A Beginner's guide to Cuba

Fidel Castro, Cigars, Music, Beaches… CUBA !! The ever Mysterious and the ever-beautiful place. As always, before you start planning anything, it always helps to get a refresher. If you are looking to learnt a few tidbits about Cuba, then you are the right place. Scroll down to read and don’t forget to share with othersa.

Cuba is one of the most beautiful places on earth. If it is not on your places to visit, then I suggest you add it to the list and promote it right to the top. As always, before you start planning anything, it always helps to get a refresher. Scroll down to read and don’t forget to share with others

1) A brief history

Christopher Columbus landed on the island in 1492 and named it Juana after Prince Juan, the heir apparent to the throne of Castille. However the name CUBA, an abbreviation of local word remained popular enough for the name to stay. This followed by Spanish invasions of the island have a great impact on its history. Local folklores mention of how Spaniards killed local men to spread the Caucasian population on the islands. There are myths from the carribean pirates to treasure hunts for the sunken ships .  Cuba remains the sugar bowl of Americas. With the collapse of Haiti as sugar supplier and the victory of USA in the American-Spanish war led to the rise of Cuba. A small period of economic progress followed by dictatorial struggle and change of loyalties led to the US Embargo on Cuba. Ernesto Che Guevera and Fidel Castro emerged as the major leaders. While one led the Cuban revolution the other continued the fight against USA. Today, the embargo still remains. The Obama administration made historic progress to improve the relations and the future remains hopeful.

2) People, Food and Culture

Cubans are a mixed race. There are Caucasians, Africans, a few Chinese, but 50% of the population is classified as Mulatto – mixed European and African descent. Spanish with the Hispanic Caribbean dialect is the most common language. Of course a few folks can respond back to you English. Rice and beans are staple food, consistent with the Hispanic culture. Pork, chicken are the preferred proteins over beef. Most of the country still follows the Voodoo religion while Christianity has found its roots too. People in general are warm, friendly. They are the romantic folks who enjoy their dances and their food.  There is a melancholy though. When you get out of tourists spaces and try to mingle with the locals you will experience the suffering and poverty that the US embargo has brought upon the country. But nevertheless there is hope and hopefully things will get better.

3) Geographic Location and Weather

Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands located in Caribbean sea close to gulf of Mexico and lies about 90 miles south of  Florida Keys, USA. 

Havana is the capital of the country and Varadero is the most visited “Heaven for Tourists” known for its hotels and beaches. Cuba has a tropical climate with the dry season lasting from November to April followed by the rainy seasons from May to October.

People in North America prefer to visit Cuba during March to May Season.  This helps to beat the cold and spend time at warm beaches.

Source : Intrepid Travel

4) Currency and conversion

There are two types of currencies

a) Cuban Peso (CUP) – used by the locals

b) Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) -  Also referred to as dollar and used for international conversion and trade. 

All international tourists and travelers are to use the convertible Pesos. The CUC is almost always valued at the rate of US dollar. That is 1 CUC = 1 USD.

The exchange rate for both currencies is maintained at 1 CUP = 25 CUC

The locals are paid their wages and local street hawkers accept CUC but when they see visitors, they accept only CUC. The funny part is the government values both Pesos as 1:1 for record keeping which I never understood. 

You can exchange the currency at your airport or when you land at Cuban Airport. Currency exchange is also available at the bigger hotels but the fees is higher. My advice ? carry some US dollars too. Locals love to get your US dollars.

5) Language and Basic communication

Cubans are very friendly and amiable folks with a good sense of humor.  Unlike in some countries they are open to talk and chat with foreigners, share information about their history and culture, as well as provide tips on local favorites.

As I had mentioned earlier, many Cubans can manage conversations with broken English and you can learn some basic Spanish phrases to return the courtesy and impress the locals

Source : arquapetrarca

6) Transportation and Local Commutes

Beware ! Unlike other tourist destinations, Cuba lags far behind in terms of public transport

a) If you in Cuba as a part of a tour group, you are provided with transportation to or from the accommodations / attractions. In Varadero as well as in Havana, there are buses as well as the hotels can arrange for taxi on request.

b) Cuba has railways – not local but connecting cities. However the schedules are not very reliable.

c) Renting a Car is the best option in my humble opinion. The pleasure and experience of driving around a vintage car is irreplaceable. However, we were asked to take a driver with us, who drove most of the time. But a good tip accompanied by sponsored lunch let him cave in and give us steering wheel for most part of return trip from Havana to Varadero.

