Posts Tagged ‘cuba holidays’
Best Havana Hotels
January 18, 2010
I would like to introduce you in this article to what in my modest opinion represent the best hotels in Havana. Please complement this information with reviews in trip advisor before you decide which hotel to go for in Havana.
Santa Isabel Hotel
Santa Isabel offers cosy rooms that are decorated in luxurious colonial style. It is here where John Paul II stayed in 1998 when he visited Havana. This Colonial Palace is located only few steps from Havana’s Cathedral and it is just next to where Havana was founded almost 400 years ego.
Saratoga Hotel
The 5 star Saratoga Hotel is in an elegant neoclassic building in the old town of Havana at the intersection of Paseo del Prado and Dragones street. This Palace is located across the Capitol building and Parque de La Fraternidad Square and offers an interesting outlook on the well known Partagas Cigar Factory and the Opera House of Havana.
NH Parque Central
This 5 star hotel is located in the centre of the old colonial Havana, surrounded by numerous famous buildings, like the Capitol, the “Teatro Garcia Lorca” and the Museum for Modern Arts. Here the elegance of the Spanish colonial style combines with much more modern features. From the terrace and swimming pool bar in the uppermost floor of the hotel, one can enjoy the most spectacular view over old Havana.
Havana – Florida Hotel
At a centric corner of the street Obispo raises majestically the Hotel Florida. Few meters from Plaza de Armas this hotel is surrounded by businesses, art galleries and interesting museums that provide a magic atmosphere in its vicinity. A distinguished ambience and a customized service invite you to discover the magic of the past in the 21st century.
Raquel Hotel
This hotel has one of the most beautiful roof gardens in Havana to pamper the guest with cosy seat to overlook the fantastic corners and panoramic views of Havanas Old Town. This hotel enjoys one of the most representative expressions of the Art Nouveau architecture style.
For further information on Havana Hotels please visit Cuba holidays web site by J. M. Maurette
Havana Hotels.
December 11, 2009
At this stage you are probably looking for the best hotels in Havana to stay. I will highlight in this article few of the best hotels you can easily book online. If you are booking a holiday package most of these hotels will be offered by your travel agents.
Havana is divided into 14 quarters of which the most interesting and popular among tourists are the Old Town (Habana Vieja), Vedado and Miramar. Probably the best place to stay is the Old Town.
I would concentrate in this article in the Old Town area also known by the locals as Habana Vieja. There are over 20 hotels in the Old Town and if you check other reviews about hotels in Havana you will find these 3 to be the best options in terms of standard of accommodation: 5 * Saratoga Hotel, 5* Parque Central Hotel and 4*+ Santa Isabel Hotel.
There are other hotels in the Old Town that although are lower in star rating they are as charming and comfortable as the ones mention above. These 4 star hotels were built in the 18th Century to house the richest and most prominent families in Havana.
Florida Hotel, Raquel Hotel and O’Farril Hotel are among the most beautiful palaces. They have an average of 30 rooms each so the service is always going to be more personalized compared to those huge Havana hotels.
On the 3 star category then you can check Hostal Valencia, Comendador, Meson de la Flota and Beltran de Santa Cruz hotels. The only problem with this hotels is that you are not going to find availabilities if you don’t book well in advance as they are highly demanded for their price and comfort.
There are some 2 star hotels in the Old Town area but I will only recommend those to people on a very tight budget. Their prices are very cheap – somewhere around 15.00 CUC per person per night. I will advise to first read the reviews on Trip Advisor website before you decide to book one of this. Lido, Caribbean and Lincoln Hotels in the Old town are the best 2 star hotels.
In general Hotels in Habana Vieja are the best ones in terms of location and quality of the service. If you want to stay in a 5 star property you will be looking at around 85.00 CUC per person per night. A less expensive yet very decent would be the 4 star accommodation option with costs around 60.00 CUC per person per night.
For further information on Havana Hotels please visit Holidays to Cuba web site by J. M. Maurette
Caves And Caverns In Cuba
December 2, 2009
There are many interesting places in Cuba to visit on your holidays but among the most popular is Viales Valley. This jewel of the Cuban geography combines so many natural formations. It is located in the second largest mountain range in Cuba. It is branded the best land for tobacco in the world. Its people are considered the nicest and most welcoming people in Cuba. Its rivers, forests, valleys, mountains, beaches, lakes and caves make it a must see place while on your holidays in Cuba
Today I would like to write about and amazing cave formation in Viales: La Cueva del Indio. This cave is part of a cavern system considered the largest in Latin America. You can visit this cave on a tour that is divided on two parts. First you walk along very constricted passages and slippery floor for about 10 minutes and then you find a under ground river along which you will get a ride on a boat until you reach the other end of the cave.
The silhouettes of its stalactites and stalagmites surprise the onlooker. Just at the entry of the cavern you will be able to see some of our endemic species like The Polymita Picta (a small snail with a multicolored pattern on its shell).
In the boat part of the excursion, an expert driver takes you along the stream and shows you all these amazing protruding formations, some of them with very strange shapes that look like a crocodile, a snake and even a witch. I am sure you will also discover your own shapes. It is a very tranquil ride as the steam of the watercourse is very calm which permit you to get pleasure from the beauty within this cave.
The river inside the cavern is available for tourists for about 500 meters. Although the river is a lot longer, for safety reasons is not navigable along its entire course. The whole cavern has not being completely explored because there are some areas that are completely under water.
The mass of water is amazing but you got even more amazed when the trip finishes: with all the water that you have seen inside, it is crazy to see that everything ends in a waterfall as high as a half a meter! For a moment you think that you and the boat will crash, but it is an experience worth living. After the fright, you will want to enjoy the trip again, this time knowing all what will happen.
If you are not staying in Viales Valley during your holidays in Cuba do not worry. You can still visit this cave in any of the excursions available from Havana. If you buy a holiday package please make sure to leave at least 2 or 3 nights in Havana so you can get the chance to do some interesting excursions like the one I have just recommend you. I am sure you will have a lovely time.
My last recommendation for your Cuba holidays is to read as much info about Cuba as you can.
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