Club Cubana Goa India

UPDATE YEAR 2007: Voted BEST Night Club in India!

After hearing about the Club Cubana on VT, being approached by flyer-clutching youngsters on the beach, and being asked by every second taxi-driver "Party tonight, girls?" we semi-reluctantly decided to reserve our Wednesday evening for the Ladies Night at Club Cubana, the "Night Club in the Sky"... ...and seriously: we weren't disappointed! After bumping along the Goa-typical country roads for 15 minutes, with Trance music thumping throughout our little mini van and a hyperactive taxi driver, we arrived at the foot of Arpora Hill where a signboard with big golden lips declared a right turn. Up the dirt road we headed (I honestly thought the mini bus wasn't going to make it without stalling!); and we were amused about the flashing cat-eyes embedded in the dirt track, showing us the way. At the top, we arrived at an entrance fit to represent the Playboy Mansion, the bouncer marked our wrists with glow-in-the-dark ink, and up the stairs we climbed. Indeed, as we found out later through the manager Raat, it was once an inhabited family home that was later converted into this trendy night club, with great views at day and night. To your left, there's the pool area with BBQ & bar, straight up and ahead takes you into the club with the dark dance floor and yet another bar, and to your right you'll find another plateau with a large bar and a large seating area (chairs, bar stools and sofas). With bats flapping over our heads, confused by the laser show we quickly made friends with the German (gosh, we just get everywhere, don't we?! Haha!) bartender Oliver who gave us the low-down on the club's entrance & admission policies, special theme nights and his recent encounter with a tummy-bug.

On a regular night (open 7 days a week) the cover charge is 400 Rupees, which includes free unlimited drinks all night long! Wednesdays is Ladies Night, with free entrance *and* free drinks all night. Fridays is Bikini Night: anyone (even blokes) in a bikini gets free entrance & free drinks. We went to Club Cubana on Wednesday and again on Friday (one has to show off her new bikini, right?). You can enter the Bikini competition (yes, guys as well!) with weird games in & around the pool, with a prize of 10,000 Rupees for the winner; 7,000 Rs for the runner-up and 3,000 Rs for 3rd place... not bad! All in all: I have NO CLUE how this club makes money whilst giving away free drinks all night long - but it's definitely a great place that you shouldn't miss.