Hi; anbei ein Reisebericht zum Thema Backpacking in Cuba aus Couchsurfing Cuba: 2012
vlt. findest du da schon mal bisschen was dich interessiert.. Backpacking ist nicht mein Reisestil....
Just finished backpacking all over Cuba for 30 days and it's really such an incredible country. I traveled to Havana, Santa Clara, Remedios, Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa, Trinidad, Vinales, Pinar del Rio, Maria la Gorda, and tons of other places. Living expenses are cheap, the country has tons to see, and the Cubans are the most hospitable people I've ever met. Believe it or not, my flights getting there cost more than what I ended up spending when I was there...and I did a lot.
Some advice:
First of all, buy a good travel book. Cheap reliable internet is just about non-existent in Cuba so don't count on researching on the web after you get there.
To help you understand the prices I'm saying:
1USD is roughly 1CUC
1CUC is exactly 25 Peso Nationale (or "CUP"). Thus, 1CUP is roughly 0.04USD Cuba runs on a two currency system, one for tourists and one for locals...look it up online or in your travel book.
-Where to eat:
You can eat for less than $2USD per day if you avoid tourist CUC restaurants and instead go to peso nationale stands and government restaurants like the Cubans do.
For breakfast, try to get it included free in your casa price. If they refuse, only pay 2-3CUC max. Sometimes it's worth paying 2-3CUC extra just to wake up to a meal instead of having to hunt around for one..but there's almost always an egg sandwich place somewhere where you can get an egg sandwich for only 10 Peso Nationale and a coffee for only 1 Peso Nationale (that's like $0.44 total for breakfast).
For lunch, go to the peso stands (it's all about the peso pizza, baby!). Ask around where "the best" or "el mejor" peso pizza or peso sandwich stand is, and a friendly Cuban will most likely point you in the right direction. Just about all of these stands are run privately just out of someones house so sometimes it's hard to find the good one. I never got sick from eating at any of these places but the portions and quality vary. A peso pizza or sandwhich is about 10 Peso Nationale and a cup of juice is normally 2 Peso Nationale (total for lunch: $0.48). Government restaurants are also an option as I explain below.
For dinner, the casa particulars are going to do everything they can to get you to stay for dinner. If the food they serve is anything less than spectacular, by all means, hit up the government restaurants. At a tourist restaurant or casa, a big plate with pork, potatoes, and a salad will cost you roughly 7CUC ($7 USD). That same exact plate of food can be found at the government restaurant down the street for only 15 Peso Nationale ($0.60 USD)...and why? Because the food in Cuba extremely cheap. That 7CUC dinner offered at the casa probably cost them less than 20 cents to make. The cheap price of the government restaurants sometimes has it's downside though... Many times certain foods on the menu wont be available because they ran out. The service is also really slow a lot of the time so don't go there starving.
A tip on the govt restaurants: If you ask for a menu, make sure it's the Peso Nationale menu. If they hand you the CUC menu (usually 400% more than the peso menu) just say your a student at Habana University (students are allowed to order off the peso menu...not tourists). If they ask for your student ID, say you left it in your
casa particular ...they don't care if you're lying or not so I always got the peso menu.
-How to communicate around Cuba and back home:
The internet in Cuba is almost always expensive and slow...save yourself the trouble, tell your friends and family you wont be updating them probably until you get back. It is possible to buy a phone card (just be sure it's the international one) to call back home...but that's not very cheap either. Buying a sim card or cell phone to make calls within Cuba is a waste. Every casa you stay in will have a phone that they will gladly let you use to make calls within Cuba. It costs them pretty much nothing.
-How to get around within a city:
ALWAYS agree on the price before you take any form of transportation in Cuba. NEVER agree to let a taxi driver use the meter to price your trip...they'll almost always take "the scenic route". The bicycle taxi's are normally really slow and overpriced..avoid them unless they're you're only option. The horse-drawn carriages are only 2 peso nationale and are the most affordable way to get around both cheap and quickly. If you're alone, the motorcycle taxi's are a really fun way to get around for cheap...1CUC will take you anywhere you want to go in Santiago de Cuba (just keep an eye out for the motorcyclists carrying a helmet in one hand). If you have a death wish, by all means take the yellow 3 wheeled Coco-Taxis. Hitchhiking is also possible within some cities and towns and usually costs nothing.
