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Travel guide to Cuba

by Brenda Yun (RSS feed) on Apr 14th 2009 at 5:00PM

Cuba is a timeless place in more ways than one. Time has basically stood still for fifty years, and there is little anyone can do about it except Castro - and I'm not talking about Fidel, I'm talking about his brother Raúl. Since Fidel took the reigns fifty years ago, the "Revolution" still lives on in Cuba in the form of propaganda strewn across the country roadside and city walls. Aged cars are pieced back together, people live on pennies, and tourists stay in small B&B-like homes, but Cuba remains largely untouched by capitalism.

Something really special is brewing across the Straits of Florida: CHANGE - maybe not in Obama's form of the word, but change is upon Cuba in the coming years, and if you can (if you're allowed to travel there) you really should journey through the time machine to Castro country while you can and see a nation unlike any other you will ever see and may never see again.

Getting in:
Obama may have lifted travel restrictions for Cuban-Americans, but that doesn't means it's yet easy - or legal - to get to Cuba. Nearly all citizens, the majority of which are from Canada, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain, can get in upon arrival and out quite easily. Because of the existing trade embargo, American tourists are technically not able travel to Cuba unless they get prior permission the the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Visas are granted to all visitors upon arrival. No matter your citizenship, Cuban customs agents stamp the arrival/departure card instead of the passport when you arrive and your boarding pass when you depart. There is no evidence on your passport for anyone that you have traveled to Cuba.

The most frequent airline carriers traveling to Cuba are Air Canada, Cubana, AeroCaribbean, and Mexicana. Therefore, best departure points are in Canada, Central America, and Mexico. Round trip airfare should cost no more than $500. There are some very good travel package deals available through certain travel agencies that include roundtrip airfare and 7-14 nights in a 4- or 5- star hotel/resort for just $150-300 more.

When to go:
The devastating Hurricanes Gustav, Ike, and (to a lesser degree) Paloma indicate that the rainy season between August and October are not ideal month to travel to Cuba. However, I would strongly encourage all interested in seeing Cuba to go now - whenever that may be - because Cuba will likely change significantly socially, politically, and economically soon.

Where to stay:

Tourists basically have three choices when it comes to accommodation in Cuba: luxury resorts, mediocre hotels offered through Islazul, and B&B-like "casas particulares."

Vacationers and business travelers prefer high-end hotels such as the Spanish-owned Sol Melia hotel chain. Expect to pay upwards of $200 per night.

Middle-of-the-road hotels are listed on Cuba's Islazul website. Some are finer than others, which can be real decrepit places. Expect to pay between $40-100 per night.

Independent and budget travelers who don't travel in packs (larger than four) can stay in a casa particular. These are private homes hosted by Cuban families who pay a hefty tax house foreigners in two rooms maximum. There are two online networks that list hundreds of casas in every part of Cuba: CasaParticularCuba.org and CasaParticular.info. Expect to pay between $20-40 per night.

Where to eat:
Similar to the hotel situation in Cuba, dining in Cuba is best experience by word of mouth. There are plenty of high-end restaurants that, in Havana can cost up to $40-50 a meal.

Ask around for the best "paladar" in town, and you will go on a little treasure hunt through residential neighborhoods to find a small "restaurant" inside a home or apartment. Owners of these paladares pay a hefty tax (notice a trend here?) to serve a maximum of 12 diners at a time. The best known paladar in Havana, La Guarida, was featured in the Cuban film "Fresa y Chocolate" and, like most paladares, offers a really authentic atmosphere for dining on the third floor of an apartment in central Havana.

Cuban cuisine is much like other parts of Central America. Most meals come with a side of salad, rice (the "gallo pinto" one speckled with beans is called "Morros y Cristianos" - "Moors and Christians!") or plantains, and a main dish of meat or seafood.

Where to go:
... stay tuned to my future Cuba Libre posts to read about Havana, Trinidad, Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa, and Varadero!

For a complete listing of my Cuba Libre posts, please click HERE.

