10 June 2009 4:59pm
Havana - destination essentials
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Havana is a one-off. Vintage cadillacs, Santería rituals, all-night parties, strolls along the waterfront…it’s not hard to fall for this city, but it can be a bit bewildering. Get these tips under your belt before you go.
- The best time to go to Cuba is between December and April, after the hurricane season and before the hot and sticky summer months
- José Martí International Airport is pretty inaccessible by public transport. A taxi into town is your best bet.
- Learn some Spanish. It will allow you to travel further, dig deeper and find better deals than the average tourist.
- Two currencies - Convertibles and Cuban pesos - circulate simultaneously. In theory, tourists are only supposed to use Convertibles but in practice, you can swap your Convertibles for pesos at a cadeca (change booth).
- Bring cash (but avoid US dollars - the cost of changing them into Cuban Convertibles is a lot higher than for other currencies). A credit card is a good emergency back-up and traveler’s checks from non-American banks are usually acceptable. Few foreign debit cards will work in Cuban ATMs.
- Remember to tip. A couple of Convertibles left at the end of the meal can effectively make or break a person’s week. Ten per cent is usually sufficient.
- Check out www.afrocubaweb.com, www.cubarte.cult.cu and www.cartelera.com for concerts, cultural events and dance listings. The Cartelera de la Habana has listings of events all over town; it’s sold at newspaper kiosks.
- Casas particulares (private homes set up to receive travelers) are often a much better deal than the budget hotels. For more information, check www.cubacasas.net. For listings and reviews of both hotels and private homes, visit Lonely Planet’s Hotels and Hostels.
- Don’t buy cigars off the street. They’re nearly always substandard or fake.
- You’re bound to be approached at least once by a hustler, or jinetero, during your stay in Havana. They are best dealt with firmly and politely.
- It’s best to bring your own condoms, aspirin, dental floss, sunscreen, insect repellant, contact-lens solution and moisturizing lotion.
- Attention US citizens! Early signs from the Obama Administration suggest many (if not all) U.S. travel limitations could soon be lifted. Visit www.cubacentral.com to read about the latest legislation.
