If you didn’t already know from my last YouTube video or all the pictures I’ve been posted on my Instagram, I recently returned from a trip to Cuba. There are no words to describe how amazing the trip was. I’ll cherish those memories for a lifetime and hopefully I’ll get to go back at some point in the future. If you’re considering taking a vacation or trip at any point in the near future, here are a few reasons why you should absolutely consider going to Cuba
Easy Access
In choosing where to go for the trip, my friend and I wanted somewhere we could get to fast. We only had about 4-5 days to spare on a trip and we didn’t want to spend half of that on a plane. From New York, there are direct flights to Cuba via JetBlue and they were pretty affordable–only about $320 round trip! The flight from JFK is about 3.5 hours nonstop which is shorter than a lot of domestic flights.
So have no fear, travel to Cuba is definitely still possible and fairly easy at that!
You might be skeptical because of recent travel restrictions that Trump placed on visits to Cuba but it’s not that serious. If you’re planning on going for tourist purposes, simply list “Support for Cuban People” as the reason for travel upon purchasing your flight. You’ll need a Cuban visa to travel which you can only pick up at the airport during check-in for a $50 fee. That’s it! When I got to Cuba and when I returned to the U.S. there were no special questions about my visit. No one asks for receipts to see if you truly “support Cuban people”. So have no fear, travel to Cuba is definitely still possible and fairly easy at that!
Hospitality
So even if “Support for Cuban People” was more so of a technicality of the visit, it became an actuality because of how amazing Cubans are. The primary example of this is the airbnb we stayed at. Besides the fact that the newly renovated apartment was air conditioned and cleaned daily. The hosts were overwhelmingly generous. They welcomed us with homemade mojitos and gave us a Cuban cell phone to get in touch with them if we needed to exchange currency or more wifi cards. When we did need these things, they did it for us with a 30 minute turnaround time tops!
One of the hardest parts about leaving Cuba was leaving all of the amazing people we met–from the cab drivers to the tour guides, tobacco farmers, and of course hosts. They all seemed truly happy to do their part to welcome us to their country. Here’s the specific Airbnb that we stayed at in case you’re ready to make that move!
Sidenote: Tipping is expected in Cuba as it’s what many workers depend on to make a living. Be sure to thank Cubans for their amazing hospitality with a tip!
Things to Do
There is something to do for everyone who visits Cuba. Havana is obviously a big city for tourists filled with museums, bars, nightclubs (over combinations like Fabrica de Arte) and more of the like. The city is very safe for walking during the day and night so that’s a plus.
We didn’t venture into beaches but there is one in Havana and Varadero is a known beach town about two hours from Havana.
I’m not particularly fond of beaches and I wanted to do something more adventurous. For a day trip we opted to head to Vinales for a horseback riding tour through Riding Vinales. Vinales is a city about 3 hours from Cuba if driven. We opted to have a taxi drive us to and from our destination. I fell in love with this city. Like truly if I could go back to Cuba I would probably spend the whole time in Vinales. It was such a pleasant shift from fast-paced and crowded Havana. The air seemed cleaner and we got a much needed break from locals catcalling or constantly asking where we were from. If you visit Cuba, I strongly urge to you visit Vinales.
If we had stayed for longer we may have considered going to Trinidad or Santiago, other cities in Cuba that also provide different attractions. The point is, there is plenty to do on a trip to Cuba.
Final Thoughts
I wouldn’t trade my experiences here for the world. It was so empowering seeing signs of Nigerian culture in Cuba as well as seeing a range of skin tones on Cuban people. A bit of advice though:
- Don’t fall for locals telling you there is a cigar or salsa festival because it’s a trap.
- Be wary of letting locals direct you to places because you’ll most likely have to give them a tip. Download an offline map of the city/country via Google Maps before you arrive so you’ll be able to direct yourself!
- We experienced a lot of cat calling from locals. It was uncomfortable at time but no one ever followed us or got aggressive so at least in that regard I felt safe.
That’s all! If you were considering making a trip to Cuba I hope this helped you decide. If you weren’t considering it, I hope you are now!
#EniGivenSunday
