Time might be running out for the classic Cuban cars

Raul Castro, the president of Cuba has recently announced a change in policy which will now allow Cubans to buy and sell used cars from the end of the 1959 revolution. Previously Cubans were not allowed to buy and sell cars which resulted in many very old cars being used by locals to travel around in. These unique Cuban cars have long been an attraction when visiting Cuba. Visitors to the very unique destination could step back in time and experience some of the oldest cars still being used in the world from as far back as 1952 and beyond. Our Cuba specialist, Fiona visited earlier in the year and experienced some of these vintage classics in her April blog post. With these cars still being used today this demonstrates the amount of care and attentions Cubans have taken to keep these cars on the road, many of them are kept in pristine condition!

BBC News recently covered the story  - to view the article and video just follow this link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15710861

This weeks news may signal the start of the end for these classic cars as Cubans will now be able to exchange cars for newer models. Travellers who would like to experience the delights of seeing this vintage cars in their prime may want to consider a trip to the unique and intoxicating Cuba before time for these cars runs out!

To find out more about Cuba, why not download our detailed brochure? Or contact our specialist, Fiona on 01202 606160

Holidays to Cuba – A step back in time

1952 Cuban Car

Cuba is a fascinating country, with such an interesting history.  Not so long ago, back in 1959 Fidel Castro along with Che Guevara & others successfully overthrew the American backed Cuban dictator Batista, taking back the 75% of foreign owned land & nationalised it all. When all the Americans quickly left Cuba they had to abandon all their cars. These vintage cars have been maintained ever since & many of them kept in pristine condition. The Cubans are such happy & welcoming people. They may not own much materialistic things- like houses or cars but they have a love of life that you cannot help but be drawn by. They love their music & dancing- it is everywhere you go in Cuba.

I have been to Cuba I think 7 times before & apart from the first ever trip, this last one in February was the best.

I had never been to the city of Santiago de Cuba before & I loved it. Santiago is located at the southern tip of Cuba- a very long drive or domestic flight from Havana. Rather than wasting time travelling I opted to fly with Cubana from Gatwick to Holguin (flight then continues to Havana). I was pleasantly surprised with Cubana, the plane was comfortable & although it does not have the individual tv screens as Virgin have, the flight was fine. On arrival into Holguin airport we could have had a few nights @ Guardalavaca beach, but we wanted to get to Santiago straightaway.  So we had a 3 hour private transfer to Santiago arriving at the colonial Casa Grande Hotel in the centre of the historical part of the city. The Casa Grande is a beautiful building & yes it may not be in pristine condition but is in a great location & has lots of character. There is also the Melia hotel which has a swimming pool, but we were in Santiago to enjoy the city & would have plenty of time later in the trip to relax around a pool!!

Santiago is a very different city to Havana & has more of a Caribbean feel to it. It is certainly less touristy than Havana, but that will be because it is harder to get to!! We only had 3 nights here & the first night we arrived quite late so really only the 2 full days. Now I have been to Santiago I would recommend it to clients who want to experience a city a little less touristy than Havana. Santiago is reputed to be the birth place of reggae music- so here you have a huge mix of music. On the Saturday night in the park across from the Casa Grande Hotel there was a group of men playing guitar & singing – they were fantastic & would take requests. They were not doing it for money but because they enjoyed it- the bottle (s) of rum no doubt helped!! It was a great atmosphere & no loutish behaviour!!

After our 3 nights in Santiago we took the domestic flight up to Havana. Being in Havana is always a real highlight for me. It is a city that really makes you feel like you have gone back in time by several decades, back to the 1950’s. The city is so vibrant & with a little imagination you can picture how beautiful the buildings were in their hey day. Much of Havana is being renovated so the buildings are getting back to their original splendour- it is a slow & expensive job but they are getting there little by little. A walk along the Malecon on a Friday or Saturday night is like going to several parties. All the Cubans are along here playing music, drinking rum & courting.

On the Sunday we made our way to “La Rumba de Cayo Hueso”. It is a fabulous Afro-Cuban musical get together every Sunday from 12pm.  Really highly respected musicians & dancers come here to play Rumba, not the ballroom version but a complex rhythmic music generally only found in Cuba. The dance is flirtatious between a man & woman.  The singers & dancers change as people take their turn, it is fascinating a great experience. This was my first visit & I wondered why I had never been before..

When in Havana there is a lot to see & do. We had 5 nights this trip & that was perfect. We also had some relaxation time by the hotels roof top pool. My favourite hotel in Havana is still the Parque central. The rooms are great, the huge buffet breakfast wonderful & the 2 roof top pools are ideal to cool down in when the mid day sun hits..

