Was in Cuba recently, mainly in Havana. Not much info on the site regarding Havana so I’ve tried to write a detailed report for anyone planning to go.
Booked accommodation in advance using Airbnb, including fees costs about £20-£30 a night for a decent one bed place. If you google "casa particular" you'll get a bunch of sites with listings for apartments in Cuba also, but I just prefer to use Airbnb. I messaged owners to check if guests are allowed before booking, majority said yes, some said they will have to show ID. Both places I stayed didn’t have any sort of doorman, just one night the owner who lived above heard my girl arrive and he came and asked for her ID and kept it till morning. She was fine with that.
For money I took my starling card, there are plenty of ATMs in cuba, no ATM fees but they do charge a 3% fee for exchanging to Cuban dollars. I read fx places (Cadeca exchange houses) have the same fee for exchanging but I only used my card so I’m not 100% sure. Was getting about £1 to 1.25cuc after fees. There are two currencies, locals sometimes use CUP which is about 25 to 1cuc, they look similar so taxis may give change in CUP to scam, double check change.
When arrived there are ATMs inside the airport and in the little building opposite the exit. Taxis will ask for 30+cuc for the 30min ride to central Havana, I paid 25cuc but I’m sure can be brought lower. Not sure about duty free prices but its only 5cuc for litre of the standard Havana club at stalls in the city.
For internet you buy Wifi cards at little Etecsa stalls around (generally near wifi spots), cost 1cuc for one hour internet, need ID or passport to buy, 1 hour doesn’t have to be used continuously and can only be used at certain parks and on the Malecon. When the stalls are closed after 7pm, people will sell you wifi cards but want 2cuc. You want the Etecsa stalls for cards, other places like hotels sell cards but they will be restricted and can only be used at say that specific hotel.
I Set up Badoo and Tagged apps in advance, can set your location in Havana and start matching/messaging a few days before. Tagged has less people and mainly a mixture of fake pictures or not great looking girls, so wouldn’t recommend. Badoo a much more normal dating site and much more people on here, worth using. Due to lack of internet girls can be slow to respond so set up in advance and collect numbers to message/call when you arrive.
Because of the lack of internet getting a local sim for calls and texts is quite important to stay in touch with girls. Some casas lend spare sims, mine didn’t so I rented one from a guy I spoke to on the street, gave him 20cuc for 4 days and he had credit which lasted me those days also, I still think I overpaid him. I think you can buy one for 40cuc but not sure on the process. Girls will all call you on a reverse charge here as they don’t have credit.
The place felt very safe, walking through neighbourhoods alone at night was fine, nobody really paying me any attention.
I did read the Malecon and La rampa (Avenue 23) is a good place in the evening to chat to more normal girls but I didn’t try this, nor did I see anything really the times I was there, seemed to be mainly teenagers hanging out there. Could also be worth talking to people for contacts for girls also. I only tried this once near the end of my trip, chatted to a guy trying to get me into a restaurant he then asked if I wanted anything else, so I asked if he knew any girls, I gave him my number and said to send photos across to whatsapp. He had two friends that would be interested, one looked good and one didn’t but I decided against it in the end.
There is a police presence about, stationed around Malecon or La rampa (Avenue 23), can mean problems getting girls from the clubs. When leaving a club with a girl we would generally walk sort of separate to the taxi so not 100% obvious. Girls and taxi drivers do seem to be worried about police but twice police had words with the driver when I was in the taxi with a girl and nothing came of it.
Need to be 100% clear and confirm with girls when leaving clubs on everything, when she leaves or how many cums you want, also when payment is. I’d say maybe half the girls I spoke to out here wanted payment upfront so need to be clear on that. If a girl won’t budge on payment maybe suggest half upfront and half after, I would have tried this in hindsight.
I’d say the place can be split into three main areas, old Havana, Vedado and Miramar:
Vieja /old Havana
Don’t think there is many clubs around here, I went to one called Piano bar/casa de musica on corner of Neptuna and avenue Italia (Galiano) smallish place, majority locals, playing salsa. A few girls about though I wouldn’t say quality was that high on the nights I was there, 5cuc entry and 1.5cuc beer? All clubs seem to get busy between 12-1am.
Vedado / new Havana
Lots of clubs and bars, I went to La Gruta, big place inside but again quality not that high, majority locals and some girls about, 3 cuc entry and maybe 1.5cuc a beer. Tikoa, small place, 3cuc beer and 5cuc entry, lots of locals but this place is more set up for punters, loads of prossies and some pimps about, these girls are hardcore and will pester you all night for drinks, dancing and for you to take them back, quality is low just the odd nice girl. Terrible club! There are more clubs in this area, but I never got around to visiting any, the two above were on the main road La Rampa (avenue 23)
Miramar
I bit further out this area has lots of clubs. I just tried Q’bola, not many locals here, set up for punters, tables and bottle service, lots of Americans there for girls and pretty much all girls are prossies. Quality was high here, girls asking for 100+ cuc but I’m sure can be brought down. I didn’t bring anyone back from here because the few I spoke to wanted payment upfront and I couldn’t risk that. Clubs are all spread out and taxis are expensive, so I didn’t try other clubs out here, but a girl told me that Tropicana and Cuba club are also good places to go here.
