Ahhh Cuba. The land of coffee, cigars, and rum.
I would be lying to you if I didn’t say that I felt nervous when booking the trip at first. There were so many rules before entering and I just did not want to get stuck in Cuban or U.S customs. First, you have to decide “why” you are going to Cuba. Is it for sight seeing? Is it to visit family? Volunteering? Whatever it may be it has to fall under “12” different categories. Cheapair has a great way to understand the different categories that you can use to make your trip to Cuba happen. Once you choose which one serves your description upon your visit and you will be on your way!
The next thing to do is find a fight. We were able to get a JetBlue flight from Orlando to Havana (round trip for $130), which is not bad. Keep in mind you will be paying for your Visa ($50 USD) and Health Insurance ($25) which both are required when entering the country. You will receive both of this paperwork at the airport to fill out before your flight. Before we left, we found out that if you exchange your currency from the U.S Dollar to Euros or British pound, we would get a better rate. If you bring the U.S dollar you will be charged 10% for the currency exchange and another 3% for a fee. If you have Euros or British pounds you will not be charged.
Day 1: First 24 hours: When we arrived to Havana, our process through the airport was fairly quick. We got to the entrance and converted our money to Cuban CUC’s. Please see Cuba: Tips and tricks so see the difference. Our wonderful tour guide Eric was waiting for us when we got to the airport as well. I am not usually a tour type of person. However, I wanted to know Cuba from a person who has lived there their whole life. Plus we wanted to make the most of our 48 hours. We found Connection Tours and met our tour guide, Eric. He and our taxi driver took us to some breathtaking places full of history. These guys knew Havana and basically all of Cuba like the back of their hand! We booked The Havana Inside Out Tour Plus (the “Plus” got us a 20 min car ride through old Havana in a roofless old car). The neat thing about this tour was that it was private. Unlike other tours, they take you to places and let you roam around any places for as long as you want. They will wait for you in their air-conditioned taxi (which diffidently was a plus). They also took us for lunch in a “Paladares,” which is basically a house that runs a restaurant out of it. Trust me when I say this, the food is delicious, fresh, not expensive and amazing. Don’t be shy to ask about “Paladares” when you go to Cuba. We got a four course meal including a “mojito” and for 20 dollars each.
Another interesting thing that was incredible to see on this tour was that they brought us to the edge of the river. El Gran Parque Metropolitano is a beautiful park filled with beautiful flowers and lush green grass. It is here that we were able to observe a Santeria ritual. Santeria or “the worship of saints” was developed in the African slave communities of the island’s 18th Century sugar plantations, it’s a syncretic religion adopting elements of Spanish-imposed Catholicism while maintaining the central beliefs of Africa’s kidnapped natives, primarily Nigeria’s Yoruba tribe. Here is a snippet of what our guide shared with us on a typical Santeria Ritual. There was an eerie feeling when walking through the forest he took us through. You saw voodoo dolls on the ground nex to trees and what look like remnants of different plates, feathers and other objects used during the rituals.
After a day of roaming around and sight seeing they took us to our AirBnB. Our tour guide told us “if you want to know the real Cuba, you have to stay with the people”. And boy was he right! We stayed with our host Ms. Daysi and she was the sweetest and most wonderful person who opened us with open arms. She and her family live in a big home and incredibly clean. She gave us tips and places where to go. We truly felt the Cuban hospitality. In the evening they asked us what time we would leave in the morning and had breakfast made at least 1 hour before our departure. And let me tell you it was delicious! It truly kept us full for the next leg of our journey.
Important Note: Upon arrival at your Cuban place of stay, whether you are in an Air BNB or a local hotel, your host or hotel will take all the details of your travel documents (passport and/or identification). They have to report who they have in their home/hotel to the government. The government wants to make sure you have a place to stay. As an FYI couch surfing is illegal in Cuba. So just make sure you have a place to stay.
Day 2: 48 hours. On the following day, we booked another tour with Cuban Connection Tour (yes, our previous tour guide), which honestly made us happy because we already knew him. We also met our new taxi driver Vladi (who was fantastic). We choose to do the Athens of Cuba tour. This tour cost us $240 CUC for both of us and we drove on a 1950 Chevy (air-conditioned as well). They gave us a full history of the locations we traveled and it was truly interesting and inspiring. The scenery of Cuba is truly breathtaking. Lots of vegetation and truly Flora and Fauna at its best. The road to Varadero usually lasts about 2 hours but trust me when I say it was worth it. You are looking at so many new things that the time goes by fast. I have been to several beaches in my life but this water was so pristine and stunning it didn’t look real. Here is a quick link to a video I took while on the in Varadero. No wonder it was one of the top 10 beaches in the world. I included some pics for you to see it! Again, our tour guides gave us as long as we wanted on the beach.
After the tour, we also stopped at one of the most beautiful things I have witnessed to date. This tour also included a stop at Las Cuevas Saturno or Saturn Caves. This was a truly beautiful where we got to swim in the water and enjoy the natural beauty of the caves. The water was roughly about 73 degrees F (a little chilly) but totally worth taking the plunge. It cost us $5 CUC’s and again completely worth every penny.
On our way back we also stopped at a local Paladar that had the most delicious food. The chef was a retired taxi driver who wanted to have his own business and trust me when I say….WOW…the food was TOP NOTCH. The food was five-star quality no doubt. If you are ever looking for a great place to eat that won’t hurt your budget, check out Entre Dos. And by the way, the coffee is amazing.
After we made our way back to our AirBnB, I couldn’t believe this journey was over. It was truly worth every penny I had. I would recommend Cuba to anyone looking for an adventure in a beautiful place mostly untouched by the hand of man. The number one question I get “was it hard to get into Cuba as a U.S citizen?” my answer, is a big No! Everything was very easy and they make you feel at home. Whether it be for the cultural emersion, history lesson or experience a place untouched by most, Cuba has something for everyone. Just go and explore!
Remember to travel,
Brizzy
For a detailed list of things you really SHOULD bring to Cuba, please check out Cuba: Tips and Tricks for a detailed list of what you should bring on your trip. Because believe it or not, you should carry toilet paper in your backpack 😉
P.S If you need any suggestions or if you want to get in contact with any of the people mentioned on this page please email me to let me know. I’d be happy to help!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7q-CZdmOgo&w=560&h=315]