Lauren Tabbron shares her favourite things to do in Manchester
Jess Astbury regales tales of festivities in warmer climates.
The easiest (and cheapest) way to explore Cuba is on a package tour, which will land you in Havana, before you head to Cayo Coco for the beach. But be warned, beautiful though the beaches are, they don’t compare to others you find in the Caribbean: the true talents of Cuba lies in its people and history. Although only 90 km off the coast of Florida, travel between the two countries is still banned, so unless you shell out for a direct flight, you will find yourself travelling via Central America and, despite being able to buy Visas on entry to Havana, some airlines won’t let you fly without one. Consequently I found myself running round Buenos Aires airport at midnight trying to get my hands on one: thankfully a team of airport staff managed to procure it for me, minutes before check in shut.
If you can afford it, I would definitely recommend booking into the Hotel Nacional de Cuba for a couple of nights - a historical landmark and the most luxurious hotel on the island. For £60 a night it exceeds most travellers’ budgets, but it’s possible to save a few pennies by stocking up on the incredible breakfast, that should see you through the day. Otherwise, avoid hotels in favour of Casa Particulares (Cuba’s equivalent to B&Bs), which are owned by families who have a special license to open up their homes to tourists and culturally are a wealth of knowledge.
A Unesco world heritage site, old Havana will steal your breath with its colonial architecture and crumbling charm; hours can be whiled away wandering the city’s streets or sipping a Mojito in one of the street-side cafes (no time is too early to start on the rum in Cuba). There are a number of museums relating to the Revolution, so brush up on your history and check one out (you may pick up on a certain dislike of the CIA and a love for Che). Cuba has produced some of the world’s most famous dancers including Carlos Accosta, so if the opportunity arises, stop by the national ballet to see a performance or talk your way into rehearsal.
At the other end of the island, near the infamous Guantanamo Bay, Santiago de Cuba is well worth the 13 hour bus ride, as it is home to the most vibrant music scene in Cuba. Here there is no need to shell out on a salsa lesson when there are plenty of locals who are more than happy to give you a whirl around the dance floor.
The perfectly preserved colonial town of Trinidad is set amongst the island’s luscious green mountains and is the ideal spot for a pony trek through the valleys to one of the nearby waterfalls.
Hitch hiking is common in Cuba and it’s easy to spot the men in yellow boiler suits whose job it is to flag down rides for those waiting on the road side. So head east to the small but charming town of Remedios, where you can challenge the elderly gentlemen to a round or two of cards. Alternatively, barter for a ride out to the cays in a vintage American car that is literally just a shell, ignoring the locals’ protestations that you are loca because there are mosquitoes when you explain that you don’t need collecting until morning, as you intend to sleep on the beach. We probably should have listened, but then we would have missed out on one of the most memorable nights of our life; when the sun descended and we were relegated to the clear blue waters of the sea with a bottle of rum to keep us going till sunrise as a black cloud of insects swarmed over the sand.
Cuba is by far the most fascinating, beautiful and vibrant country that I have had the privilege of visiting. To make the most of the experience get involved in the culture and community by taking every opportunity, talking to everyone you meet and when the taxi driver stops on the side of the road and demands that you get out so that he can teach you salsa, just go with it.
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