Introduction

Cuba is a place trapped in time. Behind the sometimes-shabby facades, gems can be found. It is these rich nuggets that made travel here exciting. 

The historical heritage is meticulously preserved. Cuba’s colonial cities. It hasn’t changed much since musket-touting pirates stalked the Caribbean. The atmosphere and architecture of the UNESCO-listed cities – Havana, Trinidad, Cienfuegos, and Camaguey – are a reminder of the grandiosity and opulence of the past. 

There are so many aspects you will love about Cuba, the well-preserved colonial buildings, colourful architecture, friendly people, food, unique Cuban arts, dances, and music. It is a complex country. Every time I visit this place, I discover something new. It is a photographer’s paradise. You have something to shoot with every turn of your camera.

PhotoSafari once again is organizing a discovery and fun trip to Cuba. We went there in 2014, 2015, and 2017. Cuba has left a great impression on most of us. This is the best country for street photography according to photosafari’s “Five top places to visit for Street Photography”.

Cuba has been a relatively unknown place to most Malaysians. This may be due to its distances and media influences. This photosafari is tailored for photographers only (ahem! Or smartphone photographers). 

Lodging

We will be staying in lodging houses (Casas) operated by the locals. Most bedrooms will have airconditioned and attached toilets with hot water facilities for bathing. These lodging houses are like Airbnb standards for those who are familiar with a Western world comparison. We will be staying at the heart of the action. You will waste no time travelling from the hotel to the places to shoot. Besides, this is the best way to learn about Cuba, directly from the horse’s mouth so to speak. You will not only witness but feel how the local Cubans live.

Currency

Cuba has done away with the CUC for foreigners. Today, only CUP (local currency), US dollar, Euros, and a handful of foreign currencies are used for the purchase of food, souvenirs, cigars, etc. This has inadvertently lowered the costs by about 10%. In the past, the exchange rate was 1 CUC to $1.1 USD.

The Journey

This year we will be doing a bit of exploring the most exciting parts of Cuba. The journey starts from Havana the capital city of Cuba. We will be spending a couple of days in Havana to explore the different facets of the city and the famous Malecon Boulevard. We will take in the sights and sounds of Havana and enjoy the vibrant city life in a 60’’s setting. We may hire a few local models and old 60’s convertibles to showcase their diverse culture. (Optional)

From Havana, we will take a short drive to Vinales, a town where the best tobacco leaves for the world-famous Cuban cigars are grown. The next day we will drive from Vinales, to Matanzas, an old Spanish town. From Matanzas we will go to Cienfuegos. On the way, we will visit the famous Bay of Pigs where the Cuban Resistance Forces defected CIA. From Cienfuegos, we will travel to Trinidad then to Camaguey, and finally to Santiago de Cuba, the second largest city and the easternmost city in Cuba. This City is next to the famous US Guantanamo detention camp.

On the way back, we will stop for a night at Santi Spiritus before continuing our journey to Havana. If time permits, we will visit Santa Clara where Che Guevara’s Mausoleum is.

We are limiting this group to a maximum of seven (7) participants. We have chartered a van throughout the entire trip and will engage a local English-speaking guide who is able to show us the true face of Cuba. 

WIFI facilities are not readily available. However, now some of the Casas have installed WIFI facilities. These services will be charged on an hourly basis. You may also buy a preloaded card from their Telecoms. The current rate is about 1 USD per hour (estimated) Cell phones and Maxis roaming work in Cuba.

Breakfast will be provided. We won’t be providing any other meals due to participants with various dietary preferences. Food is very easy to get in Cuba and is reasonably priced. Seafood especially lobsters are cheap at about US10 to $15 each. For those who can’t get away from rice, there is always seafood or meat paellas. Why not try some of their local cuisines? 

Tourists are starting to arrive in Cuba after the pandemic.  Book your slot now, things are changing very rapidly, and it will get costlier to visit each year.

Difficulty of trip

This trip is easy. Our transport will bring us to the doorstep of the shooting locations. However, you will need to walk around the towns and places of interest.

How to get there?

