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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 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Review
Rough Guides... make valuable holiday companions (The Sunday Times Travel Magazine )
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First Sentence
Although Cuba is becoming more firmly established on the Caribbean tourist circuit, there are still not as many direct flights as one might expect. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Although Cuba is becoming more firmly established on the Caribbean tourist circuit, there are still not as many direct flights as one might expect. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
48 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've just used this book to help me in my travels round Cuba and while it's not perfect, it was invaluable. The potted histories and local insights are all as well written as you would expect from the Rough Guides.
The book's usefulness is, admittedly, limited by the rapidly changing nature of much of Cuba. Paladars (the privately run restaurants) open and close all the time, musicians spring up here and there and then vanish again apparently without warning. And such seems to be the way of things in Cuba at the moment - all part of the charm. You just have to go with the flow and sometimes you strike gold, other times you find that the gold has moved on.
This guide contains accurate maps (better than many tourist maps available in Cuba - one good reason to buy it) and fair assessments of the more stable attractions such as museums, hotels etc, and that's about as good as you can hope for in a rapidly changing country.
To my knowledge the Rough Guide is currently a more recent edition than offered by its main competitors which in my opinion is a big selling point, given the changing nature of Cuba. If you're going, I recommend it. Don't rely solely on local maps and guidebooks which aren't plentiful and also tend to be slanted to emphasise what the Cubans think we tourists want to see and what they want to show off.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
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.
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.
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This guide book is not as reliable as others in this normally excellent series. It tends to over-rate some of the sights - such as the comically old-fashioned Camilo-Che room in the Museum of the Revolution, and the restaurant recommendations are often wayward. The text often contradicts itself, and among the unmissable recommendations at the beginning of the book there are sights which are hardly remarkable.
This being said it is the most thorough guide book for Cuba, and is awash with listings.
This being said it is the most thorough guide book for Cuba, and is awash with listings.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Rough Guide to Cuba
We found this to be slightly less helpful than the Lonely Planet guide, but the two together gave us a more complete picture of the places we were visiting
Published 3 months ago by charleyfarley99
Very out of date info
I really wonder what constitutes a Lonley Planet or Rough Guide being 'New and updated' as it doesn't seem to involve any checking of information. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Splat
Rough Guide to Cuba
A useful and helpful book which helped us enjoy our holiday in Cuba. Some of the prices for meals are a bit out of date though. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Colliewobbles
LOVE THIS BOOK
Don't leave for Cuba without this book!
On my recent trip I found this book invaluable. When planning my trip it provided excellent overviews of each region to help me and my... Read more
On my recent trip I found this book invaluable. When planning my trip it provided excellent overviews of each region to help me and my... Read more
Published 12 months ago by KateMad
Surprisingly Good
I usually find with guide books that I waste half my time looking for restaurants etc which sound great but just don't exist anymore. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Jim Sherwood
Top guide
As always, Rough guides are spot on, they not only introduce you to a city or country but also help you make decisions. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Kat
My guide round Cuba
I travelled round Cuba for 2 weeks and found the guide invaluable. In a country where public transport is tricky to navigate, the book offered pretty up-to-date information and... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Jabu
Don't leave home without it!
Just got back from a month travelling around Cuba with the new edition of the Rough Guide to Cuba and found it absolutely invaluable. Read more
Published 20 months ago by The Gateshead Globetrotter
It would be hard to write a perfect guide to Cuba but this does a very...
Having read the other (very mixed) views on here I have to say I found the Rough Guide to Cuba one of the best country guides I've used. Read more
Published on 31 May 2009 by C. Frost
Not great
I have just used this guide on my recent 18 day visit to Cuba. I chose this as it was more recent than the Lonely Planet. Read more
Published on 30 Jan 2009 by Herbie
Listmania!
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