Cuba (Country Guide)
Selected Book Details
- Paperback
- Edition: 5
- Author: Brendan Sainsbury
- Publisher: Lonely Planet
- Release Date: October 2009
- ISBN-10: 1741049296
- ISBN-13: 9781741049299
- List Price: $21.99
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Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon
SummaryNobody knows Cuba like Lonely Planet. Whether you're looking to explore Havana's colorful architectural relics, laze languidly on an isolated beach or discover your inner Hemingway deep-sea fishing off the coast of Cayo Guillermo, this 5th edition gives you all the information you need to enjoy the best of Cuba. |
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Indispensable for a country tour
Rating:
I spent almost 3 weeks traveling from Havana down to Baracoa via bus and plane. I met a lot of other tourists doing the same itinerary and they found Lonely Planet to be by far most useful, containing practical information on bus schedules, reliable casa recommendations, etc. Needless to say there are inaccuracies in the information and everything needs to be double checked, and many tourists did not agree at all with the recommendation lists of Lonely Planet, but I would not recommend traveling especially backpacking style without this book. All in all it should be noted that Cuba is an expensive country to travel and it is challenging in many ways. It is really not a vacation and one comes to understand after a couple of weeks why there are all inclusive resorts.
One of Lonely Planet's few BESTS
Rating:
I had used Lonely Planet on several trips where some of them were disappointing and not so much "guiding". Yet, this Cuba guide made our trip to visit the "real" Cuba our most memorable with sufficient information on each major and minor city.
From Havana to the far end of Baracoa, the guide has useful information on what to do and up to date info on traveling between cities
If any of the 8 cities i visited there was a major or minor event/attraction, Lonely planet had it listed and all you needed to do is choose what to go for.
A lot of detail, very friendly to read, and a nice/light take on history and politics of the Socialist nation
Nearly Excellent Resource for the Uninitiated
Rating: 
Some Background:
My first trip off the continent and to a foreign speaking country was Cuba. I went with my girlfriend of two years plus in December of 2007. While most people on our flight were headed to Veradero on an all inclusive package, we were headed to Havana, Cuba's capital.
The Guide:
On the whole, one can't really go wrong purchasing this guide. It's small enough that it can be taken with you throughout the city, and cheap enough that one can afford to abuse it (or spill water on it, as my girlfriend did).
More specifically, the information presented about restaurants, banks, hotels, historic sites and the Cuban culture are usually spot on. Further, the section on Havana has superb maps that are easily intelligible and clear, and also included are two walking tours of Havana Vieja (Old Havana) and Centro Havana, which meant we could skip the tour companies and actually get our feet wet by exploring on our own. An amazing and valuable experience I will continue to recall many years from now.
Some Criticisms:
The most noteworthy criticism of this book is the lack of specific and concentrated information regarding tourist scams in Cuba. There is mention of it within the book, but it is not rigorous enough to prepare the naive first-time traveler; especially those who will be away from the security laden beaches of Veradero.
There is of course the obvious annoyances of people who offer cheap, but illegal and poor quality, cohibas (cigars), female prostitutes (jineteras, pronounced 'cheen-eteras) and general sellers of questionable wares. All this is, I think, expected by many travelers and poses no great risk to one who is moderately vigilant. The book also covers these points well enough.
What is not covered is the exceptionally profligate Cuban tendency to a) overcharge at restaurants by not giving one a menu, b) offer a service for what seems like a cheap price, but demand payment that is thrice or more what was initially agreed upon once the service has been rendered (bici-taxi's in particular do this) and c) inform tourists that there CUC (tourist currency) is worthless and offer to exchange it at whats seems like very favorable rates for the more "powerful" Peso, which is, in reality, 1/25 the value of the convertible.
One general rule of thumb for Cuba is this: 9 out 10, if not more, Cubans who approach you are probably running a scam. Further, never be afraid to assert yourself and say "No", walk away or refuse to pay for something that seems far too expensive (remember, a typical Cuban makes about 15 CUC a month, so this means that even 1 CUC is good deal of money to them). You may even have to be rude, but that's the name of the game for a tourist in Havana. The scammer intends to use your feelings of guilt against you, but remember, in almost every single case you are not guilty, although you will probably feel you are and the scammer will make every attempt to exploit this. I could go on in great detail about the scams, which can be quite clever and the scammers incredibly cunning. If you have questions about the scams, the best thing to do is a little research on the net (search "Cuba scams").
My other, less significant, criticism is the layout of content within the book. Regions of Havana are not entirely inclusive to each other within the book, i.e. a complete section on Havana Vieja, then a complete section on Centro Havana, etc. Structurally there are sections on sightseeing in Havana Vieja, Centro, and Vedado, then there are sections on sleeping, eating, drinking, etc. in Vieja, Centro, and Vedado that follow the sight seeing sections. Organizationally I would have preferred that Vieja have its own section inclusively (e.g. sight seeing, eating, sleeping, drinking, and the map would all be found in the 10 or so page section of Centro Havana), as well as the others. The constant flipping between pages was a common and avoidable irritation.
Verdict:
Buy the book! You might also be interested in buying "Culture Smart: Cuba: a guide to etiquette and customs"; and if "Let's Go" ever comes out with a guide to Cuba, it would be worth a look too, since traditionally Let's Go guides aim towards college and budget travelers who want the most bang for their buck.
P.S. Elisabeth Smith's "One Day Spanish" is also a wise-choice; since most people DO NOT speak English in Cuba. If you have more time, it would be wise to take a crash-course in Spanish. Elisabeth Smith is good because she caters to tourists and travelers. Her "Instant Spanish", a 6 week lengthened course of "One Day Spanish", is probably also be a safe bet for someone who has more time to prepare, though, to be honest, I have not tried it. I used the One Day Spanish, however, and found that it helped my cause tremendously, focusing only on essential and useful words, phrases, etc.
great buy
Rating:
Traveling without a lonely planet is a waste of time. I would rate this guides as the best. I love that you know what to expect when you arrive to a place which is listed in the guide. I like the extra reading about history, and facts of the country. Great buy!!
Not as good as Moon Handbook
Rating:
I bought both the Moon Handbook (Christopher Baker, 4th ed.) and the Lonely Planet guide (Sainsbury, 4th ed.). I haven't been to Cuba, but the Moon guide is a pleasure to read, it's nearly twice the length of the Lonely Planet guide, the maps are better, it goes into more depth on places and also on the general history, the photos are better, etc.
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