General

Since our Cuba trip will be here before I know it I felt that it was time to brush up on documentation needed as things change so much without warning when traveling. As we are Canadian I'm not too worried about our reason for travel being legit like the American's need it. Turns out for us Canadians, nothing has changed. Note: Since our Aug/Sept trip I have updated this information.

I'm not sure if starting my trip in Cuba was a good thing since then the "horrible" Caribbean bathrooms on the other islands were a million times better or if I should have ended with it. Either way, be prepared for bathrooms to look like the above photo.

I always thought of myself as a savvy traveller and that scams would be obvious. Well it turns out scams are obvious but when you feel bad for people you just kinda go along with it.... that is how I found myself following a strange man and his "daughter" down a dark alley but before I get too far into the story, lets start with how I got here.

NOTE: there have been currency changes in 2021 but this article still has really great information on money in Cuba

"Get money at the local Acadeca or Bank", "go to the arrivals area as the line up is shorter". All of this seemed like great information and tips until we got off the plane.

NOTE: there have been currency changes in 2021 but this article still has really great information on money in Cuba

First off, If you are flying into the country without an all-inclusive vacation you will need to be able to prove you have access to at least CUC 50/person/day during you trip.

With technology these days we really do take for granted the ease of being able to log into the internet whenever and however we want. In Cuba, it is a little different. Introduced in the 90's before the Russians left, the internet infrastructure had not changed much prior to 2015 but it is slowly improving with over 650 locations that offer access across the country.

NOTE: there have been currency changes in 2021 but this article still has really great information on money in Cuba

Headed to Cuba? Time to get ready for the great debate - CUC or CUP? Let's start with the basics; Cuba has two official currency

Mail is slow but things will eventually get to their destination.

If you are planning on using your phone or calling the country to make sure inquiries then check out this article.