Another travel vlog to Cuba

[Cigar_Addict]

I’ve yet to find a decent whole bean coffee apart from Jamaican Blue Mountain

That's not a cheap way to enjoy coffee. Have you tried Kenya AA/Peaberry? Could do with being a little stronger, but very nice (imo)

[Gazza21]

soo.. other than cigars, is it still worth the 10-12 hours travel from UK if you wanted to go as a couple?

[Ryan]

soo.. other than cigars, is it still worth the 10-12 hours travel from UK if you wanted to go as a couple?

It's a risk. You'll love it or hate it. No in between really.
It depends on the kind of traveler you are. There are easier places to go for winter sun.
There are better countries for food. 90% of the restaurants are awful. But in Havana there are 20-30 good ones and 5-10 excellent.
There are power cuts, mosquitos, poverty. On the other hand, there is a big cultural scene, live music and art.
The people are generally very nice, it's quite safe with the usual precautions in a poor country.
Some of your interactions with the locals will be maddening if you're not familiar. There is a cultural difference and there are tourist scams. Small scale ones, eg. taxi drivers at the end of a trip saying "Oh no, it is $10 per person, not for the trip. That's a common one and easy to remedy with adding "En total?!" to the end of negotiations before the trip starts.
It's all cash, except for some hotels and tourist/cigar shops.
Currency exchange can be difficult to navigate.
But there is no other country like it in the world, and every time I go I see something new. I'm amazed, in new ways every time, to see how those people do so much with so little.
Some very good beaches, 28C sea water year round.
And then if you like Cuban cigars. There is nowhere better.

[Gazza21]

It's a risk. You'll love it or hate it. No in between really.
It depends on the kind of traveler you are. There are easier places to go for winter sun.
There are better countries for food. 90% of the restaurants are awful. But in Havana there are 20-30 good ones and 5-10 excellent.
There are power cuts, mosquitos, poverty. On the other hand, there is a big cultural scene, live music and art.
The people are generally very nice, it's quite safe with the usual precautions in a poor country.
Some of your interactions with the locals will be maddening if you're not familiar. There is a cultural difference and there are tourist scams. Small scale ones, eg. taxi drivers at the end of a trip saying "Oh no, it is $10 per person, not for the trip. That's a common one and easy to remedy with adding "En total?!" to the end of negotiations before the trip starts.
It's all cash, except for some hotels and tourist/cigar shops.
Currency exchange can be difficult to navigate.
But there is no other country like it in the world, and every time I go I see something new. I'm amazed, in new ways every time, to see how those people do so much with so little.
Some very good beaches, 28C sea water year round.
And then if you like Cuban cigars. There is nowhere better.

For a restock, would you recommend over short trip to Geneva/ Germany/ spain? Pricing wise, is it vastly different in stick prices?

[Ryan]

For a restock, would you recommend over short trip to Geneva/ Germany/ spain? Pricing wise, is it vastly different in stick prices?

Purely for a restock of Habanos cigars, absolutely stay within Europe. Pricing is very similar now for most cigars. Germany can be cheaper for many. Stock levels can be as bad in Cuba as much of Europe.
My last trip in June, I didn't buy many Habanos. 2 boxes of Quai d'Orsay No. 52 at $200 per box and 1 box of Trinidad Fundadores for about $1,500. I had to buy that as I hadn't seen one on a shelf in a while.
Prices in Cuba are generally within 10% of prices in Europe now. Before May 2022, it maybe made sense to go to Cuba to stock up, not anymore. Almost all prices will be cheaper in Andorra, Gibraltar and Hungary for example.
What Cuba is good for is Custom/shop rolls and farm rolls. Very good cigars to be had, no bands, for $4 - $8. But only 50 allowed back in to UK/Europe from Cuba. It's also nice being able to comfortably smoke in a wide selection of bars, hotels and restaurants without complaints. I smoke 3-5 cigars a week at home. In Cuba, 3-5 per day. People accept it, it's a normal part of life. The only people who ever might give out are other tourists, and in Cuba they can be ignored. Restaurant staff are more likely to offer them a cigar than act on their complaint.

