A Cuban experience

I recently visited the fascinating country of Cuba, travelling with Virgin Atlantic directly from London Gatwick to Havana. For the first 3 nights we stayed in the Parc Central Hotelin Havana, which is part of the Iberostar group. It was a very good hotel with a fantastic breakfast and a in a great location for exploring the city.

While in Havana, we went on a walking tour taking in the rum museum, featuring a bar serving “the best Mojitos in Havana” and also visited the Vinales area outside the city, which had spectacular scenery. We also saw a traditional Cuban dance show which was a great cultural experience. The highlight of Havana for me, however, was a trip in an old classic American car, an experience I would definitely recommend.

From Havana we travelled to Trinidad which took 5 hours on the scary Cuban motorways! Trinidad is a beautiful well preserved world heritage city and again, we stayed in the Iberostar hotel, a beautiful hotel with excellent facilities. We had the privilege of enjoying dinner in a traditional ‘casa’ where local Cubans open up their homes for tourists and serve fabulous local food.

After Trinidad we travelled to Cienfuegos, with its fantastic square and beautiful clean city. I would recommend La Union Hotel for its excellent location in the city. From there we drove to Santa Clara and visited Che Guevara’s museum and mausoleum; a very interesting experience.

The final stop was at the all-inclusive resort of Melia Buenavista, a beautiful, adult-only resort serving excellent food. The resort has two large swimming pools and is located right on a beautiful white sandy beach, perfect for a spot of sunbathing and swimming in the beautiful sea.

Cuba is a beautiful country with amazing history and culture. For those who prefer to experience local traditions, there is plenty to see and do, while I would recommend an all-inclusive resort for those who prefer sun, sea and sand. Cuba offers it all!