cuba

[piller01]

So the wife and i are going to varadero cuba next monday with 6 other friends what should i expect and what do you recommend doing out there i know its pretty hard core out there as in the crookedness and such.we are planning a trip to Havana and a safari excursion with jeeps.what else would you recommend? And watch out for?

[Baconbits]

don't buy any cigars from anyone on the resort. Guaranteed to be fake. If you do buy cigars, get them on your trip to Havana from a legit cigar shop. The cigars seem to be fresher in Havana

[tony_canuck]

I agree about the cigars. Don't expect much in the way of food taste, my gf brought her sauces with her, frank's, etc... the places I went the food was really plain... also the usual, don't wear your bling watches and rings, you're just looking for problems, just act like a poor college kid with no money, that always works LOL

[red rocket]

I would suggest bringing ketchup and motreal steak spice. Ketchup is hard to come by there, and they do not cook with much flavour. So bring some spices that youlike along in your suitcase.

The people however are the friendliest out of any country I have been to.

[RagingRandy]

PM me with any questions. I have been more times than I can count...more than 15. My wife is Cuban as well.

[CMoney]

I loved, loved, loved Cuba. But we were there in 2005. Food not so great, but we weren't afraid to try street vendors (and no issues from that).

We rented a car and drove all over the place (Havana to Varadero to Pinar del Rio... if memory serves :) ), picking up as many hitch hikers as we could with no qualms. It used to be the thing to do if you had a car; not sure if things have changed or not.

Old Havana was great by day but a bit dodgy after dark and it was Hella dark right downtown. But we were fine wandering around near our casa particular (forgive my bad Spanish spelling), and found a great little club full of salsa dancers, with a few folks even willing to dance with us Canucks!

Definitely take some time to visit the Tropicana and the Hotel Nacional de Cuba--lots of history to take in...

One of these days I'd love to go again... I wonder what the next decade is going to mean for Cuba? It was really great being in a place so totally free from American influence.

[moh2010]

Jusy got back from Cayo santa maria a week ago (It's in the islands, near cayo guillermo/coco). Weather was fine. No rain. When the sun shine, it's around 26-27C. When It's cloudy, it can get down to 21-22c, due to the wind.

Gotta agree about the food, which is bland EXPECT IF YOU GO TO A MELIA, ROYAL HIDEAWAY OR PARADISUS. It's more expensive. About 2-3hundreds more than the regular 4stars hotels, but the food is amazing. You have no idea man. I went to melia cayo santa maria last week. Tuna steak, sirloin, red snapper, smoked salmon... Unlimited and grilled in front of you. As for the desserts in Cuba, it's usually taste like flour. In Melias hotels, it's all homemade and delicious.

That's why I stick to melia/paradisus only when I travel to Cuba. I tried Barcelo, iberostar, tryp... Food was very average, but tastier than oatmeal and canned tuna lol.

[laslo101]

i did a jeep safari tour when i went to cuba last april is was just outside jibicoa where the tour started. it was an awesome tour lots of fun little tiny shithole toyota jeeps but they let us off road lots ( went threw 2 tires). keep in mind though that the jeeps can either be driven by you or a guide but they are all 5 spd and you have to specify before hand if you need the driver(pending same tour but all the jeeps looked the same). food does suck and they didnt have pb when i was there either could have just been our resort though. all in all loved it though except for a tour of havana it was about 8 hours long gets to be a bit much walking around that long and kind of dry but if you like it then go for it !

[piller01]

thanks for the great tips and advice I can't wait we are booked at the blau varadero it's a 5 star resort.

[Baconbits]

I've stayed next door to the Blau (melia). You can buy cheap bottles of rum off of the bar staff for $3 a bottle. Most of the bar staff at the hotels do this.
Have fun!

[Baconbits]

Another thing. Buy a few things at the dollar store before you go. Cheap perfumes, make-up, toothpastes, soaps, kids toys, crayons, etc... The staff will appreciate these things much more as they are hard to get in Cuba.

[CMoney]

Oh, another thing that people for got to tell me is to keep lots of Cuban pesos on you if you're off resort. When I was there, there were no paper products to be found except from a washroom attendant. It was necessary to pay for/tip for every piece of toilet paper or paper towel. Maybe not such a big deal for guys, but I was hella embarrassed in the airport when I didn't have anything on me to tip the lady who gave me some paper.

[RagingRandy]

I've stayed next door to the Blau (melia). You can buy cheap bottles of rum off of the bar staff for $3 a bottle. Most of the bar staff at the hotels do this.
Have fun!

They can do this because they water down the rum they use at the bars. BTW a legit bottle does not cost much more.

[Baconbits]

They can do this because they water down the rum they use at the bars. BTW a legit bottle does not cost much more.

They water it down and reseal the bottle? The stuff is so cheap there, why would they even bother.