[Gazza21]

Purely for a restock of Habanos cigars, absolutely stay within Europe. Pricing is very similar now for most cigars. Germany can be cheaper for many. Stock levels can be as bad in Cuba as much of Europe.
My last trip in June, I didn't buy many Habanos. 2 boxes of Quai d'Orsay No. 52 at $200 per box and 1 box of Trinidad Fundadores for about $1,500. I had to buy that as I hadn't seen one on a shelf in a while.
Prices in Cuba are generally within 10% of prices in Europe now. Before May 2022, it maybe made sense to go to Cuba to stock up, not anymore. Almost all prices will be cheaper in Andorra, Gibraltar and Hungary for example.
What Cuba is good for is Custom/shop rolls and farm rolls. Very good cigars to be had, no bands, for $4 - $8. But only 50 allowed back in to UK/Europe from Cuba. It's also nice being able to comfortably smoke in a wide selection of bars, hotels and restaurants without complaints. I smoke 3-5 cigars a week at home. In Cuba, 3-5 per day. People accept it, it's a normal part of life. The only people who ever might give out are other tourists, and in Cuba they can be ignored. Restaurant staff are more likely to offer them a cigar than act on their complaint.

Really appreciate the response! Makes perfect sense, the house-rolled in the LCDH in Mexico was nice, so I can imagine Cuba would be good. I think I’ll stick to your advice and do a couple of European trips, until a book a main holiday maybe to cruise around the Caribbean and stop off there to look for farm rolls.

interesting you mentioned Gibraltar & Andorra, I’ve been hearing them more and more.. I’ve been looking at Geneva & Dusseldorf as potential trips, in your opinion would Gibraltar or Andorra be a better trip?

[Ryan]

interesting you mentioned Gibraltar & Andorra, I’ve been hearing them more and more.. I’ve been looking at Geneva & Dusseldorf as potential trips, in your opinion would Gibraltar or Andorra be a better trip?

I was in Gibraltar last week. They are quite well stocked down there. With some exceptions their prices are matched fairly evenly with Spain now, but the LCDH in Gibraltar is much better stocked than any shop I saw in Spain last week. I haven't been to Andorra but I know cigar collectors who go from Ireland regularly to stock up. Often, difficult-to-find boxes available. They've been buying Partagas 8-9-8 for €490. We haven't received 8-9-8 in Ireland in years. Geneva used to be great, I got some great aged boxes there over the years from Gesto and Gerard, but I haven't been there in a long time. I haven't been to Dusseldorf other then the airport recently. I know a lot of people stayed there during the tobacco show in Dortmund last month. They visited CigarWorld there but I didn't see much mention of hard to find stock. With Gib or Andorra, you can also visit Spain for shopping, so maybe more options. I did find a box of the new Tauromaquia last week and a couple of boxes of last year's regional, the Por Larrañaga Leones. No sign of any of this year's Juan Lopez Cincuenta y Cuatro, though there will be more of those coming out.

[Gazza21]

I was in Gibraltar last week. They are quite well stocked down there. With some exceptions their prices are matched fairly evenly with Spain now, but the LCDH in Gibraltar is much better stocked than any shop I saw in Spain last week. I haven't been to Andorra but I know cigar collectors who go from Ireland regularly to stock up. Often, difficult-to-find boxes available. They've been buying Partagas 8-9-8 for €490. We haven't received 8-9-8 in Ireland in years. Geneva used to be great, I got some great aged boxes there over the years from Gesto and Gerard, but I haven't been there in a long time. I haven't been to Dusseldorf other than it,the airport recently. I know a lot of people stayed there during the tobacco show in Dortmund last month. They visited CigarWorld there but I didn't see much mention of hard to find stock. With Gib or Andorra, you can also visit Spain for shopping, so maybe more options. I did find a box of the new Tauromaquia last week and a couple of boxes of last year's regional, the Por Larrañaga Leones. No sign of any of this year's Juan Lopez Cincuenta y Cuatro, though there will be more of those coming out.

Appreciate it, thank you Ryan 👍 Food for thought

[Deano]

Some amazing contributions Ryan some of the most informative useful stuff I've ever seen on here, thank you.

[Ryan]

Some amazing contributions Ryan some of the most informative useful stuff I've ever seen on here, thank you.

Happy to contribute. I could talk about Cuba all day to anyone who'll listen.
Another quick update, I had a friend visit from Havana on Tuesday. She tells me that everyone she knows has had Denque now. Chicungunya also becoming more common. But they started fumigating in Havana last week. Too late for many but at least it's something. I'm going in two weeks time and fully expecting to get Dengue, at least. I'll have all kids of repellants, including anti-mosquito bracelets that I'll wear 24hrs on wrists and ankles, but I always get eaten, every time I'm there.
Havana wasn't really touched by the hurricane and Jamaica took a lot of the energy out of it. Santiago hit hard, lots of damage, damaged rooves and buildings and flooding. But Cubans listen when they are told to evacuate and no deaths reported, yet.