Getting to Cuba is an adventure! A very fun adventure! When I started researching, I didn't really know where to begin. Which airline? Where to stay? Money? Tourist Visa? We'd been going to Mexico for so many years and travel there was a no brainer. But Cuba changed all that! Lots of research to do and since this was a bit of a spur of the moment decision, very little time to do that research! I was actually still reading my guide books on the plane to Cuba!
#1 Flight
We were going to be on Isla Mujeres so our flight to Cuba would be departing from Cancun. There were 3 options....AeroMexico, Cubana and Interjet. Interjet and Cubana had mixed reviews and required payment in USD--not good with our failing loonie. AeroMexico had better reviews and seemed to allow me to book in MXP online. Well, I thought it did, but after booking online I got a call from an AM agent that said they couldn't process my credit card in MXP and that I'd have to call their London, England office to pay in Euros. Hmmm, back to square one. After some more online searching, I found Flight Network. Booked flights online on AeroMexico and paid in CAD....$634 for 2, including all taxes. We're going!
#2 Tourist Visa
Information I was finding online was confusing. Do I need to get this before going? Where do I get it? How much? Turns out it was very easy. Although there is no real 'sign' at the Cancun airport that says 'Get your Cuban Tourist Visa Here', a quick query to an airport agent and he escorts us to a fellow sitting at an unmarked counter. He asks for our passports, fills in the form for us and collects $20 USD each (no other currency option available that I know of). Easy peasy! It seemed so unofficial that Vince asked me as we walked to the airline check-in afterwards "Are you sure these are legit?". Reason being was that everything I had read was that they were $25 USD each so we weren't sure if we were paying $40 for nothing. Relax....it's all good!
#3 Arrival
The Havana Jose Marti Airport is not a large airport. Upon arrival you stand in line for immigration. In most airports, you go up together with your spouse. Not here....one person at a time. The first question took me by surprise.. "Have you been to Africa?" At first I thought I had misunderstood. Next, look into the small camera suspended from the low ceiling. Not sure if it actually took a photo or if it was some sort of comparison with my passport photo. Passport is stamped and I'm on my way. Next stop was to put any carry on luggage through an X-ray machine. On to the next stop which was an informal table with several people wearing white coats. Again, the question, "Have you been to Africa?" And then "How are you feeling?" I am not catching on to why they are asking these questions, but health inspector hubby gets it. Concerns about Ebola? Anyway, we tell them we're feeling great and get the pass. At this point you would pick up any luggage and head off to the right. We only had carryon so went left and waited in a line in a hallway while a lady checked luggage tags to ensure that it was only carryon. Anyone with luggage that had been stowed was turned away. She checked our luggage and we are released to go through a doorway....which we open and see throngs of people standing on the other side, awaiting new arrivals. Our casa had prearranged a driver to meet us and he is there holding a sign with our name. After a very long wait to exchange money, we are on our way...about 30 minutes to Havana Vieja.
#4 Where to Stay
We wanted the 'real' Cuban experience! Although there is an Iberostar hotel in Havana (tempting!), it wasn't what we were looking for, and it was out of the budget too! We wanted the colonial architecture, the high ceilings, the local neighbourhood in Havana Vieja. Bring on the amazing selection of 'Casa Particulars'. So many to choose from! I spent hours searching on several websites, looking for the perfect one. And guess what, I found it! Our little casa was perfect! You never expect something you book online to look exactly like it does in the photos, but it did....even better than the photos! The location was truly perfect for the area that we were exploring. Maylu, the caretaker who met us onsite was so sweet and offered suggestions on what to see and where to eat nearby. If we're lucky enough to return to Cuba, we would stay here again! We paid 40 Euros per night....paying a deposit of 10% online and then the remainder upon arrival (in Euros or Cuban Pesos).
#5 Money
Currently, Cuba has 2 currencies....tourist money and local money....better known as the Cuban Convertible Peso, CUC, and the Moneda Nacional, CUP, respectively. There are rumours of a switch to one currency, but no set date for that to happen. Since we were only going to be in Havana for 4 nights, we hoped to avoid using the ATMs. ATMs and banks will recognize any cards that aren't USA based. The best option is to bring cash for exchanging at banks, hotels or Cadecas (money exchanges). USD are not a good idea as they deduct a 10% penalty right away. We brought Canadian cash and exchanged at Cadecas at the airport and in Havana Vieja. Be forewarned....the line ups are Long!!! We had to wait over an hour to exchange at the airport. TIP--upon arrival go to the Cadeca at the Departures area...line up is much shorter! At the time of our visit, the exchange rate for CAD was the same as USD, which means, each CUC was costing us about $1.36 CAD. You will need to show your passport to exchange cash. Upon our arrival, I exchanged some CAD for CUP....not knowing what I might be able to purchase with them. Perhaps a banana off a cart or something from a little tienda (corner store). Well, I ended up using those $40 CAD worth of CUP for tipping the washroom ladies! I still had some left when we were leaving....another TIP....you can't exchange these back to CAD, so we did some shopping at the airport which accepted CUP and brought the last 200 CUP home as a souvenir!
#6 Health Insurance
Everything I read said that we needed to show proof of health insurance upon arrival. We always purchase extra travel insurance so we made sure to have all our documents along. No one did ask to see them.
#7 Travel Guide Books and Maps
Having a good map is essential! Spend some time planning your days and routes. Have a list of things you really must see but be flexible because you will end up enjoying many unplanned things too! And some of those surprises will be the most fun....I certainly didn't plan on drinking mojitos at 10am, but they were too delicious to resist!
#8 Miscellaneous Tips
~~Bring kleenex and in some cases, extra toilet paper. Kleenex as not all public washrooms have TP or an attendant handing it out. Extra toilet paper just in case your casa doesn't come with a large supply....we had a very small roll of TP and quickly learned to 'ration'!
~~Bring more money than you think you'll need. All museums charge. If a guide shows you around, they deserve/expect a tip. Souvenirs are plentiful and you'll want that $30 CUC t-shirt...really, you will!...and cigars, and rum...and chocolate!
~~Watch where you walk! The streets are filled with hazards....large holes that could swallow you up if you're not looking! A lot of dog poopoo too.
~~Cuban people are very friendly! I had read warnings about being careful about people approaching and starting small talk which would then end up costing you a drink or meal for their help. We did experience a few coming up to us and chatting, but we simply moved on and there was no issue.
So, that covers some of the essentials that I hope are helpful! Next post...Where We Stayed....stay tuned for tons of pictures!
**Disclaimer! I'm a Cuba Newbie! The information that I've shared here is my experience. Please contact me if anything I've posted is incorrect! Thank you!
4 comments:
Not sure if Marta Lira at Marco Polo travel on isla is still there. She can take care of flights, hotel, visas, transfers and insurance and you can use your US credit cards to charge to the travel agency.
Good plan for people who aren't comfortable booking things on their own. I found it easy, but being Canadian, it's a bit easier for us. Whatever it takes, go visit! :)
good for you for doing your homework.
I should/could have done a lot more research before we went, but it all worked out!
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