Cuba Information - hotels, restaurants, golf, weather, maps & more

For most people, traveling to Cuba is like stepping back in time to the 1950’s - a time before the United States crippling economic embargo made time here basically stand still.

To this day, the idea of traveling to Cuba for most Americans seems as logical as traveling to the moon. For the rest of us, Cuba is just another Caribbean destination, albeit, one with a bit more mystery and intrigue than, say, The Bahamas. At its heart, Cuba remains one of the most beautiful and bewitching island holidays, and thanks to the unique economic conditions that are prevalent here, it is a culture and a people that are unlike any other in the world.

When most people head to Cuba, they choose to either stay at one of the island’s many all inclusive resorts that include the price of food with the price of your stay or they choose to stay at one of Havana’s four and five star hotels. While the service at these hotels is often top notch, there are odd little things that you will notice that would seem bizarrely out of place on any other vacation that are commonplace in Cuba. For instance, if you are traveling from Australia, you may have a difficult time getting your money exchanged, so make sure you get all the cash you want to spend before you go. You may also run into trouble with some major credit cards like American Express. Policies and access are always changing, so call ahead to find out if your hotel takes the particular card you have and you might also want to get into the habit of asking at the restaurant you plan to eat at before you sit down.

Once you get over the oddities surrounding the cultural differences you’ll encounter here, you can look up from your paperwork and exchange rates to notice the breathtaking scenery. More than any other Caribbean island, people travel to Cuba for the sights. You can go anywhere and sit on a beach, enjoy tropical breezes and get a tan, but only in Cuba can you take in such breathtaking colonial architecture that has been surprisingly preserved in the dense, warm air. Cuba is also a land that loves its murals. You see them everywhere, and while they may not register as classical art, they are very important to the people here.

If you have the time, try to leave the cities and get out and enjoy the rest of the island. If you think that Havana or Santiago are like living, breathing time capsules, wait until you see some of the more rural areas of the island. Contrary to American propaganda, most people you’ll run into love living here and wouldn’t move for all the money in the world. A vacation to Cuba is far more than just another sunny island holiday. It is a chance to see an isolated yet thriving culture up close and personal, so remember to take off the sunglasses and talk to a few locals if you get the chance.