I'm an American and I'm interested in visiting Cuba. Obviously the forbidden fruit aspect of it is a big draw, but I am genuinely interested in experiencing the island as it is now. I don't have any political agenda, and I would prefer to not get a license and just show up and bum around the island. For the Americans that have done this, is it easy to do? Have you been hassled? Is it an overrated destination?
>>1089630
It's not overrated.
It's not easy. You still need to do a tour with proper paperwork. It isn't instantaneous, you are looking a few months out.
>>1089630
I'm Australian and spent about three weeks in Cuba in October/November. First of all I would say make sure you do some research and possibly bring Lonely Planet guide. I got a bit caught out without the internet and without that many opportunities to meet other travellers. Secondly, the food is very shitty and supermarkets are very limited. Thirdly, it is quite expensive compared to the countries I had travelled to prior to Cuba (Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras at that point). If you re travelling by yourself accomodation will be quite expensive. I was with three other people and we were able to get reasonable prices for casa particulars as a result. Thirdly, I believe that speaking Spanish would make your time much more enjoyable and interesting. My spanish is terrible and I felt like I was missing out on quite a lot as a result.
I was exhausted by the end of my three weeks. By the end of the trip I was sick of Cuba and ready to get back to Mexico. Looking back on it though, I am really glad that I went and it was a really fascinating country to visit.
