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Varadero Hotels: 508 Reviews - 859 Photos
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Santiago de Cuba Hotels: 184 Reviews - 318 Photos
Cuba Hotels: 10 Reviews - 31 Photos
Trinidad Hotels: 332 Reviews - 650 Photos
Santa Clara Hotels: 64 Reviews - 119 Photos
Guardalavaca Hotels: 46 Reviews - 121 Photos
Ciego de Ávila Hotels: 4 Reviews - 7 Photos
Nuevitas Hotels: 0 Reviews
Cayo Guillermo Hotels: 24 Reviews - 47 Photos
Bayamo Hotels: 3 Reviews - 5 Photos
Cayo Santa María Hotels: 3 Reviews - 7 Photos
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Cuba Local Customs

by JessieLang

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Local Customs
by JessieLang
Peso store for food
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A bottle of Cristal beer, Cuba
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A Bucanero beer in Santiago de Cuba
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Most Viewed Local Customs in Cuba

126.

Holguin City Holguín

3 Reviews There is a lot spainish in Cuba, also the buildings. If you like the spainish buildings there are alot of pictures you can make just of the buildings. So bring enough. This building has a balcony and...

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127.

Cuban Music Santiago de Cuba

1 Review The famous "Casa de la Trova" in Calle Heredia - exchange of emotions between a teacher and his student (a Cuban music player living in the Netherlands ) - we had a great time. But no misunderstanding...

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128.

Trinidad People Trinidad

2 Reviews In most of the Cuban Cities it is an experience to visit the local temples of music and that made my second trip to Cuba so different Like this building - not that far from the Plaza Mayor This island...

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129.

Give Aways Holguín

2 Reviews Get to know the locals. They are the best people but remember they are poor. Bring lots of clothes and toys for the children. One little girl her toy was an empty toothpaste box. We litterally gave...

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130.

Practical Santiago de Cuba

2 Reviews During your visit of Moncada garrison you'll see that part of it is school as well (Mr.Casto decision)... it's strange that we passed and kids had exam...with open door and none told us to be quite or...

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131.

Religion Santiago de Cuba

2 Reviews Christmas in Cuba this year passed with little more observance than the tiny plastic Xmas tree for me. Some of my Cuban friends did attend church as usual but there was none of the comercialization...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

CUBAN SON

by swesn

Cuba is famous for its GREAT music. The most popular type is SON. It is played by a form of guitar, double bass, bongo and claves (two sticks tapping together). Naturally, everyone knows of the Buena Vista Social Club CD where US musician Ry Cooder gathered veteran Ruben Gonzalez, Ibrahim Ferrer, Eliades Ochoa, Compay Segundo and Omara Portuondo and made a wonderful collection of Cuban son.The enchanting Compay Segundo died recently on 15 Jul 2003 at the age of 95, apparently having smoked cigars for 90 years. 'Buena Vista' icon Compay Segundo dies

HAVANA : INTENSE DISCUSSIONS AT PARQUE CENTRAL

by swesn

At any time of the day, or any day, groups of men can be seen gathered under the shady trees of Parque Central, diagonally opposite the Capitolio Nacional, having intense discussions.I wonder what they are talking about. Politics? Do they dare? Are they allowed? Baseball? Or perhaps, why some leaders or heroes like Jose Marti like to be immortalised in statues in the pose known as 'Hailing-a-cab'? (See the Jose Marti statue at Parque Central)Well, Lenin was caught in this pose in Irkutsk and Mao Tze Tong was also similarly captured in this act in many Chinese cities, for example Kashgar.

DRUMS!

by swesn

The tumbadora (conga) is a tall barrel-like drum held by metallic hoops. The bongo is a pair of small drums connected by a piece of wood. The bata is a conical two-ended drum of different sizes. These are but some of the musical instruments used by the Cuban drummers to make merry rhythms.

ROCKING CHAIRS

by swesn

Did rocking chairs come from Cuba? They seem to be very, very common here in Cuba. From Havana to Vinales to Trinidad to Cienfuegos, I had peeped into many, many houses and spotted on many, many front porches, numerous rocking chairs. Sometimes, the entire suite of furniture inside the house consist only of rocking chairs. Some are the wooden sort and others have metal frames with the plastic threads strung around the frames.

SOAP? JABON??

by swesn

Many people on the streets keep asking if I have any soap. In a way, some people can see this as a form of begging. But soap?? I think of all the tiny soaps issued in hotels that are discarded after one use and I felt very sorry for the Cubans here, where soap is rationed and if you want more, are sold in US-dollar stores. If you can, bring some of those tiny soap to give to the people here.

