|
 | Varadero Packing Lists | Tips 1 - 10 of 23 |  |
Popular Packing Lists | Miscellaneous Packing Lists Tips | All Tips (23)  | |  |  | Do Not Pack - Communication Devices | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
Do Not Bring: Cell phones, pagers, walkie talkies, GPS units with communication capability. Your luggage won't come out of the carousel with everybody else's, but will be pulled off the conveyor in the back room. When the entire airport has emptied, they bring out the "suspicious" baggage. (By then you'll be in a panic that your is lost, and you'll have delayed your tour bus.) A customs agent will go through your entire bag with you. I brought baseball cards for kids and had them in two separate large stacks. The way the cards were wrapped in the aluminium they come in must've set off the x-ray machine that they looked like walkie talkies. The agent looked confused, kept shrugging and looking at his manager and shaking his head. Cell phones and laptops (no DVD) are permitted but expect to be detained to complete Cuban paperwork. One couple spent more than 45 minutes while we were there. A regular cell won't work in Cuba anyway. Also not allowed: VCRs, DVDs, hotplates, cooking equipment, pornography. Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |
This is not a dress up kind of place.
Shorts,swimwear and casual dress for evening.
Be sure to take aspirin and tissues. These are in short supply. Also make sure you have your own meds if you need them. It will be a nightmare to get any prescriptions filled.
Be sure to take your own film as it is pricey in Cuba.
Anything you like in the way of sunscreen,books and other North American niceties, will be hard to find in Cuba. The only books or magazines I could find had to do with either Castro or Chez....no Glamour magazine here!! Leave a Comment
|
walking shoes are a must. Club shoes as well. Cubans like to dress up at night, so bring some going out clothes. Pack a sweater as well, you might need it for the killer a/c in some hotels. You cannot buy rubber boots in Cuba, so if you're a hiker in the wet season (May-Oct.) then they're a good idea.
Upscale hotels will provide towels, otherwise, don't depend on it. Bring all the toiletries you think you'll need if staying in a less expensive place. Women, bring extra tampons. Whatever you don't use will make good parting gifts.
You can get your pictures developed in Cuba, but because of a chemical shortage, there is no guarantee that the chemicals used will be clean, best to wait til you get home. Officially, video cameras are not allowed into Cuba, but this is rarely, if ever, enforced on tourists.
Writing utensils are scarce. Pens, pencils, paper are useful and great to give as gifts. Leave a Comment
|
| | | | Sunscreen and Mosquito Repellent | Tip Rating:  | | | | |
Pack light. The weather is very warm so you don't need much.
Most resorts are pretty casual. You might want to bring one dressy outfit if you plan to make a reservation at one the resort restaurants. Bring a good pair of sandals and if you are going in the water you might want to wear a pair of Tevas or other type of 'wet to dry' sandals. If it does rain in Varadero, it'll be intense rain and then it'll stop and get really steamy.
The hotels usually do not stock your run of the mill supplies so bring the following to be safe: LOTS of sunscreen, aftersun lotion, mosquito repellent, bandaids, tylenol, and some sort of upset stomach/diarrhea medication.
The sun is very intense so you will probably need a polarizing filter if you are taking beach shots. I used 100ASA film for most of my shots. If you want really intense blues and vivid reds you might want to try out Fuji's REALA film.
Most resorts will have gear you can rent if you want to go sailing, snorkelling, diving, rafting, etc. Don't bother with beach towels. The resorts will provide them.
If you wear contact lenses, make sure you wear SUNGLASSES. The wind can pick up the sand and it can get into your eyes. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Bring cash instead of relying on credit cards, debit cards or traveller's cheques. Even in tourist areas, it's extremely rare that merchants accept credit cards. Those who do (like your hotel) will charge an extra percentage for the privilege. And forget ATM's: they simply don't exist. Most shops literally work with pens and calculators. You must exchange your local currency to Convertible Pesos (CUC) once you arrive in Cuba. US dollars are no longer accepted and incur a surcharge when exchanging. Wait to change your money at the hotel to get a better rate than at the airport. There are three banks in Varadero, I believe, which have the best exchange rates. However, they are quite far from the hotel area and the waits can be long. You will need your credit card and passport if you wish to draw money. I do suggest trying to avoid the bank by bringing all the cash you need! Leave a Comment
|
| | | | It's a different country than here. | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Everyday items we take for granted are sometimes in short supply or not available at all. Remember to take things like toothpaste,deodorant and aspirin with you. Facecloths are not supplied in most resorts.When you are outside of your resort and require the use of a public washroom, you might be surprised to find that there is no toilet tissue or that someone will be sitting outside the washroom who is willing to sell you a small piece of tissue. To avoid this situation, take some small pocket packs of facial tissues. Some public washrooms do not have facilities for washing your hands. You can carry some alcohol wipes or waterless antibacterial hand wash lotion with you. They are both available in small size containers that can be carried in your purse or pocket.
You can take a number of things with you to give away as gifts to local people that you meet.Hand and face soap, deodorant, toothpaste and perfumes are hard to get and the selection is very small at best. Clothing, even used, is greatfully received with sport logo items high on the list of wanted items. Pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers and notebooks are difficult to acquire there and are also appreciated. Good quality hard candy is hard to get there is appreciated by the many Cubans with a sweet tooth. Anything that you choose to give to the maid in your hotel should be accompanied by a note stating that they are a gift from you to the maid. This will prevent anyone from assuming that she acquired the items any other way. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
More Sponsored Links for Varadero |
|
on September 8, 2004
Varadero
on October 30, 2003
on May 13, 2005
on August 27, 2004
on March 19, 2003
on March 21, 2003
on January 18, 2006
on February 10, 2007
on October 4, 2006
