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Informative Articles

8-Tips for Packing and Traveling Lite
How-to Pack and Travel Lite In this day and age of traveling cephalalgia, there are a few packing tactics to employ. To cut out an extra thirty to forty minutes at the arriving airport, start with packing small luggage. Since carry-ons can not...

Getting a Bargain Vacation: Travel at the Off Times
For many people, a vacation is just too expensive. They don't think they can afford to go someplace nice because they don't have the money to do it. But often, this is just because they are looking only at the "peak" times to travel. What is a...

Is Purchasing Travel Insurance Smart?
To answer the question "is purchasing travel insurance smart?" let's look at what insurance is. When you purchase insurance - health insurance, homeowner's insurance, car insurance, life insurance, or travel insurance - you're not making an...

Should You Purchase Travel Insurance?
The determination of whether you should purchase travel insurance is a determination of whether you want to assume nothing bad can happen during your travels, or whether should something bad happen you can adequately resolve these unforeseen events....

Sweden Travel - Stockholm and Karlskrona
Known as the land of Vikings, Sweden is actually an odd mix of cosmopolitan cities and vast stretches of wide-open spaces. For budget travelers, Sweden is a bit expensive. Stockholm An incredibly beautiful city in the summer, Stockholm is the...

 
Travel to Cuba: The Caribbean's Forbidden Island

Think Cuba, and vivid images come to mind: of men in Guayabera shirts and Panama hats, tropical breezes and cool drinks, steamy Latin rhythms and sultry women. It has always been an intriguing place, steeped in truth and in fiction by the novels of Ernest Hemingway.

In the pre-Revolution Batista days, Cuba was the sin capital of the Americas, a wild haunt of mobsters, corrupt politicians, loose women and petty thieves, all vying to stake their claim to a share of the profits from gambling, prostitution and other lucrative rackets. The easy money attracted some of America's biggest celebrities and high rollers, as well as a flood of tourists eager to indulge in the island's many carnal pleasures.

After decades of blight and neglect, the Caribbean's largest island is radiating a new self-confidence. Havana has regained much of its past allure, tourism is once again thriving, old bars, restaurants and hotels are enjoying a proud comeback, and stunning new attractions are being built.

Cuba is a destination worth discovering that's at its best right now. As a travel desination, its relative political isolation has kept it from being overrun with tourists. Once the U.S. government lifts economic sanctions and the travel ban, there will be a flood of investment into Cuba's economy that is sure to


change the face of the culture and landscape.

Cuba is home to just over 11 million people, with more than 2 million living in the capital, Havana. The island's Cuba's rich culture, interesting political history, and continued economic hardship make it one of the world's most eye-opening nations with a wealth of places just waiting to be discovered. The food, music, and, most of all, the warm hospitality of the Cuban people all combine to make it a great place to visit.

U.S. officials say open trade and travel to Cuba would strengthen Castro's oppressive government. But critics argue that the Cold War-era U.S. embargo, aimed at forcing a change in Cuba's leadership, has not achieved its goals after being in place for more than 40 years.

Despite the embargo, last year, 200,000 Americans visited Cuba (most through Canada or Mexico).

As one taxi driver put it, "We have the best cigars, best rum, best music, and most beautiful women in the world. What more could anyone want?"

I can't argue with that, and don't think you would either.

RESOURCES The Cuba Report, an expatriate guide, was recently published. For more information or to order, visit www.thegloballife.net.


About the Author

Phillip Townsend is the author of The Cuba Report, available at www.thegloballife.net