Havana

[KingSanto]

I just got back yesterday from another trip. I was totally fine. Of course, that doesn't mean that everyone else will be fine, but I didn't see or notice anything different.

KingSanto

Returning US citizens can face extra scrutiny including seizure of cell phone devices and copying the data, as such, best to travel with plain sanitized cell phone and computer.

[KingSanto]

Great post. Yeah the loss of Badoo was a major blow to the guys who don't hunt the street meat (I'm one of those guys); I don't blame you.

KingSanto.

Honestly I don't know when I'll be going again, after 25+ trips since late '23. Busy with work until December, and unless I can find a viable Badoo replacement, the allure is fading.

[RainmanSahut]

Travel Alert!

The US government has ramped Cuba sanctions and detentions of Americans returning from the island who had transactions that violated USA Sanctions, which prohibit all transactions with Cuban government-owned entities, including restaurants, hotels and shops.

Returning US citizens can face extra scrutiny including seizure of cell phone devices and copying the data, as such, best to travel with plain sanitized cell phone and computer.

https://apnews.com/article/us-cuba-s...1d929cc3e1431c

Safe & Happy Travels.

Rainman.

[Jiniterinator]

Just back from 10 days in Miramar / Playa. This was my first time staying outside of Habana Vieja. I stayed in 2 AirBNB's with solar and some form of backup or generators. NOT cheap for sure, but it made Apagon August tolerable. I cannot speak to Habana Vieja's or Vedado's apagon situation (Santo is the expert), but in Miramar we got between 1-7 hours per day of luz, and then it was up to solar and backup. August is definitely not the best time to visit Cuba.

Miramar is a million times more tranquilo than have. It's classic suburbia to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Not once in 10 days and nights did anyone bellow "taxi? Change money? Cigar?" at me. In fact I felt almost invisible walking about (in a good way). The only downside is the tiendas are few and far between, whereas you can't go a block in Habana Vieja without encountering at least a tiny one. It's sad how beautiful Miramar must have been before the commies ruined it.

I'm going to agree with King Havana (as usual) that Antojos is probably the best restaurant. PLUS it has some enormous generator and when I was there in June their AC was hurricane force during an apagon. You should only trust restaurants that have generators not to poison you, because Cuban power plants can't keep the lights (or frios) on. I'd recommend the mango daiquiris there. Another cool thing about Antojos is they filter their water so you can trust the mixed drinks. They have figured out that if they poison one tourist, their rating is screwed on Trip Advisor. It's also one of the few restaurants in Havana where the camareras understand their job is to wait on you, instead of standing around chatting with their coworkers. Really one of my pet peeves about Cubans. They just cannot take their jobs seriously, not even in Miami. Even at MIA airport they just stand around and talk as I glare at them stupefied.

Regarding water, my typical MO is to bring a backpack and fill it with 9 liters of Smartwater at MIA after I'm through security. Honestly I've thought about adding more water to my carry on. Not cheap, but I wasn't peeing out of the wrong holes due to some pathogen either. I was able to find some 500 ML waters that were supposedly from the US at a Tienda just across the blue tunel, but I only gave those to Chicas haha. Another tip is, you can always rely on some form of soft drink (eg, cola, lemon lime) or juice in sealed cans to safely supplement your hydration. Plus beer of course. I was happy to find Heinekens there (600 CUP), as Cristal does not agree with my stomach (Tacoma has confirmed this). God knows what those crooked Castrismos use as adjuncts in their beer.

As far as chicas, I saw some of my usuals; but every time I go to Cuba, another one of my bullpen has been traded to Suriname or Guyana for a draft pick not to be named later (no Badoo). Even my main chica is trying to get out. Honestly I don't know when I'll be going again, after 25+ trips since late '23. Busy with work until December, and unless I can find a viable Badoo replacement, the allure is fading.

[Nomars777]

Lifestraw products have worked well for me for several years. I used to use a Lifestraw waterbottle that I would fill with bottled water or tap water, depending on the country, and then the Lifestraw filtering tech removes 99.999+% of bad stuff. Never had a single stomach problem when using it.

NOTE: IT IS NOT EFFECTIVE AGAINST VIRUSES, only bacteria, parasites and other things larger than viruses.

I have now moved onto the individual straw that works up to about 1,000 liters

Product page link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D16CHTTZ?th=1

Details section from the Amazon product page:

About this item.

Removes Microplastics: the microfilter removes 99.999% of microplastics, as well as particles, dirt, and cloudiness.

Filters Bacteria and Parasites: protects against 99.999999% of bacteria (including E. Coli + Salmonella) and 99.999% of parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium).

Reusable and Long Lasting: the filter lasts up to 1,000 liters over a year of daily use. It's your sustainable solution to single-use plastic bottles, even during international travel.

Premium Materials and Includes Carry Case: the Sip is made from high-quality stainless steel with a silicone mouthpiece, and also includes a premium leak-proof carry case for portability and protection.

User-Friendly: no batteries or electrical outlets required; simply sip through the straw, and let the filter work its magic. It's the hassle-free way to access safe drinking water on-the-go.

I dunno, bro. The water situation is pretty dire for everyone in Cuba. I wouldn't take the chance that any spot will consistently have water and that the quality standards will always be conformed to as desperation increases. Better to just grab an emergency supply at the airport on the last leg of your flight. It might cost more due to airport inflation, and it will take up a lot of space in your luggage. But for a 3-4 day trip having 4-6 liters of water is what I would recommend. But that's just how my planner / preparedness brain works.

