Havana, Cuba
Welcome to an experience that felt like taking a trip back in time...
Cuba is one of those destinations where you must do a good amount of research before your departure date. Simply because to visit Cuba, Americans are required to choose from the 11 categories provided by the US government. Choose the category that best fits the way you plan to spend your time in Cuba.
Family visits.
Official business for the US government, foreign government, and certain intergovernmental organizations.
Journalism.
Professional research.
Religious activities.
Public performances.
Support for the Cuban people.
Humanitarian projects.
Activities of private foundations for research or educational institutes.
Exportation, importation or transmission of information or informational materials.
Certain export transactions.
https://cu.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/traveling-to-cuba/
Visa:
The Cuban embassy in Washington DC does not issue visas for travel to Cuba and neither does the American embassy in Havana. You apply for your visa with the airline you are flying with on the day of your flight. My trip to Havana included a layover in Atlanta, Georgia. The morning of my flight from Atlanta to Havana I arrived about three hours before my flight. The check-in process was longer because I remember I had to fill out a few forms to apply for my visa. Essentially you enter your personal information along with the reason for your visit, pay the fee for the visa and voila! You are good to go.
Money:
Take more money than you think you will need to spend on your trip! IT IS ABSOLUTELY ILLEGAL TO GET MONEY SENT TO YOU IN CUBA FROM THE US. The only option to possibly receive money transfer from a friend or family member is through the US Embassy in Cuba. But only in emergency situations, the embassy may loan you the money, or someone you know can send you money through the US Embassy account for you.
Prior to my departure from the US, I withdrew some cash from my bank account, exchanged it all for Canadian dollars before going to Cuba. Some travelers split their cash into half Euros half Canadian dollars, due to better exchange rate value. Also when exchanging US dollars to Cuban currency there’s an additional 10% tax upon exchange. There are 2 types of Cuban currencies! CUP and CUC. Cuban Peso Nacional (CUP) is used primarily by locals, and Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) is what travelers are supposed to use. It will behoove you to exchange your cash into CUC. CUP cannot be exchanged back to US dollars or CUC. Money can be exchanged at the airport, exchange houses in the city, or major hotels.
The exchange rate for Canadian dollar back to US dollar was better than Euro to US dollar at the time of my travel. I thought I was going to spend less than $500 on my trip and would need to exchange my left-over money back to dollars. But I ended up spending all of it.
Housing:
I stayed in a hotel for the simple fact that I did not like the reviews of most Airbnb apartments I was interested in staying in. But I have met other travelers in Cuba, who rented a whole villa through Airbnb for a cheap price. They loved it and they showed me some great pictures of where they were staying. So, if you are going with a group of people consider this option. Worth the money save!
Activities:
Classic care rides. Cost varies per each driver.
Cigar factory tours.
Museum tours.
Once you are in Havana, you are really going to enjoy the colorful and old buildings plus the classic cars everywhere. But keep in mind that Cuba is a third world country with a lot of poor people. Be ready for some serious beggars, kids and grown folks alike! My worst memory was witnessing young girls offering themselves to male tourists in exchange for money.
Overall, Cubans are genuinely nice people. From my experience with interacting with locals in Havana, they helped me navigate whenever I needed assistance with directions. Except they would ask for some change afterwards. I felt generally safe during mt entire trip. My taxi driver to the airport was a young web developer who makes 20 CUC a month working full time, which is how much my ride costs from the hotel to the airport.