Cuba Travel, What's New(s)?

By: Kathy Klofft

Photo Essay: People of Cuba by Jeff Klofft

Two gentlemen read the news on the stoop on the outskirts of Old Havana

Cuba travel has been in the news again.  The President of the United States recently announced some changes in the policy of rapprochement that had been set by his predecessor in December 2014.  I'm not going to get political, because I've never been one to determine whether a place I travel to is "right" or wrong" (or even "Right" or "Left", for that matter)  We travel to experience the people and the place as it is and hope that our connection to other people helps bridge the gaps of our differences.  If we refuse to visit places where we disagree with the way they are governed, we'd probably not even be able to leave our own back yard!   Since the announcement about changes to Cuban American relations, I've had many readers and friends ask about how to go about seeing Cuba now.  They wonder if they should go before things change again, and what is the best way to do it.  So I'm revisiting our experiences and giving advice based on what I've heard and read in the last week. If you don't plan to go, you may enjoy Jeff's photos of the people we met in Cuba!

A young man shares his art and a smile with visitors

We decided to visit in June 2016, shortly after the announcement and posted about it here:

Cuba Posts

As for the latest news, no one can predict what will happen next, but the President has asked the Treasury Department to revisit the current rules.  It appears from emails travelers I know have received from their cruise lines with itineraries to Cuba, that they have been assured they can still make Cuba ports of call.  As i understand it, individual travel that is not part of a cruise or People to People program will be examined in a different way and possibly restricted.  So with this scanty information and not knowing what the Treasury Department rules will eventually look like, here is what I'm telling my friends.

 A couple entertains during a visit to a state run restaurant in Old Habana

1- Nothing appears to be happening immediately.

It seems it will be some time before new rules are made and implemented.  If Cuba is on your list, I would definitely not hesitate to go as soon as possible.  The issue with Cuban travel is not safety, we felt Cuba was very safe, safer than most major cities we have visited anywhere in the world.  The problem seems to be the change in the political approach to the island nation by the United States, and Americans ability to visit freely or do business there.

Dancers perform during the cabaret at the Hotel Nacionale in Havana

2-I would not go to Cuba "illegally" right now.

While many Americans have gone to South or Central America and simply visited Cuba from there without getting any approvals or passport stamps.  I would not do that now. There is no way to predict how immigration officials will react upon return to the United States. Also, there is no predicting that over the next 4 to 8, or more years how an "illegal" visit to Cuba might affect your ability to receive government clearances, or government benefits of any kind. We simply don't know.

Children from an arts school in Matanzas pose just before leaving for summer break

3-I would take a cruise that has Cuba on the itinerary

.Cuba is likely just one of the places you'll visit on a cruise, and the whole vacation wouldn't be canceled if things change rapidly.  Also, I've read that the uptick in tourism since rapprochement has lead to some food shortages for people in Cuba.  Cruises, which carry their own food on board, are a good way to lessen any of those effects. Our experience with Cuban food was that it is not very varied or spiced; most of the food we ate in both paladares (privately owned home restaurants) and state run restaurants was fairly bland, but filling.

A man on the beach expresses his enthusiasm for Americans with his shirt and his gestures!

4-I would take a well established People to People Trip

If I wanted to take a trip to Cuba now, and didn't want to cruise or had a special interest, I would go with one of the outfitters that have offered People To People tour for years.  These trips usually revolve around meaningful connections between people with similar interests. Our trip was focused on Jazz and Art, which was of interest to our family.  Other trips involve bird watching and nature. With rapprochement, many new travel companies applied for and were approved to travel to Cuba with less developed programs.  However, the ones that were doing it first have the best connections and resources in Cuba.  If things are changing rapidly, a well established outfitter will have a better handle on how to adapt to changes than a newcomer.

Three men struggle to maneuver a fruit cart in the streets.

5-Check the rules frequently.  

What is allowed in and out of Cuba could change at any time.  Another reason to travel with an experienced outfitter is that they stay on top of these rule changes for you.  If the limits of cigars, art or rum change, they can let you know before you invest in something that could just be confiscated. They will also stay ahead of any itinerary changes required by either government. 

A local musician who connects young jazz acts with Americans coming to learn about Cuban Jazz reacts with joy to his protegees set.

6-If you do travel to Cuba with a cruise or tour company, be sure to keep the paperwork

The tour outfitter or cruise line will provide official paperwork that explains the legal reason for your trip to Cuba. You will need this when you return home and for future travel.   I keep mine with my passport, but remove it when passing through immigration in any country, including my own until someone asks to see it.  No one has asked to see it yet, but we never know when they might ask, so I have it ready to show that I traveled to Cuba on a legal, Treasury Department approved People to People trip.

