Before reading this, I would recommend reading our article titled What Happens At Burning Man.  In order to understand why you need to such preparations, you first need to know how Burning Man works. The preparations explained here are based on the information shared in the other article.

Let’s start with the most basic question: How do we find tickets?

1. Burning Man Tickets

In terms of Burning Man preparations, our first order of business was to follow the dates for ticket sales. The tickets go on sale in multiple stages. They try to improve the ticketing system every year, so these stages may vary. Here is how it worked this year–please note that this may be subject to change in the years to come:

1. Directed Group Sale

First, tickets were sold directly to the camps at Burning Man. This is done to give priority to the groups who enrich and give life to this place. Some of them have unbelievably big investments such as art cars, facilities, decorations, etc. Before opening sales to the public, camps were offered priority access to the tickets in order to ensure they weren’t left out. Apparently, 50,000 tickets are sold at this stage, for $425 per ticket + service fees, which adds up to roughly $480.

2. Main Sale

– Tickets go on sale in April.
– First you need to open a Burner profile on Burning Man’s website. You can’t buy a ticket if you don’t have a Burner account.
– Each person can buy two tickets at most.
– Tickets cost about $480 at this stage.
– If you plan to arrive by car, you also need to buy a $100 vehicle pass.
– They only accept Mastercard and Visa.
– In addition, you can only pay once using the same credit card.
– Around 23,000 tickets are sold at this stage.

IMPORTANT: Be online & already logged in the minute sales open. It’s really a matter of milliseconds. Of course this doesn’t guarantee a ticket but at least you are increasing your chances.

3. The OMG Sale 

A bunch of additional tickets are released in July. At this stage the tickets cost $550.

Those who wish enroll in the OMG sale first have to register for the sale on Burning Man’s website.  Last BM, the registration period was between July 24-26 and the sale took place on July 31.  If you miss the registration period you can not attend the sale.

4. Ticket Resale

People who bought tickets but aren’t able to go can return their tickets to Burning Man. They are put on sale on the BM website. This is the last chance to buy tickets.

Those looking for tickets enter their credit card information in the BM system and the system automatically matchs them with returned tickets on a first-come first-served basis.

IMPORTANT: You buy the tickets online, but unfortunately they don’t send them to you digitally; they send them to you via mail. Make sure they are sent to an address where it is unlikely for the tickets to be stolen/lost. Even if you have proof of purchase, you won’t be able to enter without the actual tickets.

Other Ways to Find Tickets

Low Income Tickets – There is a discount ticket program to include people from different income levels. Tickets cost $210 each. You can apply in April.

Volunteering – If you volunteer to work for Burning Man for a certain amount of time (60 hours, I think) you get a free ticket.

Black Market – Some people who have no intention of going, buy tickets to sell them on the black market. For instance, a Burner from Berlin whom we met on our flight to the U.S. had paid $1,200 for a ticket. And a friend of his had paid $1,700! This is one of the things that worry Burning Man; they don’t want the tickets to turn into commodities, as decommodification is one of its fundamental principles. Don’t buy tickets off the black market. You may actually end up with a fake ticket which the scanners at the Burning Man entrance won’t recognize.

Well, what other expenses are there? You might want to sit down first because this is only the beginning of the money you are going to spend.

2. The Total Cost of Going to Burning Man

– Standard ticket : $450

– Vehicle pass : $100

– Camp fee :  Assuming you have read our other article mentioned above, I won’t explain what the camp fee is again. For those who are too lazy to read, it is your share of your camp’s expanses. The cheapest camps cost around $120-150 per person, some go up to $2,000, depending on the scope and contents of the camp. As for plug-and-play camps, they cost $10,000.

– Accommodation: Camper vans start from $5,000 per week, shiftpods cost $800-1,300, and tents start from $40 and go as high as $1,000.

– Airfare : Burning Man is planned to include the Labor Day weekend, a public holiday in the U.S. So, plane tickets are more expensive than usual. The nearest airport is in Reno, Nevada.

– Car rental & gas

– Car wash :  $100

– Outfits : If you plan to rent, they cost about $85. If you plan to buy, there is no limit…

– Food & Drinks : Depends on how much and what you eat. We spent $120 per person on our food for the week.

– Bike: $100

– Gifts: We brought with us 500 evil eye beads from Turkey (the traditional evil eye beads, usually made out of blue glass in the shape of an eye, are believed to protect you from evil and envious eyes and keep negative energy out of your way). We also filled up two water guns with sunscreen to offer to people. This cost about $70. You could do less, or much more.

TOTAL: Usually it costs about $1,300-5,000 per person (excluding airfare).

3. Are You Joining a Theme Camp?

Theme camps are pretty much survival units and your family at Burning Man. You live together, eat together, party together and work together. Joining a camp comes with a lot of benefits and responsibilities. Read about Theme Camps at Burning Man to know what to expect, how things work and how to join them.

Because our friend who invited us to Burning Man has been coming here with the same crew for several years, so we were able to join their camp. This provided us with a shared kitchen and a lounge, a shared meal we cooked together every evening, a bar where we served pickle juice and whiskey as a gift to the community, and a facial mask party but our camp didn’t have an art car.

Of course all of these preparations cost something. On top of the evident costs such as food, there are other less visible costs such as transport and storage of the camp’s items. All costs are summed up and then divided among members. At our camp it cost about $190 per person which is very low for BM’s standarts. Our other friends at another camp were paying $2000 per person.

Ours was one of the more minimalistic camps. We had 1 shared meal a day with usually something simple like pasta and salad while some camps had 3 shared meals with extensive buffets. We had no generator, thus no fridge. There are camps that prefer to set up a generator, provide a fridge and even air-conditioning. Some bring their own toilets and set up shared showers, set up fresh and wastewater tanks, etc. The larger the package, the more expenses you have.

You don’t have to join a camp to attend Burning Man. You can come on your own and set up a tent, but it would be much more challenging to survive. Also it is really beautiful to share this experience with the camp members.

4. Year-Long Preparations by Camps

If you are in a camp, a year-long preparation process awaits you. As you know, at Burning Man the performances and events are organized by the participants, mostly by the camps. It is a part of the gifting culture here.

The camps start working months in advance to plan & craft their gifts. They build art cars and lounges, prepare shows or games, etc… I think art cars are among the best gifts the camps offer. It has a huge impact on making Burning Man a magical place. But it is a very costly gift. Most art cars are modified from vehicles. So they invest in a vehicle, in a work-shop for the modification of the vehicle, and also in the modification itself. Much money and time is spent preparing these gifts.

But don’t be overwhelmed, a gift could be as large as building an ice castle in the middle of the desert, or as simple as teaching chess or braiding someone’s hair.

