Cuba Travel 101: Should We Still Visit Cuba, Why or Why Not – Havana Times

By SE Lewinski

HAVANA TIMES – A recent Cuban national visiting family via Panama noted very few Cuban passports going through immigration, and the foreigner line was predominant. However, they spent thirty minutes in a “Welcome Back to Cuba Interrogation” with a total luggage dump and repetitive questions before being released.

My friends always ask me, “Should we visit Cuba?” That is like giving financial advice; if things go wrong, people get upset and disgruntled. So, to be fair, I will provide the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for whoever may take my advice as a world traveler and attempt to be unbiased (okay, maybe not hahaha!). 

THE GOOD

Traveling to Cuba depends on where you’re coming from for accommodations. US citizens are not allowed to stay in government hotels or resorts on the island so they revert to private homes or apartments. Many Cuban entrepreneurs have their homes and apartments available for foreigners, leading to positive experiences. Travelers are encouraged to support the local people by bringing their tourist dollars coming to the island. These individuals struggle to maintain their property and are very diligent in taking care of their customers.

“Deborah’s apartment is modern, well-designed, and clean. The apartment has two air conditioners that you can control. We had no problems” Cassandra October 2024

“Amazing place to stay and explore the Vedado area of Havana. Close to restaurants and entertainment. Had all of the amenities I needed.” Troy September 2024

As for transportation, the equivalent Uber is La Nave a mobile application that connects passengers and drivers in Cuba 24 hours, whatever your destination. Just be careful, you can be taken on a joy ride to increase the payment. La Nave is not like Uber where you pay upfront, you pay cash after being delivered. Of course, you will need a SIM card for the island and can pay and pick up a prepaid one at the airport (need an unlocked phone). 

Viazul is a country-wide bus system and can order tickets online (highly recommended). I have used Viazul to transit from Havana to Varadero, rather than a taxi or private car. Zero issues, just be aware gasoline availability can impact the schedule for buses. 

Now a secret on how to get to the beaches east of Havana. Nice tourist buses leave from Parque Central in Old Havana. Make sure you ask where the beach pick-up return is because it’s not the same as drop-off. Also, keep your ticket; it allows a return at no extra charge. Just be aware the locals know about this transit and will line up way earlier than the foreigners to get on the bus. Side note, toilets are essentially non-existent on Cuban public beaches, except you know where. 

Now, if you want a great nighttime experience, visit Fabrica de Art Cubano. It’s one of the most unique, fun, and unbelievable venues in Cuba. It’s a location with art, bars, dancing, drama, etc. I would say one of the most amazing places to match anywhere in the world!  I was surprised the government would allow it in Cuba, but this is part of the tourist propaganda that feeds cash flow. Plus, it’s very upscale for those who may have elitist status on the island. 

Overall, many “Good” places to visit and leisure opportunities in Cuba. However, planning and research are very important before undertaking an expedition to the island. Essentially, enjoy Cuba but don’t do anything stupid, and keep the fun clean and respectful on the island. 

THE BAD

The problem with travel is that it’s always the bad that remains in one’s head no matter how many good things occur. These bad things influence the justification of airline tickets and the consumption of hard-earned holiday time. Let’s face it, returning with a few Cuban photos to share on social media may not be worth the thousands of dollars spent. 

Stories to share for the continuation of the “Bad.”

Baracoa Expedition: Based on the word of local Cubans a cool place with magnificent beaches to visit. To get there was first finding a driver crazy enough to transit from Holguin on a 5-hour trip with large sections of dirt roads. Once arriving in Baracoa, I found a rural town with very little infrastructure. But, I did make it to one of the beaches and it was nice, but truthfully not worth the car trip. A few days later back in Holguin sick from probably some contamination in the beach water. However, I had the golden opportunity to visit Lenin Hospital.

Entering, there must have been 100 people waiting for medical care. I was taken to the front of the line because I had prepaid medical insurance on my airline ticket (required by Cuba, and of course milked for government revenue). I received an x-ray, but didn’t allow the doctors to draw blood or other diagnostics. I had a nasal infection so I was provided a prescription for antibiotics. My fondest memory of Lenin Hospital was my Cuban associate telling me, “DON’T touch or lean on the walls.” The hospital was dirtier than a truck stop restrooms back home. In retrospect, I still haven’t forgiven the local Cubans who recommended Baracoa.    

Interrogation Adventure: Being interrogated twice at the airport was interesting. First time this tall guy walks up to me and pulls me aside. He had a Chicago Bulls t-shirt which was his undercover uniform. The key when traveling are documents, where you’re staying, and remaining calm. Show no fear since that feeds the animal instincts of the interrogators. I answered all his questions, knowing he probably knew the answers ahead of time.

