Also any form of porn (even soft lads mags) can cause problems

And gay porn is probably even more of no-no given local attitudes towards homosexuality. Attitudes are now changing but they are still a long way from the liberal, European perspective and to best of my knowledge, even consenting, same-sex sexual activity is still illegal so it's not a good idea for gay couples to physically express affection in public.

I seem to recollect them going through one chaps books on the way OUT of Cuba in 2007

Good point, Steve. It's important to remember that the Cuban authorities are very conscious of their image abroad and are likely to take a dim view of anything that might be seen as providing ammunition for its enemies or militant opposition ex-pats. So they are just as likely to monitor what you leave Cuba with as what you take in. In other words, if anybody asks you to carry something out of Cuba with you take care and be sure that you know what is inside any package or envelope. The Cuban postal service is so appalling that it is common to be asked to take letters home with you for onward posting to non-residents family and friends but you'd be well advised to only do this for people you know and trust rather than strangers.

SM

Thanks for your replies people!! Judging by your responses I won't have anything to worry about

Anyone stayed at the Iberostar Varadero?

Thanks
L

Lozza07 wrote:

Anyone stayed at the Iberostar Varadero?

http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/reviews/caribbean/cuba/varadero/iberostar-varadero-hotel/

Hi Pip, thanks for that, it does look good... however I had some more specific questions relating to the hotel that aren't answered in these reports.

Regards
L

Just getting you started

Thanks again Pip

Hi there, We're off to Holguin in November staying at the Luna del Mares resort. Could someone please tell me what the healthcare and hospitals are like out there.

Whilst accepting that you mightn't want to disclose too much on an open forum like this it would be helpful if you could perhaps tell me a little more about why this information is needed as I could then perhaps provide you with more specific info. Given the economic circumstances of Cuba, health care is of a very high standard compared to other countries in the region. Basic primary health care, ie the equivalent of GP care, is good because they have more doctors per 1,000 head of population than we do in the UK. Their infant and maternal mortality rates are better than the US too because that basic level of health care and in particular ante-natal care benefits from that high ratio of doctors to population. The fact that all basic foodstuffs are on the free ration means that the average diet might be boring but on the whole is sufficient to maintain good basic nutritional wellbeing. A bit like the wartime diet in the UK being healthier than what many of us eat today. Dental care is also of a very high standard too - in my experience anybody born after the Revolution has excellent teeth and the difference between the under 50s and the over 50s is striking to even the casual observer. On the whole I would prefer to be poor in Cuba than poor in the USA - it can literally mean the dfifference between life and death. Castro wasn't joking when he offered to send 1,500 docters to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - they were available and often are sent to assist in similar disasters elsewhere. They also have an excellent programme of providing free medical training for students from the developing nations on the condition that they go home to their mother country on graduating and work there rather than emigrating to the developed world.

However, the US embargo means that in some areas the Cuban medical services are hamstrung in that they have the trained medical practitioners but can't access the technology or drugs that would enable them do their jobs to the best of their abilities. For example, any antibiotic that was developed by US companies and which is still within patent is totally unobtainable. Similarly much of the most up to date scanning hardware isn't available either because any company that uses US technology in their products is disbarred from exporting them to Cuba for fear of infringing their licence to use it. Cuban GPs, hospital docters and surgeons will probably be as good as you'd get at home - but their treatment options could well be much more limited depending on the condition needing treatment.

I do have two pre-existing chronic health conditions that are well controlled by medication and I'm also in a position to take with me suitable medication to deal with any acute attack related to them that might flare up while I am in Cuba. In other words my basic health is good and I don't worry about travelling to Cuba - the things which tend to befall the average tourist will be dealt with promptly and expertly. However, if I had an existing pre-condition that would require high tech or specialist drug interventions in the event of my condition deteriorating, then I might think twice about going.

SM

Thanks for your quick reply Sma. The reason I ask is because both of my sons have health conditions, my eldest who is 16 has Epilepsy which is well controlled with medication, and my youngest son who's 13 has insulin dependent diabetes. If anything should happen (God forbid it won't) I was worried the healthcare might be poor or the hospital dirty. Also if I needed to call an ambulance what is the number I would call?

Hi MDolla,

I wouldn't worry about cleanliness - given the state of many of our hospitals these days I think that it's likely that standards of cleanliness are higher in Cuba. It's something most Cubans are almost obsessive about.

