I want to travel, and the destination is tentatively Cuba, but I have no experience in traveling abroad. Does anyone have any advice on what preparations should be made?

1. Visa Instructions

According to the China-Cuba Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement, Chinese citizens holding diplomatic, official and official passports

are exempt from visa requirements.

Those who come to Cuba with ordinary passports for private purposes need to apply for a tourist visa. With a valid visa, you can stay in Cuba for 30 days, which can be extended for another 30 days after expiration. However, the ancient immigration department pays close attention to the issue of illegal immigration. In recent years, many Chinese tourists have been detained on suspicion of being illegal immigrants for overstaying illegally. It is recommended that Chinese citizens coming to Cuba for tourism or official business should arrange their travel dates according to the validity of their visas and air tickets, and leave the country on time.

2. Entry Instructions

To enter the country, you need to fill in the immigration card, which has two pages. The main contents to be filled in are name, gender, place of birth, date of birth, nationality, passport number, occupation, departure city, destination city, detailed address in Cuba and responsible unit, etc. Submit the original copy to the immigration officer and keep the copy personally. Do not lose it and prepare it for when you leave the country.

3. Customs regulations

Individuals can carry 2 bottles of wine, a pack of cigarettes, 10 kilograms of regularly packaged medicines and items worth US$200 duty-free.

If you carry more than US$5,000 in cash or items of equivalent value into the country, you must fill out a customs declaration form. If you need to take it away when leaving the country, you can present a declaration form or relevant bank documents proving its legal origin.

Each person can carry 23 Cuban cigars when leaving the country; if there are more than 23 cigars, an invoice issued by a regular store and its copy must be provided, otherwise they will be confiscated.

Strict controls are implemented on agricultural products, meat products, drugs, and electrical appliances. It is strictly prohibited to bring into the country cordless phones, cordless headsets, video recorders, DVD players, air conditioners, electric stoves, microwave ovens, electric water heaters and electric irons with a power exceeding 290 watts. If your personal luggage is suspected of carrying any of the above items, customs officers will ask to open the box for inspection. If you do not go through tax exemption or entry permit procedures in advance, you will be detained. However, it is allowed to complete the relevant procedures within 30 days from the date of detention. Those who fail to collect it within the time limit will be confiscated.

Diplomats resident in Cuba are exempt from Havana airport tax with their ID cards. All other passengers, including non-resident diplomats, are required to pay an airport tax of 25 Cuban convertible pesos each.

4. Medical and Health

Cuban citizens enjoy publicly funded medical care. Each community has a community medical station. Common diseases can be treated at the nearest medical station. In case of serious illness, the community medical station will send them to large hospitals for treatment.

Foreigners need to go to a specialized foreign-related hospital (CLINICA CIRA GARCIA) for medical treatment in Cuba. The conditions are better than the hospitals where Cubans receive medical treatment, but the fees are quite high and they only charge Cuban convertible pesos.

5. Public security situation

Cuban society is relatively stable and public security is good. There are no serious terrorist activities or criminal crimes, but robberies and thefts do occur from time to time. Especially in areas with relatively small populations and relatively backward conditions, you must travel in groups when going out, and try to bring as little cash and valuables as possible. Dress appropriately and not stand out. When going out, keep your passport, air tickets, money, etc. separately, and have copies of your documents ready. In case of danger, call the police immediately. If necessary, you should contact the Chinese Embassy as soon as possible

6. Travel and transportation

The transportation conditions in Cuba are relatively backward, there are not many high-end cars, and they are mainly concentrated in foreign permanent establishments. Most of the cars are vintage cars from decades ago, which are in poor condition and most of them don’t have air conditioning. The main means of transportation are buses, taxis and urban trains.

Taxis are divided into two categories. One is imported cars in good condition, such as Peugeot, Hyundai and Volkswagen. These types of cars are more common in airports and hotels. The other type is the old Lada cars that are more common on the streets. They are in poor condition. They mainly carry locals and are relatively cheap.

There is an old tradition in Cuba that has been maintained for many years. Since there are too few means of transportation, Cubans can be seen everywhere on the roadside waving to stop cars. When encountering a person requesting a ride, state-owned agency vehicles with light blue license plates must stop to pick up the ride as long as there is space. At various major bus stations, the government also sent dedicated personnel holding signs with the word "Stop" to help people waiting for buses to stop them.

