Anyone been to Cuba?

Freefaller · 11 Dec 2013 at 12:57

How on earth can you find Cuba boring?! :eek:

Then again you were staying in a resort so no wonder.

[DOD]Asprilla · 11 Dec 2013 at 13:00

I'm not saying that you have to spend that much, but some things / places can be expensive and if you fancy them. A night at the Nacional, dinner at a decent non-state restaurant and drinks is going to set you back a good half of what you said you spent in a week. We mixed up out time there between CPs and hotel suites (not Veradero).

covenantuk · 11 Dec 2013 at 13:22

Yeh, Nacional and the Tropicana show are pretty pricey, as the tourist rates are set by government - the locals pay almost nothing to go there.

I only drank rum and the local soft drinks there - any imported drinks will be VERY expensive. Basically if you want to eat/drink cheap in Cuba, then choose what they eat and drink. Speaking Spanish helps a lot - mine isn't great but as always the locals really appreciate it if you try to speak their language.

One piece of advice, take some Cuban Salsa lessons before you go!

Freefaller · 11 Dec 2013 at 13:27

Or learn when you go to a club and a woman grabs you onto the dancefloor.

However yes, integrating yourself into the society is definitely the thing to do - but then why would you go abroad and NOT do that?!

Orionaut · 11 Dec 2013 at 14:21

Be aware.

ISTR that if you have a Cuba stamp on your Passport, the "Land of the Free" wont let you in until a certain amount of time has passed (6 months I think)

So don't drop into Cuba for a couple of weeks before going on to that new dream job in Silicon Valley!

Freefaller · 11 Dec 2013 at 14:32

I insisted on having a stamp on my passport.

(but I have the advantage of having more than 1 passport

).

covenantuk · 11 Dec 2013 at 14:58

Pretty sure they don't stamp passports ordinarily - I had to ask.

[DOD]Asprilla · 11 Dec 2013 at 15:02

I think we were told to put a blank bit of paper in our passports and they would stamp that. Can't remember.

Defy Belief · 11 Dec 2013 at 20:28

Freefaller said:
How on earth can you find Cuba boring?!

Then again you were staying in a resort so no wonder.

Yeah it was literally just mile after mile of beach, or another hotel, dead.

We did excursions and they were alright but cost a fortune as an add on to an already pretty expensive holiday, I'll stick to my mountains.

[TW]Fox · 11 Dec 2013 at 20:35

Orionaut said:
Be aware.

ISTR that if you have a Cuba stamp on your Passport, the "Land of the Free" wont let you in until a certain amount of time has passed (6 months I think)

This is completely untrue. Stamps from 'interesting' places can earn you a bit more of a chat at the counter (It's getting tedious now though I must admit) but nothing more.

mehuk · 12 Dec 2013 at 00:28

Went for 2 weeks holiday

Didnt do much outside of resort as I dont trust poor people of colour.

Grub was a bit manky tbh, but they cant import a lot I believe, so you get what muck they have out there.

Freefaller · 12 Dec 2013 at 07:50

Oh do shut up.

Freefaller · 12 Dec 2013 at 07:52

Defy Belief said:
Yeah it was literally just mile after mile of beach, or another hotel, dead.

We did excursions and they were alright but cost a fortune as an add on to an already pretty expensive holiday, I'll stick to my mountains.

Skiing is cool so I can't argue with you there.

This is why I don't understand people that travel across the world to sit on a beach - we have the Mediterranean for that. Places like Cuba and SOuth America are not about a beach or sitting in McDonalds, it's about integrating and immersing yourself in the culture and losing yourself in a different world. I can't abide people that travel to a culturally diverse part of the world just to sit in a hotel all day - it's just such a waste of time.

covenantuk · 12 Dec 2013 at 07:59

[TW]Fox;25472573 said:
This is completely untrue. Stamps from 'interesting' places can earn you a bit more of a chat at the counter (It's getting tedious now though I must admit) but nothing more.

Well, it's kinda true, but only if you were a US citizen.

You'd get a pretty close questioning if you were a US citizen with no relatives there - US law still dictates that its citizens are not allowed to spend money in Cuba.

pitchfork · 12 Dec 2013 at 08:32

mehuk said:
Went for 2 weeks holiday

Didnt do much outside of resort as I dont trust poor people of colour.

Grub was a bit manky tbh, but they cant import a lot I believe, so you get what muck they have out there.

Should have gone to magaluf of majorica for 2 weeks, you can get egg and chips and tetleys on tap there. Seems more fitting.

sandy10 · 12 Dec 2013 at 15:31

Anyone who went to Cuba and didn't find it interesting clearly is lacking any discernible intelligence the country is amazing, I did a tour of the top half - Trinidad, Cienfuegos, Havana, Santa Clara, Pinar del Rio - phenomenal sights and experiences

Dr House · 31 Dec 2013 at 13:17

Thanks for all the info. Only 2 days to go so I am quite exited now. I managed to upgrade our tickets to "upper class" so thats a bonus

Scythe · 31 Dec 2013 at 13:25

If you're into diving, try and go on a dive there. I've been three times with my parents and I was fortunate enough to learn to dive there when I was younger, the reefs are stunning.

We were on a resort in either Holguin or Cayo Coco, I can't remember.