martes, 25 de abril de 2017

CUBA: ENTRY & EXIT FORMALITIES IN CUBA

Cuba: Entry & Exit Formalities in Cuba


Whether it's your first or 50th time, descending low into José Martí International Airport, over rust-red tobacco fields, is an exciting and unforgettable experience. Entry procedures are relatively straightforward, and with approximately three million visitors a year, immigration officials are used to dealing with foreign arrivals.
Outside Cuba, the capital city is called Havana, and this is how travel agents, airlines and other professionals will refer to it. Within Cuba, it's almost always called La Habana. For the sake of consistency, we use the former spelling.

Visas

Regular tourists who plan to spend up to two months in Cuba do not need visas. Instead, you get a tarjeta de turista (tourist card) valid for 30 days, which can be extended once you're in Cuba (Canadians get 90 days plus the option of a 90-day extension).
Package tourists receive their card with their other travel documents. Those going 'air only' usually buy the tourist card from the travel agency or airline office that sells them the plane ticket, but policies vary (eg Canadian airlines give out tourist cards on their airplanes), so you'll need to check ahead with the airline office via phone or email.
In some cases, you may be required to buy and/or pick up the card at your departure airport, sometimes at the flight gate itself some minutes before departure. Some independent travelers have been denied access to Cuba flights because they inadvertently haven't obtained a tourist card.
Once in Havana, tourist-card extensions or replacements cost another CUC$25. You cannot leave Cuba without presenting your tourist card. If you lose it, you can expect to face at least a day of frustrating Cuba-style bureaucracy to get it replaced.
You are not permitted entry to Cuba without an onward ticket.
Fill the tourist card out clearly and carefully, as Cuban customs are particularly fussy about crossings out and illegibility.
Business travelers and journalists need visas. Applications should be made through a consulate at least three weeks in advance (longer if you apply through a consulate in a country other than your own).

Documents Required on Entry

Passport valid for at least one month beyond your departure date
Cuba 'tourist card' filled out correctly
Proof of travel medical insurance (random checks at airport)
Evidence of sufficient funds for the duration of your stay
Return air ticket
Customs Regulations
Cuban customs regulations are complicated. For the full up-to-date scoop see www.aduana.co.cu.
Entering Cuba
Travelers are allowed to bring in personal belongings including photography equipment, binoculars, a musical instrument, radio, personal computer, tent, fishing rod, bicycle, canoe and other sporting gear, and up to 10kg of medicines. Canned, processed and dried food are no problem, nor are pets (as long as they have veterinary certification and proof of rabies vaccination).
Items that do not fit into the categories mentioned above are subject to a 100% customs duty to a maximum of CUC$1000.
Items prohibited from entry into Cuba include narcotics, explosives, pornography, electrical appliances broadly defined, light motor vehicles, car engines and products of animal origin.

Leaving Cuba 

You are allowed to export 50 boxed cigars duty-free (or 23 singles) and up to US$5000 (or the equivalent) in cash.
Exporting undocumented art and items of cultural patrimony is restricted and involves fees. Normally, when you buy art you will be given an official 'seal' at the point of sale. Check this before you buy. If you don't get one, you'll need to obtain one from the Registro Nacional de Bienes Culturales in Havana. Bring the objects here for inspection; fill in a form; pay a fee of between CUC$10 and CUC$30, which covers from one to five pieces of artwork; and return 24 hours later to pick up the certificate.
Travelers should check local import laws in their home country regarding Cuban cigars. Some countries, including Australia, charge duty on imported Cuban cigars.

Licenses for US Visitors 

The US government issues two sorts of licenses for travel to Cuba: ‘specific’ and ‘general.’ Specific licenses require a lengthy and sometimes complicated application process and are considered on a case-by-case basis; their application should start at least 45 days before your intended date of departure.
Most visitors will travel under general licenses. General licenses are self-qualifying. Persons traveling under a general license do not need to notify OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) of their travel plans. Travelers sign an affidavit stating the purpose of travel and purchase a Cuban Visa at check-in when departing the United States via flights. Visas average $50, purchased through airlines or established third parties.
You might need supporting documentation to back up your claim when you book your flight ticket. Check with the US Department of the Treasury (www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/pages/cuba.aspx) to see if you qualify for a license.

