Varadero (Cuba)

Introduction
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A few years ago my wife and I were walking from Rotterdam to Vienna. Unfortunately by the time we got to Cologne we received a call telling us we had been burgled back in the UK. Having to cut the trip short and being unwilling to resume the walk we decided to take a couple of weeks in the sun. Looking around for last minute deals we managed to find 10 days All Inclusive in Cuba for £449 a price I doubt you can get unless you are going very last minute (we left two days later).

Visas and Vaccinations
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There were no visas necessary for entry and because US customs take a dim view of people who go to Cuba they stamp an insert for your passport that can be discarded (or kept) afterwards. If you are taking this as part of a larger tour then you cannot fly to Cuba from the USA, but will need to go from Canada, Mexico or a Caribbean Island. Hepatitis A&B and Diphtheria vaccinations are recommended though we did not have them due to the last minute booking. If you do not have them be careful in local restaurants stick away from anything like salads washed and left to stand in local water and obviously drink bottled water vaccinations or not.

Cuba (History and Geography)
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Cuba has a rich colonial history, it swung between Spanish and British possession before gaining its independence in 1902. Much of the colonial architecture still exists. For a while it looked like it might become part of the USA but in 1959 Fidel Castro and Che Guevara landed with 300 rebels and seized control of the Island. Communism was instituted and close ties with Russia initiated. There followed an aborted attempt to take the Island by the US and the Cuban Missile crisis. However the fervour of Marxism seems to have cooled over the years and today the island is very welcoming to tourists. Recently it has had notoriety for holding Guantanamo Bay.

Cuba covers an area of 110,860 km² (roughly half the size of the UK) and has an average temperature of 21 °C in January and 27 °C in July (hitting highs of the low 30s) which is about perfect for me. The capital is Havana. Cuba has excellent literacy rates and a health service which is the envy of the region and has seen a rise in health tourism over the last few years.

Currency
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The currency is a little odd, it is illegal to take Cuban currency out of the country so it is unobtainable so bring Dollars. All shops will take Dollars however they will only give change in convertible pesos which are the same as Dollars but worthless outside of Cuba basically this is to keep as much hard currency in Cuba as possible. In addition there is a separate currency for the locals.

Flights and Arrivals
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We flew with Airtours from London and the flight took about seven and a quarter hours. Leg room was very cramped for a long haul flight and at one point I had a small altercation with the person who was unable to put their seat back (as I'm 6'2 and have legs) but this was easily solved by a quick seat swap.

Arrivals in Cuba were the most intense customs I have ever faced, they take you into a booth (separating families) one at a time and ask you to prove you are financially viable as well as look like they are going to take a knife to your passport. The worst part of this is that you have no idea if there has been any issues with your wife or family, it is over intensive stuff.

Of course because of this, I get through the customs only to find….. No case… So I am taken into the back of the customs office and put into an office, in walks a guy in full military uniform, cigar hanging from his lips. He sits in front of me, leans in closer and says 'I hear we have a problem' He takes a large folder out and places it in front of me and… It is full of pictures of suitcases. This guy clearly wishes he was ferreting out enemies of the revolution but actually he is in charge of left luggage. Anyhow turns out mine is in London and will reach me on day 6 of the holiday via Holland, Germany and Holland again.

Varadero and Accommodation
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Suitcase issues aside we arrived in Varadero, a beautiful beach resort filled with tropical palms and miles of sandy beaches on crystal blue seas. It is the same as over most of the Caribbean, fantastic if you like beaches. I personally am not much of a beach man but anyone who is will be very satisfied.

Whenever travelling All Inclusive your holiday is likely to be dominated by the quality of the hotel. We were staying in the Sol Elite Palmeras hotel and resort. Upon arrival we were immediately asked if we would like to be bumped up to our own bungalow, never one to turn down a freebie I immediately agreed and we got our own little place with living room, bedroom and a large bathroom in a nice little setting. Top marks for the room. The hotel had the usual mini-golf, 5 pools, table tennis, buffet restaurants and numerous bars. It was all excellent and very relaxing.

Meals were basically all day long and had a good selection of local dishes (plantain, breadfruit etc) and more standard fare (bacon and eggs for breakfast) my wife was very impressed that she could have ice cream for breakfast. Drinks as well are included and a variety of Caribbean cocktails were consumed including the Mojito, basically rum, and soda water with sugar and mint.

