A Stay at the Historic Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Havana

A visit to Cuba is like a trip back in time. The old churches, old streets, old cars and old buildings make you feel like you're stuck in a time warp. This especially rings true at the historic Hotel Nacional de Cuba, in the capital city of Havana.

Located on the Malecón in the middle of Vedado, the central business district and urban neighbourhood in Havana, Hotel Nacional de Cuba stands atop a hill known as Taganana Hill, or Loma de Taganana. Just a few metres from the sea, it offers stunning views of Morro Castle, Havana Bay and the city of Havana itself.

Built in the 1930s, Hotel Nacional de Cuba is considered a symbol of history, culture and Cuban identity.  The hotel was built by Purdy & Henderson Company and designed by McKim, Mead & White, a distinguished American architectural firm with a prolific legacy (think a renovation of the West and East Wings of the White House in 1902 and the design of such iconic buildings as Columbia University in NYC and the Boston Public Library, just to name a few). Rumour has it that although the Cuban government was officially responsible for the $7 million project, much of the funding came via the mob’s Prohibition-era cash.

Although the hotel opened in 1930, the history encapsulated on its grounds began many, many years before. During the 16th century, Havana was the largest port in the region, and by the 18th century, had developed the most complete dockyard in the New World. To protect this resource, an extensive network of defence was developed. Today, Hotel Nacional sits on the site of Santa Clara Battery, dating back to 1797. Remnants of this battery can be seen in the garden terrace, where two coastal guns (or as we would call them today, extremely large cannons) are displayed. In 1982, UNESCO placed Old Havana and its fortifications, including this historic weaponry, on its list of World Heritage Sites.

Over the 86 year history, Hotel Nacional de Cuba has welcomed many famous faces. In the early years, celebrities from Frank Sinatra and John Wayne to Marlon Brando, Ava Gardner, Walt Disney, Ernest Hemingway and Winston Churchill could be seen wandering the halls and gardens. In 1946, the hotel hosted the Havana Conference, a large Mafia gathering that was attended by delegations of crime families from the United States (an event which was later depicted in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather II”). 

While I may have grown up in the 80s and 90s, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia while staying at the hotel. It was easy to picture myself during the Great-Gatsby era and hotel’s prime, dressed in my best, hopping in to one of the many vintage Buicks, Chevs or Chryslers lined up like a rainbow outside and awaiting to take us to dinner.

Despite its popularity, the lavish parties came to an abrupt end in 1959 with the triumph of a man by the name of Fidel Castro. The hotel was nationalized and became decorated with pro-communist banners. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, antiaircraft positions were built on the hill, and walled trenches were excavated below the gardens. Fortification that remains as a museum to this day. International tourism didn’t begin again until 1974.

In more recent times, the hotel has hosted a wealth of political figures and diplomats including former Canadian Prime Ministers and Russian President Valdimir Putin. Despite the tourism ban on Americans, the current Hollywood elite have also payed visit, including Steven Spielberg, Leonardo Dicaprio and Michael Keaton. 

The hotel underwent a renovation back in 1992, and in 1998, was declared a national monument by the National Monuments Commission, based on its architectural and historic value, celebrity guest list and host of international events.

As relations are restored between the United States and Cuba, the hotel looks forward to welcoming a new generation of guests. Currently, there are many American that do stay at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, but must come as a part of an organized tour group and not independently like our group.  We were surprised to speak with many Americans during our visit, including a couple that had flown down from Florida "for a long weekend". 