Extensions


For most travelers, obtaining an extension once in Cuba is easy: you just go to the inmigración (immigration office) and present your documents and CUC$25 in stamps. Obtain these stamps from a branch of Bandec or Banco Financiero Internacional beforehand. You'll only receive an additional 30 days after your original 30 days (apart from Canadians who get an additional 90 days after their original 90), but you can exit and re-enter the country for 24 hours and start over again (some travel agencies in Havana have special deals for this type of trip). Attend to extensions at least a few business days before your visa is due to expire and never attempt travel around Cuba with an expired visa.

Cuban Immigration Offices

Nearly all provincial towns have an immigration office (where you can extend your visa), though the staff rarely speak English and aren't always overly helpful. Try to avoid Havana's office if you can, as it gets ridiculously crowded.
Baracoa , Bayamo (In a big complex 200m south of the Hotel Sierra Maestra), Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Cienfuegos, Guantánamo (Directly behind Hotel Guantánamo), Habana, Holguín, Las Tunas, Sancti Spíritus, Santa Clara (Three blocks east of Estadio Sandino), Santiago de Cuba Stamps for visa extensions are sold at the Banco de Crédito y Comercio at Felix Peña No 614 on Parque Céspedes, Trinidad (Off Paseo Agramonte) , Varadero.

US Citizens & Cuba

When President Obama decided to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba, decades of regulations started to shift, though some measures still await change (like banking). To further complicate matters, it's speculated that the current agreements would be altered by the Trump administration.
In conjunction with the US embargo against Cuba, the US government 'travel ban,' which had prevented US citizens from visiting Cuba, relaxed under the Obama administration. Technically a treasury law prohibiting Americans from spending money in Cuba, it squelched leisure travel for more than 45 years. At present, visitors undertaking non-tourism related activities are allowed to visit the island provided they meet the requirements of special categories.
A little history: The 1996 Helms-Burton Act, which was signed into law by President Clinton on March 12, 1996, imposes without judicial review fines of up to US$50,000 on US citizens who visit Cuba without US government permission. It also allows for confiscation of their property. In addition, under the Trading with the Enemy Act, violators may face up to US$250,000 in fines and up to 10 years in prison.
Under the Obama administration there was considerable progress in Cuba relations. Bilateral agreements have eased travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans, direct commercial flights are operating between the US and Cuba, there's postal service between the two countries, restrictions on the goods brought from Cuba has relaxed and there is greater leniency in the granting of legal licenses.
Visit www.cubacentral.com to inform yourself of the latest legislation on Capitol Hill.
Do you need a list of names and places to provide to the american authorities? Just write to cubamigos@yahoo.es

domingo, 23 de abril de 2017

CUBA TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel Insurance for Cuba  


Comprehensive travel insurance to cover theft, loss and medical problems is highly recommended.
Some policies specifically exclude dangerous activities such as scuba diving, motorcycling, skiing and even trekking: read the fine print.
Check that the policy covers ambulances or an emergency flight home.
Find out in advance if your insurance plan will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures.
If you have to claim later, make sure you keep all documentation.
Paying for your airline ticket with a credit card often provides limited travel accident insurance – ask your credit card company what it is prepared to cover.


More on Health and safety


Cuba is generally safer than most countries, with violent attacks extremely rare. Petty theft (eg rifled luggage in hotel rooms or unattended shoes disappearing from the beach) is common, but preventative measures work wonders. Pickpocketing is preventable: wear your bag in front of you on

Begging is more widespread and is exacerbated by tourists who hand out money, soap, pens, chewing gum and other things to people on the street. If you truly want to do something to help, pharmacies and hospitals will accept medicine donations, schools happily take pens, paper, crayons etc, and libraries will gratefully accept books. Alternatively pass stuff onto your casa particular owner or leave it at a local church. You can also write to us and we make the arrangements and take you to the right places for donations (cubamigos@yahoo.es