There are very few vehicles in Cuba and traffic jams are rare. When traveling normally, the driving is relatively smooth. Only after hurricanes or continuous rainfall during the rainy season, some road sections with poor drainage systems are flooded and cause traffic jams.

7. Climate and Natural Disasters

Cuba is suitable for travel all year round. The annual average temperature is around 25 degrees, and the lowest temperature in winter is no less than 18 degrees. Summer is the rainy season, with more rainfall from July to October, mostly in the form of afternoon thundershowers. June to November is a period prone to tropical storms and hurricanes. In recent years, hurricanes of different levels have been encountered during the rainy season. Some of them passed by Cuba and caused less harm. Some also landed in Cuba, bringing violent winds and rains, causing water, electricity and gas cuts, damage to buildings, and even Casualties. The Cuban government has accumulated a lot of experience in dealing with hurricanes. Whenever a hurricane approaches, prevention and early warning work will be carried out in advance and residents in relevant areas will be relocated in a timely manner. However, for safety reasons, our citizens should carefully choose the period during the hurricane period.

8. Local Currency

In October 2004, the Cuban government issued a decree banning the circulation of U.S. dollars.

There are currently two main local currencies in circulation: (1) Cuban convertible peso (PESO CONVERTIBLE), with a price ratio of 1:1.08 to the US dollar. When exchanging U.S. dollars for convertible pesos, a 10% handling fee is required. (2) The Cuban peso (PESO CUBANO) is mainly used by Cubans. The price comparison with the convertible peso is 1:24 Cuban peso. No handling fee is required when redeeming.

Currently, only convertible pesos are accepted in tourist hotels, large stores, supermarkets, airports, etc., and Cuban pesos can only be used in some farmers' free markets.

There are currency exchange offices near major consumption places, and foreigners can freely exchange convertible foreign currencies for Cuban pesos.

9. Contact information of the Chinese Embassy and relevant local departments

Full foreign language name of the address of the Chinese Embassy in Cuba

EMBAJADA DE LA REPUBLICA POPULAR CHINA EN CUBA

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Address: Calle 13, e/C y D, No.551, Vedado, la Habana, Cuba

On-duty mobile phone: 00535-58853288

Fax: 00537- 8333092

Consular Department: 00537-8360037

Embassy E-MAIL: chinaemb_cu@mfa.gov.cn

Contact number of relevant local departments:

Airport information desk: 6495666

Police: 106

Fire: 105

Immigration and Alien Center: 587170

Ten , Other notes:

Time difference with Beijing: -12 hours

Voltage: Except for some places where it is clearly stated to be 110 or 220 volts, most buildings use 110 volts . In the tourist area of ??Varadero, the voltage is mostly 220 volts. Please use electrical appliances with caution to prevent burning.

The Cuban people are a nation that loves to enjoy all kinds of happiness. When traveling to Cuba, don’t miss tasting the Cuban grilled lobster, Santiago’s roasted suckling pig and Coperia’s ice cream. Over the centuries, Cuba has developed its own unique way of cooking and confectionery. Just as the famous Cuban poet Nicolas Guillen wrote: "Mixed, mixed, everything is assimilated..." Cuban cooking and sweets, which are full of color, aroma and taste, are like the formation of the Cuban nation. They can be said to be the culmination of all nationalities and yet unique. Have its own characteristics.

The hands of white, black and yellow people from Asia, Africa and Latin America have developed Cuban cooking into the most delicious food culture. Small pot soups of Spanish Iberian culture, African condiments and cold mixed amaranth, purslane and sugar radish; Chinese delicious sweet and sour fish and meat, glutinous rice food and a wide variety of vegetables grown in suburban vegetable gardens... They have all become an integral part of Cuban food culture.

Achiaco soup is a typical cultural delicacy and a symbol of Cuban cuisine. The most common folk dishes include potatoes, carrots, chicken or pork, plus avocado to make the best asiaco. According to legend, eating asiaco can ward off evil.

