Advice on casa particular booking

[photog]

#15858

Before I read your book I booked an apartment with AirB&B at Havana and Acosta in Old Town.  Is this selection one that I should be concerned with?  Any thoughts about the location?  It is clearly not in the areas that you recommend.

[Mario]

#15867

Hi,

Your casa, at the corner of Habana and Acosta is situated in the southern part of Old Havana. This is a poor area. Probably one of the poorest areas in Old Havana.

But, this does not mean that it is bad. The casa will probably be OK looking. The casas are usually fixed up better than the local homes.

Fundamentally, your location is a bit distant from many popular landmarks. You can walk to the Capitolio in about 15 minutes, but the Malecon is distant. Vedado is distant. Even the popular walking streets in Old Havana are a bit distant.

But still, the advantage of being in this area is that there will be fewer tourists and you will be able to experience Havana from a locals perspective.

I dont think it will be that bad. You will do more walking and maybe have to spend a bit of extra money on taxis, but you can still see the city and have fun. As long as you keep an open mind it will be fine. The neighborhood will be noisier and dirtier than Vedado, but you will probably spend most of your time walking around in other places, so it won’t make much of a difference anyway.

Take care,

Mario

[Mario]

#15868

And, if you are a photographer, then you will probably appreciate the broken buildings and “authentic” Cuban views. The neighborhood kids will be in the streets playing soccer and baseball. The old men will be under a dim streetlight playing dominoes at night. There will be chickens and dogs on the building roofs.

People go to cuba to see these things. I think you will be fine.

[photog]

#15904

Thanks Mario,  We are photographers so the things you mentioned will be good for us.  I guess you can’t count on air&b for their reviews.  We will make it work.  Your comments about the safety in Cuba make this less of a problem.

[photog]

#15907

Mario, I am not scheduled to go to Cuba until mid December.  Do you suggest I cancel my reservation and get another in an area you recommend?

[Mario]

#15914

Hi, in mid December there will be a lot of tourists in Havana. At this point in time I dont know how easy it would be to find another casa.

If you like the actual casa that you booked, then I think you should keep your reservation. If your only concern is the location of the casa, then I really dont think it is an issue.

You really won’t be spending a lot of time in the casa. You will always be walking around the city. If it was me, I would just keep the reservation.

I like Vedado. It’s my preferred place to stay in Havana. Some people really like Old Havana. I find that there are too many tourists there. But, in your case, you are not staying in a part of Old Havana with many tourists nearby. You are in the poorer, regular Cuban part of Old Havana, so i think it will be better.

For photography, I think you are staying in a good location, and you might be able to get some unique shots.

And as for safety, you won’t have a problem. People will chat you up as you walk around. They will use a hundred different lines to start up a conversation. It’s safe to say that any Cuban who starts talking to you as you are walking around Havana has a goal of somehow getting some money from you. But its a safe country and you won’t be robbed. They will just be nice to you and bring up how poor they are and then maybe ask you for something. That’s about as dangerous as Havana gets.

Take care man,

Mario

[Author]

Posts