A young couple enjoys the sunset on the malecon in Havana

One of the reasons we travel is to see places that are different from where we live, to connect with people in a way that emphasizes our similarities, and seeks to understand our differences. We found the people of Cuba to be open to meeting Americans, and excited for the future. Hopefully, all your travels will be the same!

Cuba...In The News Again, My Advice For Going NOW.

Just today a relative contacted me about how to go about booking one of those newly available flights from the US to Havana.  Last week the President of the US changed limits on Cuban cigars and rum. This morning, my Skift newsfeed had news of Trip Advisor being granted a license to sell Cuba travel.  So getting to Cuba for mojitos and the beach should be easy peasy, right? Not so fast! Real people are running into real troubles trying to turn their dreams of visiting Cuba into reality.  We went in 2015 with Insight Cuba, and I posted about it here, but here is my updated advice based on the latest news!

It is still a bit complicated to travel to Cuba, but getting more "open" every day! Unfortunately, it's not easy to just "book a flight" to Havana yet. As my cousin found out, when he tried booking a flight, the airlines refer you back to the US government for the "official" rules. And those seem to say you can travel so long as you are still traveling for one of the "approved" reasons.  But reading this doesn't help you book the flight, so you are back to square one. 

This is the official FAQ from the US Dept of Treasury https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Programs/Documents/cuba_faqs_new.pdf

 

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Mojitos? Sure we had them...but we also had many people to people interactions in Cuba. 

Even if you manage to find a travel agent who can book your flight, there is the matter of putting together an itinerary on the ground that will satisfy the US governments requirements. (No one checks this before or during your trip...but US officials could ask for your trip's purpose at anytime in the future, so I always travel with my paperwork in my passport, even though no one has ever asked to see it.)
The hard part of planning your own trip is few of the people or non governmental organizations in Cuba are on the internet yet, so it is very difficult to arrange these activities on your own. If you have a relative or contact through your place of business, place of worship or NGO where you already volunteer, this might be easier. Trip Advisor may make it easier, but as stated in the Skift article, that's not ready for roll out just yet. 

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Members of our group and a Cuban senior dance group (and their grandchildren) posing on the porch of their community center after we had dance lessons. 

I think you if you are ready to travel this winter, it may be best to arrange a trip through some kind of outfitter or tour group. We decided to go with a small group and did not regret it. Group dynamics can be interesting, we met some interesting people in our group... a TV writer, civil servants, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, professional athletes, even a bus driver who moonlights as a jazz pianist; every one of them fascinating to talk to and experience the trip with because of their unique outlooks on life. But even more importantly, were the fascinating people we met in Cuba and the activities arranged by Insight experts. We met artists and musicians and children in local schools. Our local guide was quite open about sharing the joys and challenges of her life in Cuba. Our daughter got to play saxophone with a young jazz band in the same underground jazz club where Dizzy Gillespie played pre embargo, which was an experience she won't soon forget!

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A private concert with En Trance at the underground club La Zorra y El Cuervo, where members of our group were invited to jam with the band. 

We used Insight Cuba, you can see more about our experience on our blog here: 
http://www.goseeittravel.com/travel-blog?category=Cuba

Editor Note: Since posting this Carnival Corp has decided to suspend the service of Fathom Cruise line. However, several other cruise lines are introducing service to Havana, including the Royal Caribbean Corp announcement in early December, that a few of their branded ships will be making port of call stops in Havana this spring.  The advice about cruising to Cuba still holds true! I would add though that recent news stories also report greater food shortages for the people of Cuba due to increased tourism, so considering a cruise which provides food for it's own guests, may alleviate some of that, if it's a concern to you. 

Other resources for easily planned trips are the Fathom cruise line which is a service oriented specialty cruise run by Carnival. The advantage is a relaxing vacation on the ship on the way to and from Cuba.  The disadvantage is that you are not fully immersed in the country by staying there. Until the power cuts off and the jazz band keeps playing in the dark (as happened to us) you can't say you've really experienced what the country is all about. 

Another small group tour designed for active retirees is focused on culture is Overseas Adventure Travel 

Younger people might find a trip run through a group like Intrepid which focuses on a younger demographic.

If your heart is set on just going independently (no groups) try Wendy Perrin's WOW site for an outfitter that will organize a tour for you.  The advantage to that is with no other travelers to accommodate, and you can customize your itinerary to your specific interests. 