To generate funds to cover these expenses, camp members organize fundraising activities such as parties, BBQs or garage sales throughout the year. As a member of the camp you are expected to contribute to these events. If you live overseas like us, evidently that’s not possible. But instead, you may offer a monetary contribution to your camp or offer to contribute by working more than other members during Burning Man.

In addition to these collective efforts, the following are the preparations you must do on your own:

5. Are You Ready for Burning Man?

5.1 Accommodation

Camper Van – Without a doubt, the most comfortable option is staying in a camper van. It has a bathroom and a kitchen, a wastewater management system… You can also use its built-in air conditioning if you bring a generator. 30% of Burning Man participants prefer camper vans. But rental companies tend to jack up their prices around the time of Burning Man. So rental fees start from $5,000 per week.

Shiftpod – The second best alternative is the shiftpod, a huge yurt made of materials produced by NASA. It’s so tall that you can easily stand up inside it and its insulation is a thousand times better compared to a regular tent. It’s super easy to set up, too. Inside we put an inflatable bed. It was very comfortable. We highly recommend it.

Tent – The least comfortable and the cheapest option is staying in a regular tent. In desert conditions, a tent may be somewhat challenging, but it is still a very popular option.

Please note that the nights are pretty cold at the desert. You definitely need a comforter or a good sleeping bag to keep warm.

5.2 Water & Water Containers

– You have to bring all the water you need for drinking, cleaning, etc your very self. It is recommended to bring a gallon (6 liters) of water per person per day, but that wasn’t enough for us. I think you should bring minimum 8 liters of water per person per day.

– Don’t forget that you will need to bring back all your wastewater, as well as all unused clean water. Those who don’t have shared showers or wastewater storage systems at their camps usually bring inflatable pools and take showers in them. The water shouldn’t touch the soil. Some of the water evaporates from the pool, but most of it remains. You put the remaining water in containers and take it back home with you. To have warm water for shower, you can simply leave your water bins outside, it will warm up in a few hours. So, finding hot water will not be a problem.

– When you leave the camp to go the playa or anywhere, you should take 2-3 liters of water with you. We used a CamelBack, which was very convenient, but you can also use other kinds of water containers.

– You should also have a shatterproof (e.g. metal) cup in your bag at all times. There will be free drinks and beverages served all around you, but you’ll need to bring your own cup.

– If you run out of water while at the playa, no matter how far you are, you must go back to your camp for a refill. The sand at the playa sucks up the water in your body. You may get dehydrated without even realizing it.

5.3 Food

– You have to bring all your meals with you. We usually brought easy-to-prepare meals like instant soups and chili. But aside from that, pretty much any time of the day, you will find some camp offering free food.

– If you are arriving from the direction of SFO, we would recommend buying your food in Reno, the closest major city. This way your food will stay fresh and you can also delay putting ice in the cooler to save yourself sometime.

– If your camp does not have a shared kitchen, you should also bring your own stove, pots, pans and dishwashing equipment.

IMPORTANT: Usually there is a lot of traffic at the entrance and exit of Burning Man. Sometimes you spend an entire day waiting in line. We suggest adding 2 extra days when planning for your food and water. Make sure to have some food and water ready to consume in the car.

5.4 Cooler & Ice

– 10 days is a long time to live on canned food. So you’ll sometimes want to have some fresh vegetables and fruits to eat. If you fill up a good cooler with ice, it lasts for about 5 days. You can find packs of ice at any supermarket in the U.S. In our experience, it works the best to put the ice bags into the cooler unopened. They last a little bit longer this way.

– There are only three things you can buy at Burning Man: Ice, coffee and tea. If your ice melts you can buy new ice.

5.5 Bike / Segway / Scooter / Boosted Board

Black Rock City is an immense place. It might take about 1-2 hours to walk from one end to the other. That’s why everyone brings their own vehicle. Bikes are by far the most common vehicle. Electrical scooters, boosted boards, etc. are also preferred. But you would also need a generator to charge these.

Usually the dust of the playa eats up bikes (and everything else for that matter). So, you need a bike that can survive in the desert:
– Beach cruiser is the best option. Mountain bikes are OK, too, but I wouldn’t prefer them as the sand/dust tends to eat up the mechanism and wiring.
– Don’t take a good bike, because you’ll end up destroying it. And don’t take a flimsy bike, because it will break. Burning Man warns to stay away from bikes from department stores or anywhere else that sells white labeled bikes because in their experience those are the ones that break down most often. Get your bike from a company that actually produces bikes.

If you are looking to buy, these are the options they recommend:
a) A new $100 3-speed beach cruiser.
b) A used $100 beach cruiser, mountain bike or electrical scooter that was originally $500 when new.
c) Craigslist and Facebook are commonly used to find used bikes.

If you are looking to rent:
If you are planning to rent, do it well in advance and secure your ride. Don’t wait until the last minute and think you’ll figure it out on the way, because places may run out of bikes. Even if you have a reservation for a rental, make sure to get there early so will have options to choose from.

– Reno Bike Project : Reno, the closest major city, is a 2-hour drive from Burning Man. Here you can find second-hand bikes designed for Burning Man. If you buy a new bike, you have to assemble it yourself, like a piece of Ikea furniture, or you can have it sent and assembled here.

– Playa Bike Repair: A camp within Burning Man. They generate funds to rent out bikes and repair bikes at the playa. You can make reservations online. Make your reservations early; because either they run out of places, or their prices skyrocket like last-minute flights.

– Hammer and Cyclery is another organization that rents out bikes and offers free repairs at the playa. If you don’t want to take your bike back with you, you may donate it to them. They have an initiative called More Than a Bicycle and they ship donated bikes to Africa.

–  Burner Bikes LLC – An affordable bike rental place located at 12 km from the playa. burnerbikesllc@icloud.com

– Of course, there are also shared bikes at the playa. But it’s so important to have a bike, we don’t recommend leaving it up to chance.

Personalizing Your Bike
Your vehicle should also be a part of your BM personality. You should radically express yourself through your vehicle, just like you do through your outfit. This is why everyone adorns and personalizes their vehicles. While dressing your bikes with lights is an absolute necessity, I highly recommend going the extra mile to decorate your bike more creatively.

Lights are a must for your safety, but if you only have lights and nothing else, your bike will look stark naked in the daytime. Believe us, we felt pretty lame out there. Also the bikes get mixed up all the time! Personalizing is also useful to prevent that, but you should still write your name on your bike just in case!

I also highly recommend using a bike basket, it’s very handy for carrying your stuff.

Repairs – There are free repair stations at the playa. But you may want to be prepared just in case they run out of materials or your bike needs special parts. It turns out every year 4,000 bikes, which is one in every 18 bikes, break down at the playa.

5.6 Lights

In addition to the lighting your camp, you should definitely bring lights to illuminate yourself and your bike, otherwise you will get hit by someone. For bikes, I love monkey lights (they’re very cute and even though they’re attached to the wheels they also light the way ahead) but anything works. The more lighting you have, the better. Because you won’t always be on a bike, you should definitely illuminate yourself as well.

