Anyone been to Cuba?

[bigspender30]

Going for New Year. Anyone been?

Yes, we had an absolutely fantastic time staying in four different spots. It's an absolutely stunning country - would love to go back.

Where are you planning to stay?

Yes, we have been, had the best time.
Took an internal flight back to Havana for 2 days, found Havana a bit overwhelming and discomfortably poor.
But Cuba was fab.

yes have been, beautiful beaches. Sea so warm you could stay in it for hours! You must get to see Havana though even if you are staying near the coast.

staying in varadero but top of my list is Havana if I can persuade the MIL to keep wee one overnight. Not going all the way to Cuba without checking out Havana. No way Jose!! Away to learn some Spanish..........

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PILs have been twice. Take pencils, stationary, clothing to give as tips.

Yes, we went to Varadero too. Didn't make the Havana trip because it was a looooong coach ride and we didn't think it would be fair on our then 8 year old. We did go on two other trips that I'd thoroughly recommend, they weren't cheap though! :

• Swimming with dolphins (I think it might have been called Catamaran cruise) which took place more than an hour out to sea so the dolphins were obviously wild, they just came into the enclosure to swim with us and get a free-lunch! We did feel a bit like cattle being herded because there were so may boat loads of people coming for their turn and the water was $&&^ freezing but it was well worth it.

• Jeep safari was bloody brilliant! We didn't realise that we'd be driving our own jeep in convoy with about 10 others through local villages and countryside! As if that wasn't fun enough, we then got out of the jeeps and into speedboats going up river in convoy!!! Absolutely bloody brilliant, the best excursion I've ever been on!

One thing I missed though was shopping, I like browsing the seafront shops on the Med but there was nothing like that.

Oh, I forgot to mention you don't need your driving licence for the jeep safari (they didn't even check if we could drive! ) and that's when we handed out our pencils, sweets, stationery etc to the kids who are waiting in the villages as you drive through. Don't go overboard on taking that sort of stuff if you're in an all-inclusive resort because there didn't really seem to be any opportunity to hand it out apart from on the trip (unless you hand it all to the rep, of course) - the staff at the hotel seemed to be reasonably well off, so I felt like it would have been insulting if I'd just handed stuff out.

i read up on varadero and it said that hotel jobs there were considered a privelage as they could make about $10 a day which is what the average person earned a month. I wondered about taking things like toiletries etc but would rather give things to those that needed it most. No cubans are allowed on the varadero peninsula apart from the hotel staff so it sounds like a trip on jeep safari for me!!!

Varadero is a town (on a peninsula) and cubans do live there in their own houses. It is very touristy now so it will seem as if there are more foreigners than cubans, but they are not forbidden from going there. There is also an expensive toll on the road out from Varadero so in puts local people off going in to the town, unless they use the very long detour on country tracks.

bigspender, it was lovely to see the looks on the children's faces as you handed over the goodies - they reacted as though you'd given them the crown jewels! I did wonder if it was all rehearsed though because I'm sure the safari probably goes through those villages on a regular basis. If you're really interested in giving to the poorer people (and they do exist - so much for communism, hey? ), perhaps you could ask the reps how to get your stuff to those most in need.

The jeep safari was absolutely fantastic though, so I'd highly recommend it.

Am going to Havana in a couple of weeks. Will let you know what I think (though of course I'm going to dance!!!!!!!!)

dancing is a must!!

We did a bit of a tour of Cuba - started off in Havana and then on to a beautiful hotel in the countryside further south, with the most wonderful river swimming nearby. We then went to the Vinales Valley which is amazing! One of the most beautiful places I have seen. We ended the trip with a few days on the beach on the west coast which was blissful and very quiet.

I was pregnant with DD1 when we went (no rum for me or dancing until dawn for me just morning sickness ) and the Cubans were really thrilled for us. We'd love to take the girls one day.

Patsy x