Product Description

INTRODUCTION
Isolated from the Western world for over thirty years, Cuba burst back onto the international tourist scene in the early 1990s and hasn't looked back since. Shaped by one of the twentieth century's longest surviving revolutions, until relatively recently Cuba's image had been inextricably bound up with its politics. Even five decades after Fidel Castro and the rebels seized power, Cuba's long satiny beaches, offshore cays and jungle-covered peaks - the defining attractions of neighbouring islands - played almost no part in the popular perception of this communist state in the Caribbean. Now, having opened the floodgates to global tourism, the country is changing and Cuba today is characterized as much as anything by a frenetic sense of transition as it shifts from socialist stronghold to one of the Caribbean's major tourist destinations, running on capitalist dollars.

At the same time, though, it can seem to visitors that nothing has changed for decades, even centuries. Cut off from the capitalist world until the end of the Cold War, and still feeling the effects of the worst economic crisis the current regime has endured, the face of modern-day Cuba is in many respects frozen in the past - the classic American cars, moustachioed cigar-smoking farmers, horse-drawn carriages and colonial Spanish architecture all apparently unaffected by the breakneck pace of modernization. Newly erected department stores and shopping malls, state-of-the-art hotels and entire resorts created from scratch are the hallmarks of this new, emerging Cuba. This improbable combination of transformation and stasis is symbolic of a country riddled with contradictions and ironies and has led to the emergence of two new and opposite sides to the country which, in a sense, has become divided by tourism. Foreign visitors to the island are the surest way of bringing in hard currency but the endless flow of tourists benefits some places and people far more than it does others and perhaps for the first time since Fidel Castro declared Cuba communist, a two-tier system has been allowed to evolve. Anyone with a nice house, a working car or simply the know-how to make money out of tourists is automatically better equipped to take advantage of the new Cuba. In a place where taxi drivers earn more than doctors, and where capitalist reforms are seen as the answer to preserving socialist ideals, understanding Cuba is a compelling but never-ending task.

Despite the hard-to-swallow favourable treatment of tourists and the crippling US trade embargo, there is surprisingly little resentment directed at foreign visitors, and your overwhelming impression is likely to be that Cubans are outgoing, sociable and hospitable, notwithstanding the queues, food rationing and restrictions on free speech. In fact, many if not most people living on the island have embraced the changes ushered in by the ever-increasing reliance on foreign investment and tourist dollars. What's more, in most of Cuba it's difficult not to come into contact with local people: the common practice of renting out rooms and opening restaurants in homes allows visitors stronger impressions of the country than they might have thought possible in a short visit. The much-vaunted Cuban capacity for a good time is best expressed through music and dance, both vital facets of the island's culture. As originators of the most influential Latin music styles, such as bolero, rumba and son, thereby spawning the most famous of them all - salsa - people in Cuba seem always ready to party.

There are occasional reminders that Cuba is a centralized, highly bureaucratic one-party state, which can give a holiday here an unfamiliar twist. Naturally this becomes more apparent the longer you stay, but one of the quickest ways of finding out is when things go wrong. Going to the police, finding your hotel room double-booked or simply needing to make an urgent phone call can prove to be unnecessarily and frustratingly complicated. These are the times when you discover Cuba has its own special logic and that common sense doesn't count for much here. This is not to say you're more likely to experience mishaps in Cuba than anywhere else - not only are all the major resorts as well equipped as you might hope, but violent crime is remarkably absent from Cuban cities. On the other hand, a certain determination and a laid-back attitude are essential requirements for exploring less visited parts of the country, where a paucity of facilities and public transport problems can make travelling hard work. For the foreign visitor, things are becoming easier all the time, though, with the introduction of more efficient bus services, simplified currency systems and a wider variety of consumer goods. Ironically, these improvements also mark an irreversible move away from what makes Cuba unique. Inevitably you'll need to scratch harder at the surface these days to uncover something most visitors haven't. Virgin beaches, untouched diving and fishing areas, quaint, unaffected villages and hidden paladares are fewer and further between. Though the nation's culture and character will always ensure that Cuba is more than just another island paradise, the determination to sell the country to a worldwide market means the time to go is now rather than later.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #261355 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-27
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 624 pages

