Recently my wife and I went for a vacation to an all inclusive resort in Varadero, Cuba for a week. Overall it was a wonderful experience and we enjoyed a lot. Beaches in Varadero are to die for, super clean, big and delightful to swim in.
If you are planning to make a trip to Cuba and curious to know what to pack other than normal toiletries and clothing, I'll be explaining below, things we could have taken with us but didn't, as nobody told us to.
If you are planning to make a trip to Cuba and curious to know what to pack other than normal toiletries and clothing, I'll be explaining below, things we could have taken with us but didn't, as nobody told us to.
- Thermos/Travel Mug - In all inclusive resort, drinks are free and unlimited. We noticed many tourists had brought their own thermos/travel mugs to refill their drinks from the bar and go back to beach or pool. If you don't bring your own thermos, resort's bar provides drink in a plastic glass (with straw) which does not feel environmentally friendly.
- Water Bottle - Resorts provide filtered water, so you can get water filled up in your own water bottle.
- Snacks - There are no chips in Cuba (only pringles). No peanuts. No popcorn. Bring your own snacks if you plan on snacking up while on beach or in your room.
- Condiments - We saw some people had brought their own condiments, such as Ranch dressing etc.
- Extra Cash for Cigars - Best quality cigars can be sold at 5 to 10 times their original price in Canada/US, which sometimes enables people to buy tickets for their next Cuba trip just by selling cigars bought from previous trip. We heard many people bring back best quality cigars, such as Cohiba Cigars, from Havana in permissible quantity so that there are no issues at customs and sell it at premium in their home country.
The staff at resort such as maids, receptionists, bartenders, waiters, beach attendants seem to provide good service overall, however if you tip them monetarily (1 to 5 USD or CUC), you get extraordinary service. Once in a while, the staff seemed more than happy to receive a gift other than monetary tip. Below is list of goodies we though local Cubans liked to receive or were looking for.
- Cookies/candies/chocolates (from Dollar Store)
- Cheap earrings/ornaments (from Shoppers/Superstore)
- Used shoes, sneakers, sandals
- Used women clothing (was in high demand)
- Key chains and souvenirs (from Canada/US)