I also went to Trinidad, the Cuban city for the day- just to see some hotels. It was a long day trip & not one that I would recommend taking from Havana. It was 5 hours each way!! But there was no availability in any of the hotels so it was either go for the day or not at all!. Although it was a long way for a day trip it was worth seeing Trinidad. It is a really pretty city with very old cobbled streets & colourful buildings. It is much better to go & stay there for 2 or 3 nights so that you can visit the old town etc in the morning or late afternoon- when the hundreds of day tourists are not there. It is a popular day trip from the beach area of Varadero so by lunch time there are lots of coaches & too many people. So if by staying a night or so you can avoid the middle hours of the day when this little city is busy & enjoy it at it quietest time. The 5* Grand Hotel is a beautiful colonial hotel in the heart of the city. But if you want to have some beach time but only be a 20 minute drive to the city then I really like the Costa Sur Bungalows. The hotel is the Club Amigo Costa Sur & is the smallest beach hotel in the area. The regular rooms are not so good but the bungalows are lovely & on the beach. For me the perfect way to enjoy Trinidad is to have 2 nights @ the Grand Hotel & then move to the beach hotel.  This is perfect for clients that really do not want to stay in the large resort area of Varadero. By staying at Trinidad beach you then also have the opportunity of going back into the city.

After 5 nights in Havana we were ready for a rest, so with a heavy heart we said goodbye to Havana having the short transfer to Varadero beach, for our final 5 nights in Cuba. Varadero gets slatted a lot by people but it is a gorgeous beach & yes it is very touristy with lots of big international hotels- but at least Cubans live there. I am not a big fan of the Cayo’s, the islands along the coast. Yes they are on lovely beaches but as they are so isolated Cubans do no actually live there & are brought in to work for a week & then go home for a few days before returning to the Cayo to work some more. We went into Varadero Town one evening to the Casa de la Musica & were so lucky to see a famous Cuban band called Los Van Van playing. It was a great night & full of local people. This band is huge in Cuba & we were so lucky to be in the right place at the right time. They have played in the UK before with the tickets selling @ £30. Here in Varadero we got in for 10 CUC’s – £7!! Bargain. The rest of the time we relaxed on the stunning beach watching the Pelicans & drinking cocktails. At the internationally managed resort hotels the food & drink are an excellent standard- maybe too good as we drank & ate far too much!!

So we than had to come home :[ . Any spare currency was spent on buying more bottles of Havana Club @ duty free. The Cubana flight, as on the way over, was perfectly on time & even arrived 10 minutes early. We arrived to grey skies & rain- welcome home!! But at least we had got away from the UK’s miserable weather & had a fantastic holiday – one that I will never forget..

Cuba comes to us!

As many of you will know I love my holidays to Cuba & will be back there again in February!! Exciting news is that in April, Cuba is coming to us- well London anyway!! For those of you that want to salsa dance there are workshops in the day & the parties start each evening.

The event runs from the 8^th to the 11^th April. Full details & ticket information can be found through the following link.

http://www.londoncubancongress.com/

Returning from my trip to Cuba

Hola..

Am back from yet another wonderful trip to Cuba.. AND I missed all the snow everyone was texting me about!! There was not a sign of it o my return so wonder if it was all a joke!! This was a quick week’s holiday so was primarily to relax & get some sun. Varadero beach is so lovely & again this year we had the pelicans bobbing by, a few feet from our sun loungers!! Bless them..

Many people slat Varadero beach because it is very touristy – but my thoughts on this is that yes there are a lot of hotels but at least Cubans live in this area. If you go out to one of the Cayos- like Cayo largo, Santa Maria, Ensenachos etc you are in a hotel & no Cuban communities around. The staff are brought in to work then go home every so often for a few days. At least in Varadero you can go out to local restaurants & Cuban nightclubs- if you want to.

Even though I only went for a week I had to have at least 1 night in Havana- which was my last night on this trip. It is such an amazing city & I love it. It really is like stepping back in time with all the old cars & buildings. This time I had dinner @ the Hostal Valencia Paella restaurant- it was lovely & the vegetarian paella was really tasty.. See they are even catering more for us difficult vegetarians- who also don’t eat fish!! Things really are changing.

Well it was too short a trip & I cannot wait to go back in February- for 2 weeks. This time hitting Santiago de Cuba, Havana for 5 nights – cant wait for that & finishing @ the beach for 5 nights before coming back to the cold – oh & work!!! ..

I cannot stress enough how people need to visit this amazing island before the American mass tourist market start to arrive & with it their demand for MacDonald’s, KFC etc..

If you are thinking about a trip to Cuba please do not hesitate to contact me any time! You can also request our full e-brochure for Cuba which contains a wealth of information about Cuba locations, hotels and activities.

Fishing Tournament in Cuba

The first Jardines del Rey International Fishing Tournament has been announced and will be held in the beautiful region of Cayo Guillermo and is open to both professional and amateur fishermen alike.

The fishing tournament will take place at Jardines del Rey International Marina of Cayo Guillermo from October 18th to October 22nd of 2010 and those taking part in this event may be capturing species such as blue marlin, sailfish, wahoo and dolphin fish.

The permitted fishing line will be 50 pounds and the notification of a tag and release or a capture will be informed to the marina control centre stating the time, the number of the team and the area where it occurred.  In case of discrepancy, each crew will carry a disposable camera that will be delivered to the jury at the end of the day.

How about combining a holiday with this Fishing Tournament?! Find out more and request a brochure on our Cuba pages.

Revolutionary Cuba…..

Everybody’s image of Cuba is different, but one thing everyone does seem to agree on is to travel to this wonderful Caribbean island sooner rather than later before it changes beyond all recognition. This year, 2009, marks the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution and the images of Che Guevara, Castro and Jose Marti are in abundance as you travel throughout the country.