going to CUBA- your input required asap--Havana or Varadero

Feeling bad for the locals there, friend of mine was just there for 4 days, usually I go with him but I couldn't get the time off quick enough, anyways with the influx of tourists, there is a shortage of gasoline, , 3 gas stations had no gas, and the one that got some one evening was emptied out by morning, locals filling up their cars, and any other containers they could find to hold gas.....it was never that bad before.....even the cheap peso cigars are getting scarce......but I did get lucky and was brought back 6 fresh Cohiba's....some short some long some thin and some thick ones....

boy have times changed....

But looking forward to March, going for a week to 10 days there, all inclusive (wife is going so it has to be all inclusive) , at least the Hotels have everything......locals, not so much...
 
Good thing I went when I did.
That's one you would not guess would occur.
Unless you are staying in resort...then no issue.

I think they will give priority to their govt taxis.

Looks like Cuba will experience a boom shortly.
 
We went to Varadaro a few months ago. The resorts are fine - the beach is extremely nice.
Took a trip to Havana (private taxi w/ guide) and were impressed at how nice and safe it felt. We walked around and no one hassled us. There are belive 4 city centre squares and a ton of night / evening life.

You can get a fresh lobster dinner with drinks for $20/us each. Food is affordable, and they have WIFI everywhere.

There are a ton of hotels, a lot of them being renovated for the US influx. We are planning to visit Havana in a year or two before the US influx changes things.

If I were you - I would do 50% in havana and 50% on a resort - so you can get the best of both worlds.
 
Cuba has nice beaches but ****** food. I've been 3 times but won't go back. There's more fun places to go at about the same prices if you shop around for flights and do VRBO or AirBnB. One neat thing I do remember though is flying into Fidel Castros home town on the day he stepped down in a Russian military helicopter with the door open and feet dangling. I bought up all the newspapers one guy was carrying and he told his buddies who tried to sell me all theirs too.....they had no clue why a Gringo would be buying Spanish language newspapers...it didn't seem to be a big deal for them that Fidel had gone. I guess they knew he was just being replaced by another Castro.
 
Cruise ships now stop in Cuba, if your going for "non American Cuba" your late. That was the 1930's. I like the place, the Cuban diet is sort of bland and quality ingredients are a challenge, even the resorts struggle with fresh produce. But its a third world country. Don't go there for haute cuisine.
Do go for an interesting country side, one of the last places on earth still giving communism a go, and one of the smallest places to ever give the US a GTF away note and not get blown up. Its an interesting place. And a very safe place to travel.
I do get very tired of 'hand out Havana', the never ending hustlers wear on me, but when a resort bartender out earns an electrician , I get it.
 
I always go to Holguin and stay at a little resort called "Villa Don Lino" It's coming home when I go.
 
Pre US they knew everyone there was not from the US and therefore they liked them.
They knew it was mostly Canadians...post US...they won't be able to tell easily unless you fly a CDN flag on your gear.

Can you imagine the cruise ship industry, they will be in a serious boom for airports and docks...plus roads.

Actual Cuban food is awesome but they don't get the ingredients easily...food will improve drastically.

I hope crime does not take hold. They have a good thing going, mess with the touri$t and you end up in jail or worse.
drugs/girls/guns...
 
not being arguementative , but US citizens have been going to Cuba since the day after the revolution. They dont stamp your passport, so three options, fly Mexico/cuba, canada/cuba or direct as a cultural student, you couldn't as an American spend any money, but you could be hosted. Sail boats and fishing boats from the US have stopped in, under 'gray area' guidelines for years. I sailed to Cuba in the St Petes/ Cuba race under American flagged vessels.

Cruise ships dont need airports, you'll start in Canaveral , Lauderdale or Puerto Rico Or docks, they can tender you in.
 
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