Holiday to Cuba?

I'm trying to put together a Cuban holiday for me and a friend. The only tricky bit is that we have to use Thomas Cook because I have a ton of vouchers. Free holiday! Wheee! I think they'll build a holiday around what I want, though, so it shouldn't be an issue.

Bearing in mind that I know very little about Cuba, here's what I was thinking. Half the holiday in old Havana, and half at a beachy resort? Does that sound like a good plan?

Has anyone been to Cuba?

Suggestions welcome! 

Sounds lovely but as I am still an American citizen im not able to travel there:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1097.html

Once I get dual citizenship will I be able to go there?  Or am I still counted as an american citizen and not able....

I'm a dual citizen, so A-OK on that front. As long as you travel on a non-US passport, you'll be fine.

You can travel to Cuba on a US passport.  You just can't go from the US and you would have to do it without the US knowing about it.  the Cuban authorities will put your visa in your passport when you enter the country and take it out when you exit so there is no trace of you ever being in Cuba. 

no advice, but chary, do report back on how your trip goes!  I've always wanted to visit Cuba on holiday

   I LOVE CUBA!

So, i went with Thomas Cook for 2 weeks in total.

We booked a resort for the 2 weeks in Guardalavaca (excuse the spelling).  The resort was simply stunning and the beaches were beautiful, the food great (the majority of resorts are all inclusive but this place had 6 restaurants and the main one was just fine with omelette bars, pizza & pasta bars - so, not the normal stodge of an all inclusive resort in the likes of spain imo).

When we got there we booked our excursions through the Thomas Cook rep and did a few day trips for speedboating, snorkelling, yachting.

We also booked a day in Havana...which included flights and a tour around Havana.  Mostly for us that involved having Hemingways favourite drink in Heminways favourite bars (hic!).  There was the option of an overnight which included a visit to Club Tropicana and i really wished we'd done that.

I went with my friend (another female) who managed to hook up with the tour rep ( ) which turned out to be a blessing actually because we hired a car and toured around quite a bit...i desperately wanted to go to santiago but we were on the complete wrong end of the island but we did see a fair amount of the 'real' cuba.  Knowing what i know now, i would have gone ahead and hired a car by ourselves but at the time we were a bit wary so having a local with us was a bit of a comfort blanket.  A cool thing...all the cars have different colour number plates to determine whether it's a government owned vehicle, personal vehicle or tourist vehicle...along the road there are hitch-hiking stops (just like bus stops) where you MUST pick up a hitch-hiker - it's their form of public transport...we didn't have to, since we were in a tourist vehicle, but we did anyway - some of them were reluctant to get in with us but it added to the experience.

My friend actually went back this year with her new man and booked for 3 nights in Havana and the rest at a resort and loved it as much this year as she did last time.  Although she did say that Havana was a bit more geared up for tourists than when we had gone - good and bad in that depending upon your opinion.

With all resort type places, you have to rely pretty much on the hotel or the neighbouring hotel for night life, not the case in Havana of course, and if you love the beach then you'll be fine during the day.

I may not be gushing enough, but i loved cuba so much and am desperate to return (thought my chances were limited now that i have american hubby in tow but am happy to read here that that's not really a problem).  The place and the people especially were amazing and we had real trouble spending our money, everything is soo cheap.

If you need more info, let me know, i don't have details in front of me where i went and where i stayed...oh, another point, someone else i know went to Cuba and ended up in Varadero and had a significantly different experience - she HATED it, said the place was dirty, food rubbish etc...so i would try to avoid that side of the island if poss

I hope you have a great time where ever you go, i can't recommend it enough.

Thanks for all the great tips, Carol! Any advice for the best time of year to go? We want warmth, but would also like it not to be too swelteringly hot for sightseeing.

Well, to be honest i think the weather is pretty consistent the whole year round (probably around 30 or there abouts).  The only difference would be hurricane season which (i believe) is from Jun - Nov so you'd want to avoid that time.  We went in November and had 12 days of brilliant sunshine and 2 days of high winds and torrential rain...but even when it raining it was still warm.

I'm not a sun worshipper and burn as soon as the sun comes out and have suffered heat-stroke more than once but i did pretty well in Cuba.  It was very warm of course, but not suffocatingly warm - and there was that wonderful atlantic breeze to cool things off.  As long as you've got your summer clothes you'll be fine.  The hotel was air conditioned (as were most of the buildings we went to) so there was always a bit of respite.  Walking around Havana was probably the place where i'd have expected it to be a problem for me but i can't remember having any problems so it must have been okay!

