Destination: Cuba

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK INFORMATION

Getting Started

Cuba is a unique country with many distinct characteristics. Travel here not only requires a passport, money and a good sturdy rucksack; but it also requires flexibility, creativity, good humor, patience and a healthy sense of adventure. Speaking Spanish, though not a prerequisite, is undoubtedly a huge advantage, and will allow you to travel further and dig deeper than the average tourist.

Linguistic dexterity aside, Cuba remains an easy country to travel in and there are few barriers stopping you from wandering around pretty much how and as you choose. The infamous Resolution 10 ruling passed by the Cuban National Assembly in 2005 has led some sources to claim that Cubans have been discouraged from interacting with foreigners and prohibited from receiving ‘tips’ in the line of duty. In truth, the facts are rather less dramatic. Resolution 10 is actually aimed more at tourist officials and Cuban diplomats traveling overseas on business where (in the eyes of the Cuban government) they are prime fodder for bribery, corruption and running up unnecessary expense accounts. Back on the home front, the hard-working waiters and the towel-folding room maids of the vibrant tourist sector are as ingratiating and chatty as they have always been, and a small gratuity or ‘tip’ will go a long way in supplementing their relatively meager salaries.

Recent legislation by the American government has further tightened the rules governing travel of US citizens to Cuba. For more information on legal travel to the island check out the Center for Cuban Studies’ website.

putting the guide down

Here at Lonely Planet we like to say that ‘the greatest adventure of all is to fly by the seat of your pants’ and for several decades successive editions of our guidebooks have been enthusiastically promoting this independent travel culture.

Rather than give you a written itinerary and lead you protectively through the obstacles, we prefer to inspire and suggest, prompt and propose – but never to hand hold.

In Cuba there are countless opportunities to cross the unofficial line that exists between the all-inclusive tourist resorts and the island of revolutionary myth. Throughout the course of this book we will try to offer you a whole range of possibilities about how this border can best be breached. Often the information we put forward will be deliberately vague. Indeed, at times, we will actively encourage you to put the guidebook down for a day or three and venture off intrepidly on your own. Adventurers should bear in mind the following:

Cuba is a large country of approximately 11.3 million people and far too complex to squeeze into a modestly sized book. Rather than treat this guide as ‘gospel’, think of it more as a starting point. Get inventive, fill in the gaps, change the itineraries, rework the reviews and don’t forget to write in and tell us what we missed.

Buses break down, hotels close, restaurants change chefs and old revolutionaries eventually die. A guidebook is a stencil; it tells you what’s supposed to happen. What actually happens is often very different – and largely up to you.

There are no timetables for Santería rituals, cockfights, spontaneous rumba sessions, gorgeous sunsets or anything involving a Cuban train journey. Keep your ear to the ground, follow the crowds and don’t be afraid to experiment with something new.

Cuba’s best tour agencies are its casas particulares. There are thousands of these congenial private houses scattered across the country and each and every one has the potential to be a fact-packed Lonely Planet guidebook in its own right.

DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT…

You’ll quickly find that basic commodities such as toothpaste, toilet paper and soap are widely available in Cuba. However, condoms, aspirin, dental floss, sunscreen, insect repellant, contact-lens solution, moisturizing lotion and reading material in any language besides Spanish definitely aren’t.

Clothing-wise come prepared. Aside from the ubiquitous Che Guevara T-shirts fashionable beach wear is overpriced or low quality. You might also want to bring your own snorkel gear. A flashlight will be handy during blackouts. An alarm clock for predawn bus departures, a universal plug for sinks and tubs and a little washing powder are all useful. People staying in campismos will need a sheet as linen isn’t always provided.

Aside from a scant supply of biscuits/cookies and soggy sandwiches, take-out fare is hard to find. Gatorade powder, granola and protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter and trail mix provide energy and a break from the vicious pizza/ice-cream/fried-chicken cycle of appetizers.

Money-wise, your best bet is to bring cash, preferably in Canadian dollars, euros or pound sterling (avoid US dollars as the cost of changing them into Cuban Convertibles is a lot higher). A credit card will provide a good emergency back-up and traveler's checks from non-American banks are usually acceptable. Unfortunately few, if any, foreign debit cards will work in Cuban ATMs.