Cuban Trip - try before I buy recommendations / suggestions?

[RobBooth]

Off to Cuba next week and looking forward to smoking some nice cigars in the sun again.
As you'd expect the hotel has a cigar bar and I'm hoping there's a good selection as I'm planning on bringing a few boxes back home with me. The terrible dilemma is with only a week over there what should I try? I haven't smoked a great number of Cubans having only started smoking late last summer and smoked very little over winter, sitting outside in the sun seems a catalyst for me - bring on the Summer!
I don't really have the experience to say what I'm looking for but my favourite smokes so far have included : La Aurora Cien Anos Maduro Robusto, Tatuaje Black Label Corona Gorda, Por Larranga Montecarlos.
Any recommendations / advice will be appreciated.

Rob

[cj121]

I guess a good starting point would be what size and flavours (light, medium or full) do you have a leaning to. Perhaps you're in the position where you like a variety, which is great. Have a browse through the reviews on here and cigars-review.org and you should get a good feel for lots of different smokes

[nicwing]

Biggest single point is, don't buy from anyone except a Government store (Casa del Habanos) Everyone knows someone who works in a factory, gets the cigars that fail quality control, not in the normal boxes... yadda yadda yadda. There ALL FAKE.

Buy from the proper shops and you will get good cigars at about 30% of the UK price.

[RobBooth]

Thanks for the info. Definitely give the street urchins a wide birth. Planning a trip to Havana so will buy from an authorised outlet. Internet seems a little light on the ground so I'm trying to get info sorted before I go.

[wayne_w]

I use this site for reference, it is kept up to date too

http://yulcigars.blogspot.co.uk

[cj121]

Good point Nic and there is no skirting around that one, despite however legit the cigars or packaging looks. They will not be the real deal and a waste of good money that can be spent on genuine stuff.

[oskihen]

You can't blame the hotels etc ,,, they must be inundated with tourists who have their first taste of a cigar half cut in Cuba , good luck to them I say ...... And more fool the punter who doesn't know his arse from his elbow

[wrasse]

Visit of a cigar factory, which always ends in the shop is a part of almost any excursion. I have been so far in such places in Holguin and Santiago, the selection/price is much better than the shops in the hotels. Try and decide for yourself what to bring back, I would bring a nice bottle of rum too

[nicwing]

When are you going and where will you be staying?
I have some notes on Havana from my trips that I would be happy to share with you.

[RobBooth]

Hi Nic, that would be great.
We're out next Monday for a week. We're in Playa Pesquero near Guardalavaca / Holguin but will be taking a trip with an overnight stay in Havana.
Cheers
Rob

[nicwing]

Rob, I need to email you and you don't have PM. email me via editor@ukcigarscene.com
Nic

[EdBlackadder]

Glad you brought this up, I fly out for my honeymoon in 6 weeks, 4 nights in Havana then 10 at Paradisus Varadero Resort. I'm just starting to get excited.

Hopefully you got the message about the change to prepaid exit tax?

[RobBooth]

Glad you brought this up, I fly out for my honeymoon in 6 weeks, 4 nights in Havana then 10 at Paradisus Varadero Resort. I'm just starting to get excited.

Hopefully you got the message about the change to prepaid exit tax?

Is this the 25cuc you had to pay to leave Cuba?

[EdBlackadder]

Is this the 25cuc you had to pay to leave Cuba?

Yeah, hat an email and confirmed on a search you can note prepay. May be mandatory actually, i did it through my travel agent.

[RobBooth]

That's interesting. I haven't been asked to pay it (yet). The travel agent's site says that the visa is included in the holiday cost but no mention of the exit tax.