Lastly...the good news! Trip Advisor has been granted licenses to sell travel direct to consumer- this will probably end up being the cheapest option, once it's available! It might still be a little while and my experience planning Trip Advisor trips, is it will require a lot of leg work and probably not provide high touch customer service that the smaller specialized travel providers can provide in the planning or booking process. 

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Right now, just because things are changing so fast, I'd still recommend a small group trip or check out Wendy Perrins WOW site for a destination expert to plan an independent trip. If you decide to wait to "book on your own" with Trip Advisor- let me know! I'll want to do a "Goseeit" people interview with you to see how it went to share with our readers! 

 

Go See It Cuba

If your idea of a visit to Cuba is sitting on a beautiful Caribbean beach sipping a mojito, you might need to re think that! Our family recently took a 5 night people to people exchange with Insight Cuba, called “Jazz in Havana”.  We have had Cuba on our list to visit since a neighbor went with his Senior baseball team 5 years ago.  It moved quickly to the top once President Obama announced the normalizing of relations between Cuba and the USA in December.   We chose this itinerary because it matched the interests of our family, and was a “legal” trip to Cuba. 

While the mojitos we enjoyed in Havana were delicioso, there were several things we had to consider when planning a trip to Cuba. Here are some things we learned about planning and preparing for a trip to Cuba that we hope will help anyone planning a trip to go see it for themselves! 

Trip planning

Decide if going to Cuba is a now or later proposition for you

I have a new friend who I've been encouraging to travel more...when I mentioned to him that I was headed to Cuba, he told me he'd go when the cruise ships started calling there. I appreciated his ability to know what he needs! For us visiting Cuba was not a "vacation". Yes, there are beautiful beaches and amazing vistas, (and huge swaths of wild Cuba we never got to see on this trip.) While Cuba was a wonderful host for our tour, things do not run the way resorts in other Caribbean island have learned to operate in order to satisfy the North American market.  Resorts and hotels may be state run, or even if run in private partnership, deal with the same challenges the people of Cuba do. One evening while packing, the lights in the hotel blinked off several times for a few seconds. (pack a head lamp) Our hotel was well equipped with generator, but not every place is. 

Our Melia hotel in Vedado alongside the Malecon was Spanish run in partnership with the Cuban Government, was well run and very comfortable. 

Most restaurants are state run, and food is very simple, often rice and beans and fish or chicken. Steak is rare (not as in not well done or medium, but is rarely served) While the Cuban food scene in Miami has a terrific reputation, in Cuba the lack of excellent food sources makes the food scene there far simpler. We found there was always plenty to eat. But there are some folks who need know their comfort level around food and lodging and decide if a trip is a good idea right now, before things change, or later, when there is more investment in tourist infrastructure. The trade off for going now, is that Cubans are mostly surprised and delighted to see people from the US, and that you get a chance to experience a culture that's still relatively untouched by recent global influences. 

A typical meal served during our visit to Cuba; fried plantains and rice and beans. 

Think through the long term ramifications of taking an "illegal" trip to Cuba.

One quick perusal of “Cuba” on Trip Advisor will show that Americans can visit Cuba from several Central American countries quite easily and cheaply and no one reports they are given more than a passing glance by immigration for the gap in their passports.(Unlicensed visitors from the US don’t get Cuban passport stamps, so if you enter and leave Grand Cayman in the same day and then return to Grand Cayman a week later…There’s a gap there) Right now things are opening, but political winds can change here in the US and that gap in the passport may cause hardship later when trying to get security clearances for any number of things later- including military, job, or expedited travel programs.  We had reasons to travel legally, and so we chose Insight Cuba for a cultural exchange that matched our interests and our schedule and for it’s reputation for the destination.

If you take a people to people exchange know your itinerary, and be sure it matches your interests.

Tours vary from educational exchanges offered by universities, to nature trips led by leaders in photographic travel market.  Because the US Department of Treasury must approve the itineraries and requires participants to participate in all activities for the group running the trip to continue getting the licenses.  They require full days revolving around the topic of the exchange.  You need to be sure you will be happily engaged in those activities for several hours a day.  In our case, Jeff is an avid photographer, with an interest in environmental portraits; the emotion of music and performance lends itself to excellent photographic possibilities. Our eldest daughter is a design student whose own work is based in found and reclaimed materials.  The visits to various community projects were inspirational to her because the artists by necessity are using cast off materials to create their work.  Our youngest daughter has in interest in history, politics and a planned Spanish minor, as well as plays saxophone in several bands.  The ability for her to jam with Cuban musicians (and quite a few talented musicians from our own group!) was a highlight of her experience.  So while our family found the whole tour incredibly engaging, some in our group who had specific interests in cigars and old cars, might have found an exchange related to those interests more suitable.   A woman we met on our charter is a school teacher and went on an educational exchange sponsored by a university. My neighbor went to play and meet baseball players, and another couple I know took who are ardent birders took a nature trip, with opportunities to connect with naturalist in Cuba. However, our Insight Cuba guides did their best to learn everyone’s interests ahead of time and to make connections for all guests with Cuban people with the same interests at every step of the way. 

