651077 Wed Sep 09 02:12:43 -0700 2009 1 54 Caribbean 0 5015543 Anyone know of any good chow eats in Holguin? Also did anyone go to resort but leave to try out the local foods, or is this a bad idea? or even allowable :P I've been there before, but this time around I'd rather leave the place knowing I've tried some interesting local foods and not just the regular old resort stuff (which can be awful, esp. a la cart) Thanks, if there is anything you can recommend I sure would love to hear about it. Wed Sep 09 02:12:44 -0700 2009 224081 BamiaWruz 1 5016485 Never made it as far as Holguin so I'll just share what I've gotten from my guidebook. There are only two restaurants listed that sound interesting to me. One is called Restaurant 1720, which is described as "Holguin's finest dining" in a restored colonial mansion. It's on Calle Frexes between Manduley and Miro. The other is called Paladar La Ternura (Jose A Cardet No. 293). A paladar is typically a restaurant in a private home and the food is usually plentiful and simple. I would certainly recommend that you explore beyond the resort. It's a whole different world out there and well worth visiting. Cuban meals tend to have fresh seafood (fish, lobster, shrimp) or chicken or pork as a main dish, with rice and beans and salad. Desserts can be odd - like this very strange guava and cheese concoction my husband once ordered - or fresh fruit or custards. Street foods are typically pizza or pork sandwiches - and range from delicious to awful. There's very little in the way of spices used beyond garlic and a bit of oregano. I can't imagine why you wouldn't be allowed to leave the resort. We encountered no travel restrictions anywhere in Cuba - we rented a car and travelled mostly the mid to western part of the island. Some resort areas may have "checkpoints' where you have to show your passport to enter because they restrict Cubans from going into these places unless they work there, but I can't see anyone trying to prevent you from leaving. Do it. Wed Sep 09 10:31:02 -0700 2009 5015543 12383 Nyleve