Cuba Travel Tips

We traveled seamlessly, but I researched extensively

In my last post I discussed how seamlessly we traveled through Cuba. This was in large part due to the gracious hospitality of the casa owners, who helped us organise transport and excursions and recommended places to visit and places to eat. However I also conducted extensive research before our trip, which prepared us well for a lot of the idiosyncrasies that you will face as a traveller to this perplexing island country.

You see, Cuba is not really a 'backpacker' destination if you define that as a place with various transport options, a range of budget accommodation choices and plenty of cheap eats. Whilst there is a plethora of casas to choose from, for the most part their prices are the same. And whilst cheap eats are indeed to be found, variety is somewhat limited. As for transport, you generally have two options for getting around: the Viazul buses or a private taxi. 

Also, Cuba is not a 'cheap' destination compared to some of its Central American neighbours. That said, there are still ways to save and if you budget accordingly you can have a great time without widening the wallet too much. To take some of the headache out of planning a trip to Cuba, I've summarised the need-to-know information below: 

Money Matters

No cards issued by a bank with any
connection to the U.S. will work in Cuba

• If you're Australian, it's safe to assume that your credit or debit cards won't work in Cuba (this is because no cards issued by a bank that has any connection with the United States will be accepted in Cuba - so no MasterCard, American Express etc. Although VISA may work. Best check with your bank). In addition, ATM's aren't going to be as widespread as they are in other countries, so your best bet is to take ALL your money with you and change it over there. In terms of what currency is best to take, you can check the latest exchange rates before you go but as a general rule of thumb anything is better than US dollars, which will incur a 10% penalty. If you're flying to Cuba from Cancun, Mexico (as we did) you can withdraw your money in Mexican pesos first and then exchange for Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) upon arrival. 

• Only change some money at the airport (e.g. enough to cover your taxi, perhaps your first night) as rates are much better in Havana. Once in Havana, be on the look out for the official Casas de Cambio SA (CADECAS) to exchange your money to avoid being ripped off (a commonly used one in the centre of Old Havana is here). If you're not comfortable visiting a CADECA you can also exchange currency in most of the large, upmarket hotels - although we had no problems at all changing money in the CADECAS (just remember you will need to take your passport with you as they will ask to see it). Never change money with anyone on the street as this is illegal and you're sure to be scammed (well, duh). 

• It's a good idea to know what the exchange rate is before you go to Cuba and ensure you have a calculator or an app on your smartphone like xe.com so that you can work out what you should be given in return. No service charges should be applied if exchanging money at a CADECA, as the mark up is very high and that includes their fee. Always get a receipt (although I didn't even need to ask, as one was always given). 

• As mentioned in my previous post, Cuba has a dual currency system. This isn't as complicated as it sounds. As a general rule, all accommodation and transport and excursions/activities will be paid in Cuban convertible pesos (or CUC). Similarly any food or drinks consumed in restaurants, Paladars or bars will be charged to you in CUC. The moneda nacional (CUP) is the local currency that is used by Cubans to pay for necessities like rice, beans etc at particular markets (you will know them when you see them, as they look less like a traditional supermarket and more like one long counter with items written on a board and a long line of Cubans out the door). There are some smaller supermarkets about that provide 'luxury' items and imported goods; e.g. biscuits, crisps (at exorbitant prices!) bottled water, juice etc where items are paid for in CUC. So for ease of travel, simply exchange your money for CUC and don't bother with moneda nacional (CUP) unless you are planning to eat cheap street food for lunch or snacks (see more on that below). 

• At the time of writing this post, 1 CUC = $1 USD. Although things may be getting even simpler soon as the Cuban government announces plans to re-establish a single-currency monetary system on the island. How that unfolds remains to be seen. 

• Finally, ensure you have at least 25 CUC left for the Departure Tax you will need to pay at the airport. If you find you have a few CUC left over, there are some stores at Havana airport but they mostly sell Cuban cigars, Havana Club and tacky souvenirs (we did however manage to buy a bar of soap with our remaining CUC). 

