The Rough Guide to Cuba (Rough Guide Travel Guides)
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
Customer Review: 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.
Customer Review: 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.
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