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04/08/2017 12:00 AMCuba continues to hold a fascination with many in the United States—a close neighbor, closed for more than 50 years. A throwback to an older time, photos of iconic American "yank tanks" on dusty roads from the 1950s were simply shot with older cameras on film, not digitized or enhanced with Instagram features. These máquinas still operate as taxis, (make sure the meter is turned on) making the Republic of Cuba a perfect time warp where travelers can experience a return to an earlier time on this arc of islands and archipelagos jutting out of the Caribbean Sea, just 227 miles from Miami, Fla.
Travel to Cuba has been regulated to family visits and packaged tours. Travelers should contact the Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. to determine what type of visa is required. While no specific vaccinations are needed, all visitors, including religious workers, must have non-U.S. medical insurance. The Embassy sells a temporary policy.
Cuba is reportedly a safe and friendly country, but travelers should be on their guard as in any unknown place. The rules are changing and will most likely stabilize once relations and the tourist industry becomes the norm. Geographically, Cuba is located in North America, culturally it lands in Latin America, but historically the economic embargo in effect for more than half a century guarantees that sojourners should expect the unexpected.
The biggest challenge is the dual-currency system, where locals use the Cuban Peso (CUP) and foreigners spend the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC). American dollars are not widely accepted, but they can be exchanged for CUC. With tax and commission, and an extra 10% penalty for just being American money, the dollar is devaluated at about 20 percent. Canadian dollars fare much better. While locals will offer to exchange money, it's best to use the Cadeca Casa de Cambio, since shopkeepers and others might be less than honest, or exchange for CUP which will be harder to spend.
American Express and credit and debit cards from U.S. banks are not everywhere you want to be, and you can leave home without them. Credit cards from other countries are accepted, but there is a commission for using them. It's best heed the advice of the American Citizen Services and arrive with enough cash to see you through the end of your trip.
Since the country is economically depressed, with most people earning an average of $20 a month, although this is heavily subsidized, travelers are warned not to show off their riches. Fancy dress, jewelry, and accessories invite petty crime and pickpockets. Locals with tourist savvy resort to hustling to make a few pesos, offering friendly traveler assistance or directions only to surprise the visitor by charging for the service. Other schemes include recounting hard-luck tales to guilt the visitor into forking over some cash, or acting as escorts and prostitutes to lonely tourists.
Accommodations range from low-end beach cabins to five-star resorts. For budget travelers, the casas particulares tend to be better value than a hotel. At the lowest end are campismos, where sheets and running water are a luxury. Cheaper accommodations require sharing a bathroom and may have a fan rather than air-conditioning. Inconsistent service and amenities characterize the mid-range boutique hotels, some in the colonial style, and some in a faded Soviet-style. The high-end hotels are mostly foreign-owned and maintain the standards recognized by their brands. Visitors can expect a minibar, soft linens, and even a view. No matter the hotel, travelers are warned not to drink the water or even brush their teeth with it.
While buses are the most efficient and practical way of getting around, they are very crowded. Local buses are catch-as-catch-can with no printed timetables, but the Víazul links distant places of interest on a regular schedule. Opting for a rental car can prove to be quite expensive and, due to a lack of signposts and confusing road rules, challenging. Taking a taxi works for longer distances provided there is a group of people to share the fare. While there is a network of trains, previous travelers do not recommend them as they are slow, unreliable, and uncomfortable.
Most visitors associate white sand beaches with Cuba, but exploring deeper inland reveals forests, a sparsely populated countryside, rough mountains and swamps teeming with wildlife. A traveler might be tempted to start up a conversation on history or politics to learn more about the revolution, but Cubans haven't had opportunities to express themselves with foreign visitors for many years, and while they may have strong opinions, travelers are cautioned against engaging in political conversations or saying anything disparaging about Fidel Castro.
The best time to go is in winter, from November to May. The heat and humidity lend themselves to lounging in casual outfits of T-shirts, shorts and sandals. Men swirl Havana Club rum and puff on hand-rolled Cohibas, Cuban cigars, wearing the loose guayabera, a shirt invented for the climate in Cuba, while women chill in tight, revealing tops. Their languid movements match the strums of the Spanish guitar and the echoes of distant African beats, laid down with the rhythms of the nearby islands of Haiti and Jamaica, and infused with the sounds of the Taíno people. It's possible to bring back a bit of this previously forbidden fruit to friends and family in the U.S. Before the 1962 embargo, President John F. Kennedy stocked up on 1,200 cigars, but now Americans can bring back about $100 worth of tobacco and alcohol to share. Or not.