Going to cuba

[gigabyte056]

Hi All,

I am going to Cuba in April 2012!!!

I have 10 nights net.

Been looking for as many tips I can and decided on hiring a personal driver to take me around and book hotels etc.

Good idea?

[Wil]

I'd suggest doing it all yourself, if you're up for the adventure. It can be a challenge and you have to be wary of touts, but that's all part of the adventure IMO.

[Ghabanos]

Lucky son of a gun...

Just smoke lots...

[gigabyte056]

That I will, 10 cigars a day here I come!!!

I just hope the rum soothes the throat...

[rckymtn22]

Do some searches on here as there has been lots of similar questions asked and answered. I have been there 3 times and enjoyed everytime.

[brassie00]

Hi All,

I am going to Cuba in April 2012!!!

I have 10 nights net.

Been looking for as many tips I can and decided on hiring a personal driver to take me around and book hotels etc.

Good idea?

Where are you going in Cuba,what kind of accomadations are you looking for etc.. .The more info we have the more we can help

[El Presidente]

As Brassie said, the more info you give us, the more we can help. One thing I will say though, is that don't bother staying at anything less than a 4* hotel/resort.

There are some excellent Casa Particulars.

Visiting for the first time and for 10 days I would stay at a decent hotel for 3-4 of them. get a feel for the place and find a Casa Particular for the balance.

[gigabyte056]

There are some excellent Casa Particulars.

Visiting for the first time and for 10 days I would stay at a decent hotel for 3-4 of them. get a feel for the place and find a Casa Particular for the balance.

Yep,

The general idea is getting a driver for the all trip so no buses or taxis.

I will stay mostly in hotels, My wife is coming along and wouldn't want to stay in someones house, I couldn't care less but since she wanted a cruise and we are going to Cuba I should count my blessings.

We are going to Vinales for one day where we should stay at a casa at the end of the day only to travel out of the next day.

I have been looking around the website and probably will be extending the time I am going to stay there to 14 days.

[ajgagnon]

I'm jealous!

If you have two weeks, you can either see quite a lot with the help of Cubatur bus rides (narrated by the guide in just about any language you speak, and very wife-friendly), or a split between Havana, Varadero and Vinales, possibly with another little excursion to Matanzas or even Santa Clara or Trinidad. I would stay a while in Vinales... it's just beautiful. Ask about the old lady's botanical garden, the nearby caves and horseback rides. I've never actually been to a large commercial tobacco plantation but there are some smaller ones near town and you can certainly get your hands on cigars... rustic Vuelta Abajo local ones or proper cigars in the shops. Buying cigars on the street (if you're going to do that) seems to be more successful in Havana.

Speaking of Havana, there's a lot to do there too... if you're adventurous, ask about Calle Hamel and the Santeria celebrations with rumba music etc. Also, there's a good humidor at the restaurant near the Hemmingway marina (I can't recall the name). So much to see. I'd go tomorrow.

Have fun!

[sg1234]

You should check out The Ultimate Visiting Cuba Thread right here on FoH. Lots of great info in there!