XXIII FESTIVAL DEL HABANO Starting 20th Feb - 28th Feb 2021

[Give the man a cigar]

It would be awesome if we could get a group of us together for a trip. Out of interest, why have the cigars gone up by 60% ? No doubt cheaper than here but that price hack appears to be day light robbery.
On another point, does anybody know how many cigars we are permitted to bring into the UK from Cuba?

[simwells]

It would be awesome if we could get a group of us together for a trip. Out of interest, why have the cigars gone up by 60% ? No doubt cheaper than here but that price hack appears to be day light robbery.
On another point, does anybody know how many cigars we are permitted to bring into the UK from Cuba?

They voted on new prices in November and certain brands particularly jumped up. Prices on the island are on yulcigars you can compare last years to now on there too. Plus there’s a new 6% tax on them through HSA shops. Think it was a way to try and recoup some of the losses from no one being in Havana last year really.

Same as any other country outside of the U.K. 50 cigars without any additional duty. This is the downside to a friends trip you won’t have any family members allowances who can bring back smokes too!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ha_banos]

I can't buy any more. I had a Tetris session last week. Less space than I started with!

[gojira]

I can't buy any more. I had a Tetris session last week. Less space than I started with!

Storage space is a bitch!

[Ryan]

It has come to my attention that the Cuban Cigar festival starts tomorrow.
I want to plan a trip for 2022 to attend this. My question is, have any of you been to the festival?

Yes, I have been to every Habanos festival since 2010. Happy to answer any questions.

[Ryan]

I would be in. Been wanting to go for years but the boss has no interest to go (I wonder why, lol). Been wanting to find a few guys to go with. But I think that visiting during or shortly before and after the festival is the worst time to go. Too crowded and everybody is on the hunt for cigars..

A lot of people think that Havana is crowded during the festival. It really isn't. In a city of 2 million people and at least a hundred thousand tourists on any given day (in normal times), 2,000 or so cigar festival goers doesn't change things much.
The places you probably would notice it are the patio in the Hotel Nacional, the garden of Espacio's bar/restaurant and there will be a greater chance of seeing familiar faces in some cigar shops.
Having said that, even the patio on the Hotel Nacional has been quieter in the last few years during festival time. There was a time when nearly every distributor and retailer stayed there and there were always people on the patio. Now most of those people have discovered that Casaa Particulares are a much better deal and better accommodation. I'd still recommend a hotel for anyone's first trip though.
Outside of that, Havana is the same as at any other time during the tourist season. No busier. In any cigar lounge, with the sometimes exception of the old Partagas shop, you would have no problem getting a seat at any time of the day. Cigar lounges include.

The old Partagas shop, now closed and in the process of moving to a site near the Floridita. That place is sometimes full and awful (loud, smoky and rude people) during the festival.
Melia Cohiba, nice, always seats.
Melia Habana, very nice.
Habana Libre. Good selection.
Cohiba atmosphere, bland but a good rum selection
The cigar lounge upstairs in the Kempinski, dull.
LCDH in Hotel Conde de Villanueva, a bit small but smoking is more pleasant in the courtyard there anyway.
Hotel Palco, almost always empty and a good selection.
Hotel Riviera. Always quiet and a great view of the sea.
Hotel Comodoro, very small but usually a seat. And Alex there is a nice guy.
Club Habana. Good humidor, nice staff and decent wifi.
LCDH at 5th and 16, Miramar. The first LCDH in Cuba, Carlos Robaina works there and passable pizza. Always a seat to be had.

Even during the festival there are always seats in all of those places except Partagas (sometimes).

For afternoon cigar smoking you're better off going somewhere else anyway. Find a bar with a view to the street and cigar smoking. Bar Monserrate in Habana Vieja or Bar Sofia in Vedado and watch the world go by. Great people watching in Havana.

There are two or three nightclubs where I always bump into some festival goers, but others where I know I will never see one, unless I bring them there. Restaurants are just as easy/hard to get a table or make a reservation.
It's a good time to go if you have an interest in cigars, even if you cannot get tickets to the official events, there are lots of people and unofficial events to go to and meet cigars smokers from all over the place.

