Cuba or China?
Discussion
Hi guys, after some advice / suggestions from the well traveled amongst you!!
I have decided this year to take a decent holiday, somewhere a bit different (for me at least!) and am thinking a tour of Cuba, or maybe China / Hong Kong. I will be going with someone like Imaginative Traveller, Exodus, Explore etc, so non of the five star all inclusive - I want to see as much as I can whilst there.
So the question - China? or Cuba? Or somewhere else? Uzbekhistan is on the shortlist too!
My requirements: Exciting, new, interesting, and different! Ideally up to 2 weeks, could sort 3 weeks at a push!
I've done the majority of Europe, been to Canada, and don't fancy the USA unless I have a lot more time than a couple of weeks.
Ideas, suggestions, and advice welcome!!
ETA - already got last week April, first week May booked off work....
I have decided this year to take a decent holiday, somewhere a bit different (for me at least!) and am thinking a tour of Cuba, or maybe China / Hong Kong. I will be going with someone like Imaginative Traveller, Exodus, Explore etc, so non of the five star all inclusive - I want to see as much as I can whilst there.
So the question - China? or Cuba? Or somewhere else? Uzbekhistan is on the shortlist too!
My requirements: Exciting, new, interesting, and different! Ideally up to 2 weeks, could sort 3 weeks at a push!
I've done the majority of Europe, been to Canada, and don't fancy the USA unless I have a lot more time than a couple of weeks.
Ideas, suggestions, and advice welcome!!
ETA - already got last week April, first week May booked off work....
Edited by Wolff on Monday 17th January 22:04
Cuba tempts me as I would like to see it before it becomes too westernised, and I can be put in contact with a local family over there to show me the proper side of it rather than take a tour.
But China, yes, would be amazing - the tour I would be looking at would be Beijing, Xian, Yangshuo, Hong Kong. Get to see the wall, terracotta warriors, and do some bike riding around the country side...
Both are oh so tempting!!! Here's hoping for a big bonus and then maybe do them both!
But China, yes, would be amazing - the tour I would be looking at would be Beijing, Xian, Yangshuo, Hong Kong. Get to see the wall, terracotta warriors, and do some bike riding around the country side...
Both are oh so tempting!!! Here's hoping for a big bonus and then maybe do them both!
If it's 2 weeks you have, then that suits Cuba better imo. You'll feel you've adequately covered most of the main sights in that time, whereas with China you'll be feeling like you've barely scratched the surface!
Caveat this with the fact I've not been to China yet! (It's on my "list").
I'm sure you could fill 2 weeks quite comfortably in China, it's just that it's so vast time will invariably be lost getting between places (not to say that's a good deal of the fun of travelling imo, bar airport time, which is the same the world over).
I'd also say in my opinion Cuba is at most risk of developing unrecognisably most rapidly.
Once the blockade with America comes down, and trade softens towards them, then they'll be far more into the capitalist communist way of working that China and Vietnam have developed.
2 weeks, however, is a nice amount of time for a wee wander round Vietnam and Cambodia, just to make your choice even more difficult!
Caveat this with the fact I've not been to China yet! (It's on my "list").
I'm sure you could fill 2 weeks quite comfortably in China, it's just that it's so vast time will invariably be lost getting between places (not to say that's a good deal of the fun of travelling imo, bar airport time, which is the same the world over).
I'd also say in my opinion Cuba is at most risk of developing unrecognisably most rapidly.
Once the blockade with America comes down, and trade softens towards them, then they'll be far more into the capitalist communist way of working that China and Vietnam have developed.
2 weeks, however, is a nice amount of time for a wee wander round Vietnam and Cambodia, just to make your choice even more difficult!
Yeah, Vietnam & Cambodia are on my list to do! Decided a big holiday a year from now on, fed up with the piddly little weekends or weeks away - need to branch out!
Also on the list... Morocco, Egypt (Nile, not Sharm!), Central American Trails (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala), Uzbekistan, and Aus (going to Perth for a friends wedding next March, and hopefully do some of the east coast on the same holiday). And far off are probs the Inca Trail, and the Galapagos Islands!!
Just really really don't know what to do first!
Also on the list... Morocco, Egypt (Nile, not Sharm!), Central American Trails (Mexico, Belize, Guatemala), Uzbekistan, and Aus (going to Perth for a friends wedding next March, and hopefully do some of the east coast on the same holiday). And far off are probs the Inca Trail, and the Galapagos Islands!!
Just really really don't know what to do first!
http://www.gapadventures.com/
I like the look of the Cairo to Istanbul trip.
Worth a look for some tour ideas!
I've been to SE Asia with the Hanoi to Bangkok tour, and also the Southern Divide one in South America. (Skipped the Inca Trail as I'm lazy, and not a fan of heights too much).
