Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Cuba + Colorful Photos That Stun

Some photos from my recent trip to Cuba. Tips for traveling to Cuba are at the bottom of this blog post!

My partner Pete is a good sport. I made him walk back and forth 4 times to get the perfect shot.

I am convinced Cuba has every Pantone color, and they do it so effortlessly.

Floridita – Hemingway’s favorite bar in Havana.

Thanks to the guys drinking next to us for snapping this shot!

“Hello. May I hold your dog wearing goggles?”

Cuba has an interesting history. I enjoyed learning about it more at the Museum of the Revolution.

Many buildings in Havana are abandoned and look like a zombie apocalypse. Adds to the charm.

I like all things short and plump (except my men).

Protecting their churro cart.

Cubans have perfected the art of people-watching from the balcony.

We took a day trip to Vinales which is a couple hours outside of Havana. Stopped at a tobacco farm and rum factory. It is worth leaving the city if you plan to visit Cuba!

While there we also met some cool people and I even photographed a surprise proposal! To see photos from the proposal, click here.

Pete is getting good at using my camera. He’s a numbers guy with a linear mind, but also very artistic. In this case, blurry = artistic. Lol.

A few tips if you plan to travel to Cuba in the near future:

  • Bring cash. American credit cards and ATMs don’t work over there. Someone told me they had to walk to the airport because they ran out of cash and had no way of getting more.
  • Brush up or learn basic Spanish. I took 2 years of it in highschool but not much stuck. I was able to get around fine, but it would have been easier if I spoke it better.
  • A visa is required to enter the country. We bought ours at the airline ticket counter while checking into our flight for $50.
  • Americans do need a “reason” to be going other than tourism, but they don’t seem to be strict about it. When you book the flight you will receive an online form to fill out as your reason for going: Educational, to visit family, business, etc. If you don’t fill it out online they will give it to you at the airport. My reason for going was scouting locations for future workshops.
  • They say health insurance is required but we did not get asked to show proof upon entering Cuba. If you don’t purchase health insurance in advance, you can purchase it upon arrival at the Havana airport for ~$25.
  • Bring toilet paper. Public restrooms do not have them.
  • Bring a scarf or a nose + mouth cover if you are sensitive to car exhaust fumes.
  • Internet is scarce. Even at a nice hotel it is sloooow (and expensive). I recommend completely unplugging while there.
  • Airbnb’s are much cheaper than hotels. Our Airbnb was $50/night and we stayed with the nicest family who cooked us breakfast every morning. Basic hotels are $300-500/night.
  • Cuba uses the same power outlets as USA, so Americans do not need to bring an adapter.
  • We felt safe while over there. Many tourists and locals walk around at night. A few locals simply told me to keep my bag zipped up and use caution.
  • Bring medicine. I got a bad cold while over there and was uncomfortable the last couple days. My Airbnb host gave me some herbal leaves to chew as well as honey for my throat but I wish I had medicine. Anything for a cold/flu, upset stomach, headache, motion sickness, etc. Be prepared!

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This Post Has 11 Comments

  1. Aura

    Awesome photos. I am a big fan of your photography Thank you for sharing.
    Where did you flight from? You said you bought the visa at the airline counter. Is that the same as the “permit” to travel to Cuba? Did you book all on your own?

    Thank you much 🙂

    1. Christine Chang

      Thanks Aura! We flew there from Orlando, FL via Jet Blue Airlines. The permit is actually different (I forgot to add that in). Americans do need a “reason” to be going other than tourism, but they don’t seem to be strict about it. When you book the flight you will receive a PDF form to fill out as your reason for going: Educational, to visit family, business, etc. If you don’t fill it out online they will give it to you at the airport. My reason for going was scouting locations for future workshops.

      1. Aura

        Hi Christine,
        Thank you for the additional information. I look forward to more of your photography on FB 🙂

  2. Marianne Bush

    Fantastic photos, Christine. Also thank you for the tips at the end. They may come in handy.

  3. Justyna

    Love the ictures snd cant wait to go there myself. Can u please share the link to the airbnb u stayed in?

  4. Jeffrey Robinson

    Hi CC! You’ve answered so many of my questions for our trip next month, thank you! One more question, what about electric outlets…..do we need adapters like when in Europe or is it the same as the US?

    1. Christine Chang

      Ah, I’m adding this to the blog post. They have the same outlets as us. No converters needed.

  5. Brenda Bravo

    Good stuff, CC. Love the pic of the crumbling zombie like buildings w the classic car the most, great composition. Thanks for the tips too! Love you

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