I would also recommend accessories like LED gloves, capes or strings. It’s so much fun to play with them in the deep dark desert. Make sure to bring extra batteries! They run out fast!

5.7 Outfits

You may have noticed that people at Burning Man look like they just popped out of a video game or Mad Max. You would feel absolutely bland and boring in your everyday clothes. Outfits are the most essential elements of self-expression and people allocate serious amounts of time and money to dress creatively.

Finding an outfit – It’s quite easy to find outfits for those who reside in the U.S. There are numerous options available online. You can always find unusual pieces at thrift stores as well.

If you live in a country where self-expression is very limited, you can order online from the US. Dolls Kill was my favorite; they have great stuff for both women and men.

Things to consider when picking an outfit – The nights are pretty cold and it gets too hot during the daytime. You end up wearing a swimsuit and a fur coat on the same day. Which means, you need two outfits per day, one for hot weather, one for cold. We found that while it is possible to wear the night outfits are several times, daytime outfits are wearable once or twice because you sweat so much throughout the day. Keep this in mind when you are planning for outfits.

There is obviously no limit to self-expression, you can also wander around naked if you want to.

When I was there, I personally wished I had brought more sparkly or illuminated things to wear. That would be my suggestion for both men and women.

Gloves – Your hands get very cold when riding a bike at night. It’s a good idea to wear gloves.

Shoes – Don’t even think about wearing flip flops or sandals because the dust of the playa is unlike anything you have seen before. It is impossible to rinse the dust off with water. It sticks to your skin and it dries it up. If you walk around in flip flops, there is a good chance that in a few days the skin of your feet will crack and bleed. So, definitely pick shoes that will protect your feet. We chose to wear boots day and night because they are durable. Also make sure to pick something that is easy to put on and take off, otherwise, it will drive you nuts each time you go in and out of your tent.

Backpacks – You will need a backpack to carry the essentials you want to have with you at all times, such as water, sunscreen, lip balm, snacks, goggles, flashlight, and a cup. Take a good look at this list, as you will want to have these things with you at all times.

Burner Bazaar – We flew to San Francisco, took a friend’s car and drove to Burning Man via Reno. Because most participants arrive from the direction of San Francisco, there are small bazaars set up along the way. Pack all your essentials before you leave, but you can check out these bazaars for the additional fun stuff.

Important – Ethnic outfits would fit the Burning Man atmosphere very well, but appropriating other cultures’ clothes or symbols as accessories may be offensive and perceived as disrespect for that culture.

Costume Theme Days

There are 3 theme days if you want to dress accordingly:

Billion Bunny March – As you can tell from the name, everyone dresses up as bunnies.
Tutu Tuesday – On Tuesday, men, women, everyone wears colorful tutus.
White Wednesday – Everyone dresses in white.

Costume theme days are fun but it is not something everyone strictly adheres to. So, don’t stress out if you don’t have something to wear, but it’s fun if you do. New Burners tend to be more into these. Some of the themes may sound “feminine”, but Burning Man is not a gender-normative place, everyone goes along with the themes regardless of gender.

5.8 Gas/Fuel

– If you are driving from the direction of SFO, your safest bet is to fill up your tank at the gas station in Fernley, which is about a 2-2.5 hour drive to Burning Man. If you can, also fill up an extra container. There’s also a closer gas station in Nixon, but it’s not always open. If it is open, fill up your tank there as well.

– The reason we insist on filling up the tank whenever you get a chance is that the heavy traffic at the Burning Man entrance and exit eats up the gas. Entering/exiting the area alone may take up to 12 hours.

5.9 Get Ready for the Sandstorm

The dust is unavoidable. Sometimes the storms get so bad that you can’t see beyond your nose. You should bring a pair of goggles and a scarf to wrap around your face. The playa dust contains hazardous, cancerogenic substances. When storms break out, it’s a good idea to wear a carbon filter mask. We bought ours on Amazon. I’d say pack two per person.

5.10 Personal Care

The sun and the dust are your biggest enemies at the playa. Together they really dry up your skin. The playa dust is really weird, it doesn’t come off with wet wipes or water. Vinegar is the most effective solution. It is recommended to pour some vinegar into the box of wet wipes to clean both your body and your stuff. If you have shower facilities, soap water also helps.

All in all, your skin will get very dry. You should apply lip balms and moisturizers every day. Also, make sure to wear a hat and lots of sunscreen.

5.11 There is No Cell Phone Reception

Before you arrive notify your office, tell your mom and dad: THERE IS NO CELL PHONE RECEPTION AT BURNING MAN!

In the previous years, they used to set up base stations and the cellular network worked just fine. They no longer do to make sure people stay in the moment. This is actually very liberating. You will feel as light as a feather, but you should take care of all your communication needs before you arrive.

In case of an emergency, go to Burning Man staff, they have Internet for certain staff members. They will help you out. Your other option is to exit Burning Man and get away to a 10-20 minute distance, where you’ll have reception again. But they charge $20 per person for each entry and exits to avoid unnecessary traffic with people going in and out just to post stuff on social media.

5.12 Download “Time to Burn” Before You Arrive

They give you a booklet upon entry. It usually covers the major events such as “sunrise set at Mayan Warrior.” But it is not a very detailed guide and you can’t find some essential information such as the places that give out food and drinks in there. The Burning Man app is the most comprehensive source of information, but because there is no Internet inside, you should download it on your phone before you arrive.

5.13 Other

Rake – When you leave Burning Man, you are supposed to remove all MOOP from your campsite, including even the tiniest piece of glitter. To do that, you first rake the sand, sort out the stones and pebbles, and then you inspect them to see whether there is anything else among them. Everyone has rakes, you can easily borrow one, but it takes forever for your turn to come! Bringing along the widest rake you can find will save you a lot of time. You will get done as soon as possible and be on your way to avoid the traffic.

Lots and lots of XXL size trash bags.

Gorilla tape – the fix all your problems.

Powerbank.

Write your name and camp address on all your stuff. If you lose them, they magically find their way back to you! Burning Man also recommends setting your name and camp address as your phone’s wallpaper. A clever thing to do.

Where Is Burning Man At and How to Get There

Where Do We Fly To?

Black Rock City (BRC) – Where Burning Man takes place. A private temporary airport set up in the desert, but there are no international flights. The information for local flights can be found here.

Reno –  The closest major city, about a 2-hour drive from BRC. There is an airport here (Reno -Tahoe). There are no international flights, but you can find connecting flights via other U.S. cities.

You can rent a car in Reno to drive to BRC, or you may take the Burner Express.

San Francisco (SFO) – SFO is the closest international airport to BRC. We chose to fly here. From there you can get to BRC via the Burner Express or your private vehicle.