[gojira]

A lot of people think that Havana is crowded during the festival. It really isn't. In a city of 2 million people and at least a hundred thousand tourists on any given day (in normal times), 2,000 or so cigar festival goers doesn't change things much.
The places you probably would notice it are the patio in the Hotel Nacional, the garden of Espacio's bar/restaurant and there will be a greater chance of seeing familiar faces in some cigar shops.
Having said that, even the patio on the Hotel Nacional has been quieter in the last few years during festival time. There was a time when nearly every distributor and retailer stayed there and there were always people on the patio. Now most of those people have discovered that Casaa Particulares are a much better deal and better accommodation. I'd still recommend a hotel for anyone's first trip though.
Outside of that, Havana is the same as at any other time during the tourist season. No busier. In any cigar lounge, with the sometimes exception of the old Partagas shop, you would have no problem getting a seat at any time of the day. Cigar lounges include.

The old Partagas shop, now closed and in the process of moving to a site near the Floridita. That place is sometimes full and awful (loud, smoky and rude people) during the festival.
Melia Cohiba, nice, always seats.
Melia Habana, very nice.
Habana Libre. Good selection.
Cohiba atmosphere, bland but a good rum selection
The cigar lounge upstairs in the Kempinski, dull.
LCDH in Hotel Conde de Villanueva, a bit small but smoking is more pleasant in the courtyard there anyway.
Hotel Palco, almost always empty and a good selection.
Hotel Riviera. Always quiet and a great view of the sea.
Hotel Comodoro, very small but usually a seat. And Alex there is a nice guy.
Club Habana. Good humidor, nice staff and decent wifi.
LCDH at 5th and 16, Miramar. The first LCDH in Cuba, Carlos Robaina works there and passable pizza. Always a seat to be had.

Even during the festival there are always seats in all of those places except Partagas (sometimes).

For afternoon cigar smoking you're better off going somewhere else anyway. Find a bar with a view to the street and cigar smoking. Bar Monserrate in Habana Vieja or Bar Sofia in Vedado and watch the world go by. Great people watching in Havana.

There are two or three nightclubs where I always bump into some festival goers, but others where I know I will never see one, unless I bring them there. Restaurants are just as easy/hard to get a table or make a reservation.
It's a good time to go if you have an interest in cigars, even if you cannot get tickets to the official events, there are lots of people and unofficial events to go to and meet cigars smokers from all over the place.

Cheers Andy! Some very valuable information in your write-up!

[PeeJay]

Wow this post got interesting without my noticing. Great report by Ryan too

[Give the man a cigar]

Outstanding write-up Ryan fascinating read. I have saved the info for reference. Thank you very much for your time and knowledge,

[Simon Bolivar]

Great write up Ryan, I'd agree 'LCDH in Hotel Conde de Villanueva, a bit small but smoking is more pleasant in the courtyard there anyway.' I have smoked inside but the courtyard is more pleasant, & quieter now the peacocks have gone. 'Cohiba atmosphere, bland but a good rum selection' Didn't try the rum to be honest but when we went, the ladies were wearing white coats like dental assistants & it gave a very clinical air. Did find Sig VI's there & no where else that visit, other wise entirely forgettable.

[Ryan]

Here is the content of an email I wrote for a friend going to Cuba for the first time with her husband about 2 years ago.
Some of the information is out of date, especially the dual-currency bit. Only one currency now, the cup.
Also, bars and restaurants change a lot in Cuba. They come and go and quality varies, but all those I mention were still good last March when I was last there.


First thing, get the following apps for your smart phones, if you have smart phones.

Apps

Alamesacuba.com

This gives you a full listing of all restaurants and bars in Havana. It’s very good and up to date. Not all taxi drivers will know the restaurants that I recommend, that app will give you an address that you can show them.

