How To Travel to Cuba on a Budget. The Cuban Revolution of 1959 shook the world. It was a time of revolution in many parts of the globe, and this included the United States. The Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States had been brewing for years. Then came the Cuban Revolution. This revolution was an attempt to overthrow the American government. It was a war that America lost. Cuba was a communist country until 1994, when Fidel Castro resigned as President of Cuba. After his resignation, he was replaced by his brother Raul Castro. It’s a small country with only 11 million people.
The United States has since then tried to invade Cuba and has failed. In addition, the U.S. has imposed economic sanctions on the country. In my opinion, this is not a war between good and evil. It’s a war between two countries that just happen to be located in the same hemisphere. I believe there are many other reasons for this war than just Communism vs. Capitalism. There is a reason why the Cold War ended. The United States and the Soviet Union were never able to agree on any sort of treaty.
5 Tips for Traveling to Cuba
Rent A Private Home
You need to get to know Cubans if you want to learn about Cuba. Staying in the Cuban version of a B&B, particularly a casa, is the easiest way to accomplish this on a two-week trip. Guests will feel more like lodgers than hotel guests, sharing the owners’ living space and engaging with them in no time, given the national penchant for a chat. This is essentially the socialist version of Airbnb.
Internet Access Will Be Limited
There are severe state restrictions on how and where Cubans can get internet access, and there is no mobile broadband other than WiFi in Cuba. Cuba has one of the worst internet connections in the world.
You shouldn’t expect to be able to connect with your phone unless you are staying in a top hotel. If you are lucky, you might be able to find a public WiFi spot or wait in line at an internet café – where the connection will be frustratingly slow, and the rates will be astronomical.
Make Plans for Your Nights Out
Cuba is one of the few countries in the world were leaving a night out to chance can lead to a memorable one. Try finding ‘the buzz’ or ‘the strip’ in a vacation resort, and you’ll find it difficult – there aren’t enough clubs, and those in most regions are sparsely distributed.
Make sure you find out where the night spots are in advance, and be prepared to spend some time traveling between them, especially in Havana, where they are spread out over a large area (you’ll probably need to take a taxi). Choose a venue you like and stick with it.
A Palate-Pleasing Meal
As you may have heard, eating out in Cuba is no longer as bad as it used to be. The reputation of boring, mono-flavored food in private restaurants, known as paladares, was largely deserved until draconian restrictions were lifted a few years ago.
Now that chefs and restaurateurs have awoken from their enforced slumber, mouth-watering menus and creatively-designed venues are flooding the market. A Cuba travel tip you should follow is to stick to palates rather than state-run restaurants if you intend to eat out.
Keep Some Cash on Hand At All Times
In Cuba, cash is king, and you should never trust your credit or debit card or travelers check to make payments. In general, plastic is not useful for most goods, services, and businesses, while for private enterprises, such as paladares and casa particulars, only paper works.
It is always a good idea to withdraw money when you can. Banks rarely accept foreign currency transactions, and hours are rarely extended past 3pm, especially outside Havana and beach resorts, for those that do. Cash machines are scarce, those that accept foreign cards even scarcer, and problems often occur with them.