For nearly 50 years, the United States tried various ways to end the Castro regime that rules Cuba. The disastrous 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion led to the convoluted scenarios laid out in “Operation Mongoose,” including plots to poison Fidel with a cigar, or a wet suit, or hiring organized crime figures to kill him. Later, the crippling U.S. economic embargo aimed to convince the island’s population to rise up and overthrow the Soviet ally just 90 miles off Florida’s shores.
Both the use of force and economic pressure failed to bring about the desired result — while Castro boasted of surviving CIA hit jobs and blamed poor living conditions in socialist Cuba on the U.S. The bearded revolutionary outlasted U.S. president after U.S. president, and his government even survived the collapse of the Soviet Union, which deprived Havana of aid from Moscow. The end of the Cold War also set the stage for American allies, like Mexico, Canada and France, to carve out lucrative niches in Cuba’s tourism industry, leaving the United States isolated.

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Now that commercial airlines are authorized for US-Cuba routes pretty much anyone can book a flight if you can get seats. Round trip tickets are offered by airlines like American, Delta, United. What are the benefits of my group tours? You know you will have hotel reservations in Cuba and the rooms will be waiting for you. You know you will be picked up at the airport in Havana and delivered to your hotel. You know that you'll have a welcome reception for your group at the hotel or local restaurant. You know you will have scheduled access to museums and other venues and have the benefit of local guides. You will learn lots about Cuba from your local guides who are absolutely wonderful answering any kind of question you might have. 

But here's the bottom line. OK.. you want to go. But where the heck are you going to stay? Think you can book hotel rooms on your own? Think again. There are too many instances of bookings being lost. I work with Cuba Explorer and they provide the hotel reservations, local tour guides and charter buses, reservations at all activities and restaurants on our itinerary, and help when we need it.

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Do I need a visa to travel to Cuba?
Yes, but not in the traditional sense. Cuba requires all tourists to have a Cuban Visa (sometimes referred to as Tourist Card). There is no official application process. You can purchase your visa from the airline at your airport when you check in for your flight. The visa is a two-part card where Cuban immigration officials will take one half upon arrival in the country, and the other half upon departure.

Do I need a passport to travel to Cuba?
Yes, you will need a passport. Your passport be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your return flight from Cuba and they do require that there are at least two blank pages on your passport.. Please make note of the expiration date and renew your passport if it is nearing expiration. Generally, Cuban officials will refrain from stamping your passport.

How are Americans generally received in Cuba?
Cubans are commonly described as being outgoing, friendly, fun, respectful, and above all welcoming to foreign guests. Try to return their courtesy by being open-minded and respectful towards their culture and lifestyles, and share in the fun with them during the spontaneous experiences that arise during your visit. They feel a kinship to Americans and are thrilled to have the opportunity to meet you. 

 

Will I have internet access in Cuba?
Most tourist hotels have either an internet café or business center where you can pay for internet usage by the minute or hour. Upscale hotels are increasingly using data ports and wireless internet as well. To access the internet from your hotel, you usually have to purchase a ticket in advance. This ticket will have a printed password that will allow you to connect to the internet for a specified period of time. I find that the average cost to use a hotel's computers (computers that are there for clients to use) will cost about 6 CUC's an hour - about $6. As of 2019 I experienced a change in at least one hotel - the Riviera: Internet cards are now only 1 CUC and you still have one hour of online time.

The United States has set connectivity as a priority in its new relationship with Cuba, making telecommunications equipment, technology and services among the first exemptions to the embargo after Washington and Havana announced they would restore diplomatic relations. I would not expect the kind of connectivity we take for granted in the states!

U.S.-based telecom company IDT Corp has reached an agreement with (ETECSA), Cuba's national telecom provider, to provide international long distance telephony between the United States and Cuba directly. Let's see when that actually happens.

Can I bring cameras or video recorders to Cuba?
You are allowed to bring one camera and one (amateur) video recorder to Cuba, which will be X-rayed upon your arrival at the Havana airport. you are free to take pictures of just about anything in Cuba. Similar to most countries, you should avoid taking pictures of airports, certain government buildings, military or industrial installations, and officials in uniform. In short, exercise common sense, ask permission, and refrain from photographing a subject if you have any doubts about its legality.

Cubans are quite willing to be the subjects of some of your most memorable photos. It is polite in any culture to ask permission before taking someone’s photo, and Cuba is no exception. Often holding up your camera and a simple nod is enough to ascertain whether or not somebody minds having their picture taken. You may come across people dressed in elaborate historic or ethnic attire. If you take their picture or pose with them, be prepared to pay something for it.

Do I need an electrical adapter and converter?.
The most common electrical voltage in Cuba is 110 volts, although some hotels use 220 volts. You will probably NOT need a 110/220 voltage converter because most of your devices (laptops, iPads, iPhones, etc) are designed to operate on dual voltages. But you should bring a 3 prong to 2 prong adapter in case your hotel room only has 2 prong receptacles.

Is Cuba safe for travelers?
Cuba is very safe by any world standards, and the average visitor has little reason to worry about personal safety on the streets, in the hotels, at the beaches or any other place a traveler might visit.