-CISCO.

[CiscoMech]

A lot of Cubans boil their tap water. A lot. As a foreigner though, I'm not doing any of that. At some point a line needs to be drawn because at the end of the day, we are on vacation for the most part. And who wants to be Boiling tap water on vacation? In my opiniand, it would be better to find a reputable / safe / consistent spot to purchase my water bottles.

KingSanto.

I dunno, bro. The water situation is pretty dire for everyone in Cuba. I wouldn't take the chance that any spot will consistently have water and that the quality standards will always be conformed to as desperation increases. Better to just grab an emergency supply at the airport on the last leg of your flight. It might cost more due to airport inflation, and it will take up a lot of space in your luggage. But for a 3-4 day trip having 4-6 liters of water is what I would recommend. But that's just how my planner / preparedness brain works.

-CISCO.

[KingSanto]

Nice hotel recommendation, I'm sure a lot of the guys here will appreciate it. Calling El Biky the absolute best restaurant in Havana is crazy work though. We're all entitled to our opinions of course but I'd probably give that title to Antojos. I don't see anyone beating them. El Biky is just okay.

What I will say though is that the El Biky bakery has really, really good vanilla cake. Its almost as good as American cake. Didn't know they were owned by the Castro family though, that's good to know and actually makes a lot of sense.

KingSanto.

Available for $25/ night located just a few blocks off the Malceon and basically directly across the street from the absolute best Restaurant in Havana, EL Biky, owned by Raul Castro family. It is a Italian theme, absolutely pristine restaurant with delicious cuisine.

[CiscoMech]

Hey Nomars777, thanks for keeping expectations low. 🤣.

I'm just looking for content to scratch my Havana itch. I'm good to just see the sites to help jog my old memories. It sucks that things are so bad and that I can't even find the excuse to go out there with conditions as they are. But I do like remembering all my good times.

Keep living the dream buddy.

LOL. I am the same. I can only watch the havana vids to scratch my itch while I am stuck here all summer with these kids. Can't wait for summer to be over. Anyway that's how I found Nomars YT channel with his pretty brown thing. I was like hey I know that guy lmao. Didn't mean to blow up your spot BTW.

[RainmanSahut]

Hello,

I've been traveling to Cuba / Havana regularly for the past 4 years visiting regularly about 1 week every 2 to 3 months. My favorite place to stay is a 3 apartment Hostal / family owned rooms, private bath. Available for $25/ night located just a few blocks off the Malceon and basically directly across the street from the absolute best Restaurant in Havana, EL Biky, owned by Raul Castro family. It is a Italian theme, absolutely pristine restaurant with delicious cuisine. The apartments I mention are nice, clean and girl friendly with AC & fans and most important solar back up with a small rooftop bar for cheap drinks and bar food just upstairs. Nearby are other great inexpensive restaurants and multiple easy taxi options across from El Biky.

The apartment is called Hostal La Macarena, tell Miss Daily that you are friends with Niteflyer and she will take care of your needs. Contact me for other information or help that I may can provide. Happy vacation / hunting, also, I have several taxi friends if you need one. I try to use the same drivers, they will take good care of you.

Salute!

Niteflyer.

Apartment location information.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/o4QVAf1y1wnJVvYX7?g_st=ac

[Nomars777]

No worries, I think you'll get quite a bit of content there to satisfy the Havana vieja itch!

Enjoy!

Hey Nomars777, thanks for keeping expectations low. 🤣.

I'm just looking for content to scratch my Havana itch. I'm good to just see the sites to help jog my old memories. It sucks that things are so bad and that I can't even find the excuse to go out there with conditions as they are. But I do like remembering all my good times.

Keep living the dream buddy.

[EMode]

Link to channel is here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLN...FrTCr94g0WyRnw

Hey Nomars777, thanks for keeping expectations low. 🤣.

I'm just looking for content to scratch my Havana itch. I'm good to just see the sites to help jog my old memories. It sucks that things are so bad and that I can't even find the excuse to go out there with conditions as they are. But I do like remembering all my good times.

Keep living the dream buddy.

[KingSanto]

AirBnB works fine in Cuba without a VPN for browsing and communicating with hosts. If you're going to do something that requires a charge, you're going to need a VPN for it to go through.

KingSanto.

Regarding Airbnb extra services option that probably will not work once you are in Cuba. My experience is that you can use the Airbnb website to book and pay for stuff while in the USA But that it doesn't work when in Cuba. I don't recall if I tried using my VPN to fool the network.

[KingSanto]

Yeah. January, February and March were really nice months weather wise. February was actually really cold by Cuban standards.

KingSanto.

To avoid the heat as much as possible, would you say January is a good month to go?

[KingSanto]

Actual electronics like phones and laptops, yeah you'll have to pay a fee if you bring a bunch. Fans, power banks, etc. ? No. And even if they do stop you, it'll just be to charge you a fee, nothing serious. Speaking from experience - I don't think anyone on this forum has been stopped by Cuban customs more than me jajajajaja.

KingSanto

If you bring 'a bunch' of electronics items. Won't that raise issues at customs?

[KingSanto]

Many have left, I've lost quite a few chicas myself; but there is no shortage of young hot chicas in Havana. Not that I've seen anyway.

KingSanto

The younger girls and college students with half a brain have left Cuba. Guyana is the new hotspot.