This is one of the most vibrant, colorful, electrifying and exciting travel destinations on Earth. Cuba just has a romantic, sexual vibe to it and it’s almost palpable. From the old cars and the rumba and salsa dancing in the streets of Havana, to the tobacco fields of Viñales, Colombia has more than enough to satisfy a travellers needs.
Cuba
mei 3, 2022After visiting the valley of Viñales, we took another Viazul bus to Havana and then to Varadero. We didn’t stay at a casa in Varadero but chose a resort. Varadero is very different from the other places in Cuba as it is a little coastal town with a lot of all inclusive resorts. It’s where the less adventurous vacation. You can relax, spend time on the beach, enjoy your all inclusive resort and not think about anything. It was a nice change for us as we had been traveling for a bit now. So it was really nice to just relax for a few days. We stayed at Sol Palmeras, where we rented a little bungalow. We booked the all inclusive arrangement so we got to eat and drink cocktails all day. We spent most of our days relaxing by the pool or on the beach. I would not recommend staying at Varadero for your entire vacation as it gets quite boring. If you wanted an all inclusive vacation in a resort you could’ve just gone to Spain. However, when you are traveling through Cuba it might be a nice rest stop for you.
When we were done relaxing, we continued our trip to Cienfuegos. In Cienfuegos we once again stayed at a casa. Our casa was in the center of town, we stayed with Yanet! The casa was great and we had a lovely rooftop terrace where every morning we could enjoy our breakfast. The only thing I liked less, which is a thing you must be wary for when traveling, was the so called “suicide shower“. I normally check our accommodations for suicide showers but unfortunately, I didn’t see one in the pictures beforehand. So we debated on what to do about this. We went for the safest option and we did not take hot showers. Wasn’t ideal but hey, ya girl is quite fond of her life!
The city of Cienfuegos was gorgeous! It was once again very different from Havana, Viñales and Varadero. Cuba really is versatile! This is the only city in Cuba colonised by the French and you can still see their influence, particularly in the architecture. We also discovered some great restaurants in Cienfuegos! To name a few favorites: Casa prado, las mamparas, Bouyon and our all time favorite Doña Nora. We ate there twice and we got to sit on a cute little balcony for two! So romantic. It’s also worth it to visit the Palacio de Valle for a nice cocktail on their rooftop and you get the amazing sunset for free! There are plenty of great restaurants and spots in Cienfuegos, I don’t even remember all their names but I can imagine that my friend the lonely planet knows most of them!
Our casa arranged two trips for us during our stay. One was to the famous el Nicho! We went very early in the morning so it was still a bit too chilly for a swim but the nature was breathakingly beautiful. And the other one was a bird watching trip at Laguna Guanaroca! If you would’ve told me a few year back that I’d get up at 6:30 AM to go birdwatching, I’d think you went mad. However, it was a really great experience! Your guide takes you out on the lake and you get to see all these amazing birds. Afterwards, our driver took us to Playa Rancho Luna, where we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon.
I really enjoyed Cienfuegos, not only was the city gorgeous but the nature surrounding it was really lovely too. And of course, good food equals good mood for me! So discovering how amazing the Cuban cuisine is, was a treat for me! I was so pleasantly surprised with all the food I ate in Cuba. I was warned that it might be quite simple and that travelers do not go to Cuba for the food. But I simply fell in love with it.
In need of some more Cuba tips? We always love to buy the lonely planet of our destination! I highly recommend buying them. Click here to buy the newest Lonely Planet for Cuba! [...]
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april 15, 2022After our adventure in Havana, we took the Viazul bus to Viñales! We stayed at an amazing casa once again. They served the best breakfast ever and had an amazing rooftop terrace with a gorgeous view of the valley. So I’d highly recommend villa Susana! They immediately offered us nice smoothies when we arrived and arranged all the activities we’d like to do during our stay in the wonderful valley.
When in Viñales you should definitely go for a horseback ride through the valley! A guide took us on a tour and we made a few stops along the way. Where we learnt about the Cuban cigars (and got to smoke them too) and about their alcohol (which we got to drink too). So besides some drinking and smoking, you get treated to the amazing views of the valley. In my opinion the most beautiful area of Cuba!
We also discovered some amazing restaurants in Viñales. One really stood out to us. We even went here twice, as we really liked it. It was called Sunset restaurant and not only the food was impeccable but also the view was outstanding. It’s an organic restaurant and they produce everything themselves!
Another day trip we took, was our visit to Cayo Jutías. A beautiful white beach with almost no people. Our casa arranged the trip for us with a local driver who would take us to the beach along with a tiny van filled with other tourists. The beach was breathtakingly beautiful and the water perfect for some snorkling. So we didn’t do much that day besides relaxing on the beach, snorking, swimming and discovering the area. There was a little restaurant on the beach where you could order some lobster and a nice coconut to drink from. Must say, we had a really relaxing day! Sometimes I still dream about that damn lobster.