Our Jazz in Havana tour included unique experiences like meeting and jamming with young Cuban musicians at a top recording studio. Having an interest in music and art made this an amazing experience! 

Know if the group you are traveling with has a reputation for good guiding and authentic connections

Our Jazz in Havana tour was more than capably led by Alfredo, our Insight Cuba Tour Leader, an American of Costa Rican heritage and Yilam, our government employed Cuban guide.  They provided a wonderful tandem of logistics and local knowledge that rivals other high end, small group guided tours we have taken.  Yilam recalled that our daughter had a desire to bring home a few Cuban Pesos (the local currency tourists don't normally use- see money below) and asked specifically if our daughter had found  them before our charter home, and would have made that happen for her had she not. Others in our group had interest in ballet or cabaret or old cars or cigars, and our guides worked together to ensure that opportunities for viewing or shopping or ballet tickets and transportation were arranged. That kind of attention to detail and to the individual needs of tour members is the kind of “high touch” touring that for us, makes the experiences memorable and a good value. 

Right now, there are so few licenses granted that most of the operators are excellent at what they do...really, National Geographic and International Expeditions are leaders in the nature travel field, so you can expect their tours anywhere will be top notch. When things open up, this will require more research, as more operators get into the business of offering Cuban tours with little to no experience on the ground.

Our guide Alfredo not only handled logistics and translation, but he was able to share insights into the people and place and prepared us for what to expect during our experiences meeting local people. Here he shares a scrap book of art work made by the children at an after school project we visited during our tour.

Expect some major differences in the way you pay for things in Cuba

In the US and other countries we visit, we are used to whipping out our credit or debit cards, but because of the embargo, American credit cards or ATM cards do not work in Cuba. Some cards are starting to advertise use in Cuba, but the infrastructure for "charging" exists in very few places at all. That means bringing all the cash you'll need with you in American dollars and converting it in Cuba.

Cuba works on a two currency system. The Cuban Peso is what Cubans use in their own daily economy. The Cuban Convertible Peso, called a CUC (and pronounced kook) is the only form of currency you can exchange for your dollars. It is tied to the U.S. Dollar and currently, all exchanges are made by the government and a 13 % fee is charged right at conversion. Unlike other countries you'll travel to, you generally won't find some places like hotels charging a far higher rate, it's mostly standardized by the government.  After conversion, the 87 CUC you are left with converts exactly to USD, making it easy to figure out the price of things. Things generally cost less than the U.S., obviously, but the tourist items and services priced in CUCs are generally unaffordable to ordinary Cubans. Money is easily changed at the airport or your hotel and the exchange fee of 13% applies everywhere. Because it's not a set fee per exchange, but a percentage, it's best to exchange money as you need it,  because changing back usually compels another 13% fee and the CUCs are worthless and unexchangeable anywhere else in the world. There are stiff penalties for Cubans trying to exchange money for tourists or using American dollars.

The left hand and top two right hand bills are Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC) used by tourists and are equivalent to the USD. The bottom right hand bill (featuring Che Guevara) is the peso used by Cubans. Our guide explained the easy way to tell with a quick glance is CUCs have a statue or monument on them, the pesos have a portrait. 

Customs limits can change, weekly, daily, maybe hourly! 

At the time we traveled, we were allowed to bring back $400 per person, in goods from Cuba, with no more than $100 in rum and cigars, but an unlimited amount of art, so long as it's not original art of national importance to Cuba. (Which cannot leave the country) We were asked by an official to open a tube with an original art print in it that we bought at a gallery and pay a small duty on it. (About 3 CUC)  A tube with hand screened prints from the museum did not require duty. Again, this is where a good guide is invaluable. If the rules change, they will know and let you know. 

Generally, a good cigar is about $25, a bottle of Cuban rum is less, but packing it is challenging (it has to go as checked luggage)  Outside of artwork, rum or cigars, there is little that you could spend 400 dollars on in Cuba.