Health

From a medical point of view, Cuba is generally safe as long as you're reasonably careful about what you eat and drink. The most common travel-related diseases, such as dysentery and hepatitis, are acquired by the consumption of contaminated food and water. Mosquito-borne illnesses are not a significant concern on most of the islands within the Cuban archipelago. Pregnant women or women who plan to get pregnant and their partners should check travel advisories before going to Cuba.
Prevention is the key to staying healthy while traveling around Cuba. Travelers who receive the recommended vaccines and follow commonsense precautions usually come away with nothing more than a little diarrhea.


Insurance

Since May 2010, Cuba has made it obligatory for all foreign visitors to have medical insurance. Random checks are made at the airport, so ensure you bring a printed copy of your policy.
Should you end up in hospital, call Asistur for help with insurance and medical assistance. The company has regional offices in Havana, Varadero, Cayo Coco, Guardalavaca and Santiago de Cuba.
Outpatient treatment at international clinics is reasonably priced, but emergency and prolonged hospitalization gets expensive (the free medical system for Cubans should only be used when there is no other option).
Should you have to purchase medical insurance on arrival, you will pay from CUC$3 per day for coverage of up to CUC$25,000 in medical expenses (for illness) and CUC$10,000 for repatriation of a sick person.

Travelers can purchase such a policy in their country of residence, prior to their trip, but they can also purchase it at their arrival in Cuba, just at the point of entering.

In case of buying the insurance at the arrival in Cuba, they can choose one of the following options:

Option A
Coverage
Limits (in CUC)
Medical expenses due to sudden diseases / accidents 
10 000.00
Repatriation & Transport
10 000.00
Personal Civil Liability
10 000.00
Advance of judicial bail bond
5 000.00
Assistance
1 000.00
Premium per passenger per day: 2.50 CUC


Option B
Coverage
Limits (in CUC)
Medical expenses due to sudden diseases / accidents
25 000.00
Repatriation & Transport
5 000.00
Premium per passenger per day: 3.00 CUC
                                                  (1 CUC = 1.08 USD)

 FOR THE INSURANCE PURCHASED AT ARRIVAL ONLY

In both options (A and B) an extra premium of 2.00 CUC per passenger per day should be paid by those who intend to take part in sport competitions or practicing high risk sports, such as alpinism, diving, parachuting, etc. 

An extra premium of 2.00 CUC per passenger per day should be paid by people older than 70 years as well.


Health Care for Foreigners in Cuba

The Cuban government has established a for-profit health system for foreigners called Servimed, which is entirely separate from the free, not-for-profit system that takes care of Cuban citizens. There are more than 40 Servimed health centers across the island, offering primary care as well as a variety of specialty and high-tech services. If you're staying in a hotel, the usual way to access the system is to ask the manager for a physician referral. Servimed centers accept walk-ins. While Cuban hospitals provide some free emergency treatment for foreigners, this should only be used when there is no other option. Remember that in Cuba medical resources are scarce and the local population should be given priority in free health-care facilities.
If you develop a life-threatening medical problem, you'll probably want to be evacuated to a country with state-of-the-art medical care. Since this may cost tens of thousands of dollars, be sure you have insurance to cover this before you depart.
There are special pharmacies for foreigners also run by the Servimed system, but all Cuban pharmacies are notoriously short on supplies, including pharmaceuticals. Be sure to bring along adequate quantities of all medications you might need, both prescription and over the counter. Also, be sure to bring along a fully stocked medical kit. Pharmacies marked turno permanenteor pilotos are open 24 hours.

Tap Water

Tap water in Cuba is not reliably safe to drink. Bottled water called Ciego Montero rarely costs more than CUC$1, but is sometimes not available in small towns. Stock up in the cities when going on long bus or car journeys.

HOLIDAY RENTALS IN CUBA


viernes, 21 de abril de 2017

HOTEL NACIONAL DE CUBA, Habana.

HOTEL NACIONAL DE CUBA, Habana.




