Country Dossier for Cuba The Facts Important note: Prices stated in this dossier are given in US$ as a guide only. Local goods and services should be paid for in Cuban pesos and prices are subject to change. Visas VERY IMPORTANT – your tourist card will be stamped and should be left in your passport for the duration of your stay. DO NOT LOSE THIS PIECE OF PAPER. Arrival Money Remember that once out of Cuba you will not be able to use or exchange Cuban pesos whether they are convertible pesos or local pesos (moneda nacional). Therefore you must make sure you spend/exchange/donate any left-over money before leaving the country. We strongly advise you to take a combination of the following: Currency can be changed at official exchange houses (casa de cambios) called CADECA. Credit & Debit Cards Visa, MasterCard, Access, Diners and Banamex are accepted in most Cuban ATMs (if you can find one that works), banks and tourist shops and in some restaurants and hotels. The most accepted credit card is Visa, although authorisation can sometimes be denied due to poor computer connections or other problems! Note there may sometimes be commission charged when getting cash advances by credit card (1% normally) at CADECAS and free at banks. Entrance Fees There are many churches and cathedrals in Cuba, most are free to enter but some do have a charge. Flash photography is strictly forbidden and in many churches, museums and other sites you will be expected to pay to take your camera and/or video inside, the charge is normally around US$2-3 extra. You might also get the chance to take in an evening cabaret show such as the famous Tropicana (US$65+l) or you might like to try the Parisien in the Nacional Hotel in Vedado which is just as good but half the price. If you want to listen to typical Cuban music visit the Casa de la Trova, ($5 entry) where you will find all the locals! All the above are in Havana but also remember that all the other towns and cities have good nightlife. There is also a Tropicana nightclub in Santiago which is a little cheaper. Optional Excursions Geography & Weather By its geographic situation, the country is affected between June and November by the cyclone season. They can affect the island in hurricane form with winds up to 200 km/h and heavy storms. The experience of a cyclone emergency is a moving but non dangerous fact of life in Cuba; all the hotels and homes where we stay have modern structure or have been strengthened to deal with the climate. Check the weather chart on our website or visit www.worldclimate.com to get an idea of what the weather will be like on your trip. Please note: Insect repellent is not available in Cuba so remember to bring your own. Security Communication Calling from hotels is always VERY expensive, and even if your call is connected for 1 second you will be charged for a full minute. Local Food & Drink Half litre of water US$1.00 Food The best and cheapest meal options will be at your home stay. You can expect to pay about US$3 for a breakfast, between $5 -10 for main meal but the size will be much bigger than in a restaurant and far more tasty! VEGETARIANS PLEASE NOTE: Vegetarians who do not eat fish may find Cuban food limiting as salads and fresh vegetables are rare. Drinks If you only learn one word in Spanish it’s bound to be “cerveza” – beer! There are countless beers and the most common are Cristal, Mayabe, Hatuey and Bucanero, just to name a few. Rum (ron) is definitely the most commonly drunk spirit in Cuba, they have over 80 different makes on the island which come in all sorts of cocktails (ie: mojitos, daiquiris), cuba libre (rum & coke) and of course it can be drunk straight or on the rocks. It is suggested that you do not drink a 3 star rum on its own (drink 5 or 7 star rums straight). Cuba is now producing its own wine from the Pinar del Rio region with viticulture expertise gained from the Spanish. Milk is rationed in Cuba and is normally only available for families with children under 7 years old. You may want to bring creamers (coffee mates) if you prefer milk in your coffee. Tipping The main buys are of course rum, cigars and all types of Latin music: salsa, meringue, cha cha, rumba, jazz. They sell just about everything with Che Guevara on it, as he is the national hero, even though he was an Argentine! Paintings are a good buy, especially if you’re good at bargaining. You can find many such places for locally painted art in the stalls around the main plaza in Havana and also along the river’s edge, there is a large souvenir market which is full of local artisan pieces. Bear in mind that it can be very expensive and rarely reliable to send packages home so try to buy only what you can carry home! National Holidays Emergency Contact Tucan Travel Cuzco Please note that these numbers are a service for emergency calls only. We respectfully request that you consider the urgency of your enquiry. Non-urgent enquiries should be made during office hours. Please be considerate of time zones. Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-5.30pm; Sat 9am-1 pm. Last Updated 20/03/09
Brief History
Columbus landed in 1492 when Cuba was inhabited by the Ciboney Indians. Colonisation began in 1511, when the Spanish Conquistador Diego Velázquez established the town of Baracoa. He then founded several other settlements, including Santiago de Cuba in 1514 and Havana in 1515. The Spanish transformed Cuba into a supply base for expeditions to Mexico and Florida. As a result of savage treatment and exploitation Cuba's indigenous people were nearly wiped out by the 16th century, forcing the colonists to depend on imported black slaves as the workforce. Despite being continually attacked by pirates, Cuba prospered throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. England ran Havana for a while in the 18th century and the USA tried to buy the island from Spain in the 19th century. In 1886 slavery was abolished and Cuba gained independence in 1917. After losing the backing of the Soviet Union on it demise, Cuba has struggled against continual USA embargos.
