Cuba

[Eight]

Anyone been?

Thinking about a holiday there this year (infact just about booked it) but cant remember the name of the town.


Any advice etc?

[Daval]

My parents and sister have been to Varadero and they really enjoyed it. They did a couple of bus trips to Havana and did a few tours including a cigar factory and loved it.

I'd love to go to Cuba sometime. Could very well be my next trip.

[jhkayakr]

Is it true that Americans aren't allowed to spend US dollars there?

[maleficent]

we're technically not allowed to go there at all... You cannot get a direct flight into Cuba from the states, and you cannot have a Cuban stamp in your passport. (GOing to Cuba thru Canada is pretty easy though)

That said...

Cuba was a beautiful place to visit, the people, though they really don't have much of anything, are warm and friendly, the island itself is so incredibly inexpensive (speculation on that is it's cheap because american's aren't allowed there) if you stay away from the resorty type places. The diving and snorkling was amazing. The water was so beautiful.

[Eight]

Hmm I wonder if having a cuban stamp on my passport would ever effect me trying to visit the US?

If so, guess I'll just have to "loose" my current one and get a new one Needs a new picture anyway, mines pretty shocking, lol

[shrubbery]

I've heard that from a few travellers in central america. If you're non-american and got a cuban stamp in your passport they'll give you hell in US-immigration.

US-immigration gave me hell even if I hadn't been in Cuba. They didn't like that I didn't have a hotelreservation, destination and plan for my visit to L.A. Go figure . Took me an hour to get through. The funny part is that they treated me like crap in immigration, but once I was trough they treated me like fucking royalty.

[Eight]

Ok Holidays booked in August. I think the place is called Varadero. Anyone else been there? I believe its a island of the coast of Cuba.

Anyone know what currency to bring as well. We were told to use US$$ but I believe there is a 40% tax on that now?

[ophelia783]

Bring in your home currency, but make sure to only buy as many pesos as you need, because they're non-exchangeable.

[dlish]

if u get in trouble in cuba, claim assylum in Guantanamo ..so ok you'll be there for a long long long time, but at least the cubans wont get a handle on ya

[BigBen]

I went to the Barcelo Solimar resort. It was fantastic!

Not all resorts are created equal in Cuba. Remember that. 3 star there means 2 or 1 star other places... you definitely get what you pay for.

Bring Euros, since you are in the UK already it shouldn't be a problem. I heard that el Presidente decided that the US dollar was illegal, and anyone caught with US dollars (locals, not tourists) would be in biiiig trouble.

The locals are talking about "The Change": the changes that will happen when Fidel dies. The fucking guy is like 90 now, and people are starting to see the light at the end of the communist tunnel. If you want to see what Cuba looks like, go NOW! Once The Change happens, shit is going to hit the fan.

I liked the fact that the country was not spoiled by US influences. I hate her music, but to quote Joni Mitchell "They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot." That is what will happen once the US embargoes fall and the country embraces democracy. There will be fast-food joints and strip malls sprouting up all over the place. It makes me shudder just thinking about it. I want to go back soon (next 18 months) and then I will probably never return. I don't want to see that beauty plastic wrapped and served in bite-sized portions.

I went to Havana on a day trip, and it was beautiful. Old Havana in the Morning, New Havana in the afternoon, the Tropicana in the evening.

The Rum and cigar factories were closed when I was there (national holidays, haha) but there was lots to smoke and drink.

I went for a week, and it was too short. Make it 2 weeks so you don't feel rushed.

I will find some pics and post them here if I get a chance...

Cuba was fantastic. Different world altogether.

[Eight]

Well I'll fly on monday so I'll let u know what its like

Taking UK money (thats sterling no euros ) as thats what we are advised to take as of last week

whoo hoo cant wait

[Rodney]

Originally Posted by jhkayakr

Is it true that Americans aren't allowed to spend US dollars there?

I've heard that, but don't know for sure.

Just for the record, though, a friend (U.S.) is going to go to Cuba, and this is what he's found out about the situation:

As a U.S. citizen, you catch hell with a Cuban stamp in your passport. So what a lot of people do is go to Cancun, catch a flight to Cuba from there. The Cubans do _not_ stamp your passport.

The problem is, of course, that you end up with an exit stamp from Mexico at Cancun and an entry stamp _to_ Cancun a week or three later. U.S. authorities learned to look for this. So the Mexican gov't started giving Cuban-bound Americans their exit and entry stamps _on a separate piece of paper_ that could be slipped into the passport and later removed.

Fine. But now my friend is getting the word that American representatives are monitoring Cancun airport and cited Americans who they find to be going to Cuba. People cited for going to Cuba are liable to a $7000 fine, and it has apparently been levied numerous times. Nobody's actually paid it yet, however, because a civil rights attorney is running a pro bono class action suit against the gov't on behalf of everyone cited.

There are terrible places in this world -- horrible countries, lands of genocide and corruption -- where Americans can travel freely. But political gamesmanship requires that our country harass any of its citizens who try to visit Cuba, arguably not a threat to this country or any other at this time.