Search
Recommended Products
Related Links


 

 

Informative Articles

Health Insurance for Canada Travel
While we as U.S. residents think often about travel insurance coverage when we're traveling overseas we're not so quick to worry about health insurance for Canada travel. This is especially true if our voyage to Canadian provinces is by car and not...

Spain Travel Tips
Travel Do's and Don'ts For people who love to travel a lot, going to places that they have not been before will seem like a dream come true for most of them. This is because they get to places where everything will look new, the adventures...

Survival China Travel Tips and Tricks
These China Travel Tips, Survival Techniques, will help you get around and make your trip to China easier, so you will be able to experience the real China with a little less stress. China is an odd beast that needs to be respected; the major...

Travel Essentials
There are numerous travel essentials you should consider packing when vacationing in America or elsewhere. These often-forgotten travel accessories will help make the trip a smoother and more enjoyable experience for everyone. ...

Travel To Russia - Kamchatka
Among the mysteries of the Russian language there is an expression "Sitting on Kamchatka" which in school slang, this idiom means, "to sit in the back row of the classroom, far enough from the teacher's strict gaze. This geographical idiom...

 
Travel to Cuba: The Caribbean's Forbidden Island

Think Cuba, and vivid images come to mind: of men in Guayabera shirts and Panama hats, tropical breezes and cool drinks, steamy Latin rhythms and sultry women. It has always been an intriguing place, steeped in truth and in fiction by the novels of Ernest Hemingway.

In the pre-Revolution Batista days, Cuba was the sin capital of the Americas, a wild haunt of mobsters, corrupt politicians, loose women and petty thieves, all vying to stake their claim to a share of the profits from gambling, prostitution and other lucrative rackets. The easy money attracted some of America's biggest celebrities and high rollers, as well as a flood of tourists eager to indulge in the island's many carnal pleasures.

After decades of blight and neglect, the Caribbean's largest island is radiating a new self-confidence. Havana has regained much of its past allure, tourism is once again thriving, old bars, restaurants and hotels are enjoying a proud comeback, and stunning new attractions are being built.

Cuba is a destination worth discovering that's at its best right now. As a travel desination, its relative political isolation has kept it from being overrun with tourists. Once the U.S. government lifts economic sanctions and the travel ban, there will be a flood of investment into Cuba's economy that is sure to


change the face of the culture and landscape.

Cuba is home to just over 11 million people, with more than 2 million living in the capital, Havana. The island's Cuba's rich culture, interesting political history, and continued economic hardship make it one of the world's most eye-opening nations with a wealth of places just waiting to be discovered. The food, music, and, most of all, the warm hospitality of the Cuban people all combine to make it a great place to visit.

U.S. officials say open trade and travel to Cuba would strengthen Castro's oppressive government. But critics argue that the Cold War-era U.S. embargo, aimed at forcing a change in Cuba's leadership, has not achieved its goals after being in place for more than 40 years.

Despite the embargo, last year, 200,000 Americans visited Cuba (most through Canada or Mexico).

As one taxi driver put it, "We have the best cigars, best rum, best music, and most beautiful women in the world. What more could anyone want?"

I can't argue with that, and don't think you would either.

RESOURCES The Cuba Report, an expatriate guide, was recently published. For more information or to order, visit www.thegloballife.net.


About the Author

Phillip Townsend is the author of The Cuba Report, available at www.thegloballife.net