Cuba

[ekguy]

Sick of Vegas. Going to Cuba instead of my usual.

Gf's never been to the Caribbean and I saw a few of my friend's pics of the beaches and it seems like as good a place as any.

What areas would you recommend? Which resorts?

I know the food won't be excellent, but because it seems to be one of the safest countries we'll be able to visit more stuff.

Any tips? Suggestions?

[chathamf]

Veradero has an awesome beach. I stayed at a cheaper resort, but it wasn't bad. I'd say if you splurge for a more expensive resort that the food will be a bit better. Wicked spot though for sure. I'd go back, even to the cheaper resorts.

[danno]

i didn't enjoy cuba, it was cold and rainy. i think it was mid december when we went. the beaches had jellyfish all over them, i put my hand in the sand got a thorn in it. stubbed my big toe in the hallway, it still hurts to this day some 3-4 years later.haha just a bad trip. i didn't mind the food i heard it was bad but i found it the same as mexico and dominican. my choice is cabo again next.

[gpomp]

Originally posted by chathamf
Veradero has an awesome beach. I stayed at a cheaper resort, but it wasn't bad. I'd say if you splurge for a more expensive resort that the food will be a bit better. Wicked spot though for sure. I'd go back, even to the cheaper resorts. I've been to 5 or 6 resorts there and the food sucks everywhere. The only place with decent food was the Riu.

[ekguy]

Preferably somewhere with an adults only resort, smaller the better as well.

So far been checking places in Varadero.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by ekguy
Preferably somewhere with an adults only resort, smaller the better as well.

So far been checking places in Varadero.

We stayed at a place called Paradisius Pricessa (sp?). It was adult only, the food was okay but the liquor flows like a river. It was like a game with the staff, who can pour the strongest drinks!

Cuba is a great place to hide from the rest of the world but it wouldn't be my choice if I was looking for an active vacation with lots of cool day trips. If you're just looking to relax for a week then Castro-land is the place for you.

[buh_buh]

Don't go to Cuba expecting good food. It's not that great anywhere.

[ekguy]

not going for food, as per 2 posts above me and my gf just want to relax and have a good time doing nothing. Might do a bit of snorkeling but that's literally the extent of how active we want to be.

Next year I plan on doing a more active trip. But I haven't taken any vacation since I started working here which has been almost 2 years now and I'm taking vacation twice this summer to go help my old boss...

So I'm taking two vacations to go work...So come fall/winter I am going on a nice, extremely lazy vacation...

And since everytime i go to Vegas I just end up walking around each and every day cuz I get bored at the hotel I don't want to go there. (read want to literally not move for 2 weeks this vacation haha)

[buh_buh]

I get that you're not going for the food, but be ready, because the food is pretty bad.

[Mamma_Mia]

Originally posted by chathamf
Veradero has an awesome beach. I stayed at a cheaper resort, but it wasn't bad. I'd say if you splurge for a more expensive resort that the food will be a bit better. Wicked spot though for sure. I'd go back, even to the cheaper resorts.

+1

I went to Varadero in the middle of May and it was very nice! There are a few things I can suggest...

Bring a travel cup- When you are at the resort they only give you little cups so that you have to come back to the bar and tip more. Plus its nice to have a lid when you are on the beach. :)

Bring Canadian souvenirs like pencils, bracelets, keychains- You can get some from the dollar store and Cubans love it! You can put them on your pillow for the maids or give them to the staff. I also like to bring baseballs to leave on the pillows for the maids so they can give them to their children. Baseball is the national sport in Cuba and I saw kids playing with rolled up balls of tape.

Bring seasoning salt or any of your favorite spices because they do not use ANY so the food is usually pretty boring.

I highly recommend taking a tour to Havana! It was very beautiful! The catamaran is also a lot of fun. I would not go on the tours of famous houses, my tour guide said it was all fake and none of the people actually live there.

Have fun!