Safe to say, if I lived that close, there would be plenty of long weekends spent in Havana, sipping mojitos in the garden at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

What you need to know about staying at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba:

• There is a currency exchange desk in the lobby, beside checkin, that offers a fair rate. *IMPORTANT NOTE: Cuba does not accept currency other than the CUC, which is the tourist currency. You cannot exchange money in advance of your trip, it must be done once you arrive in Cuba. At the time of our visit in the end of January 2017, $1 CUC = approx. $1.32 CDN.
• The hotel is very old, which means it is also dusty. If you have allergies, I recommend bringing allergy medication as it is not easily available at the local mercado.
• Bottled water is available for purchase in the bar, but is expensive (Cost: $2 CUC for a small bottle). I recommend paying a visit to the Mercado a few blocks away. We paid less than $5 CUC for 6 large bottles. This Mercado also has baby formula and food, beer, wine and coffee.(Directions: Walk down the main driveway and turn right. Walk 2 blocks and turn left. Mercado is up 2 blocks on your left. Opens at 9:00am.) 
• WIFI is available through the business centre, but is expensive and unreliable. (Cost: $7 CUC/1 hour, $10 CUC/12 hours, $20 CUC/24 hours)
• At any given time, there are numerous taxis outside of the Hotel. Both vintage vehicles and more modern taxis can be found waiting.
• Rooms have both 2 and 3 prong 110V outlets.
• For those with disabilities or strollers, there are stairs to access the front of the hotel. 
• While there are a few restaurants located at the hotel, I recommend researching local restaurants before your visit. La Cucina Esetban was our favourite - within walking distance, wide variety to chose from, delicious and extremely affordable. Two generous chicken meals with rice, french fries and roast veggies was approximately $16 CUC. 
• There is a cigar shop in the basement of the hotel, as well as a shop that sells a limited selection of rum and wine.
• You MUST try a mojito!

Hotel Nacional de Cuba

Calle Obispo Esquina A S/N, La Habana 10100, Cuba
+53 7 8363564
*Guided historical walking tours offered Monday to Saturday.

Have you been to Havana, Cuba? What was your favourite place to visit? I'd love to hear!

Two Days in Havana

My mom has been talking about a trip to Cuba for a few years now. And with the recent events in the United States (I'm looking at you, Donald), the urge to go now was becoming greater and greater. 

A few weeks before Christmas, we were sitting in our living room, talking about Cuba and how a trip would be possible. Morley and I are pretty good travel companions, so I suggested we all go together. I was still on mat leave, Morley had yet to start day care and Steve had just started a new position that was demanding all of his attention, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Right then and there it was decided - a girls trip to Cuba was in order.

A few days later, the trip was booked and a short two weeks after that, my mom, grandma, aunt, daughter and I would be boarding a plane to spend three days touring the historic capital city of Havana followed by four days relaxing on a white sand beach in Varadero. 

Located on the north west coast of the country, Cuba’s capital of Havana is home to 2.1 million inhabitants and spans nearly 281 square miles. Its size and population make it the fourth largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean region. Filled with history and culture, it is also a stop you don’t want to miss on your trip to Cuba.

On our recent visit, we had two full days to explore the colourful city of Havana. This is how we spent our time.

Day 1 in Havana

Day one was filled with independent exploration, and A LOT of walking.

From the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, where we were staying, we took a taxi to the Capitol Building. 

In a city full of ruin, El Capitolio definitely stands out. Constructed after WWI, the building closely resembles the Capitol Building in Washington, DC, but on a bit larger scale. Formerly it was the seat of the Cuban Congress, but since 1959 has housed the Cuban Academy of Sciences and the National Library of Science and Technology. 

Our first goal of the day was to find a local cigar factory. You can’t go to Cuba without bringing home some authentic Cuban cigars! According to the map provided by the hotel, the factory was located not far behind the Capitol Building. Easy.

Word to the wise about Cuba, be aware of scams. There are many of them, including, but definitely not limited to, fake/homemade cigars.

Anyways, with the map from the hotel in hand, we started following the directions laid out for us. We were walking in the direction the map told us to go, when a man on the street asked if we were looking for the cigar factory. We said yes, and he confirmed the directions. A few seconds later, a woman walking down the street started chatting us up. She was heading to work at the factory and told us she’d show us the way. Since it was Sunday, we were told, the factory was closed, but the store was open. We were fine with that. It didn’t even cross our mind that we might be getting sucked into a scam. After all, we had a map, from the hotel, with the cigar factory circled. All of the sudden, we realized where she was taking us… to someone’s “house”. I say “house” because it really was the most random place, and looking at it from the outside, you wouldn’t think that is what it was. We had read about these types of scams before our trip, so as soon as we realized what was going on, we turned around and hightailed it out of there.