Download the database too and test before going to Havana.
Having the database means it works offline, which you will need in Cuba.
Test that you have the database downloaded properly by switching your phone to “Airplane Mode” and checking that it still works.

Switch off mobile data on your phone in Cuba, it can run into hundreds in minutes.


Maps.me
A map that will work offline using the phone’s GPS, once you have the map of an area downloaded.

Zoom into Cuba and download map before you go.

Google Translate.
You can download the spanish dictionary to work offline. It might be handy.

Videos

This one isn't bad. It shows El del Frente restaurant and other stuff to see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvs-4mW3KlI

She shows the wifi cards you need to get for the wifi areas.

Changing Money at the airport.

Bring cash, euros/GBP, big notes. Credit cards work in some places (for buying cigars or rum in hotel shops etc.) But cash for everything else. Do not trust atms, they can swallow cards. In an emergency you can withdraw cash in a bank from your credit card. You will need to show ID in a bank, a photocopy of your passport is usually good, leave your passport in a safe place. Have a photocopy of your passport on you at all times, just in case. You never know when you will be asked for it and no issue if you lose a photocopy.

There are two currency exchanges just outside the airport arrivals area. You will probably have to change some money here. Keep an eye on your money. Count it out to them. Two years in a row I had a €50 note “go missing” here, though I normally have to change a lot of money. Now I get €100, €200 or €500 notes from my bank here before I go. It is much harder to have 1 out of 2 notes “go missing” than 1 out of 20. If you are short-changed at the airport, there is nothing you can do. Complaining or asking to see a manager will not help.

Security

Cuba is a very safe country. I have never heard of any tourist experiencing violent crime or mugging and I have been in some very dark places at all times of the night. Pick-pocketing can be a thing though. Mind your belongings, like anywhere. Do not leave valuables on a bar/restaurant table. Mind your backpack, especially in crowded places. The usual.

If you are pick-pocketed, you will need a police report for your insurance. Do not try to claim that you had stuff stolen, tell the police that you lost the stuff and need a report for your insurance. Your insurance will still cover you with a “lost” report and you will avoid 5 hours of a policeman convincing you that your goods were lost, not stolen. I know.

Restaurant List

Don’t go into a restaurant without knowing what you’re getting into. There are state owned and private restaurants in Cuba. The private ones are nearly always better. A rule of thumb is, the better a restaurant looks, that is, nice tablecloths, neat place-settings, lots of glasses and cutlery on the table, then the worse the food and service will be. Food in most of the state-owned tourist restaurants is barely edible, at best.

Here are my recommendations.

La Guarida, Centro Habana $$$$, Cuban fusion. Very good and most famous, a must see. For dinner. Try the Marlin tacos and suckling pork belly. Needs reservation. Checkout the rooftop bar before dinner. With drinks figure $60 - $90 for two including tip. Well worth it as a one-off. Even just to see the building.

Santy Pescador, Jaimanitas $$, fish and sushi, try the tataki and ceviche, great for lunch. Interesting view of little fishing harbour. Needs reservation. great place for a long lunch and people watching. $20-$30 per head will get you a great 3 hour lunch.

Espacios, Miramar, $, relaxed beer garden, decent sandwiches and pizza. One of my favourite places to hang out.

Otramanera, Miramar, $$$, very modern concrete "Danish" look, good chef, fish and basque style. Good for dinner. No menu but all good if there's fresh tuna on the day. Needs reservation.

Nero di Seppia, Miramar, $$, best pizza in Havana, good for lunch. Reservation handy.

Toros y Tapas, Miramar, $$, tapas and spanish, good for dinner.

VIPHavana, Vedado, $$, nice for lunch or dinner. Good selection of tapas, great patatas bravas and chorizo dishes. Interesting venue indoors but nice outside too. If malanga fritters are on the menu, try those.

Cocineros, Vedado, $$$, selection of modern Cuba/spanish. On the roof of Fabrica de Arte. Needs reservation for dinner. Nicer for lunch.

La Corte del Principe, Miramar, $$, Great pasta, pizza, baked eggplant and cheese (berenjena) starter a must, good for lunch. Best food in Cuba at the moment, I think. Needs reservation.

