Organising a Family Vacation to Cuba: Our Top Tips
Organising a Family Vacation to Cuba: Our Top Tips
Cuba is a family destination that shouldn’t be missed. From the unique yet hospitable atmosphere to the incredible culture, stunning landscapes, and sublime beaches, the country has something for everyone, whatever their age. And yes, even for visitors from the United States and Australia can visit. How do you go about organizing a family trip to the Caribbean’s most exciting island? Check out our top tips for the lowdown!
Do your homework
Cuba is a destination when its truly possible to say there’s nowhere else like in on earth. While the country is slowly changing and adapting – controls over its economy being loosened for example – this will remain the same for some time to come.
What does this mean for you? Cuba does many things its own way. From having two currencies (one for locals and one for tourists) to only allowing a small number of private enterprises to exist. Such as the Casas particular bed and breakfast establishments, and the small locally-owned Paladares restaurants. Doing just a little bit of homework by reading a travel guide before you leave home is even more important than in other destinations in the region!
Plan your days
It doesn’t have to match the precision of the military. With hour by hour details of what each member of the family is going to do when. Sketching out your days before arrival into Cuba will help you make the most of your time on the island.
Quickly jotting down the major activities each member of the family is interested in and assigning them a day. Even if this radically changes later. Will make sure they’ll be no regrets – and no arguments – later on! Just don’t forget to leave free time for spontaneous adventures on the streets of Cuba (or for ice cream!).
Avoid the information blackout
Alright, it’s not as dramatic as all that. Cuba certainly doesn’t have the number of WiFi hotspots you’re almost certainly used to at home. So, you’ll need to come prepared. What’s more, should your home mobile phone company be United States-based. There’s a good chance it won’t work in Cuba at all without a local SIM because of the long trade embargo.
Our advice? We think it is worth being extra cautious, especially with kids in tow. Print off or screenshot all the information you might want while you are enjoying the sun before arriving. This can be anything from airline confirmations to hotel addresses, to maps of the city centre of Havana or Cienfuegos. Having these safely tucked away in your bag will keep the stress levels down. When you inadvertently reach to check an email or search out your location on a mapping app and find no way to do it!
Take necessities with you
We’ve already highlighted how different Cuba can be to other family destinations you may have visited, and that extends to its shopping. For a number of reasons, it’s not easy to find well-packed grocery stores like at home, so it’s also important to take any ‘necessities’ you’ll want with you before taking your seat on the aircraft.
What do we class as necessities? Basically, anything you routinely use that you can’t live without! A favourite shampoo, sunscreen, medicines, diapers, and snacks for the children too. If you’d miss them if you didn’t have them its definitely best to take them with you!
Brush up on your Spanish
Colonised by Spain back in the 1500s before gaining its hard-fought independence several centuries later, Spanish is still the language of the Cuban street. And while there are a growing number of people, particularly the younger generation, able to speak English (don’t expect a lot of French speakers!) a few words in Spanish can go a long way.
So we recommend brushing up on your Spanish, or if you’ve got older children, having them do it instead! Children have a much greater capacity for picking up languages without even realising it, and they may well be learning Spanish at school too.
What do you need to know? Obviously the more Spanish you speak the better! But let’s start simply. Being able to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ will help you smooth the way and create a better rapport with everyday Cubans. Knowing the numbers is a huge help when it comes to prices and having to pay for things, while phrases like ‘I would like…’ or ‘where is the…’ will make you feel like a native Spanish speaker in no time!
There you have it! Five top tips to help you organise a family vacation to the fantastic island of Cuba. Follow these tips in the planning stages of your trip, and you’re sure to have a great time on landing in the country!