Hotel Nacional de Cuba. Hotel insignia de la hotelería cubana. Ubicado sobre una colina a pocos metros del mar en la zona más céntrica de La Habana. Ha conservado durante ocho décadas todo el esplendor de su arquitectura ecléctica, Art Decó y morisca. Los cañones que integraron una antigua batería , que hoy se exhiben en su jardín, fueron declarados Patrimonio de la Humanidad en 1998. A este Hotel le ha sido otorgada la condición de Monumento Nacional, también la de Hotel Museo, declarada en el 2001. Aparece inscrito en el Registro "Memoria del Mundo".
Está ubicado en la Calle 21 esquina a la Calle O, en el Vedado,  La Habana y fue inaugurado en el Ball Room, la noche del 30 de diciembre de 1930.
Los terrenos en los que está situado el Hotel, formaron parte de la zona que en los primeros siglos coloniales se denominaba Monte Vedado, debido a un decreto del Gobierno Español que prohibía que en esta zona se abriesen caminos hacia la playa. Es por esto que uno de los salones lleva el nombre de "Sala Vedado".
Los constantes ataques de corsarios y piratas y luego la Toma de La Habana por los ingleses, llevaron a la edificación de diversas obras de protección y defensa, torreones, baterías, en los terrenos que hoy ocupan los jardines del Hotel. De este sistema defensivo, actualmente se exhiben en el jardín dos cañones: el “Krupp” y el "Ordóñez", siendo este último el cañón más grande del mundo en su época.
A finales de la segunda década del siglo XX se decide iniciar la construcción de un hotel lujoso. Las firmas americanas Mc Kim, Mead & White y la Purdy Henderson Co, encargadas de los planos y la ejecución, concluyeron la edificación en 14 meses.
Poseedor de 426 habitaciones desglosadas:
32 Habitaciones sencillas
308 Habitaciones dobles
11 Habitaciones triples
58 Habitaciones Junior
15 Suite
1 Suite Presidencial
1 Suite Real


Bares
Cabaret Parisién. Ofrece un gran show cubano, mostrando la fusión de las culturas indoamericanas, hispanas y africanas que dieron origen a la cultura cubana.
Un piso Ejecutivo, que incluye una recepción, oficinas, salones, desayunador, una Oficina Ejecutiva.
El Apartamento de La República, zona muy exclusiva del hotel, ofrece 200 metros cuadrados de elegantes salones propios para este tipo de reuniones, cenas privadas, banquetes y cocteles. También cuenta con un completo servicio de audio-visuales y de traducción.
La Sala 1930 o Compay Segundo, la de mayor capacidad, admite organizar recepciones de 600 personas y cenas para un total de 450 comensales.
Centro de Negocios
Complejo Fitness Center Piscina que incluye el gimnasio, 2 piscinas y el snack bar.
El 4 de mayo de 1998 el Hotel Nacional fue declarado Monumento Nacional por la Comisión Nacional de Monumentos de la República de Cuba. Así quedó oficialmente reconocido el valor artístico e histórico de este edificio que, construido en los terrenos que ocupaba en el siglo XVIII la antigua Batería de Santa Clara, desde sus cimientos ya comenzaba a poseer memoria.
La Batería de Santa Clara formaba parte del sistema de fortificaciones coloniales de la ciudad, declarado en el año 1982, junto a la Habana Vieja, Patrimonio de la Humanidad. Ubicada en un macizo rocoso frente al mar, dejó como herencia al nuevo ocupante de su escenario, la vista al malecón habanero. Sus restos, entre los que se encuentra el cañón más grande de la época, quedaron formando parte de los jardines del Hotel.
Han sido clientes
Cientos de personalidades notables en las distintas manifestaciones de las artes, la política, el comercio y del mundo de los negocios, las ciencias y la cultura universal, sin dejar de incluir a la mafia italo norteamericana.
Eduardo VIII, Príncipe de Gales, que viajara de incógnito a Cuba en 1931; los escritores Rómulo Gallegos y Ernest Hemingway; Nelson Rockefeller; el embajador ruso Macin Litvinov; el Barón Thyssen Stephen Boonemiza, que vivió junto a su familia en el hotel desde 1947 hasta 1957; los Duques de Windsor; Alexander Fleming, descubridor de la Penicilina; el boxeador Rocky Marciano; el jugador de beisbol del equipo estadounidense Yankees de New York Micky Mantle, estamparon sus firmas en el Registro de Huéspedes del Hotel.