Burner Express

Buses from San Francisco and Reno to Burning Man are pretty expensive. Moreover, it’s impossible to fit into them the tons of stuff that you need to take with you to Burning Man. Consider them only if you have someone who is bringing your stuff for you. The upside is, they directly enter Burning Man without waiting for the long lines forming at the entrance.

Renting a Vehicle or a Camper Van

You need to take a lot of stuff to Burning Man. Because it’s impossible to fit two people and their stuff into a standard passenger vehicle, people usually rent a pick-up truck or a U-Haul truck. Another option is getting a trailer to pull with your car.

The most comfortable option is the camper van for sure. If you plan to rent a camper van, or any other type of vehicle for that matter, you should be expecting to pay beyond the regular rental fees. Because;
1) Burning Man overlaps with Labor Day;
2) The Burning Man dust is unlike any other you have seen before. It has a sticky, lime dust-like quality and it doesn’t come off with water. When they hear you are renting for Burning Man, cleaning fees instantly pile up. Don’t try to hide it when you are renting, because no matter how much you clean up, that dust will reveal itself.

Don’t forget to buy a vehicle pass.

Entering Burning Man

The gates open on Sunday. The first few days, you might be facing an extremely long line at the entrance. And by extremely long, I mean waiting for 12-15 hours. So, you should come with your lunch, etc. prepared. They set up a couple of porta-potties along the way, but not that many. So use them whenever you see one. While you are waiting, tune in to Burning Man Information Radio (94.5 FM). It provides you with a constant flow of information on waiting times and procedures.

Because we entered the area on Wednesday, we didn’t experience any traffic.

Orientation & Finding Addresses

How do you find your camp, friends, events in a temporary city with a population of 80,000 set up in the middle of the desert? Burning Man has its own address system. For instance, our camp’s address 8.45 & C.

The Man in the center of the playa and the Temple, which I have indicated with a star above, are the two biggest and most visible things at the playa. You draw a mental line that passes through them. The end that extends towards the camps is at 6 o’clock; the other end extending towards deep playa is at 12. This way, you can tell directions. The streets of the camp are formed in concentric crescents, which are named alphabetically from A to Z, starting in the middle and progressing outwards. To avoid any miscommunication, people usually spell them out with words, C as in Cupid, E as in Echo, so on and so forth.

Most of the points of reference you see at the playa are mobile. When you stop, try to lock your bike at a stationary installation and pay attention to the time slice it is located at.

Burning Man Rituals

The Man Burn

There is no doubt that burning of The Man is the best known Burning Man ritual. It happens on Saturday, the night before the last day. 70,000-80,000 people form a gigantic circle around it to watch. Artcars form another circle around the people sitting on the ground. As lights and music emanate from all of them, The Man is burned accompanied by fireworks.

Temple Burn

The Temple is the most emotional place at Burning Man. A friend of ours had told us he started crying when he entered, and at the time it didn’t make much sense to us. But once I was there, my eyes welled up with tears, too. When you enter the Temple, you leave the joyful atmosphere of BM and face how much pain there is in the world.

The temple is a place dedicated to loved ones people have lost. People prepare remembrances for those they miss and leave them here. Some made photo collages for lost spouses, some brought their father’s hat, and they have written long letters to them. They have expressed how they miss them, their regrets, all that is left unfinished. This is also a place to bury the pain you want to eliminate from your life. For example someone who is fighting with cancer brought the apparatus she has to wear, another whose wife has cheated on him brought her underwear, another who can’t forgive himself for what he did to his loved ones brought their photos and wrote he’s sorry on them, and there are many other examples.

On Sunday, the last day of Burning Man, they burn the Temple to symbolically end all the pain. Once again, all burners make a 70,000-80,000 person circle around it and art cars line up behind them. This time there is no music or talking. You listen to the crackling of the wood in the deep silence of the desert. And to those who are softly weeping and sniffling after their loved ones.

Lamplighters

The road to “The Man” needs to be illuminated with lanterns every night. In 1993, this turned into a tradition. Every year 1,000 people volunteer to for this task. It has a symbolic meaning, just like the Olympic torch. If it is your first time at Burning Man and you don’t know what to volunteer for, this is the right place to start. You can find the information for volunteering here.

Post-Burning Man : Decompression

If you fly back right after you leave Burning Man, you will be so depressed. So people have come up with rituals to gently ease into real life after Burning Man, which is known as “decompression”.

Before we get into these rituals, let’s quickly talk about the hustle and bustle of leaving BRC: After the burning of the Temple on Sunday evening, Burning Man starts closing down. But the exit traffic begins earlier, on Saturday. Despite hitting the road early Sunday morning, it took us 6.5 hours to get to Reno, which is normally a 2-hour drive. So, we would recommend getting on the road in the early hours of the morning to avoid the exit traffic.

Once you get in line, tune into Burning Man Information Radio (94.5 FM) at once. They announce  the expected waiting times so you can guess how long you’ll be waiting in traffic for.

Arriving In Reno: The first decompression ritual is staying in one of the burner friendly hotels in Reno. Here is what burner friendly means:
– They take all the trash you have brought with you (You can not dispose your trash anywhere, you have to take them to specific locations and pay. So this is a huge service that they are providing)
– They have high-pressure air nozzles at the hotel entrance to remove your dust (true story)
– They have burner pool parties.

But of course, the best part is that while you get to enjoy the comforts of returning to the civilization like the warm showers and spring mattresses, you are still not completely detached from the Burning Man community. On the streets, in the hotel, everyone still keeps wearing their Burning Man outfits. People usually stay for two nights, on Monday and Tuesday, but one day was enough for us, because Reno is like a small version of Las Vegas and to be honest I’m not a big fan of these factory-like casino hotels. Nevertheless, it felt so good because Burning Man had kicked my butt. The two most preferred hotels are Grand Sierra Resort and Sands. Try to get a room in one of these.

Lake Tahoe: The second decompression ritual is to go to heaven on earth, Lake Tahoe after a night in Reno. Tahoe is so beautiful and serene that many other natural wonders would pale in comparison.

If you can go to Reno and stay in the Grand Sierra Resort or Sands for a day. Get cleaned up, eat out, get your trash taken care of, hang out with fellow Burners another day.  The next day go to Tahoe either on a day trip or for an extended stay.

Few skip Reno altogether and go to Tahoe right away after Burning Man. In my opinion, Reno is a much-needed pitstop but everyone has different priorities. Withthat siad if you end up having to choose between the two, go to Tahoe. It’s a gorgeous place. We couldn’t get enough of swimming in the lake and taking walks in the forest. If you go there, make sure to rent a canoe from Sand Harbor. Secret Bay is the most beautiful bay, but if nudity is not your thing, it may not be the right choice for you.

