Virgin traveller going to Havana
 

I have never been anywhere and I am going to Havana in February for a week. What should I not miss? Does anyone have any travel tips or advice? I need all the help I can get. Any health issues? Crime issues? I should be aware of.

try: www.cubalinda.com

My advice to the virgin traveler is use a condom when the time finally comes. I hope he's gentle.

MM

To carebear: Most people thet use this forum are pretty helpful but we are not in a perfect world. Ignore this trollish reply. BTW what country are you in, Canada perhaps? Cheers!

Hola Carebear3589:

WOW... Havana is one of my favourite cities in Cuba. There is simply an amazing amount to do and see, and so far I have been there 6 times for stays from 4 days to 28 days.

You really need to do some reading before you go. I suggest Fodor's guide, or there is an excellent Moon Publications book on Cuba. Visit your local Indigo and check the stuff out.
The more you know in advance, the better you can plan your days.
My first trip, I ran around trying to cram as much as possible into each day. Now however I see less, but spend much more time enjoying the ambiance of Habana Vieja (Old Havana) where I always find time to sit in my favourite cafe(s) and have lunch and a cold cerveza.
Check out my Cuba website at the following link and read all the descriptions. It will give you a good starting point for what I have seen. Note that not all photos are from Havana, but a good percentage are.

http://photopilot.tripod.com

note that there is NO www. in the URL.
The site is bandwidth limited so if you are shut out because there have been too many visitors, just check back the next day or so.

Health issues, NONE and crime issues, NONE that I am aware of. Common sense rules do apply to foreign travel however. Drink only bottled water (though Havana water is good), carry some Imodium (I've never needed it), and stay out of back alleys at night.

Have fun and enjoy the Cuban experience. Any further questions, just ask.
Steve

Just a bit of a warning for the virgin traveller... Cuba sometimes looks less safe than it is. There is sometimes no street lighting at night and the buildings and streets can be pretty broken down looking outside. However, this is because they have little resources for construction and energy. Cuba for the most part is very safe. Much safer than it appears at first glance.

As Steve says, get a guide book. I usually sign out a dozen or so from my public library prior to a trip, esp. those with photos. If you are taking one with you, get one with a walking tour of old Havana.

The first thing to do is sit in a sidewalk cafe and have a mojito and enjoy!

I used my Immodium in Havana. I take a box of it on every trip overseas. (I like street food.) I also always take along Allegra because I am a magnet for biting flies and you never know what is blooming in another country. It is wise to get your Hep A shot updated before travelling to a third world country. If you do have a health problem health care is free in Cuba for anyone including tourists. If you need an English speaking doctor it costs $25.

If you are there for a week, you might consider a day-trip outside of the city, to Vinales or Varadero, for something different.