Visiting Cuba.
 

We are planning a two month trip to Cuba next year from November and would like any guidance as to where to stay, how to meet the locals and what to do. We like simple homestay accommodation. Thank you.

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Chris
I lived in London when I first came to England, circumstances in my life changed and I moved to Runcorn, Cheshire 2008. Had thought of moving to Spain but as a single woman and no Spanish language changed my mind.
Had a long talk with Lorraine just now, she suggest talking with you rather than by email Would you giver her your phone number?
Are you aware of how things are in Cuba? They stamped her passport this last trip and you are not allowed into the USA with that, its a new passport as well, there is a card that she can and will have to use instead.
Where do you live? Take care Jean

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Chris. My advice is to stay at what they call a "casa particular" - a bed-and-breakfast, more or less, except you don't always get breakfast. In November 2013 I posted a short piece on my blog, called "A weekend in Cuba"; my wife and I had recently visited Havana, and enjoyed it very much. You might like to read it, to get the flavour. A friend of ours subsequently went there for two weeks from Australia, and was not impressed with the countryside at all - very deprived, she said.

You should speak with a travel agency that specialises in Cuba trips, and maybe book a few nights of accommodation at the begionning.

Next: who is your "we", and how many?

Next: The Cuban immigration authorities won't stamp your passport if you ask them not to. Indeed, I'm not sure that you have to ask them, even - although Jean (above) says they do. Well, I dunno. Thousands of EU citizens visit Cuba each year, and some of them surely also visit the US with the same passport; there's something missing in her story, I think. We used our UK passports, and our friend used her Australian passport and subsequently visited the US with it - with no stamp, of course (via Cayman).

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Thank you Gordon for that I formation. I have read your blog and from what you say it sounds very much like myself and my wife. We are older travellers who live in Spain for the summer and India for the winter. We are used to poverty, poor conditions and deprivation but we also know how resilient and happy people can be given those conditions. we would like to spend two months next year, November and December in Cuba. I am a professional guitar player and the music of cuba has always been a source of pleasure for us. I would like to get involved with some musicians there.
I agree about the passports and we will get the Tourist Card from London and get that stamped.
All the best and thank you for your help. Chris

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

I do not buy the "denied entry to the U.S." because of a Cuban stamp in a foreign nationals passport either. I am not aware of anything in the travel embargo that says foreign nationals would be denied entry to the U.S. for visiting Cuba. This is actually some interesting information:

The current regulation does not limit travel of U.S. citizens to Cuba per se, but it makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to have transactions (spend money or receive gifts) in Cuba under most circumstances without a US government Office of Foreign Assets Control issued license. Since even paying unavoidable airfare ticket taxes into a Cuban airport would violate this transaction law, it is effectively impossible for ordinary tourists to visit Cuba without breaking the monetary transaction rule.

So, the law effects only U.S. citizens.

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Just as a footnote for those who don't know... Quite a few US citizens fly into Cuba via Grand Cayman (where I live), because our local airline has a regular scheduled flight two or three times a week. The US residents fly to Cayman and change planes to fly into Cuba, and return the same way with no evidence they have ever been in the forbidden land. Americans who live in Cayman can pop up there any weekend. Easy peasy.

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Hi
Casa particulars could be harder to fiind, airbnb has opened up in cuba but only for those living in the US, at the moment.
Cuba is great went last year, going again this year.
Cheers
Jerry

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Thanks Jerry, all useful information graciously accepted..
We plan to fly to the Dominican Republic and spend two months there before flying to Cuba and then spending the same amount of time there too. It in its early stages of preparation but I am looking at flights, places to stay and more importantly where to stay. We very much like joining in with local affairs in rural surroundings.
All the best
Chris

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Hmmmmmm .... I have a holiday booked in Cuba later in the year now and was sniffing around for information.

I'm going to be in Havana, Vinales, Trinidad and Varadero. The wife things it's a holiday, but it's really a photography trip :lol:

Flying with Virgin, and booked through Cuba Direct who have been relatively helpful. Hotels in Havana & Varadero and Casas inbetween

How are you arranging your money Chrisjolly? I really don't fancy having to queue at the airport on arrival.

I'm going to check on the US passport worries, as I'll be going to the States soon afterwards, but not directly

I can give you the casa names be have booked, they are well regarded on Trip Adviser

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

I seem to remember from when my wife and I went a few years ago that you can't buy the Cuban visitors-money (CUC, pronounced "kook") outside the country.

As for going to the US afterwards: a friend of ours (from Australia) did that and had no problem with the Immigration people.

Enjoy!

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Thats correct, thats why I was asking about what chrisjolly was going to do. You arrive at the airport with no cuban currency at all as does everyuone else. The queues at the airport currency exchange must be huge!

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Hi
Well i went back again last month for a week, i took one dollar US notes for tips for the first 24hrs, everyone was happy with them.
then i used my bank card in the ATM, for the rest of my spending money
I was in varadero and one of the banks on the main road has two ATM's outside it, real easy and no line ups :)
Presumably other bigger places will have atm's as well.
Changed my remaining cuc back to usd as it was 1:1 rate.
Cheers
Jerry

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Thanks Jerry

They are happy with US$ tips, wow :-)
I'll be staying in Havana for the first three days so I'm guessing I should be fairly OK there for ATM's or banks.