KLM flies from Kuala Lumpur to Havana via Paris. There is no direct flight from KL to Havana. The other countries that fly directly to Havana are Istanbul and Madrid. You may want to consider these alternatives.

Tourist Visa

For both Malaysians and Singaporeans, tourist visas are exempted. For other countries, please check online if you need to apply for a tourist visa.

Covid – Health Entry Requirements

Entry requirements may be subject to change at short notice. You should also check the requirements with your airline.

From 6 April 2022, there will be no requirement for travellers arriving for either a COVID-19 vaccination certificate or a negative COVID-19 test.

All travellers are required to complete a Health Declaration (Declaracíon Jurada de Sanidad) online before travel

Itinerary

Day 1 – 27 Nov- Havana

– Pick-up at the airport

– Dinner

– Check into Casa

Day 2 – 28 Nov – Havana

– Morning walkabout around Malecon Boulevard

– Breakfast at Casa

– Walkabout around Old Havana

– Lunch

– Visit Havana City and walk to Chinatown

– Revolution Square

– Dinner

– Free and easy

– Visit some traditional Cuban Music and Dance (Optional)

Day 3 – 29 Nov – Havana

– Sunrise at Malecon Boulevard

– Walkaround Old Havana

– Breakfast

– Tour around places of interest in Havana City

– Lunch

– Visit a Boxing Gymnasium.

– Dinner

– Free and easy

Day 4 – 30 Nov – Havana

• Breakfast at Casa
• Visit Cigar Factory (Optional)
• Visit Art Museum – Cuba has a very active art scene
• Callejon de Hamil – An Art Community with Cuban Music and Dance

Day 5 – 1 Dec – Havana to Vinales (183km)

– Breakfast

– Havana to Vinales

– Lunch on the way

– Vinales is the famous tobacco-growing region in Cuba

– Visit some of the tobacco farms and places of interest in Vinales

– Check into a Casa

– Check-in casas

– Dinner – Free and easy.

Day 6 – 2 Dec –  Vinales to Matanzas (294km)

– Breakfast

– Drive from Vinales to Matanzas

– Matanzas is an old Spanish Town

– Lunch on the way

– Visit places of interest in Matanzas

– Check into Casa

– Dinner

– Free and easy

Day 7 – 3 Dec – Matanzas to Cienfuegos (172km)

– Breakfast

– Visit the Bay of Pigs on the way to Cienfuegos

– Lunch

– Cienfuegos

– Walkabout at Plaza Mayor

– Check into Casa

– Dinner

– Free and easy

Day 8 – 4 Dec – Cienfuegos to Trinidad (83km)

– Breakfast

– Cienfuegos to Trinidad

– Trinidad has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. This is one of the best-preserved cities in the Caribbean.

– Lunch

– Visit Town Square

– Dinner

– Visit the Spanish steps for Cuban dancing

Day 9 – 5 Dec – Trinidad

– Breakfast

– Visit sugar cane plantation

– Lunch

– Explore the central square of Trinidad.

– Dinner

– Free and easy

Day 10 – 6 Dec – Trinidad to Camaguey (260km)

– Breakfast

– Lunch

– Visit the Movie Street

– Dinner – Free and easy

Day 11 – 7 Dec – Camaguey to Santiago de Cuba (351km)

– Morning walkabout at Camaguey

– Breakfast

– Camaguey to Santiago de Cuba

– Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city in Cuba

– Check into Casa

– Dinner

– Free and easy

Day 12 – 8 Dec – Santiago de Cuba to Santi Spiritus (525km)

– Breakfast

– Santiago de Cuba to Santi Spiritus

– Today is a long drive on the Cuban Highway

– Will visit Santa Clara, the place where Che Guevara’s Mausoleum is located (if we have enough time)

– Check into Casa

Day 13 – 9 Dec – Santi Spiritus to Havana (356km)

• Breakfast
• Santi Spiritus to Havana
• Last-minute shopping at Havana
• Farewell Dinner

Day 14 – 10 Dec End of trip

• Breakfast
• Drop off at Airport

This itinerary is not fixed in stone. We will be on the lookout for festivals and street processions and amend the itinerary accordingly.

We only have 7 places available. For enquiries, please contact Maxby Chan at [email protected]