The second interrogation I got a shakedown of my entire luggage and this antiquated body scan where I needed to spin around, not where the machine spins instead. Of course, multiple stories of bringing items for Cubans and dealing with the customs interrogation attempting to be positioned for payment even on totally stupid things. I remember one tourist lost his drone and I thought, are you nuts bringing it to Cuba? He asked what his chances of recovering the drone were, and I said, zero, since some government kid probably has it by now.  

Luggage Insanity: Lesson learned when you travel into Cuba during the holidays, the Cubans can fill up the entire airplane cargo hold area. In my case, my checked-in luggage (all stuff for Cubans) did not make the flight. Rule 101 on international travel, always take a photo of your luggage before handing it off. Two days later I recovered the luggage and had this amazing experience of being allowed into this multi-room storage location with lost or late luggage. What I saw was the insanity of the baggage left behind, for whatever reasons. There must have been at least 2000 plus pieces of luggage. I was instructed to go look for my own luggage and then return to check it out and of course, attempt to charge a customs fee. I still have nightmares of the images of all that luggage in bondage at the airport! Yes, I did recover my checked-in luggage and got past customs minus a fee. 

Hostage Situation: One of my favorite stories to deal with was staying at a private apartment that had multiple issues including no WiFi, no water, and electricity turned off multiple times in the middle of the hot summer for air-conditioning. The owner blamed me for breaking the WiFi since I moved the router when water came pouring from a crack they had to route the cable from outside. When checking out of the place, I replaced the water and some other drinks and was told that was against the apartment policy. I was told to pay them money and they locked the exit gate so I could not leave the apartment. I needed to leave for the airport and found myself in a difficult tourist hostage situation. I finally conceded and paid, but in turn, got a refund later from the rental entity for being held against my will. 

I think the four examples of the “Bad” are fine for what to expect in Cuba. Don’t travel to the island unless you have the patience to deal with the chaos. I have viewed the deer in headlights tourists who are stunned as if hit by a car on how to deal with the crazy stuff. There is always a solution to the inevitable, just have cash on hand and avoid arguments because Cubans don’t back down and will always win!

THE UGLY

Now for a taste of the “Ugly”, and it pains me to provide but the reality is the island is hidden in tourist propaganda and influence to move money into the government’s economy. If I were to scale Good, Bad, and Ugly the ratio would be 20:30:50 as a percentage for travel to Cuba. The ugly pains my heart and soul and all comes down to it’s easy for me to leave the island but the people left behind have to continue their existence in hell every day. 

The reality as voiced by Evan Dyer (CBS News), “Canadian tourism sustains Cuba’s army and one-party state. Beach resorts popular with Canadians fuel exploitation and repression.”

Concern with how tourist dollars have been voiced by Cubans in my presence living off the island. Or may I say sort of a scolding why visit Cuba? This included a plane trip where one passenger stated, “You are taking food out of the mouths of Cubans since all the good food goes to the government businesses.”  The same with a casual encounter with a Cuban lady at Walmart scolding me for traveling to Cuba, she said, “You need to stop going there.” Of course, she also colorfully scolded the government for around 10 minutes while standing in the detergent section of Walmart.

For the voice of the local island Cubans, I asked the following question: “As a Cuban would you recommend travel to the island?” 

“Hell no, I wouldn’t recommend anyone to come to this s-hole place, with everything overcharged due to the lack of supplies. Better travel to the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, or Mexico. In Cuba, the only places worth visiting are the northern keys, and I’m not even mentioning the power blackouts.”  Anonymous #1

“The foreigner who wants to see a country in misery where people do not know if they will eat tomorrow or if they will have electricity or water for their basic needs…while luxurious hotels and resorts show a life that is far from reality, they can come anyway. They are going to enjoy what Cubans can only dream of.”  Anonymous #2

“The island is #&$*, whoever wants to come here to be without electricity and misery that exists because not even the hotels offer decent services to people.”  Anonymous #3

As for the general “Ugly” experiences in Cuba, the list would require another article of contents and truthfully it’s somewhat dreary to express. Besides the rubbish in the streets with no gasoline for garbage trucks to pick up, regular electrical blackouts, and paralysis of the government to respond to a decaying country, it’s not getting any better for tourist travel. 

My financial advice for travel to Cuba. One trip is adequate for the experience, but please bring things for Cubans even if it’s randomly handed out on the street. Avoid government businesses (hotels, bars, etc.) and provide your patronage currency to the local entrepreneurial people, and be blessed you have a passport to leave the island!

Read more from Cuba here on Havana Times.