Sin embargo, son las figuras del mundo de la cinematografía y el espectáculo las que en mayor número lo visitan.
Marlon Brando, Ava Gardner, Errol Flyn, Tyrone Power, Rita Hayworth, Libertad Lamarque, María Félix, Cantinflas, Tin Tan, Jorge Negrete, Fred Astaire, Pedro Vargas, Agustín Lara, Nat King Cole, y otras personalidades de la escena mundial dejaron huellas en el recuerdo de los testigos de aquella época.

También fue huésped del Hotel Nacional Johny Weismuller, de quien se cuenta hizo una demostración de sus dotes de nadador; Buster Keaton, que llegó simulando una parálisis en una pierna, y Frank Sinatra, quien negó haber cantado durante las reuniones de la mafia.

Otros nombres también conocidos, como los de Meyer Lansky y Lucky Luciano, en cuyas manos estuvo el control del juego en el hotel desde 1933, se inscribieron en las memorias del Nacional.
Después del triunfo de la Revolución Cubana en 1959, el Hotel Nacional continuó abriendo sus puertas a nuevos invitados. Yuri Gagarin, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir visitaron la instalación en la década de 1960. Con posterioridad estuvieron entre sus visitantes, Michel Legrand, Francis Ford Coppola, Pierre Cardin y Daniela Miterrand.

La creación del Rincón del Cine en los predios del Hotel Nacional, en coincidencia con la realización cada año en La Habana del Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, ha llevado hasta esta instalación un numeroso grupo de convidados.


Entre 1990 y 1992 se hizo una intervención de rehabilitación en el hotel, con la que le fue devuelto el esplendor arquitectónico de las primeras décadas. Se rescataron en gran medida los pisos originales y el mobiliario de la época, que volvió a ambientar algunas de las habitaciones ocupadas por sus visitantes más famosos.

"Memoria del Mundo"


El 29 de junio de 2010, el Hotel Nacional de Cuba recibió la distinción "Memoria del Mundo", de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura, que por primera vez se le confiere a un hotel.




viernes, 14 de abril de 2017

CUBA, HABANA: APARTAMENTO INDEPENDIENTE PARA VACACIONES

Apartamento independiente en la zona del Vedado.


Recientemente renovado. Sala de estar ‘comedor, cocina abierta, dos habitaciones (una con dos camas)  con aire acondicionado, un baño con agua fría y caliente,  y terraza. Segundo piso.

Ubicado en un área con hoteles, bancos, zonas de acceso a internet (wifi), avenidas importantes de comunicación con toda la ciudad. 

Servicios de desayuno a solicitud, limpieza, cambio de ropa de cama y toallas cada dos días.

Precio: 75 pesos convertibles (cuc) por dia si se usan las dos habitaciones. 40 cuc al día si se usa 1 habitación.





CUBA, HAVANA: INDEPENDENT APARTMENT HOLIDAY RENTAL



Independent apartment in Havana, in Vedado Area.

Recently renovated, the apartment is composed by terrace, living-room -dining-room, open kitchen, 2 double bedrooms each one, air conditioner. One of the bedrooms has 2 beds.

Services: daily cleaning and change of towels and linen, breakfast and dinner (on request and extra charged), taxis, airport pickup
This house is situated in the heart of Vedado quarters, quiet and safe area with hotels, banks, wifi spots,  one block from malecon (sea wall) and important avenues which connect all areas of the city.

Price: 70 pesos convertibles (cuc) if 2 bedrooms are rented. If only one 40 pesos convertibles(cuc.) per night

more photos: http://cubamigos.webcindario.com/apartamento%20gretel.html



http://cubamigos.webcindario.com
cubamigos@yahoo.es