You can book a house on Airbnb here. It makes more sense if you are a crowded group because the houses are quite huge and expensive to rent on your own.

I guess that’s all the Burning Man advice we have to offer! Happy burn!

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I said this to explain that no matter how wide the attendance to Burning Man from around the world is, it is still a very San Francisco based event. And we all know that San Francisco is something else. Since the summer of love in 1963, it has been sending ripples of art & love-fueled revolution across the world. From the hippies to the anti-Vietnam protests and the African-American revolutionary movement the Black Panthers, San Francisco has been home to many leading counter-culture movements.

The development of Silicon Valley has brought a different kind of revolutionaries into the cultural fabric of San Francisco. Some of the biggest tech game-changers in the world such as Airbnb, Facebook, Pinterest, Google, WhatsApp are here.

With the two revolutionary forces coming together, the city has become the world’s greatest center of innovation and creativity. San Francisco is a futuristic dynamo of revolution with a hippie soul and an engineer’s mind. And that is exactly what you see at Burning Man both in attendance and spirit.

Everybody Is Here, from Hippies to Google, Facebook, SpaceX and Other Tech Giants

I met with many people from NGOs, firefighters, masseurs, teachers, hippies, and artists. Basically people from all walks of life. However, it is an undeniable fact that the cost of attending Burning Man forces a natural selection so they are not the most represented professions in my personal experience.

The real statistics could be very different in reality but most of the random people I met were from the tech circles.  For instance, Elon Musk (SpaceX), Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg are some of the tech bosses who attend Burning Man. You won’t believe how much the feeling of the playa resembles the cyberspace.

As a matter of fact, while looking for a new CEO, Google founders Larry and Sergey took their candidate Eric Schmidt to Burning Man to test him. There they observed his adaptation skills, how he works with the team, how open he is to change and how he deals with difficult conditions and then hired him. If you are interested, you can read more about it here.

Is It True That Burning Man Is Becoming Increasingly More Elite?

Here are some numbers that demonstrate how participants are becoming more elite:
According to a study, in 2004 61% of the participants had at least a college degree, and this figure grew to 67% by 2013. Meanwhile only 29% of the general U.S. population has a college degree or higher.

Naturally, the participants’ income level also got higher: As of 2004, the annual income of 11% of the participants was $100,000 or more. This increased to 21% by 2013. Here is the article if you’d like to read it.

CNBC reported that the median annual income of participants was $60,000 in 2017.

Burning Man and Celebrities

https://www.instagram.com/p/B19rDJCndhu/

Often we hear about celebrities who attended Burning Man. Everybody is welcomed to attend Burning Man, but its association with these celebrities paint an image of Burning Man as an exclusive playground for the jet set. Another result of this association is that sometimes people tend to project their impression of a celebrity on Burning Man. This is enhanced by the media which loves to cherrypick the juicy parts of any event.

While I do think that there is a mismatch between Burning Man’s true spirit and the way it is percieved because of the celebrities, it does not mean they don’t belong here. Many popular figures attend Burning Man. In addition to the famous tech bosses, stars like Susan Sarandon and Will Smith, Paris Hilton, Victoria’s Secret models also come to Burning Man. Under their costumes that they enjoy a relieving anonymity here. I would imagine that blending in with the rest of society is a rare luxury for them. And they love Burning Man for it. Here is the photo Diplo, Paris Hilton and Blondish took together at Burning Man.

Reactions to the Rich People Who Don’t Follow the Burning Man Principles

As more and more wealthy people are attending Burning Man each year, rich camps known as the Billionaire’s row started to emerge. By many their percieved as a threat to the Burning Man spirit and principles, so there were some backlashes.

The Backlashes

Burning Man is the most effortful and inconvenient thing in the world to participate in. You can’t just buy a ticket and go to Burning Man. The preparation process takes months. Throughout the year, camps organize events (BBQs, movie nights, tours, etc.) to raise money for their Burning Man expenses; design their works of art and gifts to offer to the Burning Man community and take care of the entire infrastructure of the camp, from generators to furniture. They do it together with all the camp members. There is a great culture of solidarity and collaborative production around Burning Man.

And the effort doesn’t end there. When you get to Burning Man, you get a completely empty land allocated to your camp where you set up all your facilities together as a team. This takes a few days. Oh, and there is the traffic to enter the area, which can take up to 20+ hours. When you’re in the desert, every day is a struggle with all sorts of deprivation. There is no electricity nor running water to you need to cook, clean yourself, etc. Burning Man takes a lot of effort, but this is exactly where its spirit lies.

Burning Man CEO Goodell said, “Burning Man is anything but convenient, and therein lies its transformative potential!” People are indeed reborn from their ashes in the harsh conditions of the desert.

Burning Man Shuts Down Turnkey Luxury Camps

For years, there has been a big discussion about wealthy people hiring teams to set up camps with the luxury and comfort of their homes. These were referred to as turnkey or plug-and-play camps. When their owners arrive, they are met with their cooled-down rooms, warm meals, and entire camps set and ready to go. The word is that they also hire cleaning personnel and chefs.

Throwing money and buying their way into this process (apparently, it costs them about $10,000) violate many Burning Man principles such as  radical self-reliance, decommodification and communal effort. They are also criticized for putting barriers around their camps to close themselves to visitors. Some think that it damages the feeling of unity and brings in the class differences to place. Normally at Burning Man, you could ask politely to eat, drink, stay and use the facilities in camps that aren’t yours. This is what the Burning Man culture is like. So the turnkey camps are believed to threaten the Burning Man values.

In 2018, Burning Man shut down the billionaire camp called Humano the Tribe for not complying with the environmental rules and issued warnings to 12 other camps. According to Mashable this camp cost up to $100,000 per person. Well, we should also keep in mind that the media tend to exaggerate these kinds of things.

Burning Man Is Looking for Ways to Include the Wealthy Without Discrimination

At the same time, another significant Burning Man principle is radical inclusion. Nobody should be presured because they are millionaires or celebrities. It’s neither realistic nor fair to expect someone like Elon Musk to allocate this much time from his life, or someone like Paris Hilton who probably doesn’t even iron her own clothes herself to come here put stakes in the ground to build a camp.

Larry Harvey, Burning Man founder who died of a heart attack last year at the age of 70 had said, “I stay at a turnkey camp, too” to point out that this issue has been overrated (Source: Sacbee). There are so many older people at Burning Man, who shouldn’t be expected to show such an effort, either.

In short, they are trying to find a way to consolidate these two contradicting principles.

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How do you join the theme camps?

Upon invitation. Camps are made up of groups of friends who have been attending Burning Man together for years. If you have a friend who is part of a camp, that person can ask the camp leader if they have a spot for a newcomer that year. Usually, all camps accept new members, by referrals.

What do the camps offer?

