| Tips and photos of Havana tourist attractions and tourist traps, posted by real travelers and Havana locals. Havana Map |
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 waiting... by florryLeave a Comment
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 by sourbugger
The bar itself is a nice place to be with wood pannelling, a good range of drinks, many photos of writers and famous people who have dropped by this joint - including Ernest himself of course.
Nowadays the place is full of European tourists trying to show off and talking complete b*****ks about Hemingway.
Enjoy the four dollar, well made Mojito : which consists of :
sugar
crushed mint
lime juice
white rum
soda water
ice Leave a Comment
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 Dolares en Cuba by Havaname
The Cuban peso. The national convertible peso is the equivalent to the US dollar (USD) and has the same value within national territory. To change any hard currency into dollars ask at your hotel. In the main cities of the country there is a money changing service provided by Casas de Cambio (CADECA), where hard currency may be changed into Cuban pesos.
METHODS OF PAYMENT
Prices in tourist installations are set in USD. The following credit cards are accepted: Cabal, Transcard, Visa and International MasterCard, as long as they have not been issued by a US bank or its subsidiary. There are also national methods of payment via cards issued by the Banco Financiero Internacional (BFI cards) and by the Bancos de Crédito y Comercio, Metropolitanos, Popular de Ahorro and BICSA (RED cards). Since 2002 it has been possible to pay with EUROS in Varadero, Jardines del Rey and Cayo Largo del Sur. This currency was extended in 2003 to the tourist resorts of Holguín, Camagüey and Las Tunas.
METHODS OF PAYMENT
Prices in tourist installations are set in USD. The following credit cards are accepted: Cabal, Transcard, Visa and International MasterCard, as long as they have not been issued by a US bank or its subsidiary. There are also national methods of payment via cards issued by the Banco Financiero Internacional (BFI cards) and by the Bancos de Crédito y Comercio, Metropolitanos, Popular de Ahorro and BICSA (RED cards). Since 2002 it has been possible to pay with EUROS in Varadero, Jardines del Rey and Cayo Largo del Sur. This currency was extended in 2003 to the tourist resorts of Holguín, Camagüey and Las Tunas. Leave a Comment
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 La Bodeguita del medoi by Luchonda
Better go to another place like Hotel Nacional
The view on the bay is fantastic - the drinks cheaper and a lot more historical ! Leave a Comment
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 Sunset in El Morro by russian_yaz
Well, then just go back and no remorse. :) Leave a Comment
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 street by xaver
Just tell them: no me gusta bailar or, as my casas owner told us to say: aqui no hay niun festival de la salsa, but this is a bit direct. Leave a Comment
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The whole "visiting Cuba" experience will be a tourist trap if you are just a tourist.
There is a Cuba for tourists and a Cuba for Cuban people.
As a tourist you are allowed to go everywhere you want to go in terms of places for tourists, you'll eat pretty much a fair variety of food in a big menu, you'll have a good and comfortable accomodation in a hotel or guest house, you'll get a nice taxi or rent a nice car...
As a Cuban:
-you are not allowed to go to touristic places,
-you'll eat whatever you can get that day (sometimes you get chicken, sometimes there are not eggs, etc.),
-at home you'll be comfortable but at night time there is not water supply in some parts of the city for example,
-you can't take a taxi for tourists but you can get a taxi for Cuban which are not allowed to give a ride to tourists or you can get the "guagua" or the "camello" (bus) or also you can get a "botella" (ask for a ride to someone who's got a car)
If you want to get the real Cuba and you don't have the chance to see how Cuban people live their lives usually, then, you are in a tourist trap. It's not bad, actually, the tourist version of Cuba might be nicer for someone who is used to the capitalism and is used to decide his/her menu before going to the market and not after.
Do not get me wrong, even though people live in this condition, they can have a nice time because this is the lifestyle to which they are used to. It is still difficult to me to get used to this, I have to change my whole view of the world whenever I'm in Cuba, but I like it, I get the tourist side and the Cuban side. Leave a Comment
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Everywhere you go in Havana you may be accosted by usually a male, sometimes a pair of males, and asked whether you want "Cohibas" or cigars. Sometimes they will offer to take you on a tour of a cigar factory or take you somewhere where you can buy cheap cigars.
NEVER and i mean NEVER buy from these people. Often times the cigars they sell are not even made of tobacco or they are seconds or thirds from the factories. If these people are caught by the police selling to you they could get in serious trouble and you possibly as well.
If you buy cigars make sure they have the government seal on the side of the box. Customs at the airport may check for this label and if it's not there you may not be able to bring the cigars back home.
