entertainment Sat night

[kevin]

#13421

Hi we are arranging for big holiday next April exploring Cuba  were finding the book and website great and Isabel has booked Casas for us my question is it very much looks like we will arrive on a Sunday so we will miss Saturday night around the Malecon will it be a bit dead as we will be there 4 days so sun night to Thursday morning what can we expect and any tips for finding some good Salsa and live music wood be most appreciated Gracias Thanks kevin Cutler England

[Mario Rizzi]

#13425

Hi Kevin,

 

Sunday on the Malecon should still be ok. I would not worry about that too much because there are many other factors at play. A lot depends on the weather too. If it’s hot and dry, lots of people will be around. If it’s cool and wet, nobody will be there. It’s unpredictable, especially a year in advance.

The best tip I can give you is to be open minded and to remember that  this country is just beginning to learn about capitalism and customer service. Don’t expect perfection. Just go there to have a good time and roll with it if there are minor issues. Food might sometimes be bad, scams are plentiful and plans can change at a minute’s notice. But that’s Cuba and honestly it’s part of the charm.

The happening dance clubs might change by next year, but some of the good places as of now are the FAC, which is a dance/art disco/bar. Also of interest is the Casa de la Musica in Central Havana. Most live salsa shows start around 5pm and last until 9pm. During the week they do salsa dancing and you can dance with locals. On the weekends it’s more hip hop and club music and there are more tourists. There are ok dance areas like Turquino, located on the Habana Libre Hotel. Has live music most nights.. Seriously, you should not have any trouble finding a place to dance and have fun. I am sure you will have an excellent trip!

Mario

[b12kjc]

#13447

Hi thanks for the advice , I suppose we get used to the English way of Saturday night is big night out in the week people are working so not so much happens . We think we have our tour sorted and will buy flights this week ,as we don’t live anywhere near London we hav to book early to get a sensible price from our local airport via Amsterdam 1 hour Klm . So thanks for your book and the YouTube videos keep updating if you can we will check regularly befor we travel . Ps. You probably covere this but the dreaded Mosquito  not Mojito we like them ! But we here story’s of som people getting horrendous bites all over at some locations not in city’s ie Playa Larga and some island beaches what’s your experience please.  Regards Kevin.

[Mario Rizzi]

#13455

Hi,

In Cuba there are many parties every night. With so many tourists in the city of Havana there is always an excuse for a party. Most locals will party on the weekend or close to the weekend. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the best days.

As for mosquitoes, yes, you can expect many. In Havana it’s really not so bad. The city fumigates and has awareness campaigns in order to reduce breeding grounds and prevent many mosquitoes.

Outside the city, there are many more mosquitoes. In a place like Playa Larga, you will be eaten alive if you are not prepared. Playa Larga is situated directly beside the Zapata swamp, which is the largest swamp in the Caribbean. On certain evenings, usually around sundown, there are so many mosquitoes that you can barely see in front of you as you walk. You must absolutely bring some high power mosquito repellent, with 50% of more deet in order to walk around outside.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by Mario.

[b12kjc]

#13472

Hi. As I thought with playa Larga I think we will take it off our tour , and head straight down to Trinidad for a few days and then work our way back up to Havana we love the national parks and were hoping that they won’t be to bad for mozzys in day and so staying in town or city evenings should be ok with some repellant we saw some pictures of people litter lily eaten alive and it was enough to put us of going to Cuba all together ! But we want to experience all the good things especially Havana the beaches and music so we still want to go . Just one last question as we are staying in Vinales after Havana the next stop was to be Trinidad it’s a heck of a long journey down if we don’t stop in Larga do you have a suggestion to break journey thanks Mario am just waiting on delivery  of paperback version of your guide so we don’t have to rely on the kindle being charged  thanks again Kevin

[Mario]

#13474

Hey,

Playa Larga can be skipped. It’s a nice place but the beach is not wonderful. Basically you go there to spend a few days, check out the swamp and see some wildlife. But the beach itself is small and nothing so special and the area is undeveloped so there is not so much else. You are not missing much.

How are you getting from Vinales to Trinidad? My recommendation is to not take the Viazul. The trip is way too long. You are better off taking a taxi. The yellow state taxis are expensive, but a communal taxi will do the trip for about 45$ per person or less and the trip is much faster than with the Viazul. I think it takes about 6 hours, which is not so bad. And the landscape is nice.

In Vinales, in front of the main town square there is a tourist office. You will see it clearly while you are in Vinales since the town is so small. There are posters all over the office window with prices to take taxis to different destinations.

Outside the office you will find a taxi organizer. His name is Leonardo. His job is to group people into taxis. Tell him you want to go to Trinidad. He will organize a taxi to pick you up at your casa on the morning of your choice and the taxi will take you to Trinidad. It goes to Havana first, then maybe picks up and drops off some people, then goes to Trinidad. It’s very easy and the cost is reasonable. And it’s faster than the Viazul. The taxis usually hold about 9 people. They are old cars, but safe. The organizers name is Leonardo. His phone number is 5 240 9142. He speaks a bit if English. But either tell your landlord to call him and organize the taxi, or go visit him in front of the tourist office. He has cropped hair and he will probably approach you if you look like a tourist.

Have fun in Cuba!

[kevin]

#13571

Hi Mario thanks or your previous tips ,can I ask from Trinidad I was wanting to have a day check out beaches at cayo guilermo /pilar flamingo I know its a long strectch of rough road would you advise go for day in taxi if so how far is it or would I  be better staying near buy , after this our last few days will be heading back to Havana was thinking maybe 2or 3 days in casa in varedero before heading for airport in Havana home what do think   thanks once again .Kevin

[Mario]

#13581

Hi, from Trinidad I would highly not recommend going all the way to cayo Guillermo. It is very far. Probably 5 hours by taxi. Maybe even more. And it won’t be cheap either. You probably have to pay at least 150$ for the taxi. There are no buses that will take you. And there are no casas in the cayos. You have to stay in a hotel. And that will be expensive. Probably 200$ per night at least. It’s not worth it. If you were going to go there for a week, fine. But for just a day or 2… It’s a beach. A nice Beach, but varadero is almost just as nice and there is more to do.

In varadero there are many casas. Most are fine. You shouldn’t have trouble finding a place to stay. The beach is really great. The town is fun to walk around in. Most people stay in hotels. You won’t save much money if you stay in a casa. The food in restaurants is expensive and the beer is overpriced a lot too. Factor that if you stay in a casa you might spend at least 100cuc per day to survive. You can probably find a hotel for 100cuc per day and it will be beach front, with all you can eat food and drinks and have a pool and entertainment. I suggest going to a hotel. You can see some cheap hotels at http://www.sunwing.ca

 

Take care,

Mario

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