On our last day, we decided to rent some bikes and discover the valley by ourselves, which is a lot harder than you think as the roads are much steeper than we are used to in the Netherlands! And I kinda hate cycling.. However, we did have a lot of fun cycling around and stopping at some great viewpoints. Viñales really is a gorgeous area and when traveling to Cuba, you must definitely visit it. We even made a little doggo friend there. He kept following us around, I think he thought we were his new family. When we were traveling through Vietnam, I was kinda scared of the dogs and the possibility that they might bite you. In Cuba I never had this worry as the dogs are just as relaxed as the people, haha!
As you can see on my pictures, we enjoyed a lot of cocktails in Cuba! Where in Asia we barely drank, in Cuba it was a daily activity. My all time favorite definitely was the frozen daiquiri! One day, we even started drinking cocktails at noon, we didn’t even have lunch yet. Maybe not the brightest idea we ever had! Afterwards, it was definitely necessary to eat something, as you could imagine!
Traveling through Cuba was very different from traveling through other countries. You are a bit more dependent on the Cuban people as there is not a lot of internet or easy accessible public transport. The easiest way for travelers to get around is by Viazul or a taxi (which you can arrange through your casa). But I must stay that we didn’t really experience stress of any sort. The atmosphere in Cuba is very chill. You do have to be wary of some Cuban people, they do try to scam you. But it’s a different type of scamming than in Asia. They try to become your buddy first before they trick you into paying for stuff or buying things. So even though everything seems chill and relaxed, you still got to be alert! [...]
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maart 28, 2022Let’s rewind to november 2019! It was time for another adventure. The original plan was to go to Australia this year, but sometimes plans change. So, we decided to go to Cuba instead! I’ve always wanted to go to Cuba. I’ve been obsessed with that country since watching Dirty Dancing 2! So I convinced my boyfriend that we should take a trip there. We mapped out our route, booked our casas particulares in advance and also bought our bus tickets for the Viazul bus, which is a super easy way to travel through Cuba. Mostly tourists use these buses. When we were in Cuba, two currencies were used side by side (CUC and CUP). The latter is for the Cubans and the first one is for the tourists. However, I’ve read that since January 1st 2021 the CUC has been abolished! Which means that when you now exchange dollars/euros or go to an ATM, you will receive CUP. Converting CUC to US dollars was a bit easier though, 1 CUC was 1 dollar. 1 CUC was 24 CUP, which requires a little more calculating on our part.
So, our first stop was Havana! We flew from Amsterdam via Toronto to Havana. It was quite the journey! We ate some fastfood during our layover and I tried on some perfume as I was a bit smelly after all those hours on the plane. When we arrived at the airport, our hostess arranged for us to be picked up. So that was pretty easy and relaxing! We stayed at a super cute casa in Vedado, Havana.
After a good night’s rest, we got up to explore Havana! But first, breakfast. Our casa made a marvelous breakfast which we thoroughly enjoyed.
After breakfast, it was time to head out to explore the city. We walked around, explored old Havana and strolled along the Malecón, which is the famous 7 km long boulevard. Where we got the pleasure of seeing lots of oldtimers. We just took it slow this day, had some food, enjoyed some cocktails and wandered around the city. The next day was a very special day, as it was my birthday! As you all know, I do not want to be at home for my birthday. So, my boyfriend planned an amazing day for us! After getting ready and having another amazing breakfast, we headed into town. Where we bought some internet cards, you need these cards to access the internet. There are multiple internet points across the city, which you can use with your card. So I checked in with friends and family and then our day started! We toured around the city in one of the oldtimers, there are plenty in the city center which you can rent (with driver of course). I really liked driving around the city in such a beautiful car! I chose the purple one as I thought it was super pretty. I was a bit shy at first to ask for pictures with the car but the driver told us “you paid for it, we can do whatever you like!” So we had him take some cute pictures of us.
After a wonderful ride, we went for a dancing lesson! My boyfriend arranged this with our hostess. It was in a bit of a funky part of town but the teacher was a wonderful woman and we got a private lesson! We prepared for Cuba with dancing lessons back home. We took half a year of salsa lessons because we didn’t want to look stiff in Cuba!
When we finished dancing, it was we time for some food and cocktails! So we found this super cute little bar, where we could sit on the balcony and enjoy the view. And we really started to get to know the Cuban food as well. The first night we were a bit hesitant and went to a restaurant where they had pizza (I would not recommend eating pizza in Cuba). But now, we thought it was time to fully immerse ourselves into the Cuban culture. So from this point on, we only ate typical Cuban dishes (even when we didn’t know what it was). And boy, that did not disappoint! We were told before going to Cuba that people do not travel to Cuba for the good food, that it was rather bland and boring. So I was kinda dreading to eat the Cuban food but I fell in love with the Cuban cuisine. It might not be haute cuisine, but that’s not my cup of tea either. The Cuban cuisine was amazing, the flavours were great and the food was exquisite! We did rely a lot on the lonely planet guide and tripadvisor to seek out good restaurants.
Our last day in Havana was spent discovering another part of town. We also went to the Museo de la Revolucion, this museum is located in the former presidential palace. Quite the impressive building! I am a sucker for history so it was really nice to learn more about the history of Cuba.
I really enjoyed our time in Havana, but I must say that the city is a little bit romanticized. I knew there was poverty in Cuba but when you are really there and see past the perfect pictures on the internet, you see a lot of poverty. Now, it was time to head to Viñales with the Viazul! [...]
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