Edit-

I would also bring some after bite- It was not a problem for me...but some people did have bug bites.

[whiskas]

Food in Cuba can be pretty good, although it can be bland. You just have to take a different approach to eating in order to enjoy it.

Instead of walking through the buffet and piling 3-4 different things on your plate. Take a bite or two of everything. That way you have a dozen things on your plate, and you're constantly changing up the flavors as you eat.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by buh_buh
I get that you're not going for the food, but be ready, because the food is pretty bad.

I don't know where you stayed but our resort is five star, adult only. Five star in Cuba = 4 star everywhere else.

The food was about 7/10 and the service was an easy 10/10.

[ekguy]

anyone experience bed bugs??

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by ekguy
anyone experience bed bugs??

We didn't have any problems.

[ekguy]

k perfect. I've seen some reports on tripadvisor of people having horrible experiences with them or with insects in general.

[danno]

We had bites but they could have been from anywhere, didn't look in the bed. The food was on par with mexico to me.

[ekguy]

Well trip advisor had some people specifically saying they'd find blood in the bed and itchy bites waking up.

That's my one fear with traveling. I would not be able to bring myself to sleep in a room if I were to find out it's got bed bugs.

[danno]

i didn't see any i was at a 4.5star. why pick cuba, go to bahama's or dominican. i rarely leave the resort, so the only thing i worry about now adays is a bartender slipping something in my drink. i'll go to mexico anyday too, just don't go looking for trouble and you'll have no problems.

[ekguy]

Just want to try Cuba, haven't heard anything bad from all my friend's who have been.

[danno]

just don't go during the rainy season and you'll be good.

[ekguy]

planning on winter...Was going to go earlier but my friend want's to go to Vegas for her birthday and she's never been....

Sooooo what i was trying to avoid is happening yet again...Thank god I get a month of vacation time at work lol.

[GQBalla]

Headed to Cuba this December

Read thru all the Cuba threads on Beyond.
Bring CAD cash and convert to CUC
Save 25 CUC per head when leaving.

Ive been reading mixed things about leaving items as tips.
ill probably just leave items and CUC

How much does everyone usually tip in Cuba anyways?

From the weather forcast average temps are going to be 26 Degrees.

[GQBalla]

oh forgot to say, don't bring CC
worst comes to worse ill just be walking around with cash

[CompletelyNumb]

1 CUC for most tips. 10 for the bartender up front if I plan on drinking a lot and want service.

I took gift bags into town and handed them out to kids.

Bring franks hot sauce for the food lol

[Mitsu3000gt]

I've been there twice, both times in February.

Food was good at one place, average at the other. Now that there is open trade with the USA I bet it is a lot better, but I don't know for sure.

Been to the Dominican and Mexico as well, and Cuba is by far my favorite. The people were the best too. Tip A LOT and you will have twice as good of a time as anyone else for not much more money.

Both times I went were to the Holguin area, and it was PERFECT. Everyone I talk to who has gone to Varadero had some sort of complaint, usually weather.

We tipped pretty heavily, usually $5 CUC per drink tray brought to us (there were 4 of us), or a big $20 CUC tip to the bartender if there was no waiters. Drinks would come out immediately and service was incredible - plus, they make like $5/day working there, it was the least we could do. Tipped the maids $5 CUC/day roughly, depending on how dirty the room was - always got extra water, towels, etc. and nothing stolen. Each of us probably spent $100-150 in tips and had a way better time as a result.

[DEATH2000]

Im going to Veradero in November. Ive never been but my wife has so were staying at the same resort she stayed at before. Its only a 3 star but was undergoing renovations while she was their last time and she said it was really nice.

Im not expecting it to be super nice out as it is November, but hopefully it wont be too cold.

I was told its 50CUC per head when leaving? No pay, no plane.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by DEATH2000
I was told its 50CUC per head when leaving? No pay, no plane.

It's been $25 CUC both times I went, unless it's doubled in the past couple years.