Backtracking on the events that had just happened, we figured that the guy that gave us directions and the women who “worked at the factory” were probably in cahoots together and saw us as a bunch of suckers. The confusing part was that this factory was on the map that the hotel gave us. Safe to say, we gave up on finding the actual cigar factory, if it even did exist. 

Our second goal of the day was to visit La Habana Vieja, or Old Havana, an area declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

We got over that potential scam really quickly, as soon as a daiquiri from El Floridita popped into our heads. Located in Old Havana, not far from the Capitol Building, El Floridita is a historic cocktail bar made famous by the invention of the frozen daiquiri in the 1930s. In the early 40s, the Novel Prize-winning American writer Ernest Hemingway was a frequenter, and today, the establishment contains many noticeable memorabilia of the author. Opening at 12pm on the day we visited, it is a very popular place, with a lineup to get in that extends down the block.

Inside, the music was loud and the rum was flowing. But after a sandwich and a couple of daiquiris, it was time to move on. 

Heading down Calle Obispo (Bishop Street), we walked past the Hotel Ambos Mundos (Both Worlds Hotel), another hangout of Hemingway’s during the 1930s and currently a popular Old Havana tourist attraction.

For the rest of the afternoon, we continued to wander around Old Havana, past buildings of both old and new, large open squares and beautifully constructed churches. To escape the heat, we made an afternoon pitstop at one of Havana’s two microbreweries, Factoria Plaza Vieja, located in the square of the same namesake. At this microbrewery, there are only three beers on tap - Clara (light), Oscura (dark) and Negra (amber), and while very different from the breweries we know and love back home, the Clara was a refreshing treat in the afternoon Cuban heat.

After a day full of exploring, and exceeding my day's step count goal, we made our way to the Malecon at the mouth of the Havana Harbour, hopped in a van taxi and headed back to the hotel for an afternoon siesta.

To end the night, dinner was at La Cocina Esteban, located just up the street from the Hotel. If you are staying in the area, I definitely recommend checking out this restaurant. There was a wide variety of items to choose from, and at a very very reasonable price  (less than $20 CDN for two large chicken meals with a handful of sides).

Day 2 in Havana

Day two, we decided to take a guided tour of some of the more popular places in Havana on the Habana Bus Tour, a hop-on, hop-off style double decker bus tour.

We picked up the bus not far from the hotel, along the Malecon, the roadway and seawall that stretches for 8km along the coast in Havana. It was a windy day, Cuba was being hit by the tail end of a storm coming off the US. The waves were being pushed over the seawall and onto the road, where, in places, the flooding had closed the Malecon to both cars and pedestrians. 

Because of the wind and the sun, both of which do not make a great experience for baby, we opted to sit down below, but still had a great view of everything we passed.

While you pass many attractions on this specific tour route, the most noted were the National Capitol Building, that we had visited the day before, the Plaza de la Revolucion (Revolution Square) and Cemeterio de Cristobal Colon (Colon Cemetery).

Plaza de la Revolucion is the 31st largest city square in the world, measuring 72,000 square meters, and is truly a remarkable place. It may look like any old parking lot, but this famous square holds so much history. 

The Square is notable as being where many political rallies took place, and where Fidel Castro and other political figures addressed the Cubans. In 1998 and 2015, visits by the Pope also took place at this location.

The Square is dominated by the Jose Marti Memorial, a 358 foot tall tower and 59 foot tall statue dedicated to the namesake national hero of Cuba, and surrounded by the National Library and many government ministries, including those with the recognizable steel memorials of Che Guevera and Camilo Cienfuegos. 