Getting Around

Some of Cuba's colectivos

• Whilst I normally avoid taxis like the plague, you don't have much choice in Cuba upon arriving at the airport. In our case, the casa we had booked organised a taxi to pick us up and drop us to their door. We simply got off our flight, waited one agonisingly long hour for our bags, then walked out to find a smiling man with a hand-written sign waiting for us at the door. I strongly suggest taking this option if offered. Alternatively, have the address of a casa on hand so you can be taken directly into Havana where you can then shop around. If you're game, you can also simply ask a taxi driver to recommend a casa… although I'd advise taking a look at the room first before you part with your money. Taxis to/from the airport to central Havana cost 25 CUC (total, not each!) 

• Between destinations you have two options: the Viazul buses or taxis. The buses are fairly comfortable and straightforward, although be careful when paying for your ticket as the agent in Viñales attempted to short-change us (he quickly threw my money back at me once he realised I could count). For popular routes best buy your ticket a day or so in advance to ensure you get a seat. Depending on where you're going, buses can take between 4-9 hours and cost 12-37 CUC. 

• Alternatively, taxis can take you the same distance for roughly the same price (if there's a few of you) or for a little bit more. In our case, the casa owner arranged a taxi for our journey from Trinidad to Havana and negotiated the price. Always confirm the price before your journey to avoid complications. Whilst direct, we found taxis to be our least favourite of the two options. Firstly, despite picking us up early in the morning the taxi driver circled the town for close to an hour until he was full. Secondly, he had us switch taxis in another town halfway and the second driver had no idea where we were going. Luckily I had the address of our casa printed out - it's always a good idea to have your casa address in writing to show dubious taxi drivers! 

Taxis are a good option for excursions

• For bus journeys bring snacks, water (although you'll no doubt make a transit stop where you can buy a cocktail), a warm jacket (the air-con can sometimes be high), tissues/toilet paper and coins for toilets at terminals. 

• Some say car hire is a good option as the highways are fine to drive and the scenery is spectacular. But cars are rarely new, they're not cheap to hire and petrol costs are high. 

• For excursions and day trips, taxis are a cheap option and the driver will generally wait for you or negotiate a pick up time. Although best let the casa owner arrange taxis for you so you don't get ripped off. 

• In Havana, colectivos (old American cars that circle the city like public buses) can cost as little as 1 CUC per person. You simply stand by the side of the road and stick your arm out to hail one. If you have the colectivo to yourself, expect to pay at least 5 CUC (but don't be scared to negotiate either, as they will often quote higher than this initially). I would avoid the gimmicky rickshaw and moped taxis as (like anywhere) they're not good value and rather slow. 

• Finally, the hop on/hop off bus in Havana (something I'm usually very cynical of) can actually be good value for your first day as it only costs 5 CUC and will give you a good overview of the city and the main sights. Whilst they also had one in Viñales, we didn't bother as the place is so small you can navigate it on foot or bicycle quite easily.

"Mi Casa es Su Casa!"

We loved all of our casa particulars

• In case you haven't gathered already, we found the casa particulars to be just as good as hotels, if not better (as they're less impersonal). As long as you don't mind dated furniture and some questionably bright colour schemes. Price-wise, they're excellent value for two but unfortunately the same price for one. Although increasingly people are negotiating better rates for singles, so it's worth a try. 

• You can expect to have a private room with a separate area to eat your meals (this may be in the main part of the house where the family eats, or it may be a private area just for guests). All of our rooms contained a mini-fridge stocked with beer and water, our own en-suite bathroom, towels, air con and fan, plenty of cupboard space and they were cleaned daily. We were blessed with excellent meal areas too - in Havana we would eat on the balcony, in Viñales we had our own dining table just off the kitchen and in Trinidad we could have dinner on the roof at sunset.

• Good casa owners will arrange everything for you (should you want them to); e.g. excursions, taxis, accommodation in other towns. Read reviews to find a good one and email well in advance to book, as the internet is practically non-existent in some places and very slow in others so they may not get back to you immediately (for example when I emailed our casa in Havana to book, it turned out I was actually liaising with the owner in Canada who would then call the manager in Havana to give him the details). 