All nationals need a tourist visa to enter Cuba, this comes in the form of a 30 day tourist card. Entry is granted on production of a passport valid for more than 6 months, proof of accommodation (although this is rarely asked for) and a return flight ticket. The official on entry will ask you if you want your passport stamped or not.
For specific information and directions regarding the joining hotel for your tour please refer to the joining letter which will be sent to you with your final tour vouchers.
The local currency in Cuba is the Cuba Convertible Peso (CUC). For up to date exchange rates with your currency visit www.oanda.com
IMPORTANT CURRENCY CHANGES
Until 2004 US dollars were accepted for all purchases in Cuba. However President Fidel Castro banned the currency in response to the tightening of sanctions by the US and all shops, restaurants and bars will now only accept the Cuban peso. Therefore it is advisable to take currency and travellers cheques in GBP£ sterling or Euros which you can then change easily. It is still possible to exchange US dollars however transactions are subject to a hefty 10% commission. As the situation can be unstable we recommend that you take a variety of currencies (including a small amount of US dollars). The local payment for your tour must be paid in Euros (US dollars WILL NOT be accepted). Airport departure tax (see factfile above) must also be paid in convertible pesos and NOT US dollars.
ATM machines do exist in Cuba however they are not reliable. We therefore recommend that you take as much cash as you are comfortable carrying. You can get cash advances through your credit card from banks but they will NOT accept any US issued credit cards. Getting a cash advance can be a very drawn out process and all banks will need to see your passport and possibly require a photocopy. If you do decide to queue in a bank always check that what you want to do is going to be possible before lining up. Different banks have different rules. For example some banks do not exchange traveller’s cheques. They may also have a limit to the amount of currency you can exchange. Always try to exchange as much as you can at one time and try to ask cashiers for small notes.
Medical Insurance
Cuba will require visitors to buy health insurance if they haven't already obtained adequate cover, when they want to enter the country, according to a new government regulation. Under the new rule, which takes effect on 1 May 2010, travellers are required to show proof of their insurance coverage arrival, such as a full policy, insurance certificate or travelling assistance card valid for the time span they will stay in Cuba. If a traveller has not yet purchased insurance, the Cuban government requires it to be purchased on arrival. It is not yet clear what this government approved insurance would cost, which companies it would be provided by or what it would cover, however benefits are likely to be lower than those provided by insurers in your home country will not cover such essential elements as repatriation to a hospital at home, emergency evacuation to a mainland facility or travel of a family member to the patient's hospital bedside. Cuban insurance policies are most likely to be designed to handle medical situations on the island, in domestic hospitals, hotels or clinics.
Proof of travel insurance including medical cover and repatriation is a condition of carriage with Tucan Travel. A minimum coverage of £100,000 (or equivalent) is required. Please see http://www.tucantravel.com/useful-information/travel-insurance for further information about insurance and http://www.tucantravel.com//upload/Booking%20Conditions.pdf for our booking conditions.
Working Out Your Budget
Our pre-departure information and tour dossiers include a general list of all the things you should take into consideration when budgeting and an estimate of what you should allow per day for spending money. Below are some specific notes relevant to our tours in Cuba. Please also note that Cuba is an expensive country for travellers.
Generally speaking most museums in Cuba cost between US$2 and US$10. There are many interesting museums to visit, but please bear in mind that some museums are closed on Mondays.
For a detailed list of optional excursions and activities visit tucantravel.com and download our optional excursions guide.