[RagingRandy]

Oh, another thing that people for got to tell me is to keep lots of Cuban pesos on you if you're off resort. When I was there, there were no paper products to be found except from a washroom attendant. It was necessary to pay for/tip for every piece of toilet paper or paper towel. Maybe not such a big deal for guys, but I was hella embarrassed in the airport when I didn't have anything on me to tip the lady who gave me some paper.

Always keep paper and hand sanitizer with you.

ALWAYS, negotiate up front for everything or you will get hosed.

Do not believe any hard luck stories you hear. Most will be BS.

Most Cubans are scammers and will screw you over the first chance they get.

The liquor at most bars, even resorts, is watered down. Ask for a mixed drink and then for a straight shot. See if they pour from the same bottle.

Any tour you go on will not show you the true Cuba.

Always ask for a receipt when exchanging money.

Never dine at a restaurant that does not have a menu. You will be told one price and charged another. Sometimes they will have 2 different menus one for locals and one for foreigners. If you pay more than $2 for a mojito or beer you are being scammed. Either is usually $1-1.50.

There is no tax in Cuba so if you see it on a bill you are being scammed.

You will be considered a walking ATM. All foreigners are millionaires

Only take what you are willing to lose to any club. I have talked to people that have lost cameras that were around their necks.

Resort workers are the highest paid people in the country. Give them nothing. If you really want to do some good find a local church and donate to them. They will direct the goods to those that are truly in need.

If you want to see the REAL Cuba remove the rose colored glasses before leaving Canada.

An article worth reading..... http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g147270-c129786/Cuba:Caribbean:Think.Before.You.Gift.html

[RagingRandy]

They water it down and reseal the bottle? The stuff is so cheap there, why would they even bother.

The staff waters it down in order to make $. They may sell you a legit bottle but you can be sure the bar booze is watered. I have confirmed this on many occasions.

[Baconbits]

The staff waters it down in order to make $. They may sell you a legit bottle but you can be sure the bar booze is watered. I have confirmed this on may occasions.

Yes I agree at some places the booze they serve is watered down and a lot of places are know for running out of certain booze (or so they say) during the day especially in low season.

[CMoney]

Always keep paper and hand sanitizer with you.

ALWAYS, negotiate up front for everything or you will get hosed.

Do not believe any hard luck stories you hear. Most will be BS.

Most Cubans are scammers and will screw you over the first chance they get.

The liquor at most bars, even resorts, is watered down. Ask for a mixed drink and then for a straight shot. See if they pour from the same bottle.

Any tour you go on will not show you the true Cuba.

Always ask for a receipt when exchanging money.

Never dine at a restaurant that does not have a menu. You will be told one price and charged another. Sometimes they will have 2 different menus one for locals and one for foreigners. If you pay more than $2 for a mojito or beer you are being scammed. Either is usually $1-1.50.

There is no tax in Cuba so if you see it on a bill you are being scammed.

You will be considered a walking ATM. All foreigners are millionaires

Only take what you are willing to lose to any club. I have talked to people that have lost cameras that were around their necks.

Resort workers are the highest paid people in the country. Give them nothing. If you really want to do some good find a local church and donate to them. They will direct the goods to those that are truly in need.

If you want to see the REAL Cuba remove the rose colored glasses before leaving Canada.

An article worth reading..... http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g147270-c129786/Cuba:Caribbean:Think.Before.You.Gift.html

Gawd, yes! I can't believe I forgot to mention this (shows you how much money means to me! LOL), but don't let restaurant staff take your credit card no matter how "classy" the place is. I allowed the maitre'd to take my credit card while we ate and didn't think anything of it. When I got home, the bank called asking why I was buying lumber at a Lowe's in Florida. I live in Calgary, Alberta, but someone copied my magnetic strip info. Fortunately the folks only got $700 from my card, but there you go.

Just so we know it isn't Cuba, though, I left my purse open in my hotel room in Edmonton when competing there and someone (hotel staff) took down credit card info and decided to go shoppingon the Internet. My bad, I know, but I had other things on my mind at the time...

That's great advice, Randy, and probably applies to travel just about anywhere where we're considered "rich folk."

[Big D]

good info RR, gonna pm you for sure whenever I decide to go to cuba :)

[moh2010]

The staff waters it down in order to make $. They may sell you a legit bottle but you can be sure the bar booze is watered. I have confirmed this on many occasions.

I wonder where you went because I never experienced anything like you did and I've been to Cuba a few times. Maybe this can happened in small hotels?

Anywhere I went, the havana club bottles where sealed. There's managers everywhere in the hotel to watch the staffs if they do a good job. And like you said, working in a hotel is the best job in Cuba. Someone who will risk their job just to make a few pesos is really dumb.

So far, I've been to Barcelo Solymar (varadero), Iberostar daiquiri (cayo guillermo), Melia Las americas (varadero), Paradisus rio de oro (guardalavaca) and last week Melia cayo santa maria. I pay a little bit more than the regular 4 stars hotels, but you get quality and services

[RagingRandy]

I wonder where you went because I never experienced anything like you did and I've been to Cuba a few times. Maybe this can happened in small hotels?