As a last resort, there's always the taxis. Ask around for how much it should cost you from A to B before you hail a cab. Cubans are some of the nicest people in the world, but their taxi drivers can be real scumbags. My friend got scammed out of 45CUC when he asked a taxi driver "how much from the airport to Havana central" (that trip should cost 12CUC..15CUC max). The white older looking taxi's are on average 20% less than the newer looking red and yellow ones, and the "yank-tanks" are the cheapest taxi-car option...just be ready for them to break down every now and then.
Bicycle rental exists as well. I paid 5CUC to rent a mountain bike for an entire day. Can't really tell you if I got a good deal or not because I only did it once.
-How to get around from city to city:
If you want to see a lot of Cuba and don't have much time, you're going to need a reliable form of transport, and the Viazul would be your best option in that situation. About 20CUC will get you from Havana to Santa Clara. Just a warning that the buses are freezing at night and the seats are not at all comfortable for tall people.
The second most reliable option is taking a group taxi (like many Cubans do). I took one of those from Havana to Santa Clara for only 10CUC...but I had to wait about an hour for more passengers to show up. Sometimes it's a nice 90's era car, and other times it's a yank tank that's just about falling apart. Ask around on the prices before you take one of these. You can normally find intercity taxi drivers standing outside the front door of Viazul/Astro bus stations yelling "TAXI HAVANA! TAXI SANTA CLARA! TAAAAXI!". These are the guys you want for the cheaper more direct ride...just know that they become more scarce and expensive at night.
If you don't mind spending a day traveling between places, are a bit adventurous, and want the true Cuban travel experience, then head on down to one of the hitchhiking stations on the outskirts of town. Most likely you'll take multiple forms of transport including riding in one of those packed orange little buses (2 Peso Nationale), the back of a soviet truck (most times 2 Peso Nationale), and the back of some small pick up trucks (free!). I've done this several times and my biggest feat was getting from Vinales to Maria la Gorda (about 100 miles) for only 70 Peso Nationale (less than $2.50 USD). It's been a rewarding safe experience for me just about every time I've done it. Even with little to no Spanish it's easy to do...just ask anyone at the hitchhike station "Maria la Gorda" (or wherever you want to go) and they'll indicate which bus/truck/pickup to avoid and which one to take. I even made Cuban friend by doing this who took me back to his house to introduce me to his family, show me his farm, and he even made me a huge plate of food without expecting anything in return. If you travel like one of the Cubans, they treat you like one of their own.
-Where to sleep:
Couchsurfing is illegal in Cuba and only endangers the person you're staying with..not you. I chose not to do it because I'd rather not get my Cuban friends imprisoned and thrown out of their houses. I recommend you do the same.
Casa Particulars are the cheapest place to sleep legally. It's usually a room with two beds, a hot shower, a working toilet, and a refrigerator. The charge is per room, not per person, so you can save tons of money if you split a room with friends. Don't pay anymore than 15CUC if it's just you alone. Don't pay anymore than 20CUC if you're with a friend or friends. Many times you can get breakfast thrown in free for these prices. The bare bottom price any casa needs to make is 10CUC per night (anything extra they pocket). If a casa is desperate enough, they'll give you the room for 10CUC a night...sometimes including breakfast (I've been offered this before). I don't recommend reserving a casa using internet websites like "cuba-junky" because they take a huge commission and many times you'll show up to the casa to find it filled up anyway.
I stayed in my share of good and bad casas and these were the ones that stuck out:
HAVANA
"Casa de Ania" (BACKPACKERS HOSTEL)
Address: Calle Jovellar. 27 de Noviembre (J) No 160 apto 9. e/ San Francisco y Espada. Centro Habana, Cuba
Phones: (537)-870-4881 and cell: 052920610
Email:
anyvirgo@hotmail.com
Possibly the only casa in Cuba that is set up like a backpackers hostel. I came here alone and met 3 guys from around the world who ended up traveling through Cuba with me for a good chunk of my trip. This is also the only casa in Cuba that offers free internet. The beds and facilities are clean, there's kitchen access, and the owners are are really nice. Look up the reviews and pictures on hostelbookers.com (listed as the #1 casa in Havana). Just know that if you book on hostelbookers.com, you pay a 5CUC commission. If you reserve by phone, or just show up in person, it's only 15CUC per person. Even if they're full, they'll set you up in a casa nearby so you can still come in an meet people.
