I know many of you Canadians have been to Cuba. I grew up in south Florida and have always been fascinated with that country, hoping to visit at the earliest opportunity. Please tell me about your experiences there. Any adults only resorts, beaches, etc? Thanks
We've been visiting Cuba 2 to 4 times per year for about 10 yrs. Great people with no entitlement or 'hand-out' attitude, always feel safe. Treat people with respect, say thank-you and tip modestly and you will have unforgettable service. It is a poor country, so lower your fine cuisine expectations, and some parts of any resort will be in disrepair and are dimly lit due to high electricity costs. Modest gifts for staff like children's clothing, gently used brandname clothing, stuffed toys, MLB logo'd merch/caps, used ballgloves, etc are REALLY appreciated. We mostly bring our older nice clothes and giveaway 99% of our belongings to staff including the gardeners, folks who rake the beach, lifeguards, dancers, entertainment staff, front desk and currency exchange staff, washroom attendants, security guards, etc in addition to the housekeepers and bartenders who, with tips, can earn more than Doctors! (Many workers only earn equivalent of $20-30 USD/month ... yep, month.). We bring lots of plastic shopping bags so we can bundle the stuff and giveaway discreetly, as they are a proud people, and we ensure to hand write a note with each bag given away, so they cannot be accused of stealing (we've never had anything stolen from rooms, beach, etc btw). Tourists are revered as tourism remains Cuba's largest industry. Many workers speak multiple languages...fluently! So impressive. The beaches (all are considered public beaches) and the Cuban people are spectacular, along with their culture. Cubans until you get to know them, will not speak ill of their government nor their economic challenges. Sure they're a communist/socialist country, but at the resorts you don't see or hear anything about that. When your airport trsfr, made in China, AC'd coach bus drives through the small cities/towns, it is a very humbling experience indeed seeing how folks live so poorly, yet amazingly, so happily. In short, Cubans are hardworking folks like anyone, anywhere, just trying to get by, staying healthy and supporting themselves and families. In terms of fellow guests, you'll meet many Cdns, especially from Quebec, many folks from Europe (e.g. Italy, Germany, Austria, Russia, Poland, Spain and the UK) and some Argentines and some local Cubans who may have saved up to enjoy the resort for a couple days. Sometimes even a few Americans (who arrived via Canada or Mexico... there are direct flights daily from Tampa and Miami (e.g. Flt #'s SY8875,SY9971,5K357,PR332... from a recent Arrivals board), but these are Americans with a special visa...e.g. educational, humanitarian, etc. There are several adults-only resorts but no Hedo/Desire (nor even TTR-esque places). Typically topless and at a couple beaches nudism is 'tolerated', but not really legal. You will not see naughty PDAs... stays behind closed doors. Among nudists there is a discreet LS undercurrent, and like minded folks tend to find each other. Clothing Optional beaches | Nude beaches, Cuba has a ton of info. Cuba is unspoiled, unpretentious and a great travel value for Cdns, but prices are inching up, as they are everywhere. Hope this helps. We love it
Another useful info site is www . autenticacuba . com Will be interesting how tonight's election results impact the future of potential tourism directly from US to Cuba. Polls just closed
