Cuba Change is Imminent, Get Tips to Plan Your Travel Here
Fidel Castro stepped down and is no longer the president of Cuba. How exactly it’ll affect the tourism in Cuba is hard to predict, but one thing is for certain – Cuba is going to change. Only time will tell whether the change will have been for better or worse.
During 50 years of Fidel Castro’s rule, the way of life in Cuba hasn’t really changed. The very cars that dominated the streets of Havana 50 years ago can be seen driven up and down the same streets today. Along with old, crumbling colonial buildings they make for outdated charm that attracts tourists to Cuba.
Building in Old Havana - Like Stepping Back in Time, Photo: NCreedplayer, Flickr
Cuba Change
Cuba is different. It’s nothing like you can see and experience anywhere else. It’s not overridden with McDonald’s and locals seem to live the most relaxed lifestyle ever. You need to experience it to understand how fascinating Cuba really is. The time to visit Cuba is now.
After 50 years of being the same old true bastion of Communism, Cuba is bound to change. It’s gonna happen one way or another. And when it changes, there will be no difference between a vacation in Cuba and a vacation in Mexico.
La Habana Malecon, Cuba, Photo: Patxi64, Flickr
How Will Cuba Change
Getting taken over by McDonald’s and other megalomaniac conglomeration is not the worst thing the change may bring. If new regime is more liberal, it will open borders to Cuba, US boycott will be lessened or completely dropped and as a result we’ll see organized crime, drugs and other negatives of the world we live in, presently virtually not existent in Cuba make its way to the island. Having been so tightly closed in, Cuba was one of the safest countries in the world where even a single female traveler could wander the streets in the middle of the night and be safe. Cubans don’t even know such things as drugs or gang related crimes exist. And it’s only thanks to Fidel Castro’s rule, the rule that separated Cuba from the rest of the world. Yes, there were many positives to his rule and personal safety of everyone on the island is one of them.
Open borders will also bring insane influx of tourists. Prior to becoming enemies with the USA, Cuba was the most popular vacation spot of most Americans. Rightly so, because Cuba has so much more to offer.
New US president is taking the office soon. If boycott/embargo are dropped, Americans will not hesitate to reclaim what was once their most favorite Caribbean destination. Cuba will also see big investments and those old crumbling buildings that made for Cuba’s charm will be renovated, those old cars that Cubans drive will be replaced with modern automobiles and Cuba will be no different to anywhere else in the world. The charm, the outdated way of life, the always relaxed Cubans – all of it will be gone. For good.
Tips to Plan Your Travel to Cuba
The time to visit Cuba is now. You hesitate and you will miss on what makes Cuba so special. The change will be irreversible. Cuba will never be the same once it changes. Go, take a trip and experience it while it is still the same old Cuba. Here are a few basic tips to help you plan the travel:
Don’t buy an all inclusive stay in Varadero. Varadero is a tourist resort, you won’t experience much of real Cuba there. Buy a plane ticket to Havana and stay for a few nights in the Hotel Nacional, which is one of the landmarks in Old Havana. Alternatively, you could consider a stay in the Art Deco hotel which was a hotel of choice for many famous people visiting Havana. View of the sea from Art Deco is spectacular and it’s conveniently located to allow for great exploring opportunities in Havana.
Hotel Nacional, Havana, Cuba, Photo: Albert Dany Alfonso, Flickr
If you’re more adventurous, don’t stay in a hotel. Book yourself a stay at a Casa Particular. Casas Particulares are state controlled and legally licensed rooms in peoples’ houses that the owner of the house can rent to tourists. This is where I stay each time I go to Cuba. It’s much cheaper than staying in a hotel and you will get to meet and live with real Cubans. Most of all, by staying in a Casa Particular, you will be supporting this particular family directly. It’s hands down the best way to experience Cuba. And it’s cheaper.
While in Havana, make sure you visit its famous sites, such as Plaza de Armas, Malecon Sea Wall, The Cathedral, etc. When the sun begins to set, go to La Floridita or La Bodeguita – the bars in Havana where Ernest Hemingway used to go to. Club Tropicana has great cabaret shows that should not be missed. Depending on how long you’ll stay in Cuba, make sure you stay for at least 3 days in Havana – there’s a lot to see there – and then move on to some other towns.
Trinidad is a beautiful colonial city. Santa Clara which is not too far from Varadero has a famous Che Museum. Guardalavaca has rich wildlife with corals and reefs within its protected nature reserve.
I will write more in detail on various destinations in Cuba. Wherever you go, you are guaranteed to love the island and you’ll leave fascinated with what you have seen. Just don’t wait till the vacation companies swarm the island with circus of tourists, which is what’s gonna happen after this above discussed change.