FAO anyone who's been to Cuba, especially recently.....

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board ARCHIVE' started by Merde Tete, Aug 30, 2007.

  1. Merde Tete

    Merde Tete Well-Known Member

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    .......how much cash do you need to take for spends there, and what currency is it best to take? Me and the missus are planning to go for a fortnight around xmas / New Year, want to spend a week in Havana and then a week somewhere more beachy. What are you looking to pay for food, drink etc, and is there actually anything worth buying there (I don't much like cigars)?

    Cheers.
     
    Merde Tete, Aug 30, 2007
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  2. Che

    Chef Tyke Well-Known Member

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    oops forgot to reply to that.

    are you going all inclusive? It might be quite different to when i went though as there weren't any resturants as such - you just knocked on peoples doors and they cooked you tea!
     
    Chef Tyke, Aug 30, 2007
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  3. Merde Tete

    Merde Tete Well-Known Member

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    Seriously?! Haven't decided if we're going all-inclusive or not, still trying to guage up whether it's worth it. Did you actually spend any cash when you were there, bar the cigars?
     
    Merde Tete, Aug 30, 2007
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  4. pompey_red

    pompey_red Well-Known Member

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    similar subject ! looking to go away for new years

    me the mrs and 3 year old. any ideas..........

    on the cuba thing , me sister went 2 years , all inclusive as there was nothing of note outside the hotel complex
     
    pompey_red, Aug 30, 2007
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  5. andytyke

    andytyke Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    got married there.....2 years ago

    take english cash with you and change it in the hotel when you get there. do believe people who say they love us dollers. they hate everything usa and won't accept any us credit cards.


    the food in cuba is crap where ever you go. we went all inclusive its not somewhere i would go self catering there is naff all outside the hotels other than poverty. even the cities are full of beggers you can't walk 10 yards. we did buy the odd bit like drink and have a meal etc when we were on trips but i don't recall the price.


    just stop in a hotel in valadero its only a 10 min bus ride from havana. i think if you stopped a week in havana you may regret it. you would end up pulling the rest of the limbs from the beggers who all seem to have limbs missing.
     
    andytyke, Aug 30, 2007
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  6. Merde Tete

    Merde Tete Well-Known Member

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    Nice one mate, cheers for the advice. So the basic deal is - go all inclusive unless you want to eat **** for a fortnight. Doesn't sound like it's worth taking a huge amount of cash, presume Euros will be fine to change there though (don't deal much in English cash these days!). Pompey Red, you looking for sun or just a city break? If just a break, we went to Prague for Christmas last year and were enchanted by the place - beautiful, inexpensive and not full of the stag parties we feared. Also, St Petersburg is absolutely rocking at New Year, although not very cheap or child friendly.
     
    Merde Tete, Aug 30, 2007
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  7. Che

    Chef Tyke Well-Known Member

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    which hotel did you stay in in varadero?
     
    Chef Tyke, Aug 30, 2007
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  8. Gue

    Guest Guest

    been to cuba many times, my daughter is there right now at santa clara, new resort on north of the island she says its great, we like holquin, playa pasquero hotel all inclusive is the only way to go, avoid havana except on a day visit you will be pestered by the beggars, currency is the cuban peso and they will charge you 10% extra for us $, take euro's or pounds and exchange at cuban airport or hotels, nothing to buy there except cigars or rum, so you don't need much money, the Cuban folk have nothing but are very content and laid back, food very bland but ok, we tend to lose weight when over there although we eat 3 meals aday, Hope this helps, the place is very safe unlike Jamacia/dominican republic etc.

    Waterdown red

    we plan to visit february
     
    Guest, Aug 30, 2007
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  9. weegie red

    weegie red Member

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    Went to Cuba in June. Stayed in Varadero (direct flight from Manchester with Thomas Cook), stayed in an all inclusive in a hotel with a half decent variety of restaurants. Found it reasonable, but then again my tipple is Havana Club rum which was available in abundance.
    Varadero was ok for a wander and pretty safe, with taxis cheap as chips running into the resort centre.

    To break up the holiday, soak up some culture and get away from the same buffet every night we went on two trips, the first one an overnight one to Havana and the second an over night trip taking in Trinidad/Santa Clara/Cienfuegos and a jungle waterfall walk. Well worth it as the enclosed resorts don’t give you a flavour of the country.

    Ok there were some beggers – I even got asked if I liked cigars when I was swimming in the sea - but it’s a country living under an oppressive regime, nothing worse than I’ve experienced in other countries.

    Take pound sterling, change it in hotel.

    Drink plenty of Havana club rum.
     
    weegie red, Aug 30, 2007
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  10. Che

    Chef Tyke Well-Known Member

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    someone tried to sell me some cocaine whilst i was driving a moped - thought that was pretty genius!

    loved Cuba, some of the nicest people in the world and a fantastic country to boot.
     
    Chef Tyke, Aug 30, 2007
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  11. Jay

    Jay Well-Known Member

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    Did you buy it? nt
     
    Jay, Aug 30, 2007
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  12. Ady

    Ady Active Member

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    Going again next year, went last year also stayed in Varadero at the Palma Real which was very nice. Like others have said get out and about, we swam with dolphins and did the Havana trip. I brought loads of rum back and wanted to buy some of the same 7yr old rum but its stupid prices over here but cheap as owt over there.

    Can't wait to go back, only thing i didnt like was the flight over it was very cramped with thomas cook. Shame they don't do scheduled flights from Manchester.
     
    Ady, Aug 30, 2007
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