Named after Christopher Columbus, the Cemeterio de Cristobal Colon is one of the largest, and most ornate, in the world. Established in 1876, this 140 acre historical cemetery houses over 800,000 graves, including those of Cuba’s most historical figures, from baseball players to political figures, musicians and actors.

Notes about the Habana Bus Tour:

• Depending on what you want to see, there are three bus routes to choose from.
• We boarded the bus in the morning hours. This was considered “peak time” so the cost was a bit more expensive than in the afternoon, around $10 CUC per person per day (approximately $13 CDN). In the afternoon, the cost was $5 CUC per person.
• Buses swing by along the route every fifteen minutes or so. 
• Buses run every day from morning to dusk.
• While the ride does include a tour guide who will announce the main landmarks along the way and will also broadcast the main stops, it was extremely difficult to hear what they were saying. If you want to get off at a certain spot be sure the guide knows, as they will not formally stop unless someone wants to hop off or someone is waiting to hop on. 
• I recommend getting an official map of the route to familiarize yourself with the stops beforehand. We received a map from the hotel and it was both not to scale and inaccurate, so there are some things we probably missed.
• Riding on the upper deck gives riders a unique perspective and allows photographers to get some great shots. But beware, there are low lying wires and the bus can make sudden stops. Also be prepared for the sun.
• If you are traveling with a child in a stroller, there is an accessible area that allows one or two strollers to “park”. 
• There are no seat belts on the buses. 
• The windows on the lower level slide open all the way, with only a metal railing preventing you from falling out. Make sure young kids are attended to at all times.

The Habana Bus Tour is also a great alternative mode of transportation, to get from one end of the city to the other, as taxis can begin to add up over the course of your visit. 

While we didn’t get to see the entire city in those 48 hours, we did check off all of the sights that we had wanted to see. We were all in agreement that two days was plenty to explore this historic city. It was finally time for a little rest and relaxation, and a few pina coladas, on the beaches of Varadero. 

How to get to Havana:

• Most visitors of Havana fly into Varadero and either take a bus or hire a car to take them to Havana. The drive is approximately 2 hours.
• Since we booked our vacation as a package, a van was waiting at the airport to pick us up and drive us to Havana.

Where we stayed in Havana:

Hotel Nacional de Cuba

Calle Obispo Esquina A S/N, La Habana 10100, Cuba+53 7 8363564

Where we ate & drank in Havana:

El Floridita

Obispo, La Habana, Cuba

+53 7 8671300

Factoria Plaza Vieja

San Ignacio, La Habana, Cuba

La Cocina Esteban

Calle 21, Havana, Cuba

+53 7 8329649

Traveling with little ones? Stay tuned for an upcoming guide to visiting Cuba with young kids!

Have you been to Havana, Cuba? What was your favourite part of the city? I’d love to hear!

A Guide to Traveling to Cuba with Young Children + FREE Packing Printable

Traveling with your children is an unforgettable experience, no matter where you go. It is the chance to introduce your children to new cultures and environments, and to create memories that will last a lifetime. 

So, when the opportunity to take a girls only trip to Cuba came up, I knew it was one that I couldn't turn down. Just my mom, grandma, aunt, daughter and I - no boys allowed.

The last time I was in Cuba was almost 15 years ago, so I really don't remember a whole lot. However, the one thing I did know was that traveling with an infant this visit would definitely make it a much different trip.

Now that the travel restrictions on Cuba have been lifted, those that have not previously been able to experience the country for themselves are keeping the destination in mind while preparing for their next vacation.

If you’re in need of a vacation, but one that is also family-friendly, a trip to Cuba is the perfect option. However, like any foreign destination, there are some important things to know before you go. 

Luckily, I'm here to help.

Check out this comprehensive guide to traveling to Cuba with young children, which includes recommendations, personal experiences and a FREE complete packing guide printable (pdf).

Important notes about this guide:

1. This guide is geared towards those traveling to Cuba with young children, specifically infant and toddler (and those that require a stroller and/or car seat).
2. During our trip, we spent half of the week in a hotel and touring Havana independently and the other half at an all-inclusive resort in Varadero. Since these are two of the most popular cities, I am assuming that these tips also apply to the majority of the country. 

