Will I Ever Get to Travel to Cuba?

Several months ago a Dutch friend of mine, Wilha, traveled to Cuba on her vacation. She came back with a treasure trove of stories and photos of sparkling beaches and eclectic towns. I have to wonder, will I ever get to travel to Cuba?

I've looked into it a little further, and I'm starting to get some confidence that the answer to my question is actually "yes"! Have you ever dreamed of being able to visit Cuba someday?

A lot of Americans don't realize that its only their country that has this old travel ban in place. People from around the globe travel to Cuba all the time to enjoy their beaches, resorts and overall hospitality. It's not hidden away behind some iron curtain where no one can ever tread. Quite the contrary. Their tourist industry is just booming. So why are Americans banned?

Well, the ban comes from the USA, not Cuba and it's an old remnant of Cold War hostilities. I won't bore you with any more political talk than that. It's a shame that the ban is still in place, but old habits die hard particularly when it comes to international relations.

More and more people are disregarding the restriction and heading off to Cuba anyway. You have to take a longer route through another country though because there are no routes or services that can take you to Cuba from American soil. If you're an American already in another country, you can just book a flight. Keep in mind that it's still illegal. The ban is for all American citizens, no matter where you are living or where you are traveling from.

The way you get around this is that you have to ask the customs officials not to stamp your passport going in and out of Cuba. They're used to it and your request probably won't even raise an eyebrow. BTW, this is not something I would do and I am advocating any illegal activity. I'll wait until things become legal before I go. Still, a great number of people do this but given the covert nature of traveling this way, there aren't any official statistics to back up the stories.

But perhaps this age of travel deceit is finally coming to an end. Relations have been changing between Cuba and America over the past few years, which may eventually lift this out-of-date travel ban. In some sense, the ban is already coming down with a new policy in place that allows Americans to go to Cuba as long as they are part of an officially sanctioned informational tour group. The key points are "officially sanctioned" and "informational". This is where Insight Cuba comes in.

This tour company is recognized by the State Department , and they now offer several fully legal tours to Cuba for Americans, as long as you abide by the rules of taking the trip as a "people-to-people" approach to learning about the country. That means you have to be going as a way to learn more about Cuba, by visiting historical sites, taking in cultural events and other such activities. That doesn't sound too bad at all, though it does mean you're not supposed to spend your time lounging on the beach. Fair enough, at least it's a start.

Their website offers tours ranging from 4-8 days, and starting a bit above $2000.

So if Cuba is on your travel bucket-list, you may have a chance yet to see this lovely island without having to risk an international incident. I'm confident that open tourism will be on the upcoming horizon, and then we'll all get the chance to see what Cuba has to offer.