Filed under: History, Learning, Cuba, Caribbean

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Bianca Apr 15th 2009 8:52AM

These are great hints for traveling to Cuba!! FYI, HostelsClub has a bunch of B&Bs and budget hotels to stay at too now that Americans can finally travel there!! yay!!

Robert Apr 15th 2009 12:20PM

It would be great if you could list one or two of the "certain travel agencies" that offer package vacation deals. I realize that one could always just use google to find them, but if someone with experience or knowledge of good agencies could share some names / links, that would be great.

Lezumba Elmere Keten Apr 15th 2009 1:22PM

Another Cuban road less traveled

In this day and time, it's quite a shock to have ignorance of facts be conveyed by a well written individual who chooses to use the same technique or myopia, to get a narrow view to others as the Cuban government does.

This is not journalism, to any degree, this is misinformation and tyranny and propaganda at its best.

The situation in Cuba is indeed very complex and deceiving.

It's the most beautiful country my eyes have ever seen!

The totalitarian regime of the Castro Brothers does an excellent job of misinformation, while maintaining a tight abusing reign on freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of free enterprise. There is no FREEDOM and only one line of thought is permitted.

Transportation is controlled and expensive. You can only legally used state controlled taxis; but they get you there.

The basic mission of the Cubans in the prison island is to survive on a daily basis, to try to buy a loaf of bread and eggs. To "resolver" for the day. I saw this and experienced it first hand. In spite of this, the Cubans portrait an aroma of content and happiness, which always have been their true nature, as well as famous for their excellent nonetheless expensive cigars. I recommend the Romeo and Julieta brand. The taste that this cigar leaves in your mouth is sweet,and yet slightly strong wih a mellow and mild brown sugar taste. Its well rated in Cigar Aficionado, as well as the Cohiba brand.

Medically speaking, I know a Dr in charge of a staff of 14 in Cuba, I was there, saw it and inhaled that as well. He makes clay articles here and there in order to buy eggs for his children. In the hospital where he works and provides the "best medical care in world" there are no sanitary conditions whatsoever, I was in the Hospital where he works.
Rooms are dirty and unsanitary with no A/C no medicines in sight, not running water and lots of them with broken windows. He does not own a car, nor is able to afford a taxi, bicycles is a common means of transportation except if you are a tourist and then you are "allowed" to go and afford to visit anywhere you want.

I do not want to forget the capital, where you can find any entertainment your heart desires, starting at $5.00, and sometimes even free.There is a communist theater for the naive to feed on and see, but not to a regular Cuban citizen from the 12 other states or provinces are allowed, so choose your companions very carefull while having fun. As a tourist, you can ride an automobile (taxi) or a bike contraption they call a little egg, "un Huevito" which will get you anywhere; while in one when I was there, I traded opinions with a driver, an economist, very distraught about the the regime.

The "embargo" is a fact. Fidel is a fact. 5o years of both is a fact.

I desire change there, I also want things to be transparent. I would love for tourist that go there not only to embark on the trivial and mundane but to immerse themselves in the whole experience. I also want the regular Cubans to reap benefits from anywhere, anyhow, medicines, food, liberty and freedom for all and for the embargo to be lifted. You can drive a taxi or be a surgeon meanwhile a cab driver makes much more money out of 25 cent tips; nonetheless they can get you, once again, anywhere even outside of Havana or to the beautiful beaches of Varadero.
The currency is an ever changing commodity but the Cuban convertible peso and the chavitos are available.
Cuba has normal trade relations with European and South American Countries, that do provide what ever Cuba needs, nonetheless I would love for the embargo to be lifted.

I met with Hotel Executives (mostly foreign) while I was there that used to have regular meetings with Fidel in Havana just a few years ago. Some were sympathetic, with some sort of democracy in mind, but rather split their earnings 50 50 with the Cuban Government. These are foreign entities. I experienced that first hand as well. Hotels range from 1 stars to 5 stars and are available and most provide hot water.

