5 min read

Since I've gotten back from Cuba everyone has been asking me how it was...and I've literally told all of them that "I'm writing a blog about it", because I just have too much to say for one convo!

So, I'll start with the basics:

1. How did you even get in?

Here’s the thing, #theydontwantyoutobegreatandtraveltocuba so it seems so much more complicated than it is.

You simply book your ticket and select "people to people", educational travel as your reason for going when prompted; buy a $50 Visa at the airport , and make sure that you get Euros or Canadian Dollars before you leave to exchange into the local currency (CUC) once you get to Cuba because the cost to exchange USD is ridiculously high.

pro tip: don't let them charge you an additional $50 visa processing fee, my cousin paid $100 in Baltimore while I only paid $50 in NY

2. Where did you stay?

We booked an airbnb that was about a 10 minute drive from the city center -- La Habana Vieja. The airbnb also had a live-in housekeeper, which was pretty cool!

3. How was the food?

As my cousin says, "you don't travel to Cuba for the food..." Honestly, I only had ONE good meal during my visit! And that one meal was 2.5 hours away from the city.

Even the food offered in the more "upscale", "touristy" restaurants is so average that when we asked a waitress what she recommended, she replied "no me gusta."

When we went to a local pizza shop & requested it to go, the cashier proceeded to stack 5 hot pizzas on top of each other in a plastic grocery bag for us to walk home with.

So, yea. In my opinion, the food in Cuba is tragically disappointing.

4. How did you get around?

We pretty much took cabs or “unofficial” cabs everywhere (you can also tour around in the classic Cuban cars.)

My cousin visited before so he had a lot of tips that made choosing activities & transportation so much smoother, especially considering the fact that there really is no very reliable wifi or service.

Another thing that made it easier was the fact that my cousin & I both speak Spanish. I highly recommend that you become familiar with at least a few phrases in Spanish & print out an itinerary (including addresses) so that you can navigate around a bit easier.

pro tip: we successfully bargained for lower cab fares, only paying around 5 CUC for most trips...so don't be afraid to name your price!

5. But what was it really like though?!...(check out the video below!)

Now that I've covered the essentials, I'll point out some of the highlights of my trip:

First of all, I absolutely loved seeing so much melanin everywhere!

That alone gave me an overwhelming sense of comfort from day one.

I also enjoyed how easy it was to stumble upon live bands and talented artists when roaming around.

Touring Viñales

One of the best parts of the trip was traveling into the mountains to Viñales, where we had our best meal.

The views were fantastic, the food was fresh and seasoned to perfection, and we smoked Cubans that were rolled right in front of us! (I'd never smoked a cigar before, but people who have said it's the smoothest they've ever had.)

We opted out of horseback riding because we were so satisfied with our day without it! Needless to say, the long trip was so worth it and only cost 250 CUC between 7 of us.

Ghetto Salsa-ing

If I could describe how I felt about Cuba in one line it'd be: " I HAVE TO LEARN TO SALSA!"

My favorite part of the trip was going out to a salsa club (with a live band) and just basking in the incredible energy!

The vibe was so palpable & contagious that even if you never tried to salsa a day in your life, you'd be hitting your best two-step before the night was over! I was, what I'd call, "ghetto salsa-ing"; basically doing my own version of the most basic salsa move (side to side) with a little extra arm & hip movement to compensate for my lack of footwork.

And I probably looked pretty crazy...but the best part was that everyone was too engrossed in the music and the moment to care!

Final Takeaways

Cuba is one place you do actually need to plan for (from converting cash to choosing activities)
There really is no service (unless you're willing to pay an arm and a leg) and you'll be lucky to find some shotty wifi, so print your activity itinerary with specific addresses ahead of time, especially if you're not staying in a hotel
It's best if you know a least a little Spanish in order to get around quicker (and again, you won't have service/wifi to navigate with your iPhone alone)
If traveling in a group, take the unofficial taxis (they're cheaper and you can bargain with them)
Bring snacks/go to the local grocery store
Go out and dance! For nightlife in general, my cousin highly recommends 'La Fabrica del Arte Cubano' which is apparently a dope spot that has art, music, and a great atmosphere. For salsa in particular, we went to 'La Casa de Musica'...either way, do your research & pack your dancing shoes!

All You Need to Know About Traveling to Cuba