FOOD & DRINK

Formula-Fed Children

• If your baby is drinking formula, bring the amount you need (plus extra). 
• If you do not want to use bottled water to mix the powdered formula, bring premixed formula. 
• If you happen to run out of formula, powdered formula (as well as pureed baby food) can be found for sale at a local super market (price unknown). 
• Remember the standards are different in Cuba, so it is recommend to bring more than needed so that you do not run out.

For those babies drinking formula or breast milk, also see “water” below.

Children Eating Solids

• Depending on what your baby is eating and where you are staying, there will be options. 
• Resort and hotel restaurants/buffets have a wide variety of food to choose from - eggs, veggies, chicken, etc. It is often pretty plain and not a lot of seasoning is used, making it perfect for those that are just starting out with solids. 
• While kept hot and chilled as required, buffet food does sit out for a few hours during meal time. If you are unsure of a particular item, do not feed it to your child. Instead, stick to fresh cooked items such as the pasta and omelette stations.
• Local restaurants off hotel/resort grounds also offer a wide variety of food. Roast chicken is an extremely popular dish, and there almost always is rice and veggies on the menu as well.

Personal experience: My daughter was not yet at the stage of drinking whole milk, so finding and consuming whole milk was not something we experienced. However, I did see it available at both the hotel and resort.

High Chairs

• High chairs are available at pretty much all of the restaurants/buffets, including the hotel, resort and independent restaurants. 
• Not all high chairs come with trays. Be prepared for baby to eat off the table.  
• High chairs are not thoroughly cleaned after each use. Pack disinfectant wipes (such as these ones) to clean prior to use. 
• Bring a table food mat (such as this one) for baby to eat off of. It attaches to the table securely, and can be easily cleaned in between uses. 

Eating Utensils

• If you require plastic bowls, cups and utensils, bring those from home. Only ceramic, glass and metal will be available at restaurants.
• Bring your own non-cloth bib. One that catches food is recommended for easy clean up (such as this one).

Eating Times

• If you are staying at a resort, keep in mind buffets open at specific times. [For example, the buffet at the resort we stayed at didn’t open until 6:30pm. Morley uses eats dinner at 5:30pm with bath time at 6:30pm. Not only did this require a bit of a shift in her schedule, but we also had to find something for her to snack on later in the afternoon.]
• If dinner time will not fit your needs, most resorts also have a snack bar that is open 24 hours. Keep in mind snacks bars have limited menus. 
• Most rooms have mini fridges, so you can always take some extra food from breakfast or lunch for your child to snack on throughout the day. Bring a small food storage container to fill with food from the buffet for them to eat at a later time.
• Bringing your child’s favourite snacks from home or prepackaged pureed food will also help fill any feeding times. 

Potable Water

• Bottled water can be purchased at the hotel or local market.  It is more expensive to purchase at the hotel, so if you have the option, visit a local super market.
• While staying at a resort, the room mini fridge is usually refilled every other day. The fridge typically contains at least one large bottle of water. If the resort has a store, you will be able to purchase more bottled water there as well.
• Bring an electric kettle (such as this one) with you to boil water for washing bottles. Most hotels and resorts have both two- and three-prong 110V outlets, but bring an adapter just in case.
• Bring a small bottle of dish soap and a sponge and/or bottle brush for bottle cleaning.
• Make sure to have lots of bottled water on hand for your children to drink. It is important they stay hydrated in the heat. If they drink from a sippy cup, bring one or two with you. 
• To keep your child hydrated if they will not drink plain bottled water is to add a bit of sugar or fruit juice to make the water sweet.

Personal experience: I do not recommend using boiled water to mix formula. The water was extremely hard in Havana. After only a handful of uses, the kettle was lined with a thick layer of calcium and there was calcium “floaties” in the water.