Anywhere I went, the havana club bottles where sealed. There's managers everywhere in the hotel to watch the staffs if they do a good job. And like you said, working in a hotel is the best job in Cuba. Someone who will risk their job just to make a few pesos is really dumb.

So far, I've been to Barcelo Solymar (varadero), Iberostar daiquiri (cayo guillermo), Melia Las americas (varadero), Paradisus rio de oro (guardalavaca) and last week Melia cayo santa maria. I pay a little bit more than the regular 4 stars hotels, but you get quality and services

The last resort I was at was the Sirenis La Salina. This is a higher end place by any standard. Yes it may seem to you like folly to take the risk but this kind of behaviour is part of the culture. It comes from stealing from the main employer, the government. Every, well most, have some other income besides their day job. The goods that are sold\traded are what can be stolen at work.

BTW....How was Melia Santa Maria? It is in my wifes home province and may be part of our next trip.

[NACanada]

Iberostar Varadero coming up soon for me. Anyone been?

PH

[moh2010]

The last resort I was at was the Sirenis La Salina. This is a higher end place by any standard. Yes it may seem to you like folly to take the risk but this kind of behaviour is part of the culture. It comes from stealing from the main employer, the government. Every, well most, have some other income besides their day job. The goods that are sold\traded are what can be stolen at work.

BTW....How was Melia Santa Maria? It is in my wifes home province and may be part of our next trip.

It was awesome man. You can't go wrong with a melia. The beach was 5km long, and very wide. Services was great. Food was delicious. I ate tuna steak almost every night. Omelette with smoked salmon every morning. I asked 10oz of chicken breast in my salads all the time without any issue. Man it was great. The desserts... oh my god. It usually taste like flour in the other hotels in Cuba. Every piece of dessert I ate worth at least 5$ in a bakery. Cheesecake, fruitcake, ice cream, almond crust pie... I had to do cardio in a empty stomach every morning to avoid fat gain haha.

I have a few pictures. PM me if interested

I will come again in the same resort. The rep told me it's the most favorite hotel in Cuba and I understand why.

[flapjack]

We just got back from Cuba and we hated it. Unfortuneatly we were there just as they were experiencing record lows (3 degrees was a daytime high the one day). We had 1 day of sun (about 24 degrees) out of the 7 we were there. We stayed at the Sirenis La Salina which was a great resord, but I had a severe allergic reaction to the detgergent they wash the sheets with. I broke out in a rash all over my body at 2am. nothing was open to get antihistamines until 8am so I suffered all night. We had brought some tide with us, so we were able wash the sheets and my towels in the tub which rectified the problem. I lost a day from that because I was so exausted from the itching and lack of sleep that I crashed for the whole day. The other problem with the resort was the kids club. What a joke. my 6 y/o daughter told me that some kid shit on the floor and it took them over an hour to clean it up. Needless to say, she never went back. The shows were great, the food was awful, the drinks were very strong so maybe they changed that. Havana was cool to see, all the old cars were mind blowing. The Tropicana was a must see for sure. The Ketchup tasted like the tomatoe sauce from libby's brown beans. The ocean is beautiful and was warmer than the pools. I never went in the pool once...it was wayyy too cold. You could not buy snack food anywhere (nachos etc.) Don't expect anything like Mexico...they are completely different. I couldn't even buy sunglasses there. when I went to the washroom at the Rum store in Veradero, I got zapped by the light switch because it was hanging out of the wall with the wires exposed. The last gripe I have was the flight. Wayy too long. Mexcio takes way less time. I hate flying as it is. our flight was 3 hrs, 40 min from Calgary to Toronto, 3 hr layover, and 3 hrs, 20 min to Cuba.

I would never go back. Too many bad experiences. I'm sure they were isloated incidenences, but enough for me not to go back.

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[moh2010]

Yeah man. The week before I arrived, 1.7C was recorded in Havana. Crazy! One day, there will be snow in Cuba.

As for the week I stayed, weather was good. No rain, 2 cloudy days. The temperature was between 21 and 26C. Guess I was lucky. But it's always risky to travel to Cuba in December. It can be cold!

[RagingRandy]

January is the coldest in Cuba. It is still warmer than Canada. You will never see Cubans on the beach during these months.

[piller01]

thats shitty to hear flapjack hers the weather forcast for varadero for when i go and thank you all for the great advice...

Monday
Jan. 10 26 18 Cloudy periods
Tuesday
Jan. 11 26 20 Variable cloudiness
Wednesday
Jan. 12 25 22 Chance of thunder- showers
Thursday
Jan. 13 22 19 Isolated showers
Friday
Jan. 14 20 18 Cloudy with showers
Saturday
Jan. 15 20 18 Cloudy periods
Sunday
Jan. 16 21 19 Sunny
Monday
Jan. 17 22 20 Mainly sunny