SANTA CLARA
"Casa de Hospedaje"
Address: Calle de Colón No. 271 e/ E.P. Morales (Síndico) y Gral. Roloff (Caridad). Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
Phone: 294148
Hands down the casa with the best food in Cuba. The owner (José) used to cook for Castro himself when he was in the military and my God does he know how to put out a good spread...fish, pork, chicken, lobster, you name it. Breakfast and dinner are always served in portions so big that you can't possibly eat it all. Rooms were clean and the shower has hot water. Estimate the price to be 15CUC per night for one person, and 20CUC for two or more. Dinner is not included but well worth the price.
REMEDIOS
"Casa Las Tres Chinitas"
Address: Independencia #21, e/ Brigadier González y Maceo, Remedios, Villa Clara, Cuba
Phones: 53-0142-397116 and 53-0142-395316
Email:
hostallaschinitas@yahoo.com
Great location, excellent food, clean beds and bathroom. Definitely worth staying in if you visit Remedios. I stayed here with one other person and the room was 20CUC for the night.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA
Can't recommend a casa here because the casa I stayed in had a broken toilet, was infested with ants, and the dogs next door would bark allll night. I recommend not getting a casa downtown and trying to get one closer to the Viazul bus station (much nicer/safer part of the city).
BARACOA
"Casa Anna y Armando"
Address: Ruber López No. 79. % Roberto Ryes y Limbano Sánchez. Baracoa, Guantánamo, Cuba
Phone: 64-3169
They give you a key to your own room which has two beds, a high powered fan, a fridge, AC, and your own bathroom with hot water. Good location and the owners are really nice. I was too tired too negotiate when I got there and ended up paying 20CUC just for myself alone. Paying 5CUC extra seemed worth it at the time because my casa in Santiago de Cuba was such a shithole. Oh and the food here is really good as well.
TRINIDAD
"Casa José A. Lugones Calleyro"
Address: Calle Frank País No. 468 A entre Fidel Claro y Santiago Escobar. Trinidad, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba
Phones: 993718 and 992284
Casa is short walking distance from the Viazul station (but then again everything is walking distance in Trinidad). The breakfast was always good, but I didn't really like dinner here. The owners are really nice and their son speaks fluent English.
VINALES
"Casa Carmita"
I lost the address and phone number to this place but you can easily walk here by doing the following: Walk North-East on the main street called "Cisnero". Pass the main square+church (which should be on your left) and less than 500 meters down the hill will be Carmitas casa on the left with a "CARMITA" sign near the door. If you have trouble finding it ask someone nearby...just make sure they're not a jineantero or they'll collect a commission at your expense.
As for the casa itself: The owners are really nice, 3 bed room with good AC and shower, breakfast was great, and the dinner I had the night I ate there was okay. They give you your own keys which is a big plus.
PINAR DEL RIO
Didn't end up staying the night here...this city only worth a day trip if anything. Don't spend the night here
MARIA LA GORDA
THERE ARE NO CASAS IN MARIA LA GORDA...only a hotel. However, it is still possible to visit this gorgeous beach without paying for a hotel. Stay at a Casa Particular in the nearby towns of Manual Lazo or La Bajada (almost any casa you go to before this will know of one in either of these two towns). Trust me, it's worth the trip. I went to tons of beaches in Cuba, and Maria la Gorda is by far the best. Bring your own snorkeling gear to check out the beautiful fish, and you wont pay for anything except the entrance (10CUC...includes free sandwich and non-alcoholic beverage). The entrance fee is a bit of a rip off, but I was able to pay 5CUC by pretending I didn't have enough money and trying to pay the rest in peso nationale (they took the 5CUC and gave me back my pesos hahaha). You pay no entrance fee if you book a hotel room. Before you leave, take advantage of the free shower in the dive center. I was able to get from Manual Lazo to Maria la Gorda and back, free, because I rode in the back of a truck with a bunch of workers that work near there. Get to the hitchhiking station in Manual Lazo/La Bajada at around 8AM, hitch a ride to Maria la Gorda, spend the day walking down the beach/swimming, and get a ride back out around 5-6PM. Just a warning: there's almost no traffic between Maria la Gorda and Manual Lazo at 10PM and 5AM. Your only option would be taking a ~10CUC taxi if you get stuck between this window.
Google the names of of these casas to find other reviews online if you want.
