

Yes, we loved it. Went last year, flew into Havana, got a taxi to Vinàles, went down to Trinidad on the south coast, then near to cienfeugos, in a tiny beach place called Playa ranco, i think. Then to Varadero, and flew back. Over 3 weeks. People were lovely, music was great, fresh mangos everywhere. We want to go back soon. People we met were travelling on the goverment buses which looked fine.

Loads of times, all over. You need to take good condition £ (no rips or graffiti) and you can only change there at airport, bank or hotel. August is red hot but you get amazing electrical storms at night (no rain, usually) which really give you an amazing show.
Are you going to Guardalavaca by any chance? We are going there for the first time end of July and apparently there are quite a few things to do near where we are staying ( which is quite unusual for Cuba). There are some lovely trips you can do...Paradise Island is a must and swimming with dolphins is very popular.
Take inexpensive gifts for tips, beauty products, medicines and things you imagine they cannot buy in a 3rd world country...they go down really well.
Get out and about as much as you can to meet real Cuban people, the hospitality is out of this world and they go above and beyond to make you feel welcome.
Take everything you think you will need, don't rely on buying stuff there, there will be little to nothing you can buy and what you can will be expensive if it's a Western product.
Your room will look like something from the 70's but it will be immaculate. If you like spice or garlic take something with you to add to meals...sometimes they just can't get the ingredients.
You will feel safer and happier here than you've ever been before and you will become addicted to coming here.
Anymore questions feel free to ask.

Brilliant info thank you so much! I shall take gifts but how do you give them without causing offence.

I'll also take pristine £ - do you pay for excursions with cash or will they accept cards?

We travelled around East Africa and took stuff to give as gifts but it was easy as we were trekking and meeting people all the time so not sure how it works in a resort??

We weren't planning on getting any immunisations - are any necessary?

Take lots of mini sized toiletries and even toothpaste. As everything is imported and its a communist country its all really expensive for waiters, cleaners etc so they really do prefer these items as tips.

Thanks so much this is all really helpful! Have raided my stash of sample beauty products/makeup that have mostly been free from Liberty, Space NK etc - if they can make use of them that's brilliant as I know I won't .

Keep the tips and info coming it's all much needed and appreciated.

Excursions you can pay by card but nothing with any American connection, obviously no Amex but you also have to check your cards to be 100% sure there are no affiliations with America. Travellers cheques can be used but obviously not AMEX ones.
Immunisations are not compulsory.
If you are shy about giving gifts just put them in little gift bags...they are very used to accepting gifts and money is happily received as tips also because the hotel maids have quite a living off selling their hoards that get left in the rooms...it's the gardeners, entertainment staff and outside of hotel workers that tend to get forgotten. Also clothes that you don't think you'll wear again and children's/babies clothing and bottles are always needed. Colouring and stationary appreciated for children.
In the rooms there are normally both flat pin and round pin sockets so an adaptor of each is advisable. The voltage is 220v so everything should work ok.

If you are AI you will probably find it hard to get out and about other than on the organised tours.

Also many visitors bring their own thermos type (Bubba) cups as the hotels use a lot of plastic cups as they must be able to get hold of them easier, they are small, wasteful, flimsy (easily end up being blown into the ocean) and mean that your drink is warm within seconds so your own cup is advisable.

I know that where we are going there is a railway which takes you to a Cuban village which a lot of visitors love to do. Also really good idea is to hire a 50's car and driver to take you where you want to go to see 'real Cuba'. Many say that this is an amazing experience and not too costly.

Do take advantage of the entertainment in your hotel as some of those dancers are world class and classically trained ballerinas.

Perfect! Just the type of advice and info I was after.

We will definitely be exploring the region we're staying in and DH would love to hire a car and drive us around. We tend to get bored on resorts and always venture out on our own, using local transport etc.

We took pens & rubbers - as above the kids like stationery! On an organised trip we went on, we ‘ran into’ (probably on purpose I’m sure but didn’t mind in the slightest!) a group of kids leaving school & it was very easy to pass them out

We went with dcs (17 and 15)4 yrs ago...flew Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick
Went in August and it was very humid but we coped!
Stayed in Varadero( I know not very adventurous but with dcs it fitted the bill and they had a great holiday) but took trip to Havana ( by taxi from hotel) which was amazing for the architecture and history
There are classic cars from the 50's everywhere
The music and dance is incredible...food not so , but we ate BBQ lobster/fish on the beach at lunchtime which was delicious
Took a boat trip out near the Cayos to go swimming with dolphins
Internet is pretty patchy and we had to buy 1 hr of internet at a time at hotel....actually enjoyed the detox!
Would love to go back and visit another part of Cuba

We also have 2 DS's which is why we've opted for AI. I'm sure we'll enjoy some relaxing beach days and some days off exploring .

I would ensure you have highly effective anti
Mosquito bite protection. These can carry Zika virus and dengue fever. Best protection is not to be bitten.

I have friends who were asked to bring soap. Little tablets are much appreciated apparently.

I would check you can get car hire where you are.

Our DC were 8 & 6 when we hired a car and travelled round staying in home stays. Opened their eyes a bit.

If you do plan on taking travellers cheques you should make sure they aren’t issued by American Express as they are not accepted in Cuba because of the embargo.

I think we're taking cash £ and changing it there?? From what I gather you have to change it in Cuba ...

Yes you do have to change the money in Cuba as it’s a closed currency and it’s a dual currency of the Cuban pesos and the Cuban convertible peso which is worth the same as usd. Some hotels such as the iberostar Parque Centeral in Havana where I have stayed have a currency exchange inside the hotel and if it doesn’t you will need to go to a bank to change your notes however you will need to take your passport with you and you can use any atm as long as you are using a visa or a MasterCard.

Do not take cash, use cards in the ATM. The queues in the banks were appalling