CASA PARTICULAR (PRIVATE HOUSES)

by swesn

Normally, tourists are supposed to stay in US-dollar state-owned hotels and eat in US-dollar state-owned restaurants. However, Cuban government recently allowed some controlled private enterprises. So, richer Cubans begin to rent rooms out to tourists. Why I say 'richer Cubans' is because in order to start this business, you do not just cramp your family into one room and rent the other out. You need to renovate the room nicely, buy an air-conditioner, retrofit an attached bathroom, etc... to make the room attractive for tourists. All the above means US-dollars! This means only richer Cubans with access to US-dollars can get into this business, which naturally earns them US-dollars.Well, as this business means that the locals are in competition against the government, they are heavily taxed. Up to 64% of what they earned ultimately goes to the state. While there are some illegal ones...

Lots of besos

by YanetT

my favourite Cuban (and Latin American) custom is always a kiss (not firmly planted) on the cheek when you greet someone and when you say goodbye. It is such a warm and friendly way to greet someone and immediately you feel at ease because you have that physical contact with that person.I know that Cuban (especially men) and women too, always look you in the eye, if they look away and don't 'smile', I take it as a sign of rejection or non-interest in communicating with you. I found that in the outlying areas, countryside, Cuban men (guajiros) are not as warm towards tourist women, abit suspicious I guess. However if you smile and say hola or Oye, you will probably get a warm response, or at least a smile.

The basic drink in Cuba

by Luchonda

Rum - besides sugar - the product of export from Cuba.It is the basic for many wellknown cocktails like Cuba Libre/Daiquiri and Mojito.PS to my VT friend Globetrott - the glasses are smaller - and KWAK is better !The price in Cuba is about 3 euro - in Europe it is about 11 Euro.So it is cheap and why should a tourist drink water - "seriously drinking water in Cuba can be dangerous" - even for CubansSome cocktails ?:Mojito Lime – Mint – Rum – Perrier – Crushed Ice Caїpirinha Lime – Sugar – Cachaça – Crushed Ice Cuba Libra Havana Rum – Lime – Coca Cola Black Russian Vodka – Kalhua – Ice White Russian Vodka – Kalhua – Milk – Ice Margarita Tequila – Cointreau – Lime – Sugar Piña Colada Rum – Batida Coco – Malibu – Pineapple – Cinnamon Maï Taï Rum – Brown Rum – Triple Sec – Pineapple – Orange Daiquiri Lime – Rum – Sugar – Crushed Ice Havana Special Rum – Pineapple Juice –...

Catholic Church in Cuba

by RickL

The Catholic church in Cuba now has it's own website! The messages from the bishop are only in Spanish however as is most of the text. Still, lots of very interesting information about everything anyone might ever want to know. Locations of congregations, pastor contacts, statistics, and history. They even include an Email contact.

Step by step the World is breaking off with Castro

by mannymiami

In a bitter criticism of the executions carried out last week in Cuba, José Saramago, the Nobel Prize-winning Portuguese writer considered Fidel Castro's best friend among European intellectuals, broke with the regime Monday.''This is as far as I go,'' Saramago wrote in a short but powerful essay printed in Spain's leading newspaper, El País, as the European Union, various countries and organizations around the world continued to offer public repudiations.Killing three men by firing squad at dawn Friday for trying to spirit a ferry boat is unacceptable -- especially since the would-be hijackers didn't hurt anybody, wrote Saramago, a communist.``Cuba has won no heroic victory by executing these three men, but it has lost my confidence, damaged my hopes, robbed me of illusions.''Leaders of the EU, which opened a Havana mission earlier this year, alluded to rejecting Cuba's petition to join...

Top 3 Hotels in Cuba

Villa Las Brujas Cuba

2 Reviews and 51 Opinions I could have chosen Okay but some problems, but I still think it falls too short to express how...

Hotels in Cuba

NH Parque Central Havana

8 Reviews and 1269 Opinions This is a jewel of a hotel, located just a block or two away from Old Havana, and the shops of Calle...

Hotels in Havana

Iberostar Varadero Varadero

5 Reviews and 1871 Opinions great food gained 5 lbs on the french sauces whatch out for the car rental guy Frank , he takes the...

Hotels in Varadero

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Questions and Answers

Q: We're hoping to do Eastern Cuba in December, we've already done the west. I'm trying to book flights, ideally from Manchester. I...

A: flights domestically it is, aerocaribbean do it, as you are in Manchester check the Cuban tourist office http://www.travel2cuba.co.uk/ hope it helps cheers

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