Some advice on Cuba please :)

Incapuppy

Aquatronixjenny wrote: »

eeerm, that was the advice of my GP! Don't need jabs for Cuba.

Current advice would suggest several are advisable, those as stated by Katerina in the previous post; this advice does not appear to have changed since I first travelled to Cuba in 1999.

Another point to consider is that if it is recommended that you have vaccinations to travel and you ignore this advice it could well invalidate your travel insurance should you fall ill with a related illness.

Incapuppy

stanehyve wrote: »

we are going to Cuba in July what is the best way to take money some posts on this matter say take all your money in sterling and change it as required some say travellers cheques are a waste of time use your debt card, not sure what to do.

Stanehyve

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2988802

Lalique_2

Incapuppy wrote: »

Current advice would suggest several are advisable, those as stated by Katerina in the previous post; this advice does not appear to have changed since I first travelled to Cuba in 1999.

Another point to consider is that if it is recommended that you have vaccinations to travel and you ignore this advice it could well invalidate your travel insurance should you fall ill with a related illness.

Some vaccinations are entirely dependant on whether or not you were fully immunised as a child, the Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio vaccine is one example. The other reasons they advise this one is if you're travelling to places where medical attention may not be available. AFAIK when I studied in Cuba, their health system is very good. Those who work in the health services may have already had the hep A vaccine quite recently before travelling, so again may not require it at that time. So people may require different vaccinations and others may require none. Your GP or practice nurse would advise accordingly.

Incapuppy

Lalique wrote: »

Your GP or practice nurse would advise accordingly.

Exactly the point I was trying to make; stating 'no vaccinations needed' is misleading to say the least IMHO.

katies_mum

Please could I ask about mozzies July/August time? are they a real problem. Many thanks

Heath84

I've not read the whole thread, so apologies if the OP has already booked! lol! Me and my best friend went to Cuba end Sept 09, and had the best 2 weeks ever! We stayed all inclusive at Sol Rio De Luna Y Mares. Think this was a fantastic resort and would go back there. One Canadian guy we met was on I think his 5 visit just to that resort.
We did a 2 day trip up to Havana, (booked with Thomson at the resort) and we also learnt how to dive at the dive centre on the beach next to the hotel, and also went swimming with dolphins.
We took some sterling and then changed it there at the hotel, and also used a debit card to get cash out, and paid for our tours with credit cards.
The Cuban people are very friendly, we found however that when we went for a walk and to go horseriding near by that we had a man asking if we had any clothes we could give him for his children.
Speaking to the hotel staff (especially the cocktail waitress in the pool bar called Yeni) the Cuban people arent very well off and there are a lot of things they cant buy over there that tourists have. For example one of the barmen asked one of the english guys staying if when he left he could have his army style combat pants, as the Cubans arent allowed to buy things like this apparently.
Had we known this before we went we would have perhaps taken more 'disposible' clothes with us that we could have left there. We left our toiletries and a few things as a tip for the maid, (who always made our towels into beautiful swans) we felt this was better than leaving money. Yeni (waitress) said that she preferred people who gave her things as tips rather than money. She said the best ones she'd had in the past had been a bikini, perfume and handbags.
Another Canadian we met had brought a load of toiletries with him, some part used, that were unwanted, specifically so he could give them away. Think in the end he traded them with the beach lifeguard who gave him a bottle of rum in exchange.

I had Hep A/Thyphoid injections before I went but that is all, but I needed a booster anyway before travelling anywhere, others might not.

We were also advised not to drink the water, and there was always bottled water provided in the rooms.

kirsty84xxx

Hi,
Myself and my fiance are planning for a big hol over xmas before we settle down and start saving for future.
We are thinking about going to Cuba and if we decide to we're just going to go for it.
I was just wondering has anyone been in December / January before? If so what is the weather like?
We were considering Jamaica and the travel agents told us that its around 28 degrees in December but then posts on travel reviews and the jamaican toursit website told us otherwise i.e - can be considerably cold around 12 degrees and rainy!

Thanks

Kirsty :-)

Incapuppy

katies_mum wrote: »

Please could I ask about mozzies July/August time? are they a real problem. Many thanks

They may be a problem if you react badly to them - I am almost positive that I have read that mosquitos will bite everyone (indeed - why should they discriminate?) it is just that people all react differently to the bite.

I always seem to get quite a few bites (although they do not really bother me) whenever I travel to a tropical area but on the same holiday (in Cuba) I have seen people with little or no bites and others that have been covered in many bites that have become infected.

Some hotels address the problem by regular, sometimes daily, 'fogging' to reduce the impact of mosquitos; the locale of your hotel may also be a factor - for example if your accommodation is situated very close to a mangrove/swamp type area this might be more prone to a higher mosquito population.

I would recommend a suitable mosquito repellent and not allow the presence of mosquitos to be a determining factor in my holiday (unless, of course, I had a history of severe reactions to any bites).

katies_mum

Thanks Incapuppy, we`ve not booked just somewhere we are considering. Mozzies seem to like hubby more than me (think I`m too horrible!).

Aquatronixjenny

Sorry everyone, reading my posts I have neglected to put the 'I' in front of 'didn't need jabs for Cuba'! I didn't need anything as I had already been vaccinated against all of these. I asked my GP and she just said... 'no you don't need anything'. She had my records in front of her so could see. Apologies if I misled anyone there, it was unintentional.

With regards to the mosquitos, I have always ended up with bites regardless of where I go in the caribbean. Some resorts will treat the hotel and the surrounding area maybe once a week with a fog which does help. Also helps to pull up a sun bed or sit next to someone with loads of bites as then it gives you less chance of being bitten! First time I went to cuba was with my ex, I got bitten all over and he didn't have one bite. Went a couple of years ago with my current boyfriend and he was bitten all over and I didn't get a bit at all! Just take a repellant out with you.