-For other Americans who are considering going:
I had no trouble getting into Cuba or going back home. They don't stamp your passport in Cuba. They only stamp your visa which you can buy at the gate just before you board the plane to Havana for like $20-25 USD. The only risk I took coming home was having 2 stamps saying I entered Mexico with nothing in between (but they didn't even notice). I'm not saying you should...but it is possible to write just Mexico on your countries visited list and not get noticed at all. If by some rare chance a customs official asks whether you went to Cuba or not DO NOT LIE by saying "no". Just say "no response", or you will be committing a federal offense by lying (a more serious crime than going to Cuba and getting caught). Forgetting to write down Cuba is technically not lying
. Also, DO NOT try to bribe a Mexican official not to stamp your passport. I met an American girl in Cuba who actually got deported back to Cuba for trying to do that..and she had to pay for a new visa and exit fee all over again to come home.
The only time you will ever get crap about being American while being in Cuba is when you first arrive at the airport. Have where you work/where you study/where you live fresh in your mind. If you come off being the least bit suspicious, they might search your bags and write down any phone numbers that you have written somewhere. I personally had no problems with them because I didn't appear nervous and answered their questions right away, but I did meet a few other Americans and two had their bags searched. It really helps to show them a filled in calendar of where you plan on going (regardless of whether you stick to it or not).
Also, make sure you take all the tags off your luggage before you get on the plane back to the US. The "HAV" sticker is a big giveaway.
(By the way, I'm not responsible for how you choose to use this information and I didn't break any laws what-so-ever.)
-My opinion of different cities in Cuba:
HAVANA
Such a great city. You'll need 4 days minimum to see the main attractions/areas here (6 days is more ideal amount of time). If you get sick of the musuems, take the 3CUC roundtrip bus to the decent beach nearby.
SANTA CLARA
It's only worth 2 nights tops. There's the Che monument, the place where Che derailed the train, and a few things of interest in the main square...that's about it, and you can knock those all out in 1 day easily.
TRINIDAD
It has the most beautiful, picturesque buildings in Cuba...but tourism has really made this city almost unbearable to walk around in. Just about everywhere someone is trying to sell you a mojito or a bunch of fake cigars. Playa Ancon, the beach below Trinidad, is really worth checking out. If you're alone, take the bus to the beach. If you're in a group of 3 or more, the cost is 2CUC per person in a taxi. Also be sure to check out Club Ayula at night (the dance club inside a real cave). Everything within Trinidad is walking distance. I saw everything I wanted to in only 2 days...but 3-4 nights is fine here.
REMEDIOS
Neat little city. The lack of tourists here really made it worth checking out. Walk around the city and check out a night club on your first day, and spend the second at the beach in Cayo Santa Maria up north. I hired a taxi with 3 friends to get there, but I'm sure there are other options as well. Worth spending 2 nights here.
SANTIAGO DE CUBA
Ehhh, well it's the second biggest city compared to Havana, but it's also highly polluted from all the traffic and factories. The jineteras (prostitutes) are reallly aggressive here compared to the rest of Cuba. Honestly, aside from meeting a super cool guy on CouchSurfing here, I didn't really like this place at all. I will say that I stayed in a pretty rundown area, so maybe I'm a bit biased about this city.
BARACOA
Really green with mountains everywhere. Wish I spent longer here. Worth 3-4 days.
VINALES
Lots of tobacco farms, mountains, and caves to check out near Vinales. The Santo Tomas cave was neat, but I thought the cave near the "dos Hermanas" mountains was more interesting (also in the Vinales area). The city of Vinales itself is really small. At night you can choose between two clubs in the main square: one playing salsa/reggaeton, the other playing electro/pop music. Worth 3-4 nights here.
VARADERO
Didn't go here because it's all tourists and hotels. The only Cubans you'll see here are workers.
CAYO COCO
Also didn't go here because it's the same story as Varadero and sooo much more expensive. If you want to see one of the Cays, check out...
CAYO SANTA MARIA
Just a taxi ride away from Remedios. Probably my second favorite beach destination but the award for best beach goes to...
MARIA LA GORDA
Colorful fish, beautiful coral, miles of white virgin beach (if you walk past the resort). This is the nicest beach I've ever been to in my life. Only problem is there are only hotels...but see what I wrote above on where to sleep near here
Damn, I sure got carried away typing. A good travel book should help fill in the blanks if I missed anything but if you have any questions for me, shoot me a message. Hope this all helps!