Each camp decides on its own format. Here are some questions you might want to ask your camp:

1. How many shared meals will be served?
Only the dinner was a shared meal at our camp. We would all take turns to cook and wash the dishes. People managed all other meals on their own, but the shared kitchen was available for everyone to use. We would leave it as found.

Our friend’s camp had three meals. But then again, there were camps that did not even set up a kitchen. The camp decides.

Of course, the more meals you have, the more dishes there are to be washed. For us, our camp’s meal program was just perfect. It was ideal for us to come together with the rest of the team and enjoy dinner together and be free for the rest of the day.

If you’d prefer, you could also offer the camp different arrangements: “ I don’t know how to cook, maybe instead I could work at the set-up?” etc…

2. Will the camp set up a shared shower space? If it will, will the wastewater be stored together?
If there is no arrangement for wastewater collection and transport, you have to figure out a solution on you own. For ideas you can read our Burning Man Guide.

3. Are we going to bring generators?
Our camp did not have a shared fridge. People had brought their own coolers. We didn’t have other things that require electricity such as a music system or an air-conditioned lounge. So we didn’t have a generator. When you do have a generator, you also have to budget for fuel. Some camps use solar power. Of course, all these things would introduce additional expense items.

4. Will we set up a shared shade space?
Usually all camps have one. Some feature camping chairs, and others corner sofas. It is up to the camp.

5. How will we decorate the camp?
Some camps have elaborate constructions and decorations. Other don’t. Remember that you are expected to work to set up the camp.

6. Will we build an art car?
Art cars are fantastic. They are fun and they are great gifts to the community but it will raise the costs.

7. What will we offer the Burning Man community as gifts?

As we mention in our What Happens At Burning Man article:

Camps spend thousands and even hundred thousands of dollars out of their own pockets to build art cars, give out free food, set up air-conditioned dormitories, etc. Those with more modest resources may set up low-cost things like hair-braiding stations.

You will be expected to participate both with your money and time in these preparations.

8. Will the camp set up its own toilets?

These are some of the essential questions a camps has to figure out. But there are also much more sophisticated camps.

Note: Keep in mind that every “yes” to the questions above means time commitment and money. Because you will bring everything, set it up, take it down, store it and maintain it. All of these require time commitment as well.

Camp fees

You don’t pay rent for your camp space. But all the things mentioned above constitute expenses which are equally distributed among members. Everyone pays her share to the camp leader.

The camp gear is stored so that it can be used again in the following years (hence the storage fee). For instance, if the kitchen equipment is bought in the first year, the following year that budget is allocated to something else and the camp is further improved every year. The decorations of some camps are absolutely amazing.

I don’t have any burner friends. Can I go without joining a camp?

There are many people who camp solo. You can definitely go alone, but it would be more challenging. It is very convenient to be able to use the shared spaces.

If you have a tent, storing and taking back your wastewater (taking showers, washing hands, preparing meals) will be your biggest problem. So, if you decide to stay in a tent and don’t have a camp, you should plan very well what to do about the wastewater.

If you have a camper van, most of your problems are solved as you would have all the equipment and facilities you need.

If solo participants need something, they should go ahead and ask the camps for help. Everyone welcomes each other with open arms.

What are the preparations I should make for myself?

Going to Burning Man requires serious preparation. You can read our checklist and recommendations here: The Complete Guide to Burning Man: Tickets & Preparations

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So many people seem to have formed opinions based on assumptions without even having been there. Is it a rave? Is it a cult or is it a sinful millionaire playground? What happens at Burning Man? I wanted you to hear it from someone who has actually been there and loved it. But do read other peoples’s opinions as well. Some are less enthusiastic, some are thrilled. As they say, everybody experiences a different Burning Man and here is mine.

We travel around the world for work and we made our living organizing festivals and other events. Yet, I have not seen another experience in the world that transcends this. Having seen Burning Man, everything else pales in comparison and seems to lack creativity; all other ideas feel simply inside the box.

I recommend reading this article without skipping because there is a certain flow and if you miss certain parts, you may not be able to follow the rest. If you are new to Burning Man jargon, you can find out little glossary at the bottom of this article.

How Did We Decide to Go to Burning Man?

Let me introduce myself first. My name is Duygu. I graduated from Brown University in 2006 and I live in Istanbul, Turkey. I got married to my husband Bilgehan in 2018.

At our wedding, one of Bilgehan’s dearest friends Oktay, who knew I dreamt of going to Burning Man, said, “My wedding gift to you will be taking you to Burning Man.” Yes, we are totally blessed to have such great friends.

While we paid for our own tickets, Oktay made most of the preparations for us which is the most difficult part. I should also note that getting Burning Man tickets is so hard the search for tickets for us to purchase was enough of a gift in itself.

Oktay was able to find us tickets sort of the last minute, so the airfare was just too expansive. So we ended up taking a two-day trip with various layovers through Istanbul-Stockholm-Helsinki-San Francisco. As a result, we made it to Burning Man on Wednesday morning, 3 days after it started.

What is Burning Man

I’m not sure if it can fit into a single definition. Everyone experiences Burning Man differently. Ask a hundred Burners and you will get a hundred different responses. Some think of it as a party, others as meditation, and still others as a family…

As for me, I think of Burning Man as a new civilization. It demonstrates all elements that define a society: There are nuclear families, extended families, a shared identity, traditions, rituals and a shared moral code. It has a settlement called the Black Rock City with protected borders and over 70,000 citizens. While it mimics a standard societal system, the nature of these elements is very different than what we are used to. Families are not formed by blood, things that are looked upon with disgrace such as nudity outside are welcomed here, and other things that are glorified outside like money are useless here. So in a way, it is a new civilization.

So calling Burning Man a festival is extremely reductive. Yes, it offers the best entertainment the world has ever seen but that is only one of the many pillars that is built on. Art, entertainment, communal life, spirituality, open-mindedness, and creativity make up the cultural fabric of this civilization.

Unlimited Freedom?

Burning Man is perceived as a wild place but that is a very shallow approach if you don’t know where it is coming from. One of the biggest values of Burning Man is creating a safe space for everyone. While in our everyday societies the moral code is shaped much by taboos (about nudity, sexual preferences, jobs, appearances, etc), here the moral code is built around about being absolutely judgment-free about personal choices. In a way, taboos are the taboo here.   A judgement-free allows people to lower their guards, open up their hearts and let themselves be free.

What would you do with yourself if no one would ever judge you for your preferences? Perhaps this is where the entertainment aspect begins. Everything is magical at Burning Man. There is an infinite amount of stimuli. And you have all the freedom in the world to do what you want with it. You feel an explosion of happiness, hope, and inspiration.

