When planning my trip to Cuba, I really wanted to find an old school cigar lounge for Dan (who loves cigars!). Sad for me, they are not nearly as easy to come by as they used to be. Don’t get me wrong, cigars are everywhere in Havana but not upscale cigar lounges. In my research, I came across Casa Abel
The location was beautiful but the food
Our first night in Havana got off to a bit of a rough start. We walked and walked and walked trying to find our intended dinner location, Casa Abel, without success. Of course, no one knew the restaurant, our cell phone GPS would not work, and our backup was booked up (spoiler alert, we visited both later in our trip!). I hate picking a place without any knowledge, but we had no choice, and decided to eat at Restaurant Decameron, just across from our hotel. Our choice turned out to be a great pick and this may have been the best meal that I had in Cuba!
As an American not permitted to legally visit Cuba until 2016, I envisioned Cuba to be as it is portrayed in the movies and advertisements (i.e.prior to the embargo). Lots of fancy parties, great bands, and fabulous cocktails! While I am sure Havana was once the premier party destination of the the world (or at least North America!), much of that has unfortunately been lost in the last 50 years. Buildings are run down, fancy ingredients are almost impossible to obtain, and many visitors have been forced to stay away for a long time. Despite this, you can still chase Havana’s former glory and visit Hemingway’s old haunts in Havana (just remember that it will not be nearly as glamorous!). A few tour companies offer “Hemingway Tours,” which stop at his favorite spots, but you can visit his favorite bars and taste his favorite drinks on your own by following my itinerary, with a few bonus stops!
STOP 1. EL FLORIDITA.
I loved this pink wall as much as I loved the bar.
Cuba is a super exciting and appealing travel destination to many, especially now that it is very easy to reach from the US! While enticing and topping all of the 2017 travel lists, Cuba is certainly not a pristine Caribbean beach destination. A successful trip to Cuba takes a good bit of planning, an openness to trying new things, and a lot of patience. If you are planning a trip to Cuba, read my posts The Ins And Outs Of Traveling To Cuba From The US and I Finally Made It To Havana, Cuba, and be sure to follow these ten tips!
1. First, bring cash. Second, bring MORE cash (UDS, Euros, or Pounds) than you think that you will need. Neither US credit cards nor US debit cards work in Cuba, and many travelers from other countries have trouble, too. If you do run out of money, you will need to go through Western Union to get money through the US, which will also involve a visit to the US Embassy to pick up your wire… Also, brand-name cigars, while cheaper than elsewhere, are by no means cheap. Plan accordingly.
Havana!
If you have been following my blog posts or Instagram, you know that I recently traveled to Havana, Cuba! Visiting Cuba was so exciting and really a lifelong travel dream (dramatic, I know)! While everyone except Americans have been able to travel to Cuba for the last 50 years, Americans were just allowed to visit Cuba without crazy government oversight in 2016. Thanks, Obama! When United flights dropped to $250 roundtrip, Dan and I pulled the trigger and purchased our flights to visit Havana, returning right before inauguration day in the US.
Havana, 2017 (not 1950!)
