Hi bea,

It will tell you on the stamp on your GHD's there should be info on the voltage such as 110v-240v or similar.
Some hotels in Cuba are 110v but some are 220v. If your GHD's are Mk4 the new ones they will work just fine but if you have an older version thay wont as they wont be dual voltage.

Angie.

hey thanks

Mine have 220 240v on them so fingers crossed !

Bea

the normal Voltage in Cuba is 110V using the American FLAT 3 pin plug some newer hotels may have 220v supply but don't bank on it, from what i have read power fluctuations are common and the traveler is recommended to take a surge protector as well as the necessary adaptors

wizard

Voltages and electricity supplies in general can be VERY erratic in Cuba! Most of the supply is 110V using American style flat pin plugs - and quite possibly the wiring dates from pre-revolutionary times too! A European style, round 2 pin socket is usually an indicator of a 220V supply but not always because at periods of peak demand, rather than run the risk of power cuts, they step down the voltage and have 'brownouts' instead of 'blackouts'. In other words, the voltage can be even lower than 110V at times and you don't stand any hope of having anything with a heating element in it (eg hair dryers, kettles, straighteners, irons etc) ever achieving a suitable operating temperature.

It can also be a problem when it comes to charging some mobile phones. I always take an ancient Nokia with me because it always seems to charge up regardless as long as there is some form of power available whereas a Siemans phone I took with me one summer was viturally useless after the battery ran flat because it needed a 220V supply and even the supposedly 220V socket (in the bathroom of all places!) seemed rarely to actual operate at that voltage for the entire visit.

Many tourist hotels have their own back-up generators in order to try and maintain some consistency of supply but even then it will be dependent on how secure their supply of fuel is to run them off. If you travel in the hurrican season, then expect the electricity supply to more erratic and liable to sudden power cuts or almost constant 'brownouts'. And be warned too that the street lighting circuits are separate to the domestic circuits so it is common for the street lighting to still be on but the houses etc to be in darkness. In such circumstances the locals all migrate to the street and every lamp post has a little cluster of kids sat around it doing their homework, adults sitting around chatting etc. Most Cubans are well prepared for these sort of occurences with torchs to the ready etc but the air conditioning will all be off and everybody just wilts in the heat and humidity!

SM

PS These vagaries mean that you should pack both an American and a European adaptor.