Anyone been to Cuba

Just Dave

Just Dave

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Hi

We just booked to go to Cuba next Friday, has anyone been, if so what birds and wild life is there to see, and is there any tours we should deffo go on to see them

TIA

Dave
 
Almost went last year but cancelled as we moved house instead. I will go one day for sure you lucky *beep*
 
Thanks Flick and Caz, I know theres lots of birds but need to find out where to see them, and whether to take my 500mm lens
 
I went last August. The first week we stayed in Varadero which has fantastic beaches but the hotels are all along one strip and you have to take the bus into town which has only a few bars and clubs. Quite a few tours you can do from Varadero im sure you will find a decent one with wildlife :)

The second week was in Havana which was much more interesting :) Very lively night and day and loads of wildlife of a different sort ;) Lots of architechture to photograph if you are into that sort of thing especially in old Havana. I much preferred old Havana it had a lot more character compared to the newer parts of Havana. Loads of history. Obviously Che Guevara is a God there and you cant look left or right without seeing that now famous picture.

Dont forget to visit a cigar factory its amazing how they make them by hand and get them so precise. The prices of cigars are controlled by the government so they will be the same wherever you buy them from but you will get a lot of people offering you cigars on the streets. Dont be tempted to buy them as they will either be fakes i.e made with banana leaves etc or they will be rejects from the cigar factories. Cigars that have not passed the quality control which is extremely strict. Best to buy from the cigar factories themselves or reputable shops. They will stop at cigar factories on the various tours if you go on any. This is all in Havana by the way. They have cigar factories all over Cuba but the only ones worth seeing are in Havana Itself. Theres a very well known one behind the Capital Building which has tours every 10 minutes. Unfortunately they dont allow any bags or camera's into the factory so you have to leave everything at the entrance :razz:

Also, if you are going to buy any souvinirs, they were a lot cheaper in Varadero than they were in Havana. I would say around 50% cheaper.

Also dont expect much in the way of food unless you are going 5 star...We went all inclusive in Varadero but the food was mediocre at best. Their staple diet is black beans, rice and meat. In Havana the food was a bit better but that wasnt all inclusive. I guess you get what you pay for.

All in all it was a fantastic trip. Im sure you will have a great time and I look forward to seeing some photo's! :thumbs:
 
I went to Paradisus Rio de Oro just over a year ago, its next to a lagoon and there were loads of herons, Turkey Vultures and others to which I had no idea what they were.

You could get close to the herons say 40 feet but I only had my 18-70 lens :-(

Julian
 
Many thanks Kaplow for your time to write up, its very interesting, Im sure we will find tours, and visit a cigar factory, although we have been to visit a very small family cigar makers in the Dom rep, so unsure if we will go, as if youve seen them being rolled once, I suppose its pretty much the same, and especially now you mention, they dont allow any bags or camera's into the factory so you have to leave everything at the entrance,

Deffo going to Havana to see the sights and shows, Ta for the tip about souvenirs, will get anything in Varadero, as you say.

We dont mind black beans, rice and meat in fact we love it, since you said that, Julie has put, hot pepper sauce on our to take list :D, we are going all inclusive, and I suppose as you say the food is mediocre, it can be everywhere really not just Cuba, probably due to our high standards. thanks again, I have another question below *****

Cheers Julian, did you only take that lens as I have read this

*** Q, This only mentions one digital camera and nothing about lenses , and I want to take my 500mm lens with me, does from reading below anyone think I will get it confiscated, as I wouldn't want that,or am I just being paranoid :shrug: and if youve been did you take lots of photographic equiment

Quote

Bringing personal items to Cuba: Sunwing Vacations strongly recommends that you take only the items you need to enjoy your vacation in Cuba. Cuba has strict regulations on what items are allowed in the country and will confiscate, without compensation, items that are outside the allowed items / limits.
The Foreign Affairs Canada website states that "Tourists are allowed to enter Cuba with a maximum of 20kg of personal effects, duty-free. Personal effects include: new or used articles reasonably needed for a holiday: sports equipment, jewellery, one camera with five rolls of film, one small-mm movie camera with two rolls of film, one video camera, one digital camera, one pair of binoculars, one portable musical instrument, one portable sound recording device, one portable radio receiver and one personal mini-computer (laptop). For further details, go to The General Customs of the Republic of Cuba website //www.aduana.islagrande.**.org, LINK IS BROKEN
Articles prohibited from entry into Cuba include, but are not limited to, walkie-talkies, satellite phones, hand-held GPS equipment, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, freezers, air conditioners, stoves, water heaters, electric frying pans, toasters and irons (i.e. any item that draws heavily on electricity). Fresh fruits and vegetables and pornographic material are prohibited as well. Such items are routinely seized on arrival, without compensation."
~ Excerpt from Foreign Affairs Canada

End Quote
TIA

Dave
 
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Went last March to both Havana and some more remote beach type resort whose name escapes me at the moment. Wandered around Havana quite happily but didn't go to any show. Went to Varaddero for the day which was OK as we went around some of the more locals areas. If you follow my link below you'll find plenty of pictures I took in Cuba for inspiration.
 
arclight said:
Don't like the look of that guy !
Click to expand...

Who me or the croc :lol:

ha ha, yes I was in Gambia when Julie took that photo of me stroking a croc not the smartest thing to LOL I was ready to spring out of the way if so much as moved a millimetre,
 
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Just Dave said:
Who me or the croc :lol:

ha ha, yes I was in Gambia when Julie took that photo of me stroking a croc not the smartest thing to LOL I was ready to spring out of the way if so much as moved a millimetre,
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Every time I see pics of crocs I think of that Aussie guy (Steve Irwin) who got killed by a ray.

His antics with crocs, snakes etc., just had to have a bad ending sometime.
 
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