I never thought in my wildest dream that I would be fortunate enough, and have the opportunity to visit Cuba. This post is not about how to go and get there, because those logistics are up to you to figure out, but it's really about how to survive once you step off of the plane. So this post is more of me sharing my experience there and giving you the reader(future traveler) some tips and information that I did not have prior to my arrival, and if I did, it was not enough. I am basically sharing things that I plan on doing the next time I travel to Cuba.
I will be doing a few posts in regards to different aspects of Cuba, this is Part I. Also, I will be linking my youtube channel where I have uploaded some videos I made during my stay, sort of like a video diary.
The first thing is finances, unlike many of the islands in the Caribbean/West Indies, our currency does not trump theirs. Their dollar is worth more than ours, you lose some at the end of the day, similar to traveling to Europe. So for any Americans it is imperative to change your dollars into Euros(I recommend this more)/GBP/Canadian dollars, because US dollars are not accepted at the 'Banco de Cambio' (there are some people in the streets willing to change dollars into Cuban peso, but beware of scamming and unfair exchange rates). If this isn't your first time reading or hearing about Cuba, then you already know they use 2 separate currencies; CUC & CUP. CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso) is used for tourist & foreigners while CUP (Cuban Peso) is what the locals use.
When I heard about this is was so confused, why cant I use CUP? This leads to my first tip. Do not be fooled or bamboozled, it is ok to convert some your foreign money to CUP. Why? Well unless you want to spend all of your money at overpriced & overrated places (not all of them are) then stick with CUC, but if you wouldn't mind getting fresh fruits from the street vendors, or eating where the locals eat, then I highly recommend converting about 5-10 CUC into CUP, you can always convert more as needed. The places you can afford to eat at, a majority of the locals cannot. So, if you truly would like a true culinary experience, than places like The Floridita isn't where you'd want to spend your money.
When converting your foreign currency into CUC at the airport or the Banco de Cambio, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT accept pennies, unlike in the states, many to all of the places/vendors/stores/restaurants, DO NOT accept pennies. You literally will be walking around with money you cannot use. No you cannot change 5 pennies into 5 cents, 25 into 25 cents, 100 into 1 cuc. And they do deny your money if you pay with pennies.
Also, try to use your coins when paying versus the paper bills.
You'll be spending money on everything: Food, water, transportation, some excursions, sightseeing, sleeping, souvenir. Plan and budget accordingly. I say, pack snacks and water. Cuba sells mineral water so beware if you aren't a fan, and flat water is a bit pricey.
Essentially. If you'd like a cheaper vacation, use CUP. That is what I will be doing the next time I travel to Cuba
