Travel Notices

Clearing up 4 misconceptions about Cuba

When news broke that Jay-Z and Beyoncé had traveled to Cuba, it reignited questions about whether Americans can travel to the island country legally. In those conversations, I heard many misconceptions about American travel to Cuba, and wanted to clear a few points up.

I wrote my latest contribution to Huffington Post, titled “Dispelling Four Misconceptions About Travel to Cuba” to do just that. I cover how Americans can travel legally to Cuba through People-to-People licensing, the cost of a trip to Cuba, the island’s tourism infrastructure, and more. Click over to read what I wrote, and I welcome your thoughts in a comment below. 

3 Comments

  1. Jane Bauer

    I took the tour of Cuba with Friendly Planet last December and I agree with Peggy’s article. We participated in many learning opportunities, meeting with many Cuban citizens. The cultural exchanges ere many and ranged from meeting senior citizens at a center to performing arts students to organic urban farm in Havana.
    The Cuban people were extremely excited to see us. The first night my husband and I walked down the plaza in Havana and numerous people wished us a “happy holiday” and many welcomed us to Cuba. I was blown away at how friendly they were towards us.
    The last day in Cuba we got up very early to walk around the city and take it all in. As we walked, a man was taking his garbage out to the street. He stopped us and asked if we were from the US (Broken English on his part and very broken Spanish on our part). We talked with him for at least 15 minutes. He asked how we enjoyed his country, told us about his brother who is a professor at NYU, and his dad who fled the country in the 50’s. He also talked about how the country is changing under the current Cuban administration. The excitement in his eyes as he talked to us was amazing. Talking with him is a memory I’ll always keep.
    I feel I have a good understanding of Cuba and its citizens. I wish more Americans would take the opportunity to learn about the country that is only 90 miles from our border…but very culturally different.
    We need to remember that even though the US and Cuba don’t see eye-to-eye we are all people who live in the same world.
    I thank you and all of the folks at Friendly Planet for a great experience and education.

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  2. Great article. Need to go before it turns into another Cancun. I am heading there in June with Friendly Planet. Excited!

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  3. Jean Pluchar

    I was in Cuba the same time as Beyonce and Jay-Z when the news broke that they were in Cuba. Everywhere we went in Havana, the Cuban people wanted to tell us that they knew they were there and they were so excited. They love Americans and to have someone famous visiting from America was a treat for them. I loved my tour of Cuba with Friendly Planet and the Cuban people were wonderful! Thank you Peggy for your article because when we got back to the U.S., everyone back home wanted to know how Beyonce and Jay-Z were able to go to Cuba and if it was the same for us. So, now I can forward them your article and not have to repeat myself over and over again with the answer to their same questions. I highly recommend your Colors of Cuba tour!

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