The thick soup from Galicia and Asturias is a very favorite delicacy of Cubans. The traditional Cuban food is beans, pork and rice. The most popular meat in Cuba is pork. In addition, Cubans also enjoy delicious cured meats, fried pork rinds or fried beef, haggis and lamb. The most typical food flavors of native Cubans are fried chicken with onions and potatoes, turkey stuffed with rice and black beans, braised sea bream or salmon trout with onions and potatoes, fried dried shrimps with yellow rice, fried pig brains, Taro, pumpkin and baby corn.

Cuba is the sugar bowl of the world, and Cubans love sweets the most. Cuba has a rich variety of sweet products. In villages and small towns there are Christmas pancakes made of cassava and flour, Kusuvi cakes, Maralaviya sweets, honey-coated triangular bread, baby corn mixed with milk, passion fruit sweets, sweet milk products , a variety of candied fruits, winter melon and cocoa sweets...

The Cuban people are a nation that loves to enjoy all kinds of happiness, so we cannot but mention the food of Cubans. When traveling to Cuba, don’t miss tasting Cuba’s grilled lobster, Santiago’s roast suckling pig and Coperia’s ice cream. Over the centuries, Cuba has developed its own unique way of cooking and confectionery. Just as the famous Cuban poet Nicolas Guillén wrote: "Mixed, mixed, everything is assimilated..." Cuban cooking and sweets, which are full of color, aroma and taste, are like the formation of the Cuban nation. They can be said to be the culmination of all nationalities and unique. Have its own characteristics.

As time goes by, Cubans cook a variety of sumptuous dishes. Cuban dishes on marble tables, cedar tables or crystal tables look more appetizing; the tempting aroma, The fresh and bright colors, precious condiments, vegetables and marinated meats are all delicacies. Let’s not talk about the delicacies of the wealthy families, nor the country’s feasts, but just talk about the folk delicacies in Cuban villages and small towns. Cassava is one of the main foods of the American Indians. A pair of solid, calloused hands cooks the cassava that the indigenous people never tire of eating. The crystal-like cassava saved countless lives in Cuba during the difficult years of famine.

“No bread, no cassava,” is a popular saying among Cubans in happy days and hard times. The hands of white, black and yellow people from Asia, Africa and Latin America have developed Cuban cooking into the most delicious food culture. Small pot soups of Spanish Iberian culture, African condiments and cold mixed amaranth, purslane and sugar radish; Chinese delicious sweet and sour fish and meat, glutinous rice food and a wide variety of vegetables grown in suburban vegetable gardens... They have all become an integral part of Cuban food culture.

In Cuba, there is peasant cooking, working-class cooking, and middle-class cuisine that is refined and has a European taste with local flavor. In short, there are dishes with flavors from all over the world, mixed or pure delicacies. Achiaco soup is a typical cultural delicacy and a symbol of Cuban cuisine. Cuba's most famous anthropologists have made it clear that the Cuban nation, also known as the Axiaco nation, is where all the cultures of the world come together. Because all vegetables and all meat can be put into the pot to make a delicious asiaco soup, but generally speaking, the most common folk potatoes, carrots, chicken or pork, plus avocado are the top Excellent Asiaco. According to legend, eating asiaco can ward off evil. In Colombia, Venezuela and other Latin American countries, asiaco is a delicacy among the people, but its quality depends on the economic conditions of the owner.

Spanish cooking is mainly Galician cooking. When it comes to Cuba and African cooking, it is also combined with countless types of vegetables in China. But the rich soups and fresh seafood cooked in Galicia and Asturias are all very popular delicacies of Cubans. Cold zone cooking was introduced to tropical Cuba and deeply rooted in folk life. To taste delicacies from cold regions in the hot summer, you have to open your shirt and fan yourself, which is really a unique pleasure.

Cuban traditional cuisine is beans, pork and rice. The most popular meat in Cuba is pork. In addition, Cubans also enjoy delicious cured meats, fried pork rinds or fried beef, haggis and lamb. The most typical food flavors of native Cubans are fried chicken with onions and potatoes, turkey stuffed with rice and black beans, braised sea bream or salmon trout with onions and potatoes, fried dried shrimps with yellow rice, fried pig brains, Taro, pumpkin and baby corn.