DIAPERING

• Normal diapers: When packing normal diapers, pack as many as you would typically need in that time frame, times two. There’s the possibility you may not use them all and then there’s also the possibility that your child may develop some tummy troubles and you will definitely use them. 
• Swim diapers: If you plan to go in the water, aside from swim wear, you will also need swim diapers.
• Wipes: Bring extra wipes. Like above, your child may develop tummy troubles and extra wipes will be needed. These can also be used to wipe off surfaces, like airplane tray tables and restaurant high chairs, before baby touches them.
• Change tables: Change tables are few and far between. Often times, you will find yourself changing baby on the fly in the stroller or on a counter in the bathroom. Be sure you have a changing mat that you can put down for baby to lie on, or disinfect the surface before and after use.

Personal experience: Like a rookie, I ran out of normal diapers. Luckily, I was able to purchase a small bag in the resort store. A small pack of 20 cost around $4 CUC (approximately $6 CAD). While these were in no way the same quality as American and Canadian diapers, they did the job. The store also sold wipes and swim diapers. 

ACCESSIBILITY

• Building access: Accessibility is not a huge consideration in Cuba like it is in Canada or the US. A lot of the buildings have stairs, with no elevators or ramps. 
• Streets: Many of the side streets are a cobble-stone style and not paved, making them very uneven.
• Street curbs: The street curbs are about twice as high as they are in North America, and there are no ramps at street crossings. 
• Sidewalks: Sidewalks are cracked, uneven and often missing chunks of concrete.
• Cross walks: Crossing the street is very different for pedestrians. There are red and green lights, but crosswalks are almost non-existent. People cross at their own risk, and often across multiple lanes of traffic.

TRANSPORTATION

• Car seat: Leave the car seat base at home. Unlike vehicles in North America, there are no buckles for a car seat base. If your child requires a car seat, you must use the seat belt to securely fasten it to the seat. 
• Stroller: Consider the stroller that you bring. If your child is scheduled to take a nap while you are out touring, make sure the stroller is one that they can sleep comfortably in (i.e. one that reclines). It must also compact well for airplane and vehicle travel, be able to handle uneven streets, sidewalks and curbs and be light for potential carrying and lifting.  If you are taking taxis while out touring and your child requires a car seat, make sure your stroller is compatible with the car seat (i.e. it has an adapter to connect the two) so that you are not carrying the car seat as you walk around.
• Coach bus: If you are taking a coach bus to and from the airport and resort, be aware that not all have seat belts. If you are not planning on taking taxis (i.e. only going between airport and resort or hotel on a coach bus) and are comfortable with it, leave the car seat and heavy duty stroller at home. Depending on your child’s age, bring a small umbrella stroller or infant carrier/sling instead.
• Large groups: If you are traveling in a large party (i.e. 5 or more) and need to take a taxi, van taxis are available but rare. Be prepared to split up the group.
• Vintage cars: If riding in a vintage car is on your Cuban bucket list, you will have to leave the little ones out. These cars do not have seat belts. Many are also convertibles.
• Sun protection: If you are traveling in a vehicle, consider which side of the vehicle the sun will be shining on and, if possible, place your child on the opposite side to limit exposure.

Personal experience: We use a BOB Revolution Single Stroller and Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4/35 Infant Car Seat. The stroller has an adapter to secure the car seat to the stroller. Since we were taking taxis while touring Havana, we needed to bring the car seat. If we were not touring the city independently, I would not have brought the car seat on the trip.  I am, however, glad that I brought this stroller. It was easy to transport and heavy duty enough to withstand airplane abuse. streets and sidewalks of Havana and walks on the beach in Varadero.

ENVIRONMENTAL

• Temperature: Like any tropical destination, be aware of the temperature. In Cuba, it is hot during the day but can be cool in the morning and at night. Dress in layers. It is easier to remove a layer if you’re too hot, rather than add a layer you don’t have if you’re too cold.
• Sun: Don’t forget the sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses for your child. If you will be pushing your child in a stroller, consider bringing a UV screen (such as this one) to put over the stroller.
• Insects: If  you are visiting during mosquito season, bring child-friendly bug spray.
• Smoking: Unlike in North America, smoking is allowed everywhere in Cuba, including hotel rooms, restaurants and stores. Many people smoke, especially cigars.