Well that's not true, not so much the heights as precipitous drops and slippery 500 year old steps.
If you do do the trail, then just remember that they run a marathon on it every year (it's around 45km), and the record is in the region of 3hrs! Once you reach that altitude you'll understand how mind boggling this is.
Personally I found Bolivia more of an experience than Peru, it just seemed to be so much of what I expected and hoped for of South America. If you go there, go to Bolivia, you won't regret it!
Bolivia...
I like the look of the Cairo to Istanbul trip.
Worth a look for some tour ideas!
I've been to SE Asia with the Hanoi to Bangkok tour, and also the Southern Divide one in South America. (Skipped the Inca Trail as I'm lazy, and not a fan of heights too much).
Well that's not true, not so much the heights as precipitous drops and slippery 500 year old steps.
If you do do the trail, then just remember that they run a marathon on it every year (it's around 45km), and the record is in the region of 3hrs! Once you reach that altitude you'll understand how mind boggling this is.
Personally I found Bolivia more of an experience than Peru, it just seemed to be so much of what I expected and hoped for of South America. If you go there, go to Bolivia, you won't regret it!
Bolivia...
I spent 3 weeks this year in China. The GF lived there for 6 months, so I flew across twice to see her. The first trip was two weeks. I flew into shanghai, 5 days there, flew to Beijing 5 days there and then back to Shangai for a few days before flying back to london. The second trip was a week in shanghai. I have also been to Hong Kong previously on a way back from NZ.
Shanghai is similar to New York, a big city with not too many attractions but a very exciting place to visit due to its size and diversity. Lots of goof hotels, shopping, nightlife, good history, world expo was there this year and a has great buzz. Beijing has a lot more to see attractions wise with the great wall, forbidden city, emperors tombs, Tienanmen square etc but is much more spread out than Shanghai. Not dissimilar to LA vs New York.
I would suggest that you go for 3 weeks and wanted the experience of the far east I would fly into Shanghai for a week, and place a train journey to a more rural area to see more than just the massive city, then fly to beijing or take the train (although the trains are more expensive than fyling and are overnight)then go to Hong Kong. They are three very different cities and will give you a few different sides of China. There are plenty of tropical resorts over there, if you wanted to diversify your trip from city based to the beach!
Shanghai is similar to New York, a big city with not too many attractions but a very exciting place to visit due to its size and diversity. Lots of goof hotels, shopping, nightlife, good history, world expo was there this year and a has great buzz. Beijing has a lot more to see attractions wise with the great wall, forbidden city, emperors tombs, Tienanmen square etc but is much more spread out than Shanghai. Not dissimilar to LA vs New York.
I would suggest that you go for 3 weeks and wanted the experience of the far east I would fly into Shanghai for a week, and place a train journey to a more rural area to see more than just the massive city, then fly to beijing or take the train (although the trains are more expensive than fyling and are overnight)then go to Hong Kong. They are three very different cities and will give you a few different sides of China. There are plenty of tropical resorts over there, if you wanted to diversify your trip from city based to the beach!
You'll love it. How are you getting about - hire car? Beware of the aero-taxis, which have an abysmal safety record, not that Cubana is a lot better.
be prepared to get hassled a bit in old Havana, especially around Obispo (one of the main drags, where the famous bar Floridita is, which is where the daiquiri was invented). It's well-mannered though, people may offer to show you around, and a guided tour for a few dollars is actually worth it if they're knowledgable, although it's only afterwards they ask you for cash. Apart from that you're likely to pick up new "friends" that are only after a few beers. Even at the Museum of the Revolution in Havana, a soldier on duty explained the exhibits and then invited us out for beers with his mates - it just wouldn't happen anywhere else. You'll also get touts persuading you to go to this or that private restaurant (paladars - small privately run places, as opposed to state-run places).
Santa Clara is a lovely little place, with an intriguing revolutionary "monument" - a train wreck which they're very proud of, it was a train carrying US (or US-backed) troops which Che derailed and overpowered despite being vastly outnumbered. There's a concrete sculpture thing representing the explosion which derailed the train, which has been there ever since. A government guide (free) will explain the whole thing, albeit largely in spanish.
It was also in Santa Clara we had the best evening out, at the rooftop bar on the Hotel Santa Clara Libre (SCL). As I recall the entrance is next to or shared with a cinema.