El Aljibe, Miramar, $$, traditional Cuban, all you can eat roast chicken and sides for $12.50. Good for lunch. A state-owned restaurant. The only one I'd recommend.


El Del Frente, Habana Vieja, $$, decent enough Cuban/Spanish, eclectic place. Get upstairs to the rooftop. Try the white Russian. Needs reservation. Decent tacos.


Dona Eutimia, Habana Vieja, $ Traditional Cuba, chicken pork rice and beans. Some fish. Busy with tourists. Needs reservation.

Esto no es un cafe, Habana Vieja $. Traditional Cuba, chicken pork rice and beans. Some fish.

Azucar, Habana Vieja $$. Look up. It's on the first floor of a building with blue awnings on the windows. Ask for the tapas plate, not on the menu but very decent. Plaza Vieja near the rooster statue. Great Pina Colada. Nice spot, good people watching.

Bellaciao, Miramar, $$. Good italian plus they sometimes have steaks. Rare in Cuba. Good for dinner. Needs reservation.

Ivan Chef Justo. $$.Habana Vieja near the outdoors part of the museum of the revolution. Upstairs, can be hard to spot. Shredded lamb on a bed of malanga (sweet potato) is good.

Vistamar. $$. Miramar. 1950s house with pool overlooking sea. Traditional Cuban plus they do a decent Chicken Teryaki. Nice for dinner.

Cafe Laurent, Vedado, $$ 5 minute walk from the Hotel Nacional, can be hard to find. Good for lunch for the view. Needs reservation.

Tocamadera, Miramar. Quirky place, inside and out. Very popular place at the moment with ex-pats. Good hamburger (for Cuba) but also very good Cuban-fusion food.

Cosa Nostra Miramar. Very good Italian with their own herb garden in the back. Good pasta and pizza. Big portions and cheap. Off the tourist track.

One big meal a day generally is enough, $20 for lunch and $30 for dinner will get you a big meal including drinks and tip. If you want to go cheap, you'll get a grand pizza, sandwich or Tapas for lunch/dinner for $6-$8.

All these are on the Alamesa app. You can place pins or set favourites on that app if you like.


Sandwich

Hotel Nacional back patio for a ham and cheese panini. $6.50. Filling and quick.

Hotel Parque Central lobby. Sandwiches plus they do a decent burger. Ask for the burger well done.
It's a nice air-conditioned spot in Habana Vieja on a hot day.
Get the lift to the roof, some days they don't allow non-residents but usually ok. There is a great view of the Capitolio and Gran Teatro.


Bars

Salon de Historia bar in the Hotel Nacional for the best mojito, Vedado

Hotel Nacional Patio. Get your mojito in the bar inside and bring it out. It's a great view, day or night. There is a bar on the patio but the mojito inside is better.

Fabrica de Arte (FAC), Vedado, $3 entry. Great venue for everything. Closes at 3 am. Thur - Sun. Don't lose your drinks docket that you get on the way in. You need to cash it out on the way out. Best on a Thursday or Sunday. If there's a queue, don't worry it moves quickly. A must see. Nothing else like it in the world. And explore the place. Art gallery, photography gallery, two live music spaces, cinema, numerous bars and restaurants.

La Floridita, Habana Vieja. Good daiquiri, touristy. Good band some nights, closes at 12am

Espacios. Miramar every night until 3am, piped music. The very hip Cuban scene. Some ex-pats, generally no tourists. Go outside, to the rear patio garden, it’s very nice.

Bar Monserrate. Habana Vieja. Closes at 12am. Can be good if there is a good band. Watch the drinks bill. Don't start a tab, they'll try to add to it. If there's a good band and a mixed crowd it can be great fun. When it's quiet it's nothing much.

Sia Kara. Habana Vieja. Very relaxed for a quiet cocktail in the heat of the day. Music at night until 2 am. Don't eat there unless it's simple. Brusceta is good. Cooked food is hit and miss.