Well, that’s all you need to know before you land in this beautiful country. Go on, get  your tickets, and pack your bag.

and as a token of appreciation for patiently reading through this, we present you with the "WanderlustEarth Certified Cuba Beginner " 
Badge. 

Drop us a comment to claim it and display it proudly on your site or wherever you would like to flaunt it :)

How to apply for Dubai Visa

Feeling Itchy feet ? Wanderlust calling you ? Planning a Holiday ? How about Dubai ? Of course Dubai, the most sought after holiday destination, the shopping center of the world. One of the most important things on your “Getting Ready for Dubai” checklist would be the check for the VISA requirements.  Being a tourist destination, the Visa process / requirements are very straight forward. Please scroll down and read for further information.

As with any other country, UAE also has VISA requirements and exceptions based on the your nationality and color of your passport, the purpose of travel and the duration.

1) Citizens of GCC do not need VISA and are granted entry upon arrival and are needed to present the passports or National IDs. GCC stands for Gulf Cooperation Council and is comprised of the 6 middle eastern countries – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and UAE.

2) Citizens of the below 30 countries are eligible for 90 days On Arrival Visa

This is a nonrenewable visa and needs the passport to be active for at least 6 months. Also, the VISA expires within 180 days from the date of first entry into UAE.

3) Citizens of below  18 countries are eligible for 30 days on Arrival Visa 

This visa can be extended  for a maximum of 10 additional days taking it to a total of 40 days and expires within 60 days from the date of first entry into UAE.

4) Indian citizens in possession of a valid US visa (green card or student visa), Canadian Visa (PR or work permit) can apply for 14-day visa on arrival at the airport. You will need to carry valid Passport (minimum 6 months Validity)  that also has a US VISA stamped. If the stamping has expired date then you will need to carry the original I-797 form. You will also need tickets to and from Dubai along with hotel booking receipt.

If you don’t qualify within the above four points then you definitely need to apply for one of the Visas listed below

 Source  : TTSUAE VISA Services

It is always good to have hotel bookings or air tickets in hand to apply for the Visa.There are many travel agencies across the world who would apply the visa for you if you dont want to go through the hoops and hassles. Just Google for agencies in your countries that provide Dubai Visa services.

However, if you are the type who doesn't want to waste money on agencies and rather apply for visa on your, then read on..

There are two approaches to book tickets to Dubai and correspondingly the Visa too.

1) Emirates Airlines that lands in Dubai. If you book your tickets through Emirates then they have a tie up with VFS Global. The detailed process of applying for Dubai Visitor if you have booked your tickets through Emirates is provided at the VFS Website www.dubaivisa.net

2) Etihad Airlines that operates out of Abu Dhabi. They also have a free AC bus service from Abu Dhabi to Dubai. But you need to book the bus slots in advance. Click here to read a detailed experience review of Etihad Airways for Dubai holiday. Etihad has tie up with TTS Visa Services to apply for UAE Visa.

Irrespective of which route you take your Visa fees for visas up to 30 days duration should range between 70-200 USD per person. 

Now that you have the details you need go ahead and start applying for Visas. In case of any questions or feedback, leave a comment or send us a note through the contact page. We will try to help you out the best we can.

Adios !!

A beginner's City Guide to Dubai

Duuuuuuuuuuubaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii !!

Who doesn't know and who doesn't love to visit Dubai ? But then it is always good to review few things before you visit this beautiful city. Below are things you should know before you visit the place

1) History of the City and the Country

Dubai is one of the seven emirates (ruled by Arabs of course) that form the Federal Monarchy of United Arab Emirates or UAE. Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi are the most well-known, the other four emirates Ajman, Fujairah, Ras Al-Khaimah and Umm al-Quwain linger behind but are equally. As everyone is well aware, UAE is geographically located in middle east Asia and thrives on its oil reserves. However, in the recent past, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are trying to move away from the oil economy and are amongst the most sought-after tourist destinations and holiday spots. 
Dubai is known for being megalomaniac, over the top extravagant holiday and shopping center of the world. As one of the tour guides aptly put it, “If anything can be described largest, biggest, tallest, costliest, then it has to be related to Dubai”.
Having said that, it’s a safe haven for all tourist and people from all races of life can afford to holiday here depending upon their lifestyle and how deep their pocket is. Apart from the modern civil engineering wonders, Dubai also has an intriguing history and vibrant heritage.
A trip to Dubai can be about enjoying the modern lifestyle or about getting a glimpse into the fascinating Arabian culture and desert life.

