Going to Cuba - need advice

[ajgagnon]

If you do buy cigars in Varadero, do yourself a favour and go to the Casa Del Habanos on Calle 63 (63rd St.). Next door is a rum bar that lets you try all the various kinds, and between the two, you could be forgiven for wanting to die in such a state of glory. But Havana is much more interesting. Even a city tour organized from your hotel (Cubatur) will make you feel like an old salt, and if you stay somewhere like the Hotel Nacional or Seville, you'll be on top of the world.

[DarkSky]

No worries, Dark. Not trying to pry or grill - just, in my experience, sometimes its easy to miss out on the actual vacation/country for want of getting everything on film instead. Sort of "missing out" on your vacation just so you can "rewatch and re-experience it" later. Not saying anything negative, just a thought. I've done it before myself, and I regretted it.

Oh I fully agree. I do a lot of sport photography at the local OHL hockey games and never really experience the game because I'm behind the lens so much. I wouldn't be shooting with my camera 24/7.. but it would be such a shame to come back without taking advantage of a great photo opportunity. Plus I can do both (enjoy the culture, eat in the cafes/bars, see the sites, AND shoot it at the same time - unlike a hockey game where it's one or the other). I'd leave the laptop at home except an 18MP camera goes through storage like nuts, so I just need the laptop's hard drive to dump my stuff on to.

No, not really. They do have the standard cash register receipts like you're thinking of, but they don't really show or prove anything. There's a special "official" receipt that you get - if you really want, PM me your e-mail. If you want, I'll scan into PDF one of my old ones that I have lying around, so you know what they look like.

That's ok.. the trip isn't for another half a year (I'm just having fun finding out all the info there is beforehand )

Cheers!

[DarkSky]

Good info here: http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=12972

Boxes have to be sealed with correct identification on them. Hopefully I'll remember that and won't eagerly pop open a box to smoke a couple, forgetting that would void me leaving with the rest of them.

[CanuckSARTech]

Good info here: http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=12972

Boxes have to be sealed with correct identification on them. Hopefully I'll remember that and won't eagerly pop open a box to smoke a couple, forgetting that would void me leaving with the rest of them.

No, they don't have to be an unopened box. They simply need to actually have the seal (duh) - it doesn't matter if they're opened at all. Quite frequently, the only boxes available of certain vitolas at the LCDH stores are boxes that are open/inspected.

That was a stupid one-off rule that they came out with, that was quashed and thrown out with the dirty bathwater pretty much immediately.

[PoohBore]

In Varadero I'd go to the casa in the Americas shopping centre. The red open top bus trundles the whole length of the strip all all day and stops there.

As for Havana I love the cigar shop in the Mille Havana, great assistants who are klnowledgeable and a lovely atmosphere.

If you pop across to the UK cigar forums a guy has just put a sticky up of the prices he collected in the last couple of weeks.

[DarkSky]

In Varadero I'd go to the casa in the Americas shopping centre. The red open top bus trundles the whole length of the strip all all day and stops there.

As for Havana I love the cigar shop in the Mille Havana, great assistants who are klnowledgeable and a lovely atmosphere.

Thanks!

If you pop across to the UK cigar forums a guy has just put a sticky up of the prices he collected in the last couple of weeks.

Do you have a link? (I couldn't find any UK forum on here.. ? )

[PoohBore]

Thanks!

Do you have a link? (I couldn't find any UK forum on here.. ? )

Www.ukcigarforums.com it's the sticky in the Cuban cigar discussion section.

There is a nice little shop in Havana too. If you can find the statue of the the mad bloke, look at his face, turn 180 degrees and walk across the square and down the street and it's on the right. Lots of lgc jars in may and also some nice accesories.

[JohnnyO]

Nacional, Havana Libre, 5ta y 16 (Miramar), Marina Hemingway (Jaimanitas) has always had a good supply. Havana Libre recently had some LGC jars $265 CUC, and if anyone has pipe tobacco (HdM, Partagas) it will be them but lately has been scarce. There is a double decker bus you can ride around all day for $5 that hits most of these points of interest (the last stop is Marina Hemingway). All electronics that function under their own power are free from duties (radio, dvd, laptop, camera etc) but you can only bring in one of each. May is a beautiful time to be there, plenty of great weather no hurricanes. John

[JohnnyO]

Forgot to mention...if you want some great pics go to the Canonazo at 9pm and then later to the 90 foot Jesus. Two great places to relax and enjoy a cigar. John