Havana

Faded Grandeur could almost be trademarked by Havana, so consistently is the concept reflected throughout the city. In the well-worn Old Town and the peeling facades of the centre, this is an attraction in itself; a colonial heritage left to decay that has taken on a greater, charming life of its own, infused with daily bustle and vigour. The appeal isn't universal, though. There are classic cars, and there are plain old ones. Whilst Havana certainly has its fair share of the iconic variety, every taxi we found ourselves in was a decaying 1970s Lada, far removed from the glamour of their pin-up cousins. Two of the four doors worked, none of the windows did, ...  Read the complete review

I visited Havana in July 2007 and had an absolutly amazing time. We booked our trip, as ever, through Kuoni and had faultless flights and transfers. Our trip was to be 3 nights in Havana and 5 nights in the beach resort of Varadaro. With Barrack Obama seemingly looking to bring Cuba in from the cold and allowing greateer freedom of travel to Cubans and Americans into Cuba, I would 100% advise you to get to Cuba if not this year then next year, before it loses its charms and becomes another annex of America, much like Cancun is now. Fidel Castro ceeded power in early 2008 and alreday Cuba has started to change and westernise. We were lucky enough to visit ...  Read the complete review

Cuba was one of those places that I had always wanted to visit for many years and in particular I wanted to visit while Castro influence was prevalent on the island as this means it offers a rare experience as it one of only two socialist command economy systems left in operation after the opening up of many other new markets. My concern that once Castro goes the Americans will begin to move in again, not this time with guns and tanks but Starbucks and McDonalds, a far more sinister form of invasion in my opinion. No visit to Cuba is complete without spending time in the time warp that is Havana and this was our first port of call when we landed. We stayed at ...  Read the complete review

Havana, capital of Cuba and the largest city in the Carribean, is a city of stark but pleasing contrasts. It is probably best known for its historic quarter which was designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO in the early 1990s. As beautiful and impressive as "Vieja Habana" is, this is just one aspect of this bustling and energetic city. Havana comprises three main and very distinct areas - Habana Vieja (Old Havana), Centro and Vedado. Using public transport it is possible to move between these areas quickly if your time in the city is limited, but it is far better to devote separate days to each area since Havana's main sites of interest are ...  Read the complete review

Spam, ham, chopped pork and tongue; six innocuous words and yet they form a who’s who from the premier league of packed lunch legends. The only omission? Why none other than the prince of processed meats, the one the only and the incomparable, capital c capital b -Corned Beef. Versatile, cheap and packaged in its unique type of tin, this family staple has long been a favourite of mine and yet society shuns it. Indeed society looks down upon it “Argentine muck,” I hear some say “Botulism in a box,” comment others and it makes me sad. But then, day of days, I stare in disbelief. In Havana, in a supermarket, in a gleaming, ...  Read the complete review