2) People, Food and Culture

UAE is Arabian country with Islam as its official religion and Arabic as it official language. While the other Emirates may be conservative, Dubai has an open culture inviting people from across the world – of all economic classes, religion and races. While I have to say, Arabs are the primary residents, you will see people from Indo-Pak, Bangladeshi and Philipino origin employed in the lower end of the economic chain – drivers, shop owners in markets, salesmen in malls, construction workers etc. Then move over to the big building, you will see people from across the world in suits going about their businesses and earning big bucks. There is a clear divide but people at each end of this lopsided economy are generally warm and have accepted tourists and tourism in their life like any other major cities in the world.
Food, food, food. You can enjoy delicacies from every corner of the world – at street corners to Michelin star restaurants. There is the Food pop culture – malls and burger joints, then there are restaurants and diners too. So, plan accordingly, not to just the places to visit but also the food to eat.

3) Geographic Location and Weather

As I said earlier, Dubai is situated in Middle East Asia and is a desert but like any other great cities, Dubai is located at a water front and has about 700 kilometers of coastline. The Dubai creek divides Deira district in North and Bur Dubai in the south.  You will see blue skies and sunshine all around the year. It is hot all around the year beware, but its hottest between June to September. If you would prefer a cooler temperature then plan to visit between December to March.

4) Currency and conversion

Dirham is the national currency. The Currency code is AED which I guess stands for Arab Emirati Dirham or United Arab Emirates Dirham.

If you are traveler like most others with international credit cards, then you should have no problem whatsoever. Dollars and Euros are accepted at most of the malls and places but if you want to carry local currency, there is many currency conversion counters at airports and other places. You can withdraw Dirhams from the ATMs as well. Although there are many banks, ATMs from three banks stand out -Emirates NBD,  First Gulf Bank (FGB) and Dubai Islamic Bank.

A below table gives you the Real time Currency Conversion for AED. Our Source is https://fx-rate.net

United Arab Emirates Dirham Exchange Rate

5) Language and Basic communication

Arabic is the most common language. You can of course get through the trip if you know English, Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam provided if you find the people who can speak this language. Almost everyone understands English but what’s the point in touring a place and not learning the local language. It also helps to connect better with local Arabs. So, we are listing below common phrases in Arabic that should help you survive or at least to put a smile across the faces of the people.

For more refer to this article from Timeout Dubai. 

6) Transportation and Local Commutes

There’s always Uber and taxis if you don’t prefer to figure out the public transport. The taxi rates are regulated and controlled by the government. So, there’s not much to be cheated with. But if you are feeling adventurous and want to go through the riffraff of the locals then read further about Public transport.

It is operated by the Roads & Transport Authority and consists of the metro, buses, water buses and trams. You can visit the website  www.wojhati.rta.ae for routes maps, timings and stuff. For other information, call the 24-hour hotline (800 9090) .  We would like to suggest you buy a NOL Card to make it easy to manage the fares and costs. A day pass costs about  20 Dhs.  Visit www.nol.ae for more information.

If you are in Dubai for about 24-72 hours then you can also choose to take BIGBUS tour , a hop on hop off service that stops at all major attractions. It has some attractions for free such as ticket to Atlantis, Desert Trip, flamingo tour etc. Plus they provide you free cool water. The Elixir you need when you are in desert. Visit this link for more details about Bigbus Dubai.

Now that we are all experts on basics of this City, we are all set to go deeper into the rabbit hole and plan for the trip.
And as a token of appreciation for patiently reading through this, we present you with the "Wanderlust Earth Certified Dubai Beginner " Badge. 

Drop us a comment to claim it and display it proudly on your site or wherever you would like to flaunt it :)