El Gato Tuerto. Vedado near the Nacional. Gets going about 11pm. Ask for waitress Tamara, tell her you know Andy. Good live music most nights $5 entry.

Lluvia de Oro. Habana Vieja on Calle Obispo. Good music some nights, touristy

Cafe de Paris. Habana Vieja on Calle Obispo. Touristy music but can be a laugh some nights.


Nightclubs

Don Cangrejo. Great outdoor venue in Miramar. Great on Friday and Saturday. Usually a good band from 11pm followed by disco til 3 am. Can be $15 in, usually $5 - $10. Dance floor by the sea. Mind your step, uneven floor. Toilets questionable.

Gato Tuerto. Mellow club near the Hotel Nacional, Vedado. Live music from 11 pm most nights. Traditional Cuban bolero music and some modern. Depends on the band, not what it used to be since they banned smoking. Don't eat here.

Corner Cafe, Vedado. There can be very good new Cuban bands on. "Hip" scene for Cubans. Depends on the band.

Jazz Cafe, at the top of a shopping mall in Vedado. Haven't been here in years though they can have good music. Cuban jazz

Casa de la Musica Miramar. Good live music most nights, depends on the band.

La Zorra y Cuervo (The Fox and Crow) basement jazz bar on La Rampa (Calle 23), near the Malecon, with a British phone box as entry. Some people like it.


As a rule of thumb, bars in Habana Vieja close at midnight, Bars/Nightclubs in Vedado close at 2-3 am. Nightclubs in Miramar close at 3-5 am or not at all.

Shopping

Souvenirs: Calle Obispo in the old town (Habana Vieja)

Souvenirs: Almacenes de San Jose (in the harbour in Habana Vieja near the train station). Very good selection of local art. Lots of hawkers too.

There is a good pharmacy in the shopping mall at the base of the Hotel Habana Libre


On the way into some cigar shops, especially Partagas, there will be people on the street telling you that the shop is closed (it’s not closed), that they have friends in the factory, that they have their own “cooperativo” shop near there with much better prices etc. etc. ALL of those cigars will be fake. Do not buy them. Just say no thanks and they will leave you alone. They are not aggressive like some hawkers in some other countries.

The shops in the following hotels have a good selection. Hotel Melia Cohiba, ask for Vivian. The Hotel Melia Habana. The Hotel Habana Libre and the Hotel Conde de Villanueva (this place is very nice, in Habana Vieja) the cigar shop is up the green wooden stairs in the courtyard. Mind your head.



Rum

Shopping for Rum in Havana, the cigar shops and hotels will have a selection.

Havana Club 7 year old, about $16 a bottle, it’s the most common for tourists by far. It’s available in Tesco here.

Santiago Añejo, about $7 decent.

Best Value for money, Santiago 11 year old, $40 but very, very good. Hard to find. 12 year old is $50 but not as good as the 11.

Rob Cubay 10 year old is very good at about $40 a bottle.

Drinks
Beer is good (Cristal and Bucanero), don't buy wine, it's overpriced and not very good. Mojitos are generally good. The Cuba Libre is nice (rum, coke and lime) but if you want that, ask for a "Cubata", it's aged rum and coke, a bit more expensive but much better.

Sights



Ernest Hemingway's house "Finca Vigia". I have a friend, Yuni, who can do a Hemingway tour, including the house, in a 1955 Chevy Bel-Air convertible. She’s lovely, with fluent English and knows good tour guides at the house. I’m normally not one for tour guides but this place is worth it.

Napoleon Museum, $3 dollars in and well worth it. It’s an extraordinary house and collection. Not very well known.

University of Havana. It's a really nice campus for a stroll around, very close to the Napoleon Museum. A bit like Trinity but sunny and tropical plants. Scene of a lot of action during the various revolutions.

Capitolio Building. Was, and will be again, the seat of government. Opened since February 2018 for tours.