Cuban Christmas dinners include kebabs, turkey or Catalunian-style braised snapper, plus fried plantains and ruddy roasted suckling pork, or cassava mixed with garlic paste. Every Sunday there is turkey fried with rice, sprinkled with black pepper, and a cold salad of tomatoes, vegetables and cucumbers. Cuban cooking also varies from region to region. For example: the delicacies of the fishing villages in the coastal areas are all based on fish, such as swordfish, sea bream or salmon trout, as well as the miniature "teti" from Baracoa.

On a hot evening in Havana, sweet potatoes boiled in cinnamon or cocoa are sold on the street. Most of the old people who only have two teeth left in their mouths like to eat it.

Accommodation hotels in Cuba are managed by the National Institute of Fourism, and reservations must be made through Cubatur (Cuba Travel Agency), a subsidiary of the Institute. The main hotels in Havana are: luxury hotels - Riviera Hotel, Habana Libre and Capri Hotel. First-class hotels - Naeional and Sevilla.

Hotel prices range from $40 to $140. You can also stay in a private home, which usually costs US$25 to US$35 per room.

Hotel recommendation

Santa Isabel Hotel Santa Isabel five-star plus

Address Calle Baratillo No.9 e/ Obispo y Narciso Lopez,Plaza de Armas,La Habana Vieja

Tel 33-8201

Fax (537) 33-8391

Nacional de Cuba five-star hotel

AddressCalle O,esq.a 21,Vedado,Plaza

Tel 33-3564/67

Fax (537) 33-3894

Melilla Havana Hotel Melia Habana five-star

Address Calle 3ra e/ 76 y 80, Miramar

Tel 33-8500

Fax 24-8505

< p>Parque Central Hotel Five Stars

Address Calle Neptuno e/ Paseo del Prado y Zulueta

Tel 66-6627/29

Fax Coy Melia Cohiba Hotel

Melia Cohiba five-star

Address Paseo e/1ra y 3ra, Vedado, Plaza

Cuba is an archipelago country in the Caribbean , the climate is dominated by tropical rainforest, and some areas along the southwest coast have a savanna climate.

The temperature difference in Cuba is not large throughout the year. The average temperature in summer is 28℃, and the average temperature in January, the lowest temperature of the year, is 21℃. Cuba has a humid climate. The annual rainfall in most areas exceeds 1,300mm, especially from June to October, when the rainfall is heaviest. However, there are many disastrous weather conditions such as hurricanes and tropical storms at this time, so this should be taken into consideration when determining the travel date.

The average maximum temperature in July and August, the hottest months of the year, in Havana, a popular tourist city in Cuba, is about 31.5℃, and the average minimum temperature is about 27.5℃; the average minimum temperature in January, the coldest month, is about 22℃. The average maximum temperature is around 26℃, and there is no severe cold in winter. It is also a good time to travel.

It is best to wear cotton knitted clothing. Wear a sweater or windbreaker in winter. It will be very useful to carry a lightweight raincoat with you during the rainy season. Please wear formal attire when attending events or formal occasions such as theaters, concert halls, nightclubs, high-end restaurants, etc.

The local currency is the Cuban Peso. But now because Cuba boycotts the U.S. dollar, the U.S. dollar cannot be used in Cuba. If you have US dollars, you can exchange them locally for foreigners-specific pesos (equivalent to foreign exchange coupons). About 1 U.S. dollar is exchanged for 0.9 foreigners-only peso.

Cuban specialties include: rum, cigars and coffee, commonly known as the "Three Treasures of Cuba". These gifts can be purchased in stores, which are found in every hotel or airport. Don't buy tobacco or alcohol from stalls, as it's easy to buy fakes.

Entry and Exit

There is no entry tax in Cuba, and tourists from China do not need to take vaccinations. It is strictly prohibited to bring animal and plant products, firearms, ammunition and drugs into the country. Valuable items need to be declared to customs. You need to pay an exit tax of USD 25 when leaving the country. Tourists can carry new and used items worth 1,000 pesos when leaving the country. You can carry 50 cigars. If you have a formal invoice, you can carry cigarettes worth 2,000 pesos out of the country. It is best to carry separate US dollar cash when leaving the country, and no more than two thousand US dollars per person.