Amazon.co.uk
The popular image of Cuba as a tourist destination has fluctuated wildly over the years, and there is no question that this fascinating corner of the globe has enjoyed visitors of wildly disparate expectations -- from the hedonistic revellers of pre-Revolutionary Cuba (when it was essentially America's playground) to the many travellers who have visited for ideological reasons, seeing Fidel Castro (however controversial a figure) as a symbol of opposition to American global hegemony. As this guide demonstrates, a more balanced view of this remarkable country may be achieved. And of the many tourist guides to Cuba over the years, travellers who know their stuff will realise that the Rough Guide to Cuba is most likely to give a clear, authoritative and enthusiastic vision, recording all of Cuba's glories without drawing a veil over its less savoury aspects. Despite the country's isolation from the West in general and its hostile relation to the US, Cuba has undoubtedly emerged (in the last 50 years or so) as one of the principal tourist destinations in the Caribbean. And Cuba has never lost its image as the home of sun, salsa and rum, along with an engagingly laid-back attitude that quickly communicates itself to visitors.

This is one of the more ambitious guides (as befits the subject), coming in at over 600 pages, and the range of information here is truly impressive. And what a range of fascinating destinations Cuba offers, from its sultry beaches to its lively, noisy entertainment venues. If you've long nourished a taste for all things Latin, it's probably time to pick up this guide and head for Cuba. And whatever your attitude to Fidel Castro -- pro or con -- it hardly matters; you're hardly likely to run into him on the sun-baked streets. --Barry Forshaw

Synopsis
This guide features extensive coverage of Cuba's biggest city, Havana, including six maps, hundreds of listings and detailed takes on the best museums. This is matched by coverage of less well-known small towns in the interior, where the authors track down the island's offbeat charms. Cuba's bureaucratic state can make it a difficult place to travel and this guide contains helpful advice on working the system. There is also full coverage of Cuba's colourful history and culture, as well as tips on Cuban slang and local customs.

Customer Reviews

Not as good as other Rough Guides
We used this guide to travel around Cuba independently for two weeks. It's not as good as other Rough Guides we've used in the past (Kenya, Egypt).

While it isn't particularly bad, there are a few issues:

The maps of Havana are worse and smaller than in the previous (2005) edition of the guide, and there's no map of the area between Centro Habana and Vedado - you have to flick between two maps and there are no street names on the overlapping area. We ended up carrying the DK Eyewitness travel guide for Cuba just to have a half-decent map.

The writer(s) seemed to get bored of Cuba and there's a thread of cynicism and sarcasm that, while generating a smile at first, does become very tedious as it threads throughout the whole book.

Also, there are no bus timetables included.

Really, Really Useful and Up-to-Date

We have just returned from a 2-week holiday in Cuba - including Havana, Santiago,Trindad, Camaguey and Guardalavaca. The book is a bit unwieldy to carry around but is bang up-to-date. We used it for example to find "paladares" in which to eat. It is informative, contains an amazing amount of detail and is very thoroughly researched. And the advice about what to do - and what not to do ( or avoid) is spot on. A great buy.

Important errandum
I have yet to test this book in Cuba, although thus far it seems to be as thorough as any other rough guide I have used.

That said, on p63, the book claims $1 CUC is worth roughly £1.80 GDP. The Cuban CUC is currently worth around £0.53 and has been (more or less) for the past year. Perhaps the author converted the currencies the wrong way. This lead me to believe that everything in the book cost 4 times what it actually does. And almost made me consider changing my entire plans.

I always use Rough Guides, so this schoolboy error is rather disappointing. I'll reserve judgement until I return from Cuba.