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

A US airline is about to start scheduled flights from NY to Havana, so I doubt a Cuban visa stamp is going to be much of a concern in future for US immigration officers.

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Is it really "open slather" now, Pulaski? I hope so, of course, but would you please confirm? Somewhere I've read that there are some glitches to be overcome - "glitches" in the form of the Cuban-Americans in Florida, mainly.

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

I just checked (I haven't been interested enough to dig into the details) there is the peculiar restriction that "Americans are still not authorized to travel to Cuba as tourists and must instead visit for one of 12 specific purposes like visiting a close relative or participating in an academic program."

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Hi
as i understand its an honour system when the form is filled out
cheers
jerry

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Started planning a trip to Cuba, now thinking maybe not a good idea. 2 of my children and husband are still living here in the USA at Permanent Residents with green cards and I am about to apply for their citizenship. I have both USA an UK passports. Planned to enter Cuba via Mexico as actually a cheaper route for us, but now worried it could jeopardise their application for citizenship, any ways around this? Reality of getting one of the legal licences to travel? WE planned to travel independently both to educate ourselves and the kids but to relax too.
Thanks

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

I believe the relationship between the US and Cuba has significantly softened hasn't it?

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Plenty of US citizens fly to Cayman and then up to Cuba and return on our local airline. The Cuban authorities don't stamp their US passports (or indeed any passports), so there's no record of the visits: only the visits to Cayman. I imagine it's the same if one flies via Mexico.

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Some shots I took of Cuba, seeing as someone here was asking me what it was like

Havana

[IMG]http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psm0sjgpdm.jpg[/IMG]

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psdmaqtcon.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psfckmdwkb.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps3cvmlwvo.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psct1jsftl.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psd40pjaq3.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psxdu2ulz0.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps0fhzoajt.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psbjn83u5j.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psel0qjvya.jpg

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Havana

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...ps7jpw1na3.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psjzilqxzh.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psiiilmumi.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psicagzjb0.jpg

Vinales

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psa47evbvv.jpg

Trinidad

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...psegjib0kl.jpg

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Amazing. Did you meet Fidel ?

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

No, he was out at the time .... they asked me to call back later

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Thank you for the photos. We had to postpone our visit last year and went to Tenerife instead..slightly different!! but we plan to go this year and those photos are wonderful.

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Brilliant pics, Mitzy, thanks!

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Those photos are wonderful.

I think I would like to visit the place.

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Yes, thanks for the wonderful photos, Mitzi. We spent a weekend in Havana three or four years ago (there's a direct flight from Cayman, most days), and loved it. Only the centre of "Old Havana" was tarted up with new paint-jobs; paint seemed to be rationed elsewhere. We stayed at a casa particular (=bed-and-breakfast) just outside, in a very run-down apartment building. The view from our window was of rooftop slums in terrible condition.

Everybody was amazingly friendly and cheerful; the general atmosphere was mixed Latino-Caribbean. I strongly recommend a visit, before it opens up and becomes overrun with gringos!

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

It is, but you do need to show an itinerary. Also it was never technically illegal to there, even though flights were restricted from the U.S., it is only illegal to engage in any financial transaction, like your hotel bill, airport tax, restaurants etc. Believe it or not, even though between 60 and 100 thousand Americans go there every year for vacation...no one has ever been prosecuted under that law.


This is a good site with great recommendations on travel to Cuba and gereag legal advice. US Traveler info

In 1963, the US attempted to ban travel to Cuba, but that was found to violate the U.S. Constitution. So there is no law against travel to Cuba. However, in 1982, the Reagan / Bush Administration, introduced regulations that prohibit the spending of money in Cuba. The Supreme Court upheld those regulations in a 5-4 vote, saying that Cuba might use the American tourists' money for subversive activities.

This next part I did not know. Very interesting.

(5) Be sure to take some humanitarian foods or medicines and give them to the Cuban people you meet or to the Cuban Red Cross representative (usually the nurse at the hotel where you stay). Cubans always need over the counter medicines such as: Aspirin, vitamins, cold medicines, asthma medicines, antibiotics, medicines for lice, bandages, soap, shampoo, toilet tissue, pens, pencils, paper, envelopes, tooth brushes and tooth paste, condoms, birth control medicines, etc. The US law (Helms Burton Act) says in Section 1705 (b) and (c) that if you donate humanitarian food or medicines that there are "no restrictions" on travel. Document the giving of those gifts with a photograph if possible. Save your receipts!

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

For many years, US citizens have been sneaking in to Cuba via Cayman. Cayman Airways has flights at convenient times, and the Cuban authorities don't stamp foreign passports if you ask them not to. We didn't want our UK passports stamped in case the US Immigration people took offence. I hope we'll never have to prove we were ever in Cuba!

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Mitzyboy - thanks for these. I tried to give you Karma but it won't let me.

I got the job, if all goes well with paperwork I start mid-August :D

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

Oh well done, it will be an experience I'm sure. :lol:
Who is choosing where you will live? Are the people you are working for sorting your visa out for you?

Re: Visiting Cuba.
 

All that will be sorted for me. For the moment it's all out of my hands but some time down the line I will have to think about shipping.