Traveling Light

Travel Guidebook of the Month

Moon Handbooks: Cuba, by Christopher P. Baker

For several decades now, Cuba has been an alluring, yet mostly forbidden destination.  Just a few dozen miles across the Caribbean from Florida, it has nevertheless been isolated by years of U.S. economic sanctions, which include most forms of tourism.

Recent events in Cuba, however, suggest that Cuba might be in for big changes over the next few years.  Curious to know more about the future of travel to Cuba, I contacted Christopher P. Baker, who writes the impressively comprehensive guidebook Moon Handbooks: Cuba, which is now out in its fourth edition.  Baker is also the author of the award-winning Cuba travelogue, Mi Moto Fidel, and he has visited Cuba more than 30 times.

Fidel Castro is in ill health, and there has been plenty of speculation on what will happen when he dies.  In your opinion, how will Castro's passing affect travel and tourism in Cuba?

Christopher Baker: If the U.S. retains its current policies, not much will change.  I do believe that [Fidel Castro's brother] Raul is going to begin economic liberalization, which together with the boost in international exposure will surely give a shot in the arm to tourism from outside the U.S.  However, the Democratic victory in Congress has shifted the balance of power towards key congressional figures that favor lifting the travel restrictions and even the embargo.  I believe we're going to see initiatives that will result in a bill to that effect landing on Bush's desk.  If he signs, the gates are finally going to open and we'll see a tremendous rush as tour operators, cruise ships, and the like announce their new programs.  Independent travelers are also going to go in droves.

Americans' ability to visit Cuba has been in constant flux over the past couple decades. What advice would you give to Americans interested in traveling to Cuba? Any warnings or precautions?

CB: Although travel by individuals has been restricted for many years, only limited enforcement of the restrictions took place.  The Bush administration has been chasing down transgressions forcefully, and there is now a strong likelihood that individuals traveling to Cuba without a license will face a fine if identified by U.S. Treasury.  Only a few very specific categories of individuals can request licenses (e.g. journalists, athletes, Cuban-Americans visiting immediate family, etc.), but even here there are certain restrictions. 

Cuba itself has no such restrictions.  Anyone traveling to Cuba without a license should make their reservations for travel to Cuba separately from their reservation for air transport to whatever Cuba gateway they choose (Mexico, Canada, Costa Rica, Panama).  Cuban authorities are known to occasionally stamp an innocuous looking symbol on page 16 of U.S. passports (sometimes it's a small ship, or even a house) and this seems to be a tip-off for U.S. immigration authorities.  Who knows why!

Havana is such a famous city that many people associate it with Cuba itself.  What are some other classic Cuban destinations, for those looking to see the country beyond the capital?

CB: Havana is a fantastic destination and can fill a two-week itinerary.  It enchants and can hold visitors spellbound to the point that they never leave to explore the rest of the isle.  Two places stand out beyond the city confines.

The colonial city of Trinidad, a four-hour drive from Havana, is a

UNESCO World Heritage site, with cobblestone streets and plazas that have changed little since the town was in its heyday hundreds of years ago.  The setting is magnificent, built on a hillside with the Sierra Escambray Mountains behind, and the Caribbean Sea to the fore a mere five kilometers or so away.  The city is full of museums and traditional music venues.  Best yet, it now boasts a classy hotel in the heart of the city, and more than 200 casas particulares (private room rentals), some of which are historic gems full of antiques.

The other classic destination that should be on everyone's itinerary is the Valle de Vinales.  This stunning valley is known for its sheer-faced, flat-topped limestone formations, which lend a dramatic physical presence.  Vinales is also a major center for tobacco production, and the sleepy village life is a centenary time warp where ox-drawn ploughs and farmers on horseback are the norm.

At the far eastern end of the island, Santiago de Cuba (the second-largest city in Cuba, and the nation's first capital) has its own remarkable flavor.  Dating back four centuries, it is blessed with historic buildings in an architectural style entirely apart from Havana.  In later centuries, an infusion of French émigrés and black slaves from Haiti lent the city unique airs.  Santiago is the birthplace of traditional son music (think Buena Vista Social Club) and Tumba Francesa and other age-old musical forms.  It's also a gateway to Baracoa, a sleepy town (Cuba's oldest) built in a bay entirely enclosed by mountains.  The most scenic of Cuba's cities because of its backdrop, it is popular among backpackers, who settle into laid-back rhythms, with breaks for hiking in the mountains.

I've heard that two of the big challenges in traveling to Cuba are food and transportation.  What strategies might you suggest for finding good meals in Cuba, as well as getting around the country effectively?

CB: Food is Cuba's weak link.  Havana now boasts a good number of quality restaurants with a wide variety of international cuisines, but you usually pay through the nose, including at private restaurants, where some of the best food is served.  Most of the restaurants serving satisfying fare serve tourists, and places where Cubans themselves dine offer a few basic standard dishes that can soon become boring to foreign tastes.  Beyond Havana, things go downhill quickly.  Moreover, food shortages are ubiquitous (beyond the foreign-run hotel resorts, most restaurant managers rely on state bureaucrats to deliver the goods — or not).  There are very, very few stores selling food, and most often this is limited to canned and dried goods.

However, every town and village has its farmers' market where fruits and vegetables are sold for mere pennies (it's good to have some local pesos for this — not the pesos convertibles that are the currency of tourists). Simple pizza and ham-and-cheese sandwiches are common at small street stalls in towns, but the flies hovering are a good indication of the hygiene issues associated with eating at these stalls.  Cuba's ice cream is excellent.  All towns have ice cream stores. 

The transportation situation is dire for Cubans, though tourists are now well served.  Modern air-conditioned Volvo and Mercedes buses span the country, offering efficient and cost-effective travel for tourists to most of the key destinations in the island.  This service is called Viazul.  The hit-and-miss national train service also spans the island and is not unduly expensive (less than $60 one-way between Havana and Santiago de Cuba, 15 hours), but the trains are not reliable, are not kept clean, and can be overly air-conditioned.  Flying is to be avoided as much as possible due to safety concerns — Cuban airlines are notoriously unsafe and the concept of passenger service is not understood.

Car rental agencies are found throughout Cuba.  Rates are somewhat higher than you might pay in the U.S. or Canada, but overall, the fees remain competitive with international rates if you purchase an unlimited mileage package with insurance.  The problem here, though, is threefold: 

1) Most cars are not well maintained and fall apart quickly.  Safety is an issue with vehicles older than two years.

2) All the competing agencies are state-owned and treat renters with a mafia-style disdain.  Scams are built into the renting process, and getting a problem serviced can be akin to living through a chapter in a Kafka novel.  The Rex Agency, which is a joint foreign partnership, is usually far more efficient and considerate to renters than other agencies.

3) A tourist is often found culpable in any accident involving injury or death.  In the case of the latter, tourists are not allowed to leave the country, and if found guilty, will most certainly face a jail term. 

Still, renting a car offers the greatest flexibility and is the way to go.  Just drive cautiously!

More information on Moon Handbooks: Cuba ($24.95) can be found at Moon.com.  Christopher P. Baker's Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba ($14.00) is available at www.travelguidebooks.com.