Just say no to the street peddlars. If they persist you can walk towards a police officer (there are plenty of those around in old Havana) and the peddlars will disappear pretty quickly.
Also beware of buying cigars from the street markets as well. Even though the vendor at the stall may appear legitimate, again one can never tell whether or not the cigars are of quality. When in doubt, buy one cigar and smoke it rather than commit to a dozen or a box of 25.
Take a tour of the Partagas cigar factory in old Havana. You will get a tour of the facility and see how cigars are made. At the end of the tour you can go to the government store and browse through their humidors and see what you want to buy. Expect to pay anywhere from 90 to 150 U.S. for a box of quality cigars. Leave a Comment
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 My dream humidor by Chose
When Fidel changed the rules for exporting cigars, the crooks changed their tactics. I love cuban cigars, I smoke an average of 10 every weeks. I know what I am talking about but still, last year, I got screwed real good.
In Cuba, everybody knows someone who works in a cigar factory but that's a lie. Here how I got screwed last year. I was in front of an offer I couldn't refuse. I thought my knowledge about cigars would benefit me. Unfortunately, his knowledge about "bozos" like me was greater than my knowledge about cigars. They will give you an open box so you can see. Trust me, those cigars are well rolled. They will put a few good cigars on the top row in the middle because they know that's where your nose will go to take a good sniff. That is also where your hand will go if you want to try one. They will put the best looking cigars on top and leave the ugly ones on the bottom row because they know you are too stupid to lift the first row to get a good look at the second row. Then you will try to corner him with a few legal questions and he will have the answers for everyone of them. Then he will show you all the stickers he will put on the box so it looks sealed and authentic. Then finally, he will fill a receit that will leave you in peace until you're called buy Señor aduaño at the airport custom. The problem is that the receit is fake just like everything else. And bingo, you lose your cigars.
If you don't care about the quality or the taste of a cigar. If all you want is the look a cigar gives you or bring back a box for your boss or anything else, keep something in mind. Those cigars are fake. Even if that guy really knew someone rolling cigars in a factory, the thruth is that every type of cigar has a different mix of tobacco leaves that will give it's unique taste and that mix is a secret only known by the person distributing the leaves to the rollers.
But if you really don't care, the cuban custom will allow you to leave with only one box without a receit (a real receit). If you travel with your spouse, don't buy more than two. You could also buy for personal use while in Cuba but what's the point. Smoking fake cuban cigars in Cuba, why? I can do that right here in Montreal. Buy a few good ones for yourself.
Just buy your cigars at the right places and pay the price. If you love cigars like I do that's worth all the money you will pay. Better pay the full price than lose the bargain at the customs. Leave a Comment
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When walking around the street in the evening, you are likely to be asked by local people if you are looking for somewhere to eat because they know of a very good place. In fact, if you ask the question first, you will always find someone who knows a good place.
Now, the person who takes you to this good restaurant actually gets a commission for bringing you there, that will be added to the price of the meal.
The places hustlers take you to are usually paladares so at least you are more or less guaranteed a good meal for a reasonnable price, even including the commission of said hustler. They will also likely take you to a place that is mentionned on no tourist guide and that has no sign to indicate it is a paladar, usually because they sell lobster and other dishes legally forbidden to pladares. So, all in all, it might be worth the extra dollar you'll pay for tour meal.
Deny you actually want to eat and find a place yourself. Leave a Comment
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- Colina Hotel
501 Calle L, esquina de Calle 27, Havana - Hotel Florida
Calle Obispo esq. a Cuba. Ciudad de La Habana, Havana - Hotel Plaza
Ingnacio Agramonte 267 Habana Vieja, Havana - Hostal Del Tejadillo
Calle Tejadillo 12, Havana - Melia Habana
Ave. 3 e/ 76 y 80 Miramar, Havana - Hostal San Miguel
Calle de Cuba 52 Habana Vieja, Havana - Occidental Miramar
Quinta Avenida 72 y 76 (formerly Hotel Novotel Miramar), Havana - Hotel Horizontes Tropicoco
Ave. Sur y Las Terrazas Santa Maria del Mar, Havana - Hotel Horizontes Lido
Consulado 210e Animas y Trocadero, Havana - Cubanacan Boutique Chateau Miramar
Ave. 1ra. e/ 60 y 70, Havana - Hostal Valencia Hotel
Calle de los Oficios 53, Havana - Cubanacan Comodoro
Av. 3ra y Calle 48 Miramar District, Havana - Villa Los Pinos
21 Ave. las Terrazas Santa Maria Del Mar, Havana - Hotel Telegrafo
Calle Prado 408, Havana - Hotel Vedado
Calle O e/ 23 y 25 Vedado, Havana
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