Anyone been to Cuba for hols?

[Pondlife]

Cheers all.

Looks like a winner.

Ta.

[OwlHoot]

Are cigars cheap there? If so, any chance of bringing back a few boxes?

[oversteer]

I went in Nov. I would do Havana and Varadero, in that order.

4 nights in Havana is probably enough. Do your own thing, grab a few guide books and just walk about. The guided bus tour is good value, and of course you should get in a 50's car taxi. You get hassled constantly in the main tourist areas but nobody is overly aggressive or pushy. Outside the main tourist areas it felt pretty safe during the day (and well worth a walk off the beaten track to see how Cubans really live) but I would not stray too far at night.

Varadero is essentially a enclosed resort, the diving is not great if you like that sort of thing and the food is pretty terrible, but for sun, sea and all-inclusive it's as good a location as any.

A word of warning: everyone is out to rip you off or extort you in a low grade way. *Everyone* Whenever you meet a Cuban your first instinct should be "what are you trying to get out of me"

e.g. cafe "You want the special of the day, meat, rice, salad, any drink, $10"
Declined, and ask for the menu -
Meat/rice/salad total $4
Drink $1

Or, the woman in the museum that blatantly and intentionally short changed us, despite it being a government building and having just taken copies of our ID.

little stuff like that


also if you don't tip your hotel maid she won't clean your room the next day. at all.