There is only one line of thought allowed in Cuba and is not the one of the "pueblo", the common people, by far, the great majority. You have to be very careful about what you say, even as a tourist.

If you do not agree with the Cuban Government, you are a counter revolutionary and you are detained, stopped, questioned and in many cases incarcerated if not killed. In rare occasions this happen to tourists as this can create a small local disturbance as it also has the possibility to create international news.

A few days ago the following I saw on television after Obama's encouraging travel reforms:
A young man was talking to the press, CNN or AP I believe, in Havana I am used to this and did not retain, and he was asked to produce an identification and was escorted out of the area, as he was not from that "neighborehood". I am not going to talk about anything else, everything else trickles out of Cuba on its own, just like the thousands of Cubans whom rather take a flimsy raft or a truck inner tube to a shark infected sea, rather than to remain there in order to reach "anything" else where they can think freely and develop as decent human beings; These are the common people, the Pueblo, and particularly the young ones who have lived in Cuba all of their lives who do this, as well as well known boxers and baseball players who are called "defectors" if they are able to escape. Defectors?

After 50 years of a 1 line party and the "best medical options in the world"?, why do this continue, why to they choose to be exposed to death in the open sea?

I have lived in Cuba, Europe and, in this so far free County, the United States of America. I am a US citizen and have served this country proudly in the US Armed Forces.

I have no political party affiliation, however, none of the varied existing political parties in this country deny my basic rights granted by the Constitution of this great nation. I am free to choose, to decide to think, not to live like in "1984". Please believe me, this is not an exaggeration nor a joke.

The entertainment is great in Havana, there are a few drinking holes such as the Bodequita del Medio and the Floridita, to name a few, the latter was a typical hangout for Ernest Hemingway when he was there; as a matter of fact, they have cordoned off the last stool on the bar where he used to seat.

Are there actors and very few allowed to project a different picture to the world while reaping some benefits in Havana? Yes, I saw that too.

I love Cuba, the true Cubans, the ones that survive on a daily basis any which way they can; Of course I do!

I am against the embargo too; I do not understand how Cuba is friends and spends money with Venezuela, sends Drs. there, to Angola, to Bolivia and others while its own people starve and have no medical attention nor medicines; however, there is money to export communism to other Countries, there is money and benefits to the higher echelon of the government to include the "best medical" services in the world, while others die, there excellent facilities for the tourist, I guarantee you that.

I repeat, I am against the embargo and would love to have travel restrictions for all to be lifted. We should all be able to go there and enjoy what Cuba has to offer.

Please read what I am describing, my minute opinion, and some "basic" very well known facts and advise of what to do of what's happening in Cuba, not what you are allowed or guided to see and then, publish that as well as this humble comment of a free loving citizen of the world

When you go there, if you can, try to visit the Melia Hotel in Havana, it has an excellent bar; at the 14th floor you encounter another concierge area/station called the "Alcoba Real", with its own personnel and staff. It has slightly higher prices than those suites and accommodations below this floor. The view is excellent and the staff treatment is the very best you can find in Havana as well as anywhere else in a free world.

Brenda Apr 15th 2009 1:40PM

thanks for your thoughts, but you didn't quite state what, exactly, you take issue with regarding this guide. were you suggesting that MY writing is misinformed, tyrannical, and full of propaganda or were you referring to Cuba's journalists?

the facts are there. you don't seem to disagree with them.

as for your views, i agree with most of them. i will be writing about all of the topics you covered except health care, but that is a very interesting observation about the hospital's conditions though it doesn't completely surprise me.

i will also be writing about the melia habana because that is where i stayed for 7 nights.

Edwin Apr 19th 2009 12:42PM

I can't wait for Obama to lift the travel restrictions into Cuba. I'm very anxious to visit the island. If we trade with communist China, why not little Cuba. If the American government were smart, trading with Cuba, even as a communist country, would hurt communism more than not. Think about that. Again, I'm all for lifting all restrictions on Cuba and I am a Puerto Rican American. Have a nice day, people.