Top Cuba hotels
Food and Drinks Varadero
4 Reviews One thing you really don't want to eat when you're in Cuba is a hamburger. They are, seriously, the most disgusting things I have ever eaten. Don't be sucked in by the 1CUC price, they are nasty,...
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Mopeds Holguín
1 Review MOPEDS!!! Please be careful when renting a moped... I've been to Cuba many times and have sort of gotten acustomed to this kind of transportation. Anyhow, I try to be extra careful regarless. I...
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Hustlers Santiago de Cuba
1 Review When you arrive at the via azul terminal in santiago, you are either in a hurry to buy a ticket or just leave after long trip from habana. please be careful as there are many people who are watching...
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Cuban cigars Varadero
3 Reviews Everyone allegedly has a relative or best friend working in a cigar factory in cuba. A cigar addict myself, I know they are fake for sure. The only time I would buy a box off the street is if I was...
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Sun protection Holguín
1 Review Holguin is very dry!! You will not feel the heat and therefore, please wear suntan lotion...or you will burn like me! Don't forget your feet and your LIPS!
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Drugs Santiago de Cuba
1 Review Do not, under any circumstances, carry dope or deal with anyone on the subject. This is something the authorities take very seriously, and you may not see the light of day for a while if caught. Stick...
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Jellyfish Varadero
2 Reviews These look like blown up blue condoms and will float on the water. If you see one on the beach (theres lots) give them a wide berth as the trailers (the long stringy things with the stingers, yes that...
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Robberies Santiago de Cuba
1 Review How to avoid crime and delinquency in Cuba: this comes at a price, but having been robbed rwice in the last one year at palces where tourists gather, I have decided to avoid such places...
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Hustlers / Jineteros Varadero
2 Reviews psssyt pssyt where you from? its not a friendly start of conversation. Probably they will be trying sell you something or give you directions (even you dont need them) expecting a tip back. Simply say...
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Bad deal reviews Santiago de Cuba
1 Review This is addressed to all you other Brits out there. If you want to take a chopper ride to S.D.C. then you will have to book it directly with Gaviotatours as your normal holiday rep. will not be...
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Scooter Rentals Varadero
1 Review Remember that these scooters are driven hard and not a lot of money for repairs. We drove 70K into the countryside and one scooter had mechanical troubles. We limped it back Varadero and it died....
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Sun Protection Varadero
1 Review When you first get to the Cuba sun, please wear sunscreen. We got burned the first day and it's not the best experience for the rest of the trip. Also remember to wear shoes or flipflops when you walk...
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Cuban cigars are legendary : A lot of locals are trying to sell cigars in the street - everywhere in Cuba.Try to avoid this - in many cases - it are cigars from second choice - or even worse - a mix of suggorats.You even can have problems leaving the country via airport custom control.Buy them in official shops or factories.Ask for an official invoice.But they still remain expensive !
Transportation in Cuba stinks!!! If you must travel in Havana dont get on one of these buses. Theres a really cheap taxi company named Panataxi, they are the cheapest cab company that you can find in Havana. Your best bet is to get there phone number and call them and they will defenitly pick you up where ever your at....
The house that you see there with that big hole in the wall was ocupied by a family.These people had no running water ,so they had to collect water from a water truck that would come by every other day and then drag and carry there buckets up to there apartments. As far as the toilet system, everytime they went to the bathroom they would have to toss out there unwanted excrements through that big hole in the wall. It was shocking to see how these people live.Walking through the streets of Havana you can help to realize that the smells of excrements is in the air, only because the sewage system in that city is a disaster. Sometimes when I talk to people that are traveling to Cuba, I tell them to get away from the touristy areas and to go out and see for themselves the true Cuba. Thanks to the revolution full of lies, the revolution that was to help the people of Cuba , once one of the...
One thing I hate about staying anywhere in Cuba are the power shortages,the lack of running water to bathe and flush the bathroom. I tell everyone not to drink the water cause its very dangerous, unless of coarse you want to have heavy duty wait lost... Be very careful at night when walking the streets at night, try to stay away from dark sectors of the city. Its a shame the way the Cuban people have to live. In any city of the US these homes would be condemed...
Americans visiting Cuba under a U.S. issued visa can bring back cigars. Check with customs before you leave for legal limits. Also, when buying cigars, make sure that the box has an official Cuban seal (your cigars could be confiscated by Cuban officials if not properly sealed).Warning: Cuban Cigars can be habit forming. Not good for Americans, as those cigars you buy back home will never taste the same after you've had the real thing!!
At the beach bar on playa Siboney we got bottles of Buchanero beer that tasted like soap. And we got stomach trouble.Our host told us they pick up empty bottles at the beach, remove the label, and put them on bottles with a cheap local beer not good for tourists.Ask for a can instead.
If you do not have a prepaid ticket to the buses, taxis will try to offer you a ride for the same price as the bus (if you are 4 people).But be sure that the owner of the car has understood exactly what you have agreed to pay, before you enter his car. And ask to see the car. You may be much more comfortable and secure in a modern bus than in an old Lada.
1. Never ever trust anybody offering to exchange Dollars for Pesos convertibles at a better rate. The rate is one-one, always! The guy is sure to be a fraud, he’ll either try to give you pesos nacionales or just disappear with your money! 2. Routinely check all the receipts you get, even in the supermarket! It happened to me and other people that while the items were listed correctly the actual sum was a few dollars higher than it should have been. Apparently in some places they manipulate their cash register!3. Generally expect everyone addressing you on whatever pretext to be more interested in your money than in yourself! I’ve never met people who are so much after your money as the Cubans- maybe understandably. Travelling alone can be pretty hard as you have to put up your barriers all the time- I’d rather recommend to travel with friends. You’re less vulnerable then and can share...
The U.S. dollar, while being the monetary unit of choice in Cuba for any given transaction, is not accepted in credit card form. This is because there are no commercial relations between Cuba and the United States. So - plan on taking enough cash with you, because your credit card (if it's financed through a U.S. bank), won't be recognized in Cuba.
If you decide to buy your cigars on the black market, just be sure you know enough about cigars to be able to distinguish a good one from a bad one. What some of the cigar factory employees will do is take the broken or ripped leaves that they're supposed to throw onto a table (deemed unfit for rolling), and proceed to roll cigars with these ripped or half-leaves. What you end up with is a cigar that's squishy and you can feel the air pockets in it. The quality is palpably inferior - but not everyone knows this. The label on the cigar is misleading. Also, if you buy a box of cigars, be sure to feel EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM in the box - don't let the seller try to get off by letting you touch just the top layer. I prefered to purchase the cigars on the black market because I knew my money was going to a person instead of the State - however, I recommend this ONLY if your Spanish is good,...
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...
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...
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...
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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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