Cuba Travel - Backpacking All-Inclusive Guides

Map Of Cuba

How to Travel Cuba

There are few ways to travel to Cuba since it requires some planning it's not fit for a short break. The two principal ways to travel are backpacking around and simply taking a holiday.

Cuba Backpacking

You will find that Cuba is an extremely backpacker-friendly destination with decent means for getting around that are not too expensive and a network of what is called casa particulars. These are actually people's homes where you organise and pay for a room. It would not surprise me if Cuba gave the founder of AirBnB the idea. However, there are many other reasons to backpack around this massive country. The history and culture are apart from other Caribbean in many ways and so are unique. The landscapes change dramatically offering a plethora of activities. This is an excellent backpacking guide Cuba, you should read that if nothing else to get an idea if this country is for you. 

Havana Cuba may not be your first port of call when visiting Cuba but you should visit for sure even if you have a package deal to Varadero. Make sure to find a great hotel or if you are backpacking in Cuba stay in a casa particular. They are well run safe and it is very normal for this to happen. The national hotel on the Malecon is worth a visit inside and also finish your evening on the Malecon with the rest of Havana.

Question About Cuba Backpacking

I have been contemplating what to do and where to go with my 18 holiday days left until the end of 2008...Started off by looking at Thailand again, as I hadn't visited the north nor the eastern islands, however, I went to your site and was reading your Cuba backpacking trip. Looks like this may just tempt me enough. Tourist visa request is pretty straightforward. It's also cheap, as Thailand, and home to my fave cigars, which I owe you a couple at least ;) got a few questions: - could you tell me with which airline you flew? - is it worth just sticking around a few areas or is the island small enough to go on a whole tour? - did you see any other girls backpacking on their own? i.e. safe enough? (this is a weird question I know :) ) - what is the average you spent on (a) food (b) transport (c) accommodation daily? - if Cuba wasn't it, what is your next trip to recommend :)! am looking for a chill-out and sporty holiday (snorkelling, cycling, running perhaps...rollerblading could be a bonus! hehe)

Answer

I felt really amazingly safe in Cuba. But anyone should take regular precautions and even more so as a woman. But as a woman in Cuba, you will get hounded by Jiniteros!

I flew with Virgin Atlantic as it happens. I didn't get as good a deal as some people as they booked more last minute than me or more in advance grrrr. It may just about be as cheap as Thailand in some areas, but for a casa particular, you should expect to pay the top end of 25 USD per night including breakfast 2008 prices. Food can cost really a lot less than 15 USD per day if you manage to get some moneda nacional written MN. You can get this by visiting the local CADECA exchange places.

A good tip is to take euro travellers' cheques, issued from a u.k. bank these were fine to get changed and didn't attract as heavy a penalty as using ANY type of card. But a better tip for Cuba is to take a few forms of backup. Many cards don't work and cash points are not exactly common. You will be carrying more cash around than you would anywhere else..so another reason to be careful.

Holidays To Cuba

Depending on where you live there will be a good choice of websites that will help you find a holiday in Cuba. It is a popular place because the prices are low yet the beaches are great and though the levels of service and appointment of resorts can be lacking you get great value.

Top Things to do in Cuba

Stay in a casa particular, Visit Viejo Havana and the Malecon as it starts to get dusk. Casa de la Musica in Havana and Trinidad, Scuba Diving off Isla De La Juventud, feel the revolutionary struggle around the suburbs of Santiago de Cuba. Visit a cigar factory in Havana. Visit Mogotes in Vinales. Enjoy the lack of commercial advertising and that Cuba makes do with recycling in real terms and that the life of an item is probably 3 times that of the Western world where we throw things away so quickly.

Love it or hate it, Cuba has a unique past and will have an amazing future, a jewel of resources sitting right under the power that is the USA. Raul has just assumed power and it will be interesting to see how he will try and shape her.

Places to visit in Cuba

Baracoa

Baracoa with its fishing villages around accessible by walkways suspended a foot off the water made of bamboo. The crumbling Baseball Stadium on the beach makes this an intriguing place. There are treks galore and the main river Toa River provides many tours.

Baracoa was founded by the Spanish in 1512 by Diego Velazquez but I can imagine these villages were here first somehow. The region is beautiful and the town charming. There are some great Casas (casa particular) to be stayed in too.

Trinidad

Trinidad is a great place for backpackers and should definitely be on your list. You can visit the beaches albeit via taxi ride. Also, do a steam train tour to some of the old Sugar Cane places of interest. You can do some Scuba Diving from the beach locations too. In the evening the place to be is Casa De La Musica where you can meet old Cuban revolutionaries and listen to Salsa in a very relaxed atmosphere. Trinidad can be a day trip from Varadero but you will be gutted not to be staying here.