http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20259
Wilfred and his family share their sweet art deco villa for a very affordable price and it's just a stroll or taxi away from the jazz clubs, the Malecon and central Havana shopping and night life. They also recommended to us other Cuban families to stay with in other towns which worked out well as the local government hotels aren't so great and cost about five times the price!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20259 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20185
We stayed in Hostal Colonial Mery y Mario, an old colonial house a couple of blocks from the main square. Mario is recently deceased and poor Mery is still grieving for her husband but she still really knows how to look after you! She really was a sweet little lady. She was awarded an automobile for her contribution to the work effort in Soviet times. She even won trips to Moscow too... she really is a believer in the revolution. She was one of the many educators who volunteered to go out into the countryside and teach the illiterate peasantry reading and writing. Her story is truly amazing.

We would encourage anyone to just stay here and converse with Mery as she has a lot to tell. Her husband was sound engineer and he had recording spool of Che Guevara's last will and testament before his execution. She can play this for you... it is truly moving.

If you're in Remedios... Seek out Mery's.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20185 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19776 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19776 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18618
He is fun, warm and friendly - undoubtedly you will end up chatting and laughing over a late night beer with him and his friends in one of Vinales' simple but welcoming bars. If you’re not a Spanish speaker the most important thing is that Arturo has excellent English, so you can really connect with your host - something that frustrated us on our travels as we met so many lovely people who we struggled to communicate with using our paltry Spanish!

He has two rooms both with a private bathroom and a lovely outside area - perfect for pre-dinner drinks and some of his delicious home made potato chips. Dinner was a tasty, extensive spread of fresh fish, chicken, great rice and beans and plenty of fruit and veg and salad. Oh, and flan for pudding - not what we’d call flan in the UK - more like a creme caramel (which normally I hate but this I loved!). He'll also take care of ensuring the fridge is always full of beer and water. Breakfast is typically Cuban - coffee, fresh juice, eggs, bread and fruit.

The house is literally the Big House, dwarfing all the neighbours thanks to a capacious roof, and it's located in a quiet road just off the main drag. Vinales is well worth the visit as all the guidebooks say, sweet little town in stunning scenery with plenty to do nearby or a reasonable drive away - walking, horseriding and an hour away from the beautiful, unspoilt Caya Levissa beach. Arturo can help organise and pre-book these for you.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18618 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18593 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18593 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18192
We had a two-hour drive up to Plaza de la Revolution and back, stopping where we wished for photos and finding out lots of local knowledge.The funniest part was the driver chatting up girls walking along the street while we trotted along beside them.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/18192 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17953 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17953 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17440 out gaytourguidecuba.com.

It's a gay tour guide service for gay travelers in Cuba! Nice college kids,
openly gay and they seem to feel that the government isn't against gays.

Meeting these people was the highlight of our trip. They really opened our eyes to a Cuba we could never have discovered on our own.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17440 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17345
Some of the best are the elegant garden at the Nacional and the rooftop bars of the Moorish-style Sevilla (the setting for Our Man in Havana) and Ambos Mundos (where Hemingway wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls). The two more famous Hemingway haunts (Floridita and La Bodeguita) are just tourist traps these days.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17345 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15469
House located in the vicinity of La Maison, a kind of nightclub with fashion shows in the evening.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/15469 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13320
It's also a great place to meet and talk with the locals.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13320 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13204
www.alib.co.uk/photos/index_cuba06_people.htm

Stay at least one night in the Hotel National just for the history. The view from the garden is amazing. Grab a drink and watch the sun set over the old city.

For more personal tips see my guide with a couple of suggestions:

www.alib.co.uk/guides/index.htm]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13204 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12276
West of Santiago, Cuba is a remote, beautiful stretch to cycle with hardly any traffic, no Casa Particulares and not much food! Bring energy bars, peanuts etc from home. It's worth bringing a water filter as well since we could not buy mineral water at the motel we stayed at. There were lots of mosquitoes at night all along the coast so bring your insect rep. Some parts of the road next to the sea had been washed away but you'll be fine on a mountain bike everywhere. We had racing bikes and had to take it slow to avoid punctures but it was only stretches of 100 meters, no more. Happy cycling!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12276 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12043 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/12043 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10838 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10838 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10837 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10837 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10836
I recommend a trip to 'El Cobre' a pilgrim's church just outside of town (by taxi), well worth seeing and for a Christian a very impressive experience.

As for beaches ... there are many around with different characteristics ... though none have white sand and/or a great deal of infrastructure. Try 'Siboney'- the beach most frequented by tourists. Expect some hussling, or 'Mar Verde' or 'El Frances' all about half an hour's taxi ride from town.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10836 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10835 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10835 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10834
All women - note that Cuban men are very, very complimentary and open in their admiration and approach. This is not meant to be disrespectful and the power to take things further is entirely with the ladies! Don't get frightened, just enjoy !!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10834 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10833 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/10833