Gran Teatro de Alicia Alonzo. National Theatre. Worth a tour if you can get in. Even the lobby is extraordinary, try to get a glimpse of the staircase. There might be ballet on while you are there, the place to see it, though it gets hot in the theatre, no air-conditioning.

Museum of the Revolution, the old Presidential palace.

El Museo de las Bellas Artes

Malecon, sea front dual carriageway with a footpath by the sea for 8 km, worth a stroll in the evening. Be careful crossing.

Tarará beach

La Rampa (Calle 23, Vedado) for people watching.

La Coppelia ice cream shop on Calle 23.

Hotel Nacional.

Plaza de la Catedral, Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja. Older squares, all on or near Calle Obispo (the main touristy, shopping street), Habana Vieja.

Prado, pedestrianised street near the Hotel Parque Central. Artists sell there on a Sunday afternoon. Like Merrion Square. Careful when you have to cross the street.



Beach

Tarará beach.

or another of the "playas del este" like Playa de Santa Maria. Bring your own water and maybe snacks. Outside of July and August it is quiet on the beach in Cuba as it’s too cold for Cubans. It's like southern Spain in summer for us. These beaches are about a 20-30 min taxi ride east of Havana. Also, make sure you have photocopies of your passports, they check them on the way in.

To pack

Toilet paper
Backpack
Immodium
Motillium
Nurofen +
Sun cream
All toiletries
Photocopies of passports and carry them on you.
Most hotels and Airbnbs use USA electrical sockets, some have European. Bring adapters for phone chargers etc. Most places will have hair-dryers, do not bring an Irish hair-dryer to Cuba. Phone chargers work fine.
If you need any clothes there is a shopping mall by the Hotel Comodoro. Shirts, shorts etc. European prices.

Some final Tips.

When walking, mind the pavement. remember to look down. The pavement can be very uneven in some areas and the potholes can swallow you.

Have a photocopy of your passport on you at all times. Leave your passport in the apartment/hotel. You won't need it until the airport. It’s the law in Cuba to have ID on you at all times and a photocopy has always been good enough for me. You almost certainly won’t be asked for it anyway.

Do not buy cigars on the street, some guys will have a very good story about a “cooperative” or a brother who works in the factory. They will all be fake, without exception, and rolled with all kinds of strange things that have no place in a cigar.

Currencies, There are two currencies in Cuba, the CUC (convertible pesos, 1:1 with the USD$) and the CUP (moneda nacional).

The CUC is usually referred to as “dollars”, the CUP “pesos”. You will almost certainly not need to use CUPs at all, this is the local currency, worth 1/25^th of a CUC.

Be careful in some places getting change, they might try to give you change in CUP for your CUCs. An easy way to spot the difference, CUCs have pictures of statues/monuments, CUPs have pictures of people.

Do not bring USD$ to Cuba to exchange, there is an extra 10% penalty. Euros/GBP are perfect.

If you are staying in an apartment.

At the apartment, before your landlady leaves, find out how the hot water works, make sure you have a phone number for her.

Print out your apartment address, business card size and keep copies in your wallet. Handy for taxi drivers who won't understand you telling it to him in English.

In a hotel

Do not use the safe in the hotel for cash. It’s fine for credit cards and passports etc. but not cash. Like every hotel room safe in the world, they can be opened by all staff members. Lock spare cash in your suitcase.

Hotel water is fine to drink, they have potable water delivered daily. Apartment water do not drink. It won’t kill you but it will take you two weeks to get used to the different set of biology it contains. Bottled water is easily available and safe. I’ve never had a problem with ice in Cuba, in any bar. I have not had an issue with salads either.

Tip bartenders waiters etc. it's appreciated. The usual 10-15% for food. $1 for a round of drinks. Soft drinks/water in bars cost $1, beers $1.50 - $2.50 and cocktails, $2.50 - $6.50. Generally cheaper than Ireland. Tipping in a busy bar/nightclub is appreciated and will be remembered for the next order. Some restaurants are now adding a service charge to the bill so watch out for that.

Tip the hotel maid $1 per day per person by leaving it on the pillow when you go out. It’s very much appreciated.

