Cuba
CUBA
LOCATION
MUST DO
- Stay in a “Casa Particular” or homestay with a local family
- Tour old Havana in a colorful classic car from the 50s
- Take a salsa or percussion class at Casa del Son
- Visit the Palacio de Valle in Cienfuegos for lunch or a fresh lemonade at the rooftop bar for spectacular views!
- Go on a refreshing swim at El Nicho waterfalls
- Hang out at the “Plaza Mayor” main square in Trinidad for some live music and pina coladas
- Spend a day at Varadero beach
- Stroll along the Malecon boulevard in Havana at sunset for some good people watching
- Take pictures in front of the famous trio of colorful buildings across from “El Capitolio” in Havana
- Shop at the antiques market at the “Plaza de Armas” in Havana
- Check out the afro-cuban live music and art at Callejon de Hamel
Trip Details
When: May 2016
Where: Havana, Varadero, Cienfuegos, Trinidad
How: Independent travel. Booked charter flight
TRAVEL TIPS
- Housing:
- Airbnbs in Havanas
- Where we stayed: Suite Dreams
- Casa Arte Habana
- Colonial Style for 6 people
- Airbnb near Trinidad:
- Where we stayed: Casa Kiwi
- Airbnbs in Havanas
- Food:
- Not that great. Quite bland. Cuban food in the states is great (especially in Miami!) but in Cuba, not so much. Even the tourist restaurants have rations so once they’re sold out, they’re out. Bring your own salt and pepper packets, or even a small bottle of hot sauce. We brought snacks from home. You won’t be able to buy snacks on the go, and if you try to go to the grocery store, there’s not much selection.
- I recommend if you have extra space in your luggage to bring some canned goods to hand out to people on the street. One of my favorite experiences was giving out food to random people hanging outside their apartments and they were so grateful.
- Restaurant recommendations:
- Cienfuegos: Restaurante Villa Lagarto, Palacio de Valle
- Havana: Paladar La Guarida, El Gringo Viejo, Paladar Dona Eutimia, El Figaro,
- Trinidad: Restuarant Giraud
- Currency:
- They use two different currencies, one for tourists and one for locals. As a US citizen, you won’t be allowed to get any money out at the ATM or use your credit card, so bring enough cash with you for your entire stay. If you run out, you don’t want to have to worry about getting someone to wire it to you through Western union. You’ll need to exchange it for tourist cash at the airport.
- If you have extra tourist cash by the end of your trip, there’s a kiosk at the airport where you can exchange it back to US dollars.
- When making purchases in local markets, be sure you double check that you’re receiving the correct currency back in change, because if you mistakenly get the local currency back, it’s not worth as much.
- Flight & Visas
- It’s easier now to book a commercial flight. We booked seats on a chartered flight through Cuba Travel Services. They also arranged for our visas. The booking process was seamless and the fees were reasonable.
NOTES
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity came up to travel to Cuba on a special visa to visit with the Cuban people and learn more about their lives and culture, and we couldn’t pass it up! I was fascinated by the look of all the classic cars, antique markets, and colorful buildings and truly felt like I went back in time.
I wasn’t surprised that the people were so friendly and hospitable, but I was surprised that I didn’t like the food at all. Unfortunately, they don’t have access to good quality or quantities of food. I loved getting a glimpse of such a beautiful country and hope things improve for them in the coming years to develop and progress.