SLEEPING

• Cribs: Cribs can be found at most hotels and resorts. If one is required, let the hotel or resort know upon booking so that one can be reserved. The type of crib provided is typically a travel crib/pack-and-play. For baby’s safety, bring your own crib sheet.
• Insects: If you are visiting during mosquito season, bring a mosquito mesh that can be fit over the crib at night. This can also be used over the stroller during the day and/or night.
• Air conditioning: Most hotels and resorts usually have the AC pumping. Luckily, most also have individual room controls to turn it off or down when needed. Be sure to dress your child appropriately during the night, especially if you plan to keep the AC running. 

MEDICAL

• Vaccinations: Pay a visit to your family doctor before you leave. You and your children may require vaccinations.
• Medical attention: If needed, doctors and clinics are available for a fee. Before you go, check that your medical insurance covers out of country.  
• First aid kit: Bring a full stocked first aid kit. Pharmacies are available, but the selection of products is not the same as in North America. In your first aid kit, include an easy-to-read thermometer, extra pain reliever (both adult and children), allergy medication (both adult and children), alcohol-based hand sanitizer, antiseptic wound cleaner and tweezers.

TIPPING

• While money is appreciated for tips, so are specific items that are hard to come by or expensive in Cuba. 
• The most appreciated are hygiene products such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, panty hose and sanitary napkins, and children’s clothing and shoes.
• Before you go, or even when you are packing to leave Cuba, if you have any clothes no longer in use by your child, leave them for a hostess, waitress, housekeeper or someone else you meet during your stay. 

Personal experience 1: I brought a bunch of Morley’s gently used onesies and pants to leave for the housekeepers. However, during our stay at the resort, we met a hostess in the buffet that was pregnant with her first child, a girl. I ended up giving her the big bag of clothes and she was very grateful. 

Personal experience 2: While touring Havana, I had several women come up to me and ask if I could spare anything for their families. I was not prepared for this, so the answer was always no. Scams are present in Cuba, so this could be one and I was targeted because I had a little one in tow.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Customer service in Cuba differs greatly from what you would expect in other places of the world, including North America. This can be attributed to a number of things, including low wages for workers. When you visit, you must be patient as well as keep an open mind. You may not get anything or go anywhere fast, but that's ok. Sit back and relax, you're on vacation after all. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I will admit, prior to our visit to Cuba, I was a bit nervous. Rightfully so with visiting a foreign  country, let alone with a 10 month old. I stressed over things like packing enough clothes, what she would eat and how I would wash her bottles. Turns out, once we got to Cuba, all of the stress was for nothing. I quickly found out that I had overpacked, there was a lot on the menu that she could eat and washing bottles was not as difficult as I thought it would be, among other things. 

At no point during our travels did we feel unsafe. Hassling in the streets and on the beach is limited, and easy to avoid. The Cuban people are extremely friendly and laid back, especially if you have children in tow. They love babies, and every single person we came across in our travels quickly became my daughter's favourite, stopping to talk and ogle over her.  

Bottom line - Cuba is a beautiful and colourful country filled with culture, history and fabulous beaches. It is also a country I highly recommend adding to your "must see" list, even with young children in tow.

To help you plan for your trip, check out this FREE Complete Packing Guide Printable (PDF).

Download the FREE Complete Packing Guide (PDF) here. 

*Please note, this a recommended guide based on our experience and does not included required clothing or other attire. There may be items included on this list that you do not need and those not included that you will need. Plan accordingly. 

Stay tuned for a guide to visiting an all-inclusive resort with your little one!

Have you visited Cuba with your little ones? See something missing from the guide? Have more questions? Leave a comment below or email me at toandfro21@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

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