Hola Friend,
Como estas?
It's been great to see that more and more people are interested in not just going to tried and tested destinations, but also to places that are a little more out of the ordinary - for our Australian and New Zealand Travellers, that means more people are venturing out to Latin America and Cuba, instead of just heading over to Europe.
Of course the issue of not being able to travel to the US on an ESTA after Cuba is weighing on some people's minds. However it is fairly simple to obtain a US travel visa, which is what you'd need instead.
I have to say with some of the changes that are coming into Cuba, I'd go sooner rather than later. The latest change is the 'bankarization' of Cuba- read more about it here. Interesting word, what it means is that they are trying to make the place a cashless society also, moving with the rest of the world in that regards.
However in Cuba it brings a whole different set of challenges, for locals and for travellers. There's a lack of infrastructure to support this, like ATMs or wi-fi for connection of the EFTPOS machines, especially in smaller towns. There are limits on withdrawals and of course there's the added challenge of some cards not working in Cuba.
We are told the roll out of such changes will be gradual, but we have already had the feedback from the hotel areas that most businesses will only accept cards, yet from smaller towns we are seeing of the increase of cash prices in the 'parallel market' going through the roof! This has a massive effect on many, especially who are trying to obtain MLC (local electronic currency, needed for people to access products only sold in MLC shops).
Certainly a space we will keep an eye on...
There are also changes to import rules and even a reform coming for foreign investment and private businesses. I'd say with that, we can expect to see some modernisation happening in Cuba shortly, taking away from her 'old charm', 'time capsule' feel that we love about her.
We can only hope that the changes will be for the better. <3