Try to keep small change handy, tipping bathroom attendants is appreciated too, 25c-50c perfectly fine.

Smaller notes are also handy for taxi drivers. They'll make a song and dance about having to find change of a 20 or 50. Much handier to have exact fare. I usually tip a taxi driver $1.

If people come up and talk to you, they might try to sell you something, generally they are very friendly. If a hawker tries to get you into a restaurant, it'll generally be a rip-off. Tell them you already have a reservation somewhere else. Having said that, Cubans are generally much more friendly and open than Irish people and will often just want to talk.

Shorts for men are fine during the day anywhere. In the evening, Cuban men and women dress up a little. Shorts on men can be frowned upon after dark. Some places will even say no entry with shorts in the evening, though that is rare. It’s generally easier, though warmer, to wear long trousers in the evening for men. For women, shorts are fine anytime or jeans or skirt/dress. Same goes for open-toe sandals on men. Some places don’t like them after dark. Do bring comfortable walking shoes.

Medical Emergency

There is a clinic in Miramar, Clinica Cira Garcia, used by tourists, ex-pats and Cubans with money, though it is very cheap by European standards. Should you get a severe tummy issue (very rare) or twist an ankle on the pavement (less rare). There is a good pharmacy beside it.

When getting in taxis, get a price before getting in. Generally it should be 50% - 75% of their opening offer.

[Ryan]

One other thing, if you want to buy a travel guide for Havana, there's only one I'd recommend.
"300 Reasons to Love Havana" Heidi Hollinger

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reasons-Love-Havana-Heidi-Hollinger/dp/1988002621/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Heidi+havana&qid=1613994112&sr=8-2

Heidi Lives in Havana for 6 months of the year and knows it very well. Even though it's nearly three years old, her information is still very accurate.
I've seen a few other guide books over the years and they are mostly out of date, plus they generally recommend very touristy restaurants and bars which aren't very good.
This one is very handy if anyone needs to convince a spouse to go!

[Give the man a cigar]

Thank you Ryan for all this valuable info. I have ordered the book you suggested and downloaded Alamesacuba.com. I have to start somewhere and having read all your advice it has made me even more determined to go in 2022. Thank you once again and take care, Wayne

[ha_banos]

Now to learn Spanglish.....

[Ryan]

Thank you Ryan for all this valuable info. I have ordered the book you suggested and downloaded Alamesacuba.com. I have to start somewhere and having read all your advice it has made me even more determined to go in 2022. Thank you once again and take care, Wayne

Best of luck with your plans. Let me know if you have any other questions. I have a trip booked in November, but that very much depends on vaccines and the state of international travel etc. I do plan on going next February too.

I said earlier that I would recommend a hotel for a first trip. It's more expensive but easier for a first time. A hotel will always have food, drink and help available, plus taxis outside to get anywhere you need to go. Also, all taxi drivers will know the way back to your hotel from wherever you end up at night. Cuban addresses can be confusing and can be hard to communicate to a driver.
I don't recommend hiring a car in Cuba.

If you want to go cheaper, there are good bed and breakfast style places with a live-in landlord/lady. These are fine and the owners are generally very helpful with recommendations, transport, directions etc. They will do breakfast for you and can usually do other meals if you want that.

Then there are apartments you can rent. That's what I do now but I've been to Cuba 20 times and know the lay of the land now. I have a Cuban phone, plenty of contacts for drivers, enough Spanish to get by and I know my way around.
An apartment can be a very lonely place once the taxi driver drops you from the airport. Streets can be very dark at night, you probably won't find a shop or restaurant by walking out on the street. And nobody to help you if you need anything. Any of the neighbours would be very willing to help, Cubans generally are very nice, friendly people, but they probably won't have any English. You could walk for blocks and blocks without seeing a taxi, depending on where you end up staying.

It's not like other countries where you can walk out and find a shop that has bottled water, bread and and some kind of sandwich filling on just about any street corner. Those places do exist in Havana but few and not easy to find.