Food is generally dire (get used to rice & beans). The small town of Baracoa is the exception, although it's a bugger to get to and it's nowhere near your route (it's a couple of hours drive at least from Santiago, past Guantanamo.. or a rickety aerotaxi). In Havana there are one or two reasonable places, this may be handy: http://www.havana-guide.com/havanarestaurants.html
We found the best food was to be found in private accommodation (i.e. guest rooms in private houses), where the owner will usually cook you dinner for a few dollars. It's quite an experience sitting down for dinner with a Cuban family in their kitchen. Cubans are rationed unless they have dollars (this was 10 years ago mind, not sure dollars are legal now) so you're doing them a favour.
Accomodation - other than 3 nights in Havana at $100 a night, we just found private accommodation along the way - or rather it has a habit of finding you, or pick up tips / business cards from other tourists. Certainly back then it was a legal maximum of $15 a night (for a room, not per person!), usually with ensuite and aircon, with better food than the restaurants, vs $100 for a hotel... it was a no-brainer.
Have fun, there's few things better in life than sitting at an open air bar in Cuba with a band playing, with a cocktail in one hand and comically large cigar in the other.
be prepared to get hassled a bit in old Havana, especially around Obispo (one of the main drags, where the famous bar Floridita is, which is where the daiquiri was invented). It's well-mannered though, people may offer to show you around, and a guided tour for a few dollars is actually worth it if they're knowledgable, although it's only afterwards they ask you for cash. Apart from that you're likely to pick up new "friends" that are only after a few beers. Even at the Museum of the Revolution in Havana, a soldier on duty explained the exhibits and then invited us out for beers with his mates - it just wouldn't happen anywhere else. You'll also get touts persuading you to go to this or that private restaurant (paladars - small privately run places, as opposed to state-run places).
Santa Clara is a lovely little place, with an intriguing revolutionary "monument" - a train wreck which they're very proud of, it was a train carrying US (or US-backed) troops which Che derailed and overpowered despite being vastly outnumbered. There's a concrete sculpture thing representing the explosion which derailed the train, which has been there ever since. A government guide (free) will explain the whole thing, albeit largely in spanish.
It was also in Santa Clara we had the best evening out, at the rooftop bar on the Hotel Santa Clara Libre (SCL). As I recall the entrance is next to or shared with a cinema.
Food is generally dire (get used to rice & beans). The small town of Baracoa is the exception, although it's a bugger to get to and it's nowhere near your route (it's a couple of hours drive at least from Santiago, past Guantanamo.. or a rickety aerotaxi). In Havana there are one or two reasonable places, this may be handy: http://www.havana-guide.com/havanarestaurants.html
We found the best food was to be found in private accommodation (i.e. guest rooms in private houses), where the owner will usually cook you dinner for a few dollars. It's quite an experience sitting down for dinner with a Cuban family in their kitchen. Cubans are rationed unless they have dollars (this was 10 years ago mind, not sure dollars are legal now) so you're doing them a favour.
Accomodation - other than 3 nights in Havana at $100 a night, we just found private accommodation along the way - or rather it has a habit of finding you, or pick up tips / business cards from other tourists. Certainly back then it was a legal maximum of $15 a night (for a room, not per person!), usually with ensuite and aircon, with better food than the restaurants, vs $100 for a hotel... it was a no-brainer.
Have fun, there's few things better in life than sitting at an open air bar in Cuba with a band playing, with a cocktail in one hand and comically large cigar in the other.
I'm not quite going down the backpacking path for this trip - first big holiday by myself to a country where I don't speak the language! Going with Imaginative Traveller for the first 9 days, and then a couple of days at the end by myself in Havana, where I am sure the tips above will come in handy
The Casa Particulars are a little bit more now - up to about £25 a night for the better ones - but hopefully my ex will point me in the direction of the family she stayed with (she's been a couple of times and they are now like family to each other!) - and the tip of eating at them still holds true! Quite like rice and beans really - just throw in a little chicken or beef and some spices, bonus!!
I really can't wait to get there - 73 days to go!!
Proper backpacking will start for me next year with a trip to Aus for a friends wedding (west coast), followed by a week or so up the east coast and a couple of days somewhere on the way back home. Easy choice I know, but at least I can speak the lingo.
Now, where's that Spanish phrase book!!! And roll on the open air bar, cigar and cocktails!!
The Casa Particulars are a little bit more now - up to about £25 a night for the better ones - but hopefully my ex will point me in the direction of the family she stayed with (she's been a couple of times and they are now like family to each other!) - and the tip of eating at them still holds true! Quite like rice and beans really - just throw in a little chicken or beef and some spices, bonus!!
I really can't wait to get there - 73 days to go!!
Proper backpacking will start for me next year with a trip to Aus for a friends wedding (west coast), followed by a week or so up the east coast and a couple of days somewhere on the way back home. Easy choice I know, but at least I can speak the lingo.
Now, where's that Spanish phrase book!!! And roll on the open air bar, cigar and cocktails!!
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