Havana

I’ve been to 14 countries across 4 continents and travelled most of the US and I must say Havana is probably the most incredible city I have ever been to but is probably better suited for a vacation than for nomading. It’s not difficult to find wifi as most airbnbs and restaurants have it but it’s not reliable if you have important video conferencing calls or need to constantly stream something.

Since most industries are publicly owned by the government, there’s a deep lack of commercialization that makes this place look so different from what you see in most other countries. Instead of large advertisements and billboards at every turn, there’s rich and beautiful art culture that makes just walking around and exploring this place the streets so enjoyable. Many people say that Havana feels like it’s stuck in the 1950’s which is definitely true since the classic city architecture and the vintage American muscle cars are all so well preserved.

If you admire live music then you are definitely in for a treat as there is usually so many talented musicians and performers at every corner and in most bars/restaurants.

The food is mostly seafood but it’s underwhelming as it lacks flavor. Cuban coffee & rum on the other hand definitely do not disappoint nor do the famous Cuban cigars if you’re into that.

Another huge highlight is the Cuban people. They are truly the warmest and most welcoming of any country that I have been to. Such a diverse community and everyone always a bright smile on their face and are so excited to welcome you to their beautiful country. Knowing Spanish definitely helps but there is usually someone around that speaks English pretty well and can help you if you need.

Yes there are definitely struggles with a lack of certain supplies and some infrastructure challenges but I honestly felt like it made for a more unique experience that I very much enjoyed.

Overall i’d say pros/cons

Pros:
Beautiful city to explore
Perfect weather
Amazing people
VERY safe (and not with cops at every corner)
Quite affordable

Cons:
Unreliable Wifi
Underwhelming food
Limited resources
Need cash for all transactions

It’s probably not up to everyone but it offers a very unique culture and has such an amazing history to learn about. If you like good art, live music, and carribean weather, this is a great vacation spot.

Is this a joke? Havana shouldn't even be on this list at all. I lived there for 2 months on a mission and it's the most poorest city I have ever seen from my so far 40 countries travelled and lived on this planet. At the time being 2022, there was no electricity for several hours every day, our food in the fridge was always tossed to the trash because no electricity daily. There was no bottled water anywhere to buy, if you walk in the center, there is simply no water. Restaurants were without food, there is no bread unless you pay like 10$ for one slice. Buying food in the supermarket for foreigners? Not possible, no electricity. Card payment not working, no electricity. The old cabs are nice to take pics, but smell like gasoline inside, you get a headake at least. Tourism is communist style resorts that bring frozen fish from spain to serve to dumb package tourists. There is no fishing industry either. There is nothing, it's in fact like a prision with most people 40+, all the younger people are fleeing this hell. Be aware, if you read anyhting positive about Cuba, it's just propaganda written by Cubans that mostly live in Miami and get paid by the Cuban goverment, because Tourism is Cubas only industry. I feel sorry for the Cubans, and unfortunately they're not nice either because they are fighting for survival, you only get a smile if you pay for it basically.

Havana is great for a vacation, not for remote work. One of the best thing here is the atmosphere - it means people, music, fun, nightlife. BUT the situation with food is very complicated, is hard to find literally anything, there are queues everywhere. The internet is expensive (2.5 GB of LTE for 8 dollars) and very unstable. If you don't need so much internet to your work and if you are patient enough, you can enjoy Havana as it is really interesting and unique city.

I visited Havana during Thanksgiving in 2019, and I loved it! It has an amazing energy, and it's one of my favorite places ever to buy art (you can buy amazing paintings in the street for a great price!). It's also super interesting to learn about the culture and the history. My main tip is make sure you invest in a good tour guide (especially if not local - the foreigners feel more comfortable to talk about the local reality).

Having said that, it's a terrible place to work from if you need internet (like most people, right!?). Regardless where you are staying (hotels or "casa de familia", which is kind of an airbnb w/ a family, a great option to live the local culture), you need to buy a "pre-paid" internet card and find places where the internet connection actually works. It's usually better in hotels, but if you are in a different place, you will need to find a park or another public space with a strong reception. I was working on a project while there, and thankfully most of what I did was offline. Every time I needed to send an update of my project, I had to walk to a nearby park with my computer to get an "ok" reception (depending on the time of the day; in the evening, you see a lot of people in the park with their phones - forget about using the internet!)

Food is also a problem. Most of restaurants that look nice have a terrible food, and googling for options while you are walking around is impossible (internet is hard to connect, remember?). Do your homework beforehand, and always have a good map pinpointing restaurants and places to visit.

Still worth visiting. The history there is unique - I agree there are better cities in Latin America, but none is that singular. Also, the locals will try to get your money - but this is also the case in many other places in the world (and Havana is not worse than Bangkok, I promise!) You don't need to stay long, just a few days (3-4) is more than enough. Also, don't bother visiting the all inclusive resorts in the country - go somewhere else in the Caribbean (the views will as amazing as in Cuba + the food and drinks will be better)

I can't comprehend why Havana is rated so well here. I couldn't walk anywhere near the center of the city without being constantly hounded to buy something, go to a restaurant, or take a "taxi" in some random car or bicycle cab. The reason is that Cubans have no disposable income because they receive everything from the government, so they are desperate for money to travel or buy something unusual. I never interacted with a single local who wasn't hustling me for cash.

Definitely avoid this place if you're American. Your smartphone's internet and Google Maps don't work here, and Uber etc is nonexistent. American debit and credit cards are forbidden. Air pollution is quite bad due to all of the old cars and vehicles. It really is like stepping back to the 1950's, except in a developing country.

There are far better cities in Latin America. I liked even Santo Domingo far better than Havana. It at least had one or two clean neighborhoods with modern amenities, with far less people hassling you for money.