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Rating: 
Summary: Roughing it Caribbean style
Review: Anyone who's travelled anywhere on a budget is no doubt familiar with the Rough Guide series, the definitive answer to what's hot and what's not in your destination of choice. This book is no exception. With carefully researched short pieces on Cuban history, music and culture in general, they provide an insight into what makes the place the diverse experience it is. Minus points awarded for organisation in the chapter on Havana, and one restaurant highly recommended did not, on personal experience, measure up. In general though the book made getting around easier and gave a good introduction to the place and the people. Reviews are kept to the point and accomodation listings usefully gave an indication of price and facilities. Worth the asking price..
Rating: 
Summary: getting old;check the web site
Review: I liked: size, weight, respectful attitude toward Cuban people & history.
Had problems with: incomplete & outdated info. Check their website before you go.
Rating:
Summary: getting old;check the web site
Review: I liked: size, weight, respectful attitude toward Cuban people & history.
Had problems with: incomplete & outdated info. Check their website before you go.
Rating:
Summary: getting old;check the web site
Review: I liked: size, weight, respectful attitude toward Cuban people & history.
Had problems with: incomplete & outdated info. Check their website before you go.
Rating: 
Summary: Contents and Introduction
Review: LIST OF CONTENTSPart One Basics 1 Getting there from Britain and Ireland 3 Getting there from North America 7 Getting there from Australia and New Zealand 11 Visas and red tape 13 Insurance 15 Information and maps 17 Costs, money and banks 21 Getting around 24 Accommodation 29 Health 32 Food and drink 35 Communications 39 The media 42 Opening hours, festivals and entertainment 45 Shopping 48 Sport and outdoor activities 52 Crime and harassment 55 Women travellers 57 Directory 58 Part Two: The Guide 61 Chapter 1: Havana and around 63 Havana 65 Habana Vieja 77 Centro Habana 95 Vedado 99 Miramar and the western suburbs 111 East of Havana 127 Playas del Este 129 South of Havana 135 West of Havana 140 Chapter 2: Pinar del Río 143 Sierra del Rosario 146 Las Terrazas 146 Soroa 149 Maspotón, San Diego de los Baños and around 152 Pinar del Río city 155 Viñales 164 Cayo Levisa 170 María La Gorda 174 Chapter 3: Varadero and Matanzas 177 Varadero 180 Matanzas 203 Las Cuevas de Bellamar 213 The Yumurí Valley 214 Cárdenas 216 San Miguel de los Baños 221 Península de Zapata 223 Chapter 4: Trinidad and the central provinces 233 Trinidad 236 Península de Ancón 250 Topes de Collantes 253 Sancti Spíritus 255 Cienfuegos 263 Villa Clara 275 Santa Clara 275 Remedios 287 The northern cays 290 Lago Hanabanilla 290 Chapter 5: Ciego de Ávila and Camagueey 293 Ciego de Ávila city 297 Morón 301 Around Morón 304 The northern cays 307 Cayo Coco 310 Cayo Guillermo 314 Camagueey city 317 Santa Lucía 331 Chapter 6: Northern Oriente 335 Las Tunas 337 Puerto Padre 340 Holguín 341 San Isidoro de Holguín 342 Guardalavaca 353 Cayo Saetía 359 The Pinares de Mayarí 360 Guantánamo 362 Baracoa 366 Chapter 7: Santiago de Cuba and Granma 376 Santiago de Cuba city 377 Sierra de la Gran Piedra 408 Gran Parque Natural Baconao 408 Iglesia de la Caridad del Cobre 411 Chivirico 412 Bayamo 413 Marea del Portillo 422 Parque Nacional Desembarco del Granma 424 Manzanillo 425 Chapter 8: Isla de la Juventud and Cayo Largo 428 Isla de la Juventud 430 Nueva Gerona 434 Around Nueva Gerona 441 Museo de Presidio Modelo 443 La Fe and the Criadero Cocodrilo 446 Cuevas de Punta del Este 448 Cayo Largo 451 Part Three: Contexts 457 A brief history of Cuba 459 Wildlife and the environment 476 Cuban music 480 Cuban sport 494 Books 500 Language 504 Glossary 508 Index 510 LIST OF MAPS Cuba map x-xi Chapter divisions 61 Havana and around 64 Ciudad de la Habana 66 Habana Vieja 78 Centro Habana 96 Vedado 99 Miramar 112 Playas del Este 130-131 Pinar del Río 144 Pinar del Río 156 Viñales 165 Varadero and Matanzas 178-179 Varadero 182-183 Matanzas 204 Central Matanzas 207 Península de Zapata 224 Trinidad and the central provinces 234-235 Trinidad 239 Sancti Spíritus 256 Cienfuegos 264 Santa Clara 277 Ciego de Ávila and Camagueey 294-295 Ciego de Ávila 298 Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo 308 Camagueey city 318 Northern Oriente 336-337 Victoria de Las Tunas 339 San Isidoro de Holguín 343 Baracoa 368 Santiago de Cuba and Granma 378-379 Santiago de Cuba 386-387 Bayamo 414 El Guafe nature trail 425 Isla de la Juventud and Cayo Largo 429 Nueva Gerona 437 Cayo Largo 452 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 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. Yet at the same time, 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 only just emerging from a chronic economic crisis, 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, brought on by the country's desperate need for dollars following the collapse of the Soviet bloc. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Where to go No trip to Cuba would be complete without a visit to the potent capital city, Havana. A unique and personable mini-metropolis, characterized by a small-town atmosphere, its time-warped colonial core, Habana Vieja, is crammed with architectural splendours, some laced with Moorish traces and dating as far back as the sixteenth century. Elsewhere in the city there are handsome streets unspoilt by tawdry multinational chain stores and restaurants: with relatively little development since the revolution, the city retains many of its colonial mansions and numerous 1950s hallmarks.
