Anybody been to Cuba?

Scoflo

We did Havanna for 4 days and Varadero for 10. Loved both but caution is the watchword. people are so poor the y will do all sorts to get money out of you. we went out with a couple and their child and as the say unfolded we paid for all drinks, food and baby milk. We felt "done" and it was a shame as we had already decided to help them as much as we could - including when we returned home. The cheery hello, where are you from, is a precursor to buying cigars, going to a festival or buying rum. Just be friendly and keep going.

i made up bags for everyday we were there with tampax, shampoo, colouring pencils, sweeties etc etc and left them in the room for the maid. Excellent kitchen staff and bar staff also got an odd one.

cashpoints are fine and plentiful so don't worry about getting money. You will use it in tips and treats (I started to dream about crisps) and souvenirs are so cheap I refused to haggle.

Varadero is beautiful but could be any caribbean beach resort. The mossies were a real problem for me and medicine is really expensive so be prepared.

i have always wanted to go to Cuba and I am so glad i have gone before it changed too much.

misgrace

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

:wave: hello misgrace from a fellow tripadvisor-ian

we're off in 13 days... sooooo excited :j :j :j

Hi Ian, hope you have a great time, I have to wait another 7 weeks :mad: but I'm looking forward also.
I cant wait for the music and dancing, I can do a bit of salsa, but no way would I even attempt to salsa in front of the originals lol

misgrace

scottishflower2000 wrote: »

We did Havanna for 4 days and Varadero for 10. Loved both but caution is the watchword. people are so poor the y will do all sorts to get money out of you. we went out with a couple and their child and as the say unfolded we paid for all drinks, food and baby milk. We felt "done" and it was a shame as we had already decided to help them as much as we could - including when we returned home. The cheery hello, where are you from, is a precursor to buying cigars, going to a festival or buying rum. Just be friendly and keep going.

i made up bags for everyday we were there with tampax, shampoo, colouring pencils, sweeties etc etc and left them in the room for the maid. Excellent kitchen staff and bar staff also got an odd one.

.

Scottishflower, I know exactly what you mean, we had the same problem in ST Lucia, ie the cheery hello, and my Oh being a soft touch, or put it bluntly an idiot :rotfl: coudnt see thier game, But I did, and tried to get him to move on, but no DH was chat chat chat, then came the 'Sting', Oh how I laughed

I will give to anyone, but as soon as I feel hassled I will get angry, and am afraid St lucia turned me into a monster.:rolleyes:

Going back to your gifts etc, I know the staff really appreciate stuff, and I have set aside some stuff, but TBH I am more concerned about the kids and the people who dont actually work in the hotel side of things.

I think the majority of hotel staff get a good wedge from the tourists as in gifts, especially the maids, but I will go for the underdog kind of person who is in the background so to speak, ie the gardeners, the kitchen staff, and when we hire a jeep, we will go out and about, and come across families who have nothing, they are the ones I would like to give more to:D .

northender1

Cashpoints aren't readily available unless in the bigger towns/cities.
We went to a secluded resort (Paradisus Rio de Oro in Guardalavaca) & found the best way to change money was to bring cash & change at the hotel bank kiosk (not the reception).
Be careful about using American parent company credit cards, they won't take them (e.g. Amex etc).
All credit card charges attract a 11(?)% on top for currency transactions, so we steered clear of using them.

Try tripadvisor for more info, that's where we found our info.

Stavros_3

OK here's a few pointers, we were there 5 years ago and loved it
1) There is still a U.S embargo, so the Yanks ain't there yet
2) Havana is beautiful, caught in a 50's time warp, old cars fabulous buildings, extreme poverty. get around the bars, especially 'Bar Havana', all the old movie stars/directors drank there and the photo's are still on the walls, drink a Cuba Libra on ice
3) Visit the military war museum in Havana, the original tank that Castro travelled in to repel the Americans in the Bay of Pigs invasion is still there.
4) Visit revolution square, the podium Che Guvara and Fidel stood on is still there.
5) Saviour the history of the troubled Island and its capital, its still one of the few remaining communist countries left, everyone earns a state wage (very little)
6) Varadero is the 'tourist' resort full of modern big hotels on the beach of Varadero, very nice, the Cubans call us 'Crocodiles' because we just lie out motionless in the sun.
7) Only buy cigars from proper outlets, the street vendors sell !!!!!!.
8) be patient going through immigration at Cuba airport, very slow
9) Be carefull leaving Cuba airport, a big scam was to weigh your luggage and say you were over the limit and charge excess, a massive con that I complained about but nothing happened.

But most of all get there b4 the Yanks take over after Castro dies, fabulous island