just thinking of going to cuba in a few months, hopefully!
.. i love travelling alone so i probably will go alone this time. though apparently cuba is a little different than other countries in the arrangement of accomodation .. ie.. staying in casa particulares and not the typical hostels as seen eleswhere..
so im just wondering how does this affect the alone-ness of it all. the good thing about a hostel is it provides a social area etc.. a sort of home away from home..where you will always find somebody to go out on an adventure with.
on the other hand, maybe the lack of hostels could theoretically provide a more authentic experience.. so maybe i would prefer it..
also i speak fluent spanish so i have no problems getting to know local people , but i wonder is the "tourist / local person" divide a bit to much to make proper friendships?
also. as hostels always are selling tours etc... is this also the case in cuba? are the casa particulares selling tours?
Reply to this The casas particulares don't really sell or organise day tours, however they can be very resourceful in sourcing contacts for all sorts of things. The lack of hostels makes it harder to connect with other travellers, but you will definitely get a more authentic experience staying in the casas. On a first visit I think its quite difficult to make real friendships with Cubans, as Cubans will always see you as a foriegner. But at the same time you can have a really enjoyable time as the Cubans are really fun. I suggest going to a smaller city outside of Havana to connect with the locals - such as Vinales or Trinidad. Immersing in the local culture is a little more accessible in these smaller towns. Havana can be a bit intense for this at times. Anyway, I hope that helps. Cheers!
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