This is exactly why everyone has a unique experience of Burning Man. Nowhere else in the world you can be so free to be simply  your true self. Everyone follows their own inner call. Some find themselves at the fighting pit, others dancing naked on an art car or handing out warm omelets at dusk. Here they are all equally acceptable ways to participate in this society and all are typical Burning Man. In other words, Burning Man is what you make of it.

Ten Golden Principles of Burning Man

While it is an incredibly free place, there are also very strict rules, all of which are to build a community of respect and harmony. We can call these the code of ethics of Burning Man:

1- Radical self-reliance:  There is no infrastructure like running water or electricity at Black Rock City, which is where Burning Man happens. You are face-to-face with the challenges of the desert. You have to think about your meals, water and shelter, etc. So you have bring with you everything you will need to survive here. You can read about How to Prepare for Burning Man here.

2- Decommodification: It is forbidden to use money or sell anything in Black Rock City.

3- Gifting: Burning Man encourages the citizens of the Black Rock City to engage in acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Everyone strives to contribute to the community in some way. Some people volunteer to work as staff, others throw parties or BBQs, while others create awesome art. Everyone contributes in their own way.

It is very impressive the extents people go to prepare gifts for this community. I have seen tens of thousands of dollars worth art cars and camp sites. But you can also contribute by doing something that doesn’t cost much like braiding people’s hair for one hour.

4- Leaving No Trace: A lot of effort is put into protecting nature and minimizing Burning Man’s impact on the desert. Things that don’t belong there shouldn’t be left there. That even includes spilling drinking water on the ground. It didn’t come from there, so by introducing it you are harming the ecosystem. You should pick up even the smallest glitter that falls off your face, because it simply doesn’t belong there. You collect not only your trash, but everything including you brought there your body hair, all wastewater, absolutely anything and everything you can think of, and take it back home with you.

5- Radical Inclusion: Anyone and everyone—all individuals with disabilities, the elderly, children, homosexuals, asexuals, hijabis or nudists, etc.—is considered a valuable part of this community and the people of Black Rock should embrace everyone without any prejudice.

6- Radical Self-Expression: What you wear, how you decorate your bike or your camp are all ways of expressing yourself. You are encouraged to get creative and limitless. By expressing we create art and also contribute to other people’s experiences at Burning Man.

7- Communal Effort: Looking out for one another, creating art together, collaborating is very important. People also have a deep sense of belonging here. There is a saying, “The playa provides,” which refers to the culture of taking care of each other here. If you ever need something during Burning Man, just ask around and someone will find you a solution. Say, your one week’s worth of food got somehow ruined and you have nothing to eat for the rest of Burning Man. You will find food, maybe even more than you need.

8- Civic Responsibility: Individuals need to keep in mind the law and social good in all their actions and behaviors. This is common sense and should be valid everywhere, but nevertheless a reminder is always useful.

9- Participation: The principle that the change in the world starts with the individual. As stated in the Burning Man principles, “We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart.”

10- Immediacy: Not being in the moment detaches us from our inner world, the people around us, and nature. Burning Man tells us to be in the moment, not just physically but also mentally.

We can definitely say that everyone was usually pretty loyal to these ten principles.

The Tickets Cost $450 but You Don’t Get Any Infrastructure or Entertainment

Yes, you read it correctly: In exchange for $450 all you get is the good old porta-potties. They don’t provide you with any electricity, running water, concerts or other activities.

The entire city is set up by participants. So you bring your own electricity, water, kitchen, activities, etc. The environmental rules are quite strict, which brings about an extra workload. For instance, MOOP (matter out of place) is a highly sensitive issue. Want to shower? That water cannot touch the ground. You have to store the wastewater and take it back home with you. Similarly, you can never light a fire on the ground and you have to take all your trash back home.

You have all these exhausting rules, which are also necessary. You have to prepare very well and it is very far from comfortable. As you can see, from start to finish, Burning Man is quite a laborious and inconvenient affair.

It may sound crazy, but it is thankfully so! Because in a way, this brings about natural selection. People who can’t be bothered or obsessive types think this is a bit too much and decide not to go. Thus possible problem makers are filtered out.

The living conditions have encouraged people to come together and build theme camps, shortly known as camps. It would be very hard and costly for individuals to set up generators, kitchens, and showers and to store wastewater on their own. As a result, camps have emerged to do these things collectively.

Of course, this is not just a pragmatic union. Participating in Burning Man with the same people year after year, you become a family. You have fun together, you are deeply moved together, you look after each other, take care of one another.

Can You Tell Us a Bit More About These Camps?

Sure. You can read on about what theme camps are, what to expect and how to join them here: Theme Camps At Burning Man

How Do We Have Fun?

Burning Man is not a festival. They do not book performances nor provide entertainment. Yet, I don’t think I have ever had more fun or seen a bigger performance in my entire life. Burning Man is by far the most extreme and strongest expression of the transformative power of art.

When you first arrive, you are absolutely spellbound. Especially when you ride your bike into the Playa on your first night, it feels like having crossed into a different dimension or planet. The darkness and vacuum of the desert also have a magnifying effect. Tens of thousands of lit-up bikes and people are on the moving around you like a horde of fireflies.  Art cars pass by left and right. You pedal through the installations and works of art in the playa. It is really really fascinating.

All activities are organized by participants! They spend thousands of dollars out of their own pockets for this!

We are talking about a 24/7 whirlwind of activities, an explotion of performances which are all organized by the participants.

But do not think of art only as of just the music, sculptures and the installations at the playa. Here every person is a performance in itself in the way they dress, act, be present. All Burners try to enrich each other’s experiences. People make plenty of preparations both collectively as camps and individually.

So everyone is a participant, a curator, an artist and sometimes the work of art itself all at the same time. It is quite a revolutionary approach. 

How Do You Become a Part of the Performance?

People offer their talents and resources to others without expecting anything in return. For instance, if you are good at reading fortunes, you can contribute by doing that; or you can offer people a small recital by playing tunes on the pianos placed on the playa. You can amaze people with your costume. You can sing or read poetry at open mic stages. When you meet new people, you can offer them small and unexpected gifts.

We brought 500 evil eye beads with us from Turkey to give out to people that we meet (the traditional evil eye beads, usually made out of blue glass in the shape of an eye, are believed to protect you from evil and envious eyes and keep negative energy out of your way). We also filled water guns with sunscreen to offer a squeeze to people who were scorched by the sun out there.

Imagine the happy feeling you would get if someone came up to you and said, “Your cheeks look a bit red, I thought you might want some sunscreen” and the fun you would have if the sunscreen were squirted from a tiny water gun. Ta da! You yourself have become a performance that enriches others’ experiences!

The Camps are the Real Deal

Camps (theme camps) usually take on much more complex activities. They spend thousands and even hundred thousands of dollars out of their own pockets to build art cars, give out free food, set up air-conditioned dormitories, etc. Those with more modest resources may set up low-cost things like hair-braiding stations.

