Cuba
- Thread starter dave1
- Start date
I hunted in Cuba in January of 2001 or thereabouts. We went with Thistlethwaite Outfitters, who we used to hunt with in his home base of SK. Ron has since sold the business. He had started a a winter outfitting business in Panama, but when things went bad there he bailed and switched to Cuba. He was booking mostly American clients, but when Bush Jr. announced he was going to crack down on US citizens going to Cuba a group of businessmen cancelled last minutes and we took their spot. We flew into Cayo Coco and traveled almost directly south to a resort about in the middle of the island. Most other guests were European, as this was not a beach resort. Hunting started with a bus ride, which often led to a tractor wagon ride and/or boat ride for the duck hunts. We brought our own guns (shotguns) which was no problem at all (contrary to one of the previous comments saying foreigners cannot bring in guns, although this could have changed in the last 18 years). Over 6 days we hunted quail, doves, snipe and ducks (bluewing teal and bluebills mostly, but some Bahama Pintail aka white Cheeked Pintail and tree ducks as well). I've never quail hunted anywhere before or since, but I could not see how the quail hunting could be better anywhere in the world (as far as numbers go). The dove hunting was "good" but nothing like the videos I've seen of Argentina. The number or snipe was ridiculous, but slogging through grey mud for hours made that a once in a lifetime experience and we traded our second afternoon snipe hunt for an extra dove hunt. Duck hunting was alright, but nothing impressive. Overall it was an amazing trip but I've had no desire to go back.
Couldn't tell ya if there is still hunting there, but can tell you that Cayo Coco is worth the trip regardless. Went there in March of 2018 and was leary because the other Caribbean destinations I'd done were all 5 star very high end places... Cayo Coco has better beaches by far!
Actually found the people more ambitious than other Caribbean spots, Socialism keeps them on their toes. Higher literacy rates than a lot of places.
Grizz
I enjoyed the food while i was there, but i guess it depends on your taste. If you like simple grilled meats and fresh veggies (although the selection/variety could be hit and miss) then it was great. if you need a ton of sauce, extra spice, etc on everything than it probably would be kind of bland. Their beef quality is pretty poor, but their chicken/fish/pork was great.
I would 100% say that the best grilled fish i have ever had was in cuba, the lunch buffet always had the best smaller fish on the grill and the beach bar made bigger ones whole over a charcoal bbq. Their bread is also amazing. My guess is that it's made with pure sugarcane sugar and real actual lard instead of sweatener/processes white sugar and margarine or canola oil.
And who doesn't like endless amounts of black beans and rice? We had a tour with a whole pig roasted on a spit with bowls of beans, yucca and fresh green peppers... All this thinking of Cuban food makes me want to go back again.
I can attest to the cows, they were just loitering on an old abandon railway track from an old town to the sugar fields (sugar plant closed when subsidies ended from russia, train now used for tourism).
anyways, they were so well trained that they would only get off the tracks when the conductor leaned on the horn at moderate speed then they would run beside the train just a foot away. passengers on the train was freaking.
btw. good food and great people. i felt very safe.
my tour guide said he never ate red meat till he was 18, beef are for the tourists.
anyways, they were so well trained that they would only get off the tracks when the conductor leaned on the horn at moderate speed then they would run beside the train just a foot away. passengers on the train was freaking.
btw. good food and great people. i felt very safe.
my tour guide said he never ate red meat till he was 18, beef are for the tourists.
Not sure the Gov. is the one tagging.
APAC (ALL PEOPLE FOR ANIMALS IN CUBA) CANADA
My wife has been involved with them for awhile and we have taken many supplies down to them while on vacation. (mostly Varadero)
SPANKY 15 yrs strong. (Non profit) Each September conduct mass sterilization in Havana on strays. And those animals are tagged.
TAP Animal Project (Non-profit) Annually, ~5,000 animals are sterilized these animals are also tagged. (cats have their ear clipped instead of a tag.
Currently, TAP supplies ANIPLANT, and ANIPLANT provides on-the-scene assistance to Cuban animals.
People are great very friendly! Food is great too. All depends on where you eat and stay.
Nothing lower that a 5 star for sure!
Best vacation we've had...ever!!!
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
My brother pretty much lived there for a few years. According to him, there isn't much of anything. The locals are poor, and will eat whatever they can get. Chicken is the main dish. I expect that there are areas that the wealthier, party connected types have game.
If you like good rum, and great cigars, its a fantastic spot. The people there will bend over backwards trying to help you. And they are very appreciative. I find the food okay at best, but that doesn't bother me too much, I prefer the rum and cigars any day.
- Location
- West Quebec
It's still a communist country so the poor are really poor
TheCoachZed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I looked into this in 2013? 2014? Wanted to do a story for Outdoor Canada. Back then, Transworld Expeditions was the outfit to talk to, I think, and I talked to others who had actually hunted down there at some point and said it was fantastic duck hunting.
I was never able to make it work out, as the wheels of commerce don't just grind slow, they don't grind at all down there. But if you are richer than I (not hard!), it would become easier. Back then, I was told this sort of thing was often booked out of hotels.
I was never able to make it work out, as the wheels of commerce don't just grind slow, they don't grind at all down there. But if you are richer than I (not hard!), it would become easier. Back then, I was told this sort of thing was often booked out of hotels.