Varadero itself did not really have a huge amount to offer, there were quite a good number of high end clothes shops (good as I had no clothes and was buying on my travel insurance). It is mainly hotels and beaches and has a large nature reserve. I guess it would be possible to have a very relaxing and filling holiday hanging around the hotel and beaches but personally I like to get out and about so on with the excursions.

Nature Preserve
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Cuba has a massive nature reserve and we took a trip into it on double jetskis, this takes you right into the heart of the reserve and gives a great chance to see some of the fantastic wildlife. First off, the guide was nuts, and I mean insane, I am pretty decent on a jet-ski but he decided that we needed to go at 50mph, constantly, through a mangrove swamp, with a bunch of inexperienced guys. He stopped only to point out alligators and crocs making big snapping motions with his hands. However despite the speed, the trip was breathtaking, flocks of flamingos scatter as you drive past and the place is full of wildlife to spot.

We arrived at the centre of the preserve where they have a little zoo where you can hold alligators (my wife went for a turtle) and see more flamingos. That is before another hair raising jet-ski experience. This was a good day out but really did not need the insane speed (my wife refused to drive her leg).

Havana (Twinned with Glasgow)
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No trip to Cuba would be complete without a trip to Havana. Here we saw the presidential palace and the parliament building. Old Havana is a UNESCO world heritage site because of the variety and beauty of the architecture. Cuba is incredibly rich in this area and I think that it is enhanced by the 1950's cars that drive around the place (Cuba is famous for this as they cannot import cars easily). We also saw the peoples square where Castro speaks to huge audiences.

We bought Havana cigars, were accosted by women in Cuban dress who kept threatening to kiss us for a dollar and had lunch in a fine Havana restaurant. At one point a guy with one leg asked us for a dollar, we gave him one but 30 secs later 3 policemen whisked him off the street. Clearly hassling the tourists is not on.

I wished I had had more time to explore properly, it is fantastic to see a city that is unsullied by the standard corporate façade of every capital city. It is also full of museums that we did not really have time to visit.

Bay of Pigs
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Our final excursion was to Snuba (yes Snuba) off the Bay of Pigs. We were driven there by local guides who said they would talk about anything except politics. They were clearly running an illegal fruit swapping ring in the villages we ran through, buying our silence with fruit. In Cuba hitchhiking is compulsory and managed by the Police at intersections unless of course you are conveying tourists.

Snuba is basically scuba diving but using a line up to a boat instead of a tank on your back. We saw schools of tropical fish, barracudas, stingrays and a host of other marine animals. However I have to say this is the first time that I have done it and I found the pressure hurt my ears. Anyway a great experience.

Confession
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Time soon ran short and the last day came around. To celebrate my wife and I and a few other people we had befriended decided that we would celebrate the night in style at the All Inclusive bar. We played a game called 3 Jacks, where the cards are dealt round until a Jack arrives, the first person nominates a drink, the second goes and gets it and the third drinks it. I remember my wife coughing green chartreuse over the table and us all going swimming in our underwear very very drunk.

Due to check out the next day at 11:00, my stuck together eyes slowly half opened at 10:35. Panicking we ran around the room desperately trying to pack. I will get the safe with the passports I said, only to find that I had dropped the key… on the beach… or in the sea. By a very large stroke of luck some kind kind person had handed it in and we made the bus with a minute to spare. There is a moral there somewhere.

Shopping
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Shopping in Cuba revolves around rum and cigars, considering a litre of rum costs about $3 its daft not to buy your quota of top quality stuff. As to cigars, $100 will get you 20 of Havana's finest. This seems expensive but consider the same would cost you maybe £300-400 back in the UK. Be aware that people will constantly try to sell you cigars at low prices but these are often simply banana leaves stuffed with cigarette tobacco. Be aware that you are very likely to be searched on arrival in the UK so check your allowances carefully.

In addition there are lots of stalls selling local goods, since my father collects busts of world leaders (mainly dictators (don't ask)) we tried to get one of Castro but had to settle for Guevara. Carvings, pictures, hats and traditional clothing is all available for decent prices.

Recommendation
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I loved Cuba, lots to see and a different culture, I would certainly recommend it as an opportunity to have a Caribbean holiday with a bit of difference.