I'm soooo wishing i was going all this talking about it has made me want to go back!

Whatever you do, don't do what my former boring colleagues did. They went there for their honeymoon and never left the resort. They never saw Havana, they never had black beans and rice, they never tried to salsa, nothing.

What's the flippin' point?! They could have done that in Ibiza and saved the long journey!

(not saying you would do that! I was just so gobsmacked people would go all that way and not make any effort at all!)

(not saying you would do that! I was just so gobsmacked people would go all that way and not make any effort at all!)

I agree completely! I would hate a total resort holiday. You could be anywhere in the world - they're all the same. I definitely want to stay at a hotel in Havana and explore the city!

Reading Carol's posts makes me want to go.

What is the legal position on US citizens traveling to Cuba? I thought it was a no-no regardless of the circumstances. I know the ways around it but just wondering?

Reading Carol's posts makes me want to go.

What is the legal position on US citizens traveling to Cuba? I thought it was a no-no regardless of the circumstances. I know the ways around it but just wondering?

I have heard of people going via Canada. Not sure of the logistics, but it is possible. If you're going from the UK, I'm pretty sure there's not a problem. I've also had friends from the US travel to Cuba as part of government-sponsored zoological study trips - as long as the Cuban government says OK, it's OK.

I have heard of people going via Canada. Not sure of the logistics, but it is possible. If you're going from the UK, I'm pretty sure there's not a problem. I've also had friends from the US travel to Cuba as part of government-sponsored zoological study trips - as long as the Cuban government says OK, it's OK.

Well turns out it's more what the US government has to say...check this sh*t out...

In a nutshell...
It is legal for Americans to go to Cuba.
It is illegal for Americans to have transactions (spend money or receive gifts) in Cuba under most circumstances.
It is legal for Americans to have transactions (spend money or receive gifts) in Cuba if they have a "license", but the government is arbitrary about how it interprets its rule and who it issues licenses to. 
There is a whole host of reasons for granting a license. Doesn't seem to be one just to go lounge on the beach drinking mojito's (well in fact, I know now, there isn't)

The US State department states: (I provided the bolding)

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS/TRAVEL TRANSACTION LIMITATIONS:  The Cuban Assets Control Regulations are enforced by the U.S. Treasury Department and affect all U.S. citizens and permanent residents wherever they are located, all people and organizations physically in the United States, and all branches and subsidiaries of U.S. organizations throughout the world.  The Regulations require that persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction be licensed to engage in any travel-related transactions related to travel to, from, and within Cuba.  Transactions related to tourist travel are not licensable.  This restriction includes tourist travel to Cuba from or through a third country such as Mexico or Canada.  U.S. law enforcement authorities have increased enforcement of these regulations at U.S. airports and pre-clearance facilities in third countries.  Travelers who fail to comply with Department of Treasury regulations will face civil penalties and criminal prosecution upon return to the United States.

So it is illegal for US citizens to visit Cuba without a license.Wonder if the US will change the rules when Castro is gone? I am presuming this is still a punishment from a long ago era or is there some current threat or issue I am unaware of? Repressive, spying government? ( I can freely travel to Burma. I can even work there, with a US company, provide the company was set up before sanctions were imposed.)

Wonder if the US will change the rules when Castro is gone? I am presuming this is still a punishment from a long ago era or is there some current threat or issue I am unaware of? Repressive, spying government? ( I can freely travel to Burma. I can even work there, with a US company, provide the company was set up before sanctions were imposed.)

Nothing current that I'm aware of. Still ongoing since the '60s.

I'm not sure if it's true, but I've heard that a lot of the beachfront property in Cuba is owned by large American hotel chains. Because of the transaction limitations, they're unable to build. I would expect that the embargo will be lifted before too long - perhaps once Castro is gone? - and it'll then turn into just another resort. Blah. That's why I want to go now.

Although my father will be very happy to be able to smoke legal cigars again!

- and it'll then turn into just another resort. Blah. That's why I want to go now.

ditto it's a shame that when the sanctions are lifted, the Cuban people won't know what hit them. Pity it couldn't have developed slowly over the decades and evolve naturally.

Another well thought out foreign policy...