Local Transport
Taxis are recommended for longer journeys within a city. You can also try the coco-taxis, especially in Trinidad, which are quite different. With the exception of coco-taxis, normal taxis have meters but you’ll quite often find that the driver would prefer to just give you a set price and not switch on the meter so the money goes into his pocket rather than to the government! The price will generally be the same as having the meter on. Local buses get very crowded and best avoided but you might like to try the “camello” in Havana (a semi-truck with a camel shaped trailer where the passengers mostly stand).
The weather in Cuba is mild subtropical, thanks to its proximity to the Tropic of Cancer, its narrow configuration, east to west oriented receives the refreshing action of trade winds and marine breezes. During the short winter cold air masses arrive from the north, but they are of short duration. The average temperature throughout the year varies between 20 and 35ºC, lowering sometimes to 10°C. The Eastern region enjoys a warmer weather than the western and the variations of temperature between the day and the night are less accentuated in the coastal regions than inland. The rainy season is from May to October. The average water temperature is 25°C.
Crime does exist in Cuba but on a relatively small scale considering that many people live in poverty. It is important to be sensible and alert but like anywhere in the world, you can be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Care should be taken, especially whilst walking around the larger cities. Try to keep away from dark quiet areas if on your own, particularly late at night and try to always take a taxi. We suggest that whenever possible you leave all of your important documents in the safe (“caja fuertes”) or at least locked in your main luggage. However you should always carry some form of ID or a photocopy of your passport.
To call overseas from Cuba you must dial ‘119’ followed by the country code, city code etc. You can buy special (dollar) telephone cards from ETECSA offices which also have internet facilities. With these cards you will have to use one of the blue ETECSA public phones to make international calls.
Email is without doubt the best way of keeping in contact with family and friends. There are ETECSA offices throughout with public internet facilities. The average cost is US$6 an hour.
All drinks such as water, soft or alcoholic drinks are at your own expense at all times. The following is a rough guideline for drinks bought in a shop in the street. Prices in restaurants and hotels can sometimes be more than double the prices specified below;
Bottle of soft drink US$1.50
Bottle of national beer US$2.00
Food in Cuba can be expensive compared to the rest of Latin America however the best value can be found in a “casa particular” or “paladares”. These privately owned restaurants have opened up all over Cuba and should only have 12 seats (but many obviously break the rules!). Most dishes consist of beans, rice with chicken or pork. “Congri” is the national dish, which is beans and rice. Cows are all Government owned, so you probably won’t see beef outside of Government run restaurants and hotels and it is usually expensive. The same applies to lobsters and prawns which are either saved for the export market or sold in dollar hotels and restaurants. Food can be plain at times so it is advisable to bring your own condiments and spicy sauces.
Drinks such as “guarapo” which is sugar cane juice will cost about US$0.05 but remember it will probably have ice in it, so be careful if you have a sensitive stomach. Cuban coffee is normally quite good but order a cafecito or café cubano not café americano (can be weak and mostly tasteless). You can also get milkshakes (batidos) at street markets.
Most people, especially outside the tourist industry, are paid very poorly (e.g. US$15 per month) so rely on tips to supplement their income. Tipping therefore is expected throughout Cuba for just about everything, from taxis to musicians, and obviously tour guides and waiters.
Shopping
Haggling is expected in Cuba and hunting for bargains can be a real highlight. For tips on bargaining and shopping etiquette please see the pre-departure booklet.
Jan 1 - Año Nuevo (New Year's Day) & Liberation Day.
Jan 2 - Vistory of Armed Forces
May 1 - Labour Day
May 20 - Independence Day
July 25-27 - Days of Rebeliousness
Oct 10 - Anniversary of the beginning of the War of Independence in 1868
Dec 25 - Navidad (Christmas)
In the case of an emergency before you meet your tour leader, please contact our local office in South America:
Avenida El Sol 616,
Office 202,
Cuzco
(Opposite the Qoricancha in the Maximo Nivel building)
AP0637, Cuzco, Peru
Tel: (+51) 084 241123
Fax: (+51) 084 248691
sacrew@tucantravel.com
Keiko Fernandez (+51) 84 984 65 3726
or (+51) 84 984 74 88 05
or Zac Lanham (+51) 84 984 76 21 64
This office is not a sales office- it is for operations only.
cuban rhapsody CUR