Cuban cities are relatively free from street dangers like violence that are encountered in other countries. Cuban citizens and foreign travelers can walk the city streets day and night without having to be too concerned about criminal behavior. Petty crime does exist however. Purse snatching and mugging are not completely unknown, but are rare compared to most other countries and pose little problem for attentive travelers. In major cities, a friendly police officer can be found fairly quickly, and in tourist areas there is probably one on the next corner.

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What about drinking the water??
I totally recommend that you drink bottled water. The hotel and your private tour bus will provide water but you can always purchase more when you need it.  And while you're at it bring some Immodium just in case. No one had that problem on my last trip, and I came home with the same amount of Immodium I brought down there. It might not be a bad idea to bring along some Alleve or Tylenol as those things can be hard to come by in Cuba.

Making phone calls?

Your U.S. mobile phone will work in Cuba if your mobile phone is capable of roaming in Cuba and your mobile service provider has an international roaming agreement with ETECSA, Cuba's state-owned telecommunications provider.  AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, Spectrum and T-Mobile currently have roaming agreements with ETECSA. ​Please call your provider for detail on their calling plans.

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Education
The literacy rate in Cuba is 99.8 percent. This is the 2nd highest literacy rate in the world. The Cuban government spends ten percent of their central budget on education, making it free for all at every level, and includes all materials such as books and uniforms. Class size is limited to 25 students and if a student can’t come to school, a teacher is sent to their home. Cuba has 47 universities with 112,000 citizens enrolled.

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Salaries
You might be surprise to learn that artists can and often do earn more than doctors. Sometimes WAY more. It's not unusual for a well known Cuban artist to sell his/her works to visiting American and other tourists and earn as much as $1000 a day on a good day. And doctors? How about $70 a month! Tour guides can and do very well - it's a huge industry. Also, every Cuban gets a rationing book for food staples. There is a movement afoot to eliminate that rationing book from the people who can afford to buy more stuff.

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History
Cuba was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and soon became a territory of Spain. In 1898, the U.S. claimed Cuba during the Spanish-American War. However, in 1902, Cuba gained its independence. The Cuban Revolution occurred between 1953 and 1959, which removed Batista and installed a government run by Fidel Castro, who declared Cuba a socialist state in 1961. Castro remained in power until falling ill in 2008, at which time he relinquished control of Cuba to his brother, Raul Castro.

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The US responded to the Cuban Revolution by putting in place an embargo on Cuba. The embargo consisted of economic sanctions and restrictions on Cuban travel and commerce for all people and companies under US jurisdiction. Recently the 50th anniversary of the embargo was noted. In 1995 President Clinton signed an order lifting some restrictions to travel, but then when George W. Bush took office restrictions were imposed again even adding more serious ones. Included among these was fine of $1 million and 10 years in jail for anyone violating the embargo. But when Obama took office some of the restrictions were again lifted although the embargo remained in place - as it is today. Obama had loosened up some of the restrictions, Trump put some back in place and added others..

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Here's something to think about: In World War II over 670,000 Americans were killed fighting the Germans, Italians and Japanese. And how many Americans were killed by Cuba since their revolution? You might want to look that up and see that it was less than 100. But now we're buddy-buddy with the Germans, Italians and Japanese but still insist on trying the choke off the Cuban people with this embargo! Does this seem right?

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Economy
The Cuban state follows a socialist economic model. While the state controls most resources and the majority of citizens are employed by the government, there has been a noticeable emergence of a private employment sector. A new legislation recently introduced private ownership of homes and cars. In 2006, the private sector employed 22 percent of citizens, which is 14 percent more than in 1981. The main industries of Cuba are food production and industrial products and their main exports are sugar, nickel, seafood, citrus, tobacco products and rum.

Are self-employed Cubans really budding entrepreneurs? While the government initially declared that it wanted to move 500,000 Cubans off state payrolls by April 2011 and another 800,000 by the beginning of 2012, it has fallen far short of those targets. Self-employment is permitted in 181 economic activities, and 18 percent of cuentapropistas (entrepreneurs) are employed by small private business owners. In other fledgling attempts at private business, scores of non-farm cooperatives, most of them former state companies, have been launched and private farmers are now cultivating once-idle public land. Many self-employment activities still aren’t allowed, including freelance work by lawyers, accountants, architects and other professionals.

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Weather
Cuba has a semi-subtropical climate, divided into two seasons: wet (May-October) and dry (November- April). Nearly 2/3 of all rainfall occurs during the wet season. Cuba’s average temperature is 77 °F. Compared to most countries, Cuba experiences little variation, although July and August can be hot and humid. Hurricane season is from June-November.

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Religion
Cuba had traditionally been considered to be a Catholic country because of its Spanish colonial past. Prior to the revolution in 1959, official statistics put 85% of the total population of Cuba as being followers of the Catholic religion. Today the figure is approximately half that. A large number of people in Cuba follow a religion that is a blend of African and Christian religions. The origins of this religion date back to the slave period when Africans would not have been allowed to practice their own religion. Instead, they ingeniously fused the beliefs of their African religion with Christian ritual and iconography so as to make it appear to their Catholic slave masters that they were now converted to the religion of their masters.

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Population
Cuba is the most populous island in the Caribbean and home to over 11 million residents. It is a multi-ethnic melting pot with a population that is 65 percent white, 24 percent mixed-race, ten percent black and one percent Chinese. About 2.1 million people live in Havana.​​​

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