• The majority of casa owners will have contacts throughout the country, so if you're satisfied with your first casa it's a safe bet that you'll be pleased with their friends/family in other cities and towns. When our first casa offered to arrange our accommodation in Viñales and Trinidad, we were more than happy to let them do it and delighted with their subsequent choices. 

• But if you haven't booked a casa in advance don't worry, as there will be plenty of women waiting at the bus terminals waving photographs and shouting prices at you. There's also signs indicating the legal casas absolutely everywhere and they look like this. 

• We gave all our casa owners a tip which was much appreciated, but be sure to ask for business cards to pass on to other travellers and review them on Trip Advisor too as it can help their business a lot.

Food

A typical breakfast in our casa in Havana

• We ate in our casas 13 nights out of the 15 we were there. The food was delicious and always more than we needed. Although the menu may get repetitious after a while (even more so for vegetarians, although they will make an effort) presumably this is because ingredients are limited. For breakfast we were served chopped fruit, freshly squeezed juice, crusty bread, home-made jam, sliced cheese and ham, tea and coffee with eggs done however you wanted. Dinners consisted of fried plantains (which are DELICIOUS), soup, rice, beans and a mixed salad with a rotating menu of roast chicken, cuban-style pork, beef, lobster or fish. Dessert was often flan, torta or ice cream; with even more coffee and biscuits… expect to pay between 3-5 CUC each for breakfast and 8-10 CUC each for dinner.

• The food served in restaurants has improved a lot from what I've been reading, so don't be afraid to eat out either. Check out reviews online and write down the names of those you wish to try, or simply ask at your casa for recommendations. Although don't expect the service to be what you're used to at home - things may have improved, but it's still not the most service-oriented country. 

My Cuban cooking lesson

• We did however have a delicious meal at this restaurant in Havana. Should you have the time, I highly recommend doing a cooking lesson with them. For 25 CUC I spent an hour writing down recipes and being educated in Cuban cooking by the chef, I then cooked various dishes under his watchful eye before enjoying the fruits of my labour (all whilst being serenaded by the manager, who had decided upon an impromptu karaoke session). 

• Finally, we brought some snacks with us from Mexico (muesli bars, nuts, some biscuits etc) which we would take out with us during the day, but we didn't eat lunch as we were fed SO much for breakfast and dinner that we didn't need it. However should you want a cheap lunch or a snack, you can buy fruit and ice creams and pizza slices on the street - just be sure to ask for change in moneda nacional (CUP) if paying in CUC, or else they may simply overcharge you in CUC. Better still, change a small amount of CUC into moneda nacional (CUP) at a CADECA for such purchases. 

So - what did 14 days in Cuba cost us? 

Due to the somewhat complicated money situation, I kept meticulous records of everything we spent each day to ensure that we didn't overspend but also so that we didn't have leftover CUC that would be useless to us outside of Cuba. Fortunately this was a relatively easy task, as our accommodation and food costs were generally the same each day and our only additional spending was on transport, drinks and excursions. 

In total we spent $1524 CUC (or AUD$1650) for 15 nights in Cuba, which averages around $50 CUC (AUD$55) each per day. This included all food, drinks, accommodation, transport, excursions, activities, entry fees, cigars (we bought a few), water (we bought a lot), Havana Club (we couldn't leave without it) and tips for the casa owners.

Obviously you can save a little by not enjoying as many beers, cocktails and cigars as we did… or perhaps not indulging in the cooking lessons, horseback riding, island trips or hiking. However my advice would be to accept the cost of a trip to Cuba, budget accordingly (add a little extra for currency conversion fees or to have as back up) and enjoy yourself!

There are plenty of other countries where you can sleep in a hammock for $3 a night and eat street food for less than $1 per meal…Cuba isn't one of them. But it has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of our trip thus far, delivering everything a traveler could want: thriving cities, beautiful landscapes, friendly people and a fascinating and complex history.

For me, that's worth every cent.

Enjoy yourself!