We visited a print shop and gallery where original artwork was available, including this work celebrating the opening of relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Health and Potty Talk

 As far as health, our guides gave us the usual warnings about not drinking the water or eating foods prepared with unfiltered tap water.  All of the government and private establishments we visited as part of our tour used filtered water and ice and fresh vegetables were "ok" to eat in all the places we visited. Despite this, about 1/3 of our group had some kind of GI issues. A couple of folks were laid low for a 1/2 a day or so, with a couple older folks requiring a shot (I'm assuming this is an antibiotic?) and IV rehydration at the infirmary at the hotel. They all described the care as very good and attentive with the nurse who was on site at our hotel 24/7.  It's purely anecdotal on my part, but those of us from the East Coast with more extensive travel in the Caribbean and Latin America seemed to have fewer GI issues, but that's too small a sample size to be proof of anything. 

Because of the difficulty buying even over the counter medicines in Cuba, it's a good idea to travel with your own medical kit. I always do, and here is a link to a post about the way I put my own kit together before each trip.  See link here.

Between the public cigar smoking and old diesel engines, the air quality is a challenge to anyone with respiratory issues. I was getting over a cold and normally do not struggle with lung issues, but I had several asthma attacks from reactive airways during visits to smoky clubs and closed in recording studios where smoking is allowed indoors.  I was fortunate that my asthmatic daughter had brought along her inhalers (the same my own Dr has prescribed for me in the past) and I was able to use them to arrest my coughing fits. Most government run "tourist" restaurants and clubs do not allow indoor smoking, and so those are good options for people with respiratory issues.

Infrastructure has been neglected in many places due to lack of resources, there are few ramps or accommodations for disabilities and sidewalks and roads are rough. It's really important to look where you are going and have good walking shoes. This applies even to people in great shape with no impediments. Bridges can have missing or broken planks where anyone not looking down could have a leg fall through. Holes in sidewalks are large enough to trip anyone up. I found it a good idea to look ahead of anywhere I was going, upstairs, or along a walkway to see if it met my safety standards before proceeding. 

This smoke filled cigar bar exacerbated my cough, even though the jazz band was well worth the trouble! 

As in most Caribbean places, the most dangerous thing is the sun! Good sun screen and a hat are always good idea! On our tour bottled water was provided every day, and it's important to stay hydrated! 

Anyone who follows my work knows that I do not shy away from addressing, ahem, delicate issues. So it's time for potty talk! For some reason there are a lack of toilet seats in Cuba. You may need to visit several stalls to find one or ...err, squat. Most toilets are staffed by an attendant who will expect a few coins, it's a good idea to carry these, along with toilet paper and hand sanitizer at all times, since either soap, water or paper or all three can be lacking at various times. Usually, if you pay a coin the attendant will supply a little paper, but there is no guarantee. Again, our guides were invaluable in steering us to the best equipped potties or at least letting us know what to expect! Like most developing places, anything that wasn't once food or drink should go into a trash receptacle, not into the toilet.

Our bathrooms at the Melia Cohiba, our home base for the week, were very well quipped with no shortages of TP or toilet seats! 

Personal Safety and Security 

We found Havana far safer than most metropolitan cities we have visited.  We were told penalties for crimes against tourists are very severe, and so we found it very safe to navigate the city as tourists on the nights we were on our own in Havana. While Jeff took photos, our daughters and I wandered on the Malecon alone, and were not bothered by hustlers, or harassed by men for being unescorted and we never felt threatened by pickpockets or muggers, as we might be in other major cities.

One of the many lovely couples we interacted with while strolling along the Malecon. Almost all young Cubans we met were excited to meet people from the United States and discuss what the future might hold. 

One night after the four us finished dinner near the Capitolio, we engaged a man on the street to find us a cab. We had read this would cost us a CUC, and did not mind paying, even just for the opportunity for the interaction with a young man not associated with tourist trade. A friend of his pleaded with him to be allowed to "taxi" us, despite not having a licensed taxi. We agreed to this because we wanted the experience of riding in the unlicensed taxi, which was an old soviet Lada car. It could have been disastrous to do this in any many cities, but we never felt any concern that we would be robbed or kidnapped, or re routed to another destination and scammed. We felt simply that these enterprising young men wanted our CUC, and we were willing to ride in a "cab" with doors that flew open while riding down the Malecon, no AC and cranky window cranks!  It was an experience we laugh about today, and one I'm glad I had,  but we never felt in fear of being taken advantage of at any time.  

The Lada we rode home in was not a tourist taxi, but it was a fun experience!