I would have to say that Cuba was definitely an amazingly beautiful place. An amazing adventure with a great group of people. With 30+ young professionals heading out to a new place like this, I would have to say planning this trip was definitely not easy. I’d like to shout out our trip planner Kai’la, also known as Sallie Mae (Navient to others), for planning this amazing trip. As I said in some of my previous travel post, certain places you need a plan while others you can just wing it. Cuba is definitely not one of those places you can wing it entirely. She setup the AirBNBs, full itinerary for everyday and even dealt with the headache of dealing with all the different personalities in a new environment.
Some of the things you will need to know about Cuba:
Print out/copy items
If you have documentation like flight information, hotel information, passport, etc. I suggest just printing or making a copy so you have it. Cellular companies don’t really work in Cuba and if they do you are paying a lot for international use. You can purchase wi-fi cards but not everywhere has wi-fi. Trust me the trip is more enjoyable when you are disconnected.
Don’t check in your bag
If you get stuck checking in your bag it will take you more then 30+ minutes to get your bag. In some cases it may take you a couple hours. My cousin was forced to check in his carry-on bag and when we tried to retrieve it, it took more then 45 minutes to get it.
Exchange your money before traveling
Good to exchange your US dollars to Euros as you will get more Cuban dollars (CUC) for Euros instead of USD.
Don’t drink the bottled water (but you have to)
Be mindful that the bottled water in Cuba is different. They don’t have Poland Spring or Dasani and they do extra stuff to the water. My stomach was killing me on days that I wasn’t preoccupied with drinking alcohol or eating the food.
Experience things that you can’t experience back home
Try to find things you can do that is different then what you can do home. Try different foods, experience the culture, learn about life from the people, explore on your own and just be open minded. The way of life for the Cuban people is different and a lot of them appreciate what they have. It humbles you when hearing peoples stories of growing up in Cuba.
Make sure you have a guy/girl
In most new places you always want someone that you can rely on to drive you around, tell you what’s good and in general just help you out. Our guy Ozzy helped us with a lot of things as far as travel to the airport, to other destinations, telling us the hotspots, exchanging currency for us and being a great tour guide.
Our AirBNB (click here) was really great, for an additional cost you get breakfast in the morning. Fresh fruits, freshly made fruit juice, coffee, eggs, the works. I was highly impressed with the service that we got during our stay.
People kept saying the food was bad in Cuba but I would have to disagree. It was amazing to me. The food you would normally get in the us for $17 USD you got in Cuba for 2-5 CUC and it was bigger portions at time. I could not stop stuffing my face with the food as it was really good to me.
The rich history of Old Havana was very interesting as our tour guide, Alberto, taught us a lot of new things. One interesting fact is that the Cuban government owns all the land. Say you are an investor and think you are buying the land you really aren’t. You are just borrowing it and once you leave it goes right back to the government. They also own whatever is sitting on the land once you leave. Also we were provided the opportunity to deliver some school supplies to a school.
We took a day trip to Melia in Varadero where we got a 1 day all inclusive pass for food and fun in the sun. This resort is really big and the beach looks great. I would definitely want to stay at this all inclusive resort if I was to go back to Cuba.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Cuba. I think it’s one of those places everyone should go. I left out on some of our other adventures but you should go and make your own. Enjoy the people, clear your head and just love what’s right in front of you. I am all about new experiences and this one was great. Don’t forget to check out the hashtag #CubanLink17 on Instagram for more pics.
