My Visit to Cuba
I have visited Cuba last April. At first we wanted to fly from Vancouver, BC directly to Havana by regular air carrier for a price of 900 Canadian Dollars per person (over US $700) but then we found a much better deal to Varadero with Air Transat (less then 500 Canadian Dollars per person).
Varadero is a popular resort about 140 km (85 miles) east of Havana. There are a lot of tourists at the airport and it is possible to find someone to share a taxi to Havana (about US $80).
Your alternative to Hotels in Cuba can be "Casas Particulares" which is an equivalent of B&B. The prices start at US $25 per night. Cuban Accommodations
A must-see in Havana is Buena Vista Social Club in Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Unforgettable night, with great Cuban music and dance performance...
Do not expect to find a lot of shops in Cuba. The ones that you will find will usually be rather expensive as they are targeting "affluent" tourist population...
A good source for Cuban souvenirs are flea markets. You can find there some original paintings/drawings and other "treasures". There are two flea markets in Havana that I know of:
- Vedado - the south side of La Rampa, at Calle 23 between Calles M and N.
- On Calle Tacón
If you are planning to make phone calls be prepared for very expensive long distance charges (2 dollars per minute, with the use of an operator).
Cuban people are very friendly and helpful but since it is very difficult for them to travel abroad, they seem to think that all the people coming to visit are rich.
You will definitely see plenty of cars from the sixties or even older. They are, however, still in good shape and are being used extensively. This probably results from Cuban isolation from the world economies... There are plenty of small yellow taxis which can take you around Havana for $2 to $5. Like everywhere else, it is always a good idea to ask the driver about the charge before getting the taxi.
We took a taxi to go back to Varadero. It was not only more convenient and faster than a bus, but since there were three of us, it turned also out to be cheaper (US $60)
We stayed in Varadero for a few days. It is a nice Caribbean resort with beautiful, clean, white, sandy beaches. Food here is almost 50% cheaper then in Havana. There are a lot of hotels offering all inclusive stay at very reasonable rates.
Do not forget to keep US $25 per person at the airport for a fee you need to pay before bordering the plane...
