Confession: I am not an ethical traveller. I say this because when I think back over my travels, there have been many situations I probably should have questioned more than I…
You’re backpacking Cuba for a month. Where do you go? It’s a fantastic destination, but travelling solo in Cuba can be daunting. Here’s everything I learned about backpacking Cuba during my…
Hugo and Consuela have a framed photo of Che Guevara above their fish tank. This middle-aged couple, my casa hosts in Santa Clara, have just bought three slices of peso pizza from…
[Last updated in 2019] With the changes in travel restrictions for US citizens to Cuba, many more people are now planning their visits to the island. If you’ve got a limited budget…
Travelling as a woman will always open up avenues that are unavailable to men. Despite being foreigners and strangers, women often connect with local children, young mothers, and old ladies with an…
The first cigar I ever smoked was when I was studying abroad in Florence. My friend Kath had been given one as a gift, so we lit it up along with…
Before I arrived in Cuba, I knew nothing about casas particulares. “Flora, wait!” Esther came trotting down the hallway of the small bungalow in her nightie, waving her hands as I…
What do taxis, cigars, horse drawn carriages and Buena Vista Social Club have in common? Well, they’re firstly all seemingly integral parts of a tourist’s experience of Cuba. And second, they’re…
“Crickets are good luck in Cuba,” the man tells me, as he expertly winds a palm leaf around itself, folding the plant so it begins to represent an insect. His fingers…
Sometimes it amazes me how much we rely on technology. The amount of travellers I meet who can't escape the clutches of their smartphones or laptops in the common rooms of…