The Anglophone's Guide to Cuba!
I love Cuba because for the first time in my travel experience, the American passport is equal to mine. Yes your Ye is equal to my Ye. We all need visas to go. Planning a trip to Cuba? Relax, here is a guide for you!
Visa. You require a visa to go to Cuba (and yes even with your American passport). Your visa can be obtained via the airline you fly. We flew delta and we paid for our visa when we checked in online. Budget $50-$100 to pay for it. Please review travel guidelines for your country specifically before you fly. Regulations change all the time. When you get to your connection before Cuba (assuming you have a connecting flight), you’d be given a visa in paper form from the airline booth before you board to Havana. Keep this as you’d need to show it to the immigration officer when you’re departing Cuba.
Transportation. Taxis are a good way to get around. I wouldn’t advise renting a car. Get your bargaining hat on. Locals can smell a tourist from a mile away. You can plan to have a private driver that can take you around. Our host helped us arrange for a private taxi for a subsidized fee so we could visit the tobacco factory in Viñales. His rates were less than half of what we would have been charged if we did it through a tour agency.
Spanish. Make sure you or someone in your group knows how to speak Spanish. It will help a great deal when you want to navigate around Havana or nearby cities and also communicate with the locals.
Donations. My travel partner and I decided to bring toiletries to give people we saw in the street corners. This was something the locals appreciated very much.
Have cash ALWAYS! Ensure that you have smaller denominations, mostly 1, 3 or 5 CUC if you can. I realized that getting change was a hassle if the denominations are larger.
Live in a Casa. We decided to live in an air bnb because it was cheaper than a hotel. Although this comes with its own challenges, for instance water not draining properly or filling up the WC to flush the toilet and no WiFi, this is a good way to learn about the Cuban way life. Please note that not all casas would be like this. This is based on my experience.
Bring wipes and/or toilet paper. You’d get charged for a bit of toilet paper whenever you use a public restroom. Bring some just in case your casa doesn’t have some. Most, if not all public bathrooms do not have toilet paper so plan accordingly.
Warm weather. Pack sunscreen, mosquito repellents, sunglasses, and light clothing. Check the weather to see if your trip will be during their rainy season and plan accordingly.
Water. Before heading to Cuba, all the vlogs (YouTube videos) advised on bringing bottled water. We did and that cut down on extra costs. We didn’t have to worry about the water making us sick.
Internet is a struggle. There are hotels with hotspots that charge you for an hour internet and a drink from a select menu for 5 CUC. Our casa had WiFi for a small fee but it wasn’t working properly. If you’re planning to stay connected while you’re here, that will be a challenge. Put the phone away, you’re on vacation.
Currency. Cuba has two currencies. The most widely used is the CUC. You can exchange CUC at the airport in Havana. American airports and banks (I’m not sure of this for other countries) don’t carry CUCs so you can’t do this before your trip. Make sure you have enough US$ to exchange since you can’t use the ATM or use credit cards in Cuba. You will also need your passport to change money at all times. If you’re traveling from an African country, I’d advise you change your money to either euros or dollars so you can exchange them for CUC in Havana. Don’t be careless. Don’t exchange money with an individual on the roadside.
Food. Cuban food in Cuba is not that great. I’d recommend bringing snacks if you’re a picky eater or come with an open mind.
Santa Maria Beach.
Tobacco Farm in Viñales. Buy Cuban cigars from here as souvenirs/gifts.
Enjoy Cuba, and go with an open mind! Definitely do the Havana city tours, visit the beach and go to Viñales if you can! Please share any tips I forgot to add if you’ve visited Cuba :)