RE ambulances, assuming that you are staying in a tourist hotel, and unless your spoken Spanish is very good, then the best and simplest thing would be to get a member of the hotel staff to phone for medical assistance for you. Many hotels have an in-house doctor on call who could be on the scene quicker than any ambulance but if needed could then arrange transport to the nearest hospital for you. To the best of my knowledge there is not the equivalent of the '999' or '911' system in Cuba that you could quickly and easily access yourself using a British mobile phone but I can check this out for you. If away from your hotel on an organised excursion, all these trips are going to be with one of the state owned tour companies (either Havanatur or Cubanacan) regardless of who you booked with and these will always be accompanied by a local English speaking tour guide who again is probably going to be able to get you medical assistance quicker than you could yourself.

Perhaps the most important thing is to ensure that your holiday insurance will cover your sons in the event of something happening. I assume that these are declared pre-existing conditions on your policy but before you go do make sure that your cover extends to Cuba. Health care is free at the point of delivery to all Cuban nationals but as a tourist you will be charged so make sure that you have all the details of your insurers helpline with you so that they can authorise treatment quickly if by any chance one of them needs to be hospitalised. The situation is not comparable to the US where they want to take credit card details etc before they will do anything but you would eventually be presented with a bill.

And of course do check with your own GP practice about what boosters etc they would advise you all to have before you go.

SM

we have just returned from guardavalarca and whilst there watched an american documentry on satalite tv about healthcare in america,uk,france and cuba. according to this programme cuba has one of the best healthcare systems in the world so if this is true you dont have to worry.

Hi,
Lozza07, what did you need to know?
We were at the Iberostar last year and everything was spot on, excellent holiday.
This year we are trying the Playa Pesquero, lots of us going again, should be fun.
Andy

Hi'ya has anyone stayed in the Tryp Peninsula Varadero? would it make a good hotel base for a first visit to Cuba!

Cheers

If anyone would like to update our reviews for the above hotel, please do so HERE

Been trying to book PRDO today flying from Man - March and they've told me on the return flight the plane touches down at Varadero to collect passengers, anybody experienced this and roughly how long does it add on to journey? Thanks

oap,

Summer flights operate non-stop, winter flights operate via Varadero inbound. This is quite common on some Caribbean flights, it's not a problem. I had a similar flight a few years ago where we stoppin in Cayo Coco before continuing to Holguin. The flight normally operates MAN-HOG where passengers dismbark and the aircraft is prepared for it's inbound flight. Those staying in Varadero have about 1.5 hours in the departure lounge then board along with returning passengers for the flight to VRA. Those passengers staying in VRA then disembark and all remaining passengers then board for the flight back to MAN. It's on the ground for about an hour in VRA.

Darren

Thanks Dazbo

Re: Medical care.
We stayed in Guardalaveca a couple of years ago and my wife had an infection from a bite which was quite nasty. We saw the doctor on site. He was outstanding, particularly compared to how it is now in the UK, and sorted out the problem quickly. It was pretty cheap as well so I would have no worries whatsoever based on our limited experience.

I'm still adjusting after my latest trip to Cuba due the worst jetlag I've ever had (must be getting old!) but thought I'd log on with an initial quick report since I had earlier requested info on organised tours here.

My main reason for doing a tour was that I wanted to see more of the island - I've previously always based myself in Santiago and Havana - before it started to change. However, I soon realised that a number of changes I was anticipating might be round the corner had in fact already taken place and that by staying with families in 'casa particulares' in the past I had largely been insulated from them. I'm still writing up a more detailed report - and will do hotel reviews too - but overall, whilst I was glad that I did this trip when I did, I was left with the feeling that I was making visits to various theme parks rather than seeing the country. By this I mean that the hotels could, by and large have been anywhere and that nearly all the visits and activities etc on the tour seemed highly stage managed.

For example, the architecture in Trinidad is amazing and I was staying in the Hotel Grand. It is a superb hotel in a beautifully renovated colonial building right in the centre of the town but as far removed from local Cuban culture as it is possible to get. And I was reminded of a Ray Bradbury short story about time travelling tourists who, in behaving like they'd been briefed to behave so they'd 'blend in' were actually creating the 'historic' experience they'd been led to expect - and this wasn't what the locals were doing at all! So all the music venues were busy with people sitting around drinking rum and smoking cigars and some excellent bands were playing - but the only Cubans in the places were the musicians and the guides! I never thought that I'd go to Cuba and get so little dancing in because there was hardly anybody to dance with. It wasn't until I arrived in Santiago and had ditched my tour guide (yes, in the later part of the trip the 'tour group' consisted of me alone!) that I felt like I had really arrived in Cuba as I know it.

Reading this over, I realise that I seem to be painting a really jaundiced picture and it sounds as if I didn't enjoy myself which isn't true but it did bring home to me that most visitors to Cuba are not going to get much chance to really get to know and experience local life and culture in the way that staying with families in the past has enabled me to. As promised, I will come back with a more detailed report shortly.

SM