Rating:
Summary: Viva Cuba
Review: The Rough Guide is extremley informative. It provides basic facts , contact information , and tips on travel to Cuba. I was surprised at the comprehensive information on all regions of Cuba , not just Havana. I'm going to test the book out this summer when I visit Havana , then I'll see if it deserves a higher rating.
Rating:
Summary: Viva Cuba
Review: This guide runs a very close second to Christopher Baker's Cuba: Moon Travel Handbook. It is extremely informative and the basic information section is one of the best. The central part of the guide (accommodations, restaurants and sights) is one of the most accurate on the market (though McAuslan's comments are very terse). The maps were easy to use and above the average found in most other Cuban guides. This guide has one of the best bibliographies on Cuba found in a guide book today, but sadly lacks any mention of notable films that can be viewed to gain an appreciation of this country. On the downside, the index DID NOT list hotels or restaurants and this required that you flip through the section until you find the listing you wanted (especially a hassle in Havana). There were NO email or Internet addresses to speak of (especially useful for the hotels) even though the published date is 2000. That is disappointing considering that almost every hotel listed in this book is, and have been using cyberspace for the past few years. The strength of this guide, as with most Rough Guides, is its first hand knowledge that is geared for the budgeted adventure traveler. The selections that list accommodations and restaurants, included budget hostels and eateries that are often disregarded in other guides. A trademark to Rough Guides is the placement of the history, culture, people, etc. at the end of the guide instead of at the beginning. Over all this is a VERY GOOD, and informative guide, that I strongly recommend. Only slightly better is "Cuba" by Christopher Baker's (Moon Travel Guides, [see review]) and just a notch behind is "Cuba" by David Stanley (Lonely Planet [see review]). Regardless, you will not go wrong with any of these three guides. Recommended
Rating:
Summary: This is a VERY GOOD, and informative guide.
Review: This guide runs a very close second to Christopher Baker's Cuba: Moon Travel Handbook. It is extremely informative and the basic information section is one of the best. The central part of the guide (accommodations, restaurants and sights) is one of the most accurate on the market (though McAuslan's comments are very terse). The maps were easy to use and above the average found in most other Cuban guides. This guide has one of the best bibliographies on Cuba found in a guide book today, but sadly lacks any mention of notable films that can be viewed to gain an appreciation of this country. On the downside, the index DID NOT list hotels or restaurants and this required that you flip through the section until you find the listing you wanted (especially a hassle in Havana). There were NO email or Internet addresses to speak of (especially useful for the hotels) even though the published date is 2000. That is disappointing considering that almost every hotel listed in this book is, and have been using cyberspace for the past few years. The strength of this guide, as with most Rough Guides, is its first hand knowledge that is geared for the budgeted adventure traveler. The selections that list accommodations and restaurants, included budget hostels and eateries that are often disregarded in other guides. A trademark to Rough Guides is the placement of the history, culture, people, etc. at the end of the guide instead of at the beginning. Over all this is a VERY GOOD, and informative guide, that I strongly recommend. Only slightly better is "Cuba" by Christopher Baker's (Moon Travel Guides, [see review]) and just a notch behind is "Cuba" by David Stanley (Lonely Planet [see review]). Regardless, you will not go wrong with any of these three guides. Recommended
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