Ultimately, everyone contributes to the community and no one expects money or any other favor in return. Everything is free of charge and available for all. Everyone has a single motive: Contributing to the Burning Man community.

How Do We Follow the Activities?

All camps submit to Burning Man information about the location/time of the activities they will organize. And Burning Man compiles all this information in a book and an app. Upon entry, you are provided with the program booklet, but its content is a bit more limited. It is best to download the app before you get to Burning Man.

How Does One Day Pass At Burning Man

Most people prefer stay up during the night and sleep thought the heat during the day

The sunset and sunrise are the most beautiful times of the day in the desert so, like most people, we tried to catch both. So we would be up until the sunrise, then we would go to sleep around 7 or 8 am. This way we also were sleeping though the day time heat as much as we could. However, around 11 am it got too hot in our shift pod and we had to wake up. Do not expect to sleep much at Burning Man.

Upon waking up would escape to our friend’s van and together we’d prepare breakfast. It would last till 1 p.m. so it was more like lunch. Then we would get on our bikes and pedal from camp to camp to join their activities. Or if there was an activity at our camp, we’d stay and work there like attending the bar.

Day Time Activities
If you want to party, you can find a party any time of the day. It doesn’t matter if it is 2 pm. But we preferred to use the day to hang out at different camps, attending their activities and meeting new people.

There are so many great activities at the camps; seminars, workshops, games, treatments, shows, etc…  You can attend download the Burning Man has an app called Time to Burn where all activities as listed. The abundance and diversity of activities will blow your mind. So we would hop on our bikes and ride them from one activity to the other. Most of the time we couldn’t make it to our intended destinations because we would get lured into different camps on the way. Very often there will be a person with a megaphone inviting you to the activity at their camp. That is how ended up at the wife-carrying contest where we won the trophy in the photo.

Shared Dinner at Camp

At our camp, dinner started around 7 p.m. If we were on duty, we would need to come an hour or so earlier to help. Most of the meals prepared at the camp were effortless meals but since the meal would be for 25-30 people it still took some time.

If we were not on duty, we were always around 30 minutes late and all the food would be already gone.

After dinner, you feel a bit sluggish. Of course, the sleep you get in the morning is not quite enough. So we used to take a nap for two hours or so after dinner. We would sleep like sailors, in multiple shifts, one shift in the afternoon and one in the evening.

Nights at the Playa

When we woke up, we would get on our bikes and go straight to the playa. The playa is so beautiful and stimulating at night that sometimes we would do nothing but ride our bike around aimlessly for hours. Other times we would park our bikes, climb on the installations and just chat, or chase after art cars, find DJs, etc… Then people would start gathering somewhere; we’d get curious, we’d go there and join them… We’d go up to the Temple and get wrapped up in our emotions. Until the sun rises you enjoy a mix of experiences and feelings.

There is no guidelines to how to spend a day at Burning Man. The simple answer is to say yes to every call.

Who Is Burning Man For?

So much talk has been going on about whether Burning Man is for hippies or for Billionaires. The truth is everyone is welcomed here. Ont the other hand, while being n hippie & artsy in spirit but surely it is becoming more and more the playground of the privileged. San Francisco’s rise as a tech hub a direct effect on the matter. Burning Man is trying to find a balance between keeping old Burners content and adjusting to its changing audience.

You can read on about the some flash Burners such as celebrities and billionaires here : Who Goes to Burning Man

I Want to Go to Burning Man. Where Do We Start?

Finding tickets and the preparations are a whole other adventure. You can read about them in our article: The Complete Burning Man Guide

Then Why Aren’t the Tickets Free?

Here is one of the most frequently asked questions: It is one thing for the tickets to be paid, but doesn’t it contradict the Burning Man principles for them to be so expensive?

Burning Man is a non-profit but as you might imagine it has a pretty good turnover. According to their 2017 tax returns, Burning Man made $36.7 million in revenue. This money is used to run the organization. Any remaining balance is kept for the following year’s event. Let us not forget, every year an entire city is built almost from scratch. Even a temporary airport is set up in there to serve during Burning Man. It is an incredibly big operation. It requires a large team and a budget.

Consequently, Burning Man has a full-time team on board throughout the whole year. When I asked someone who worked there, I was told there are about 200 paid employees. This is based on somebody’s statement, so I’m not sure how accurate it is. There are also thousands of volunteers who work there, but it turns out that paid employees take on some of the more critical roles.

In addition to the expenses for personnel and setting up the city, Burning Man also provides funds for art projects. For instance, an artist from Turkey applies to Burning Man about the idea of a jellyfish installation. There are many expense items such as the artist’s living and travel expenses, the costs for the work of art and transportation. Burning Man helps out with these expenses, but I’m not sure how and how much of them. Maybe they only allocate some funds for the work of art and travel.

To encourage the participation of people from all walks of life, they also support the participation of people who can’t afford it. For instance, they had covered all the expenses, including airfare, for a group of participants from Africa.

They also need to raise funds to rent and clean the land upon which the city is built, for health services and other services to be offered in there.

I think this is what the ticket fees are used for. I don’t know if there is ever a remaining balance or not, I have no idea. But in the future I’m expecting more creative and equalizing fundraising solutions from such an organization.

Frequently Asked Questions

Social Media

They dislike social media, especially influencers. In fact, in the previous years they had Internet, but they didn’t this year. There are several reasons for that:
– It detaches people from the moment.
– Photos are simply insufficient to do this place justice.
– Influencers and celebrities come here with sponsorships and use this place to make money. It is completely wrong to come here sponsored by Victoria’s Secret, using the works of arts as a background to market products, but unfortunately people do this. This year Diplo arrived at Burning Man on a Popeyes plane. He posed in front of the huge-ass Popeyes logo on the plane with two huge Popeyes bags in his hands and shared it on Instagram. Not cool.

This is like placing dynamite into the values of Burning Man. It is not just the influencers who act so ridiculously. But when they do it, it is transformed into a global scale.

How Much Does It Cost?

You can read about it in our Burning Man Preparations article.

Substance Use

Burning Man takes place on federal land in Nevada. Which means anything except for alcohol is illegal. The bars inside serve alcohol for free. In the U.S. the legal drinking age is 21. You have to show your ID at the bars to drink. They also accept a photo of your ID on your phone, instead of the actual ID. Obviously, this place is not exempt from such regulations. There is police at the entrance of events and inside the events. There is also undercover police. There are volunteer Burning Man Rangers, who serve as a buffer between security forces and participants. They are on patrol 24/7 on their own vehicles.

Children and the Elderly

There were more children than we had expected at Burning Man. Those who were once young people with flowers in their hair in the 1960’s are coming to Burning Man with their grandchildren today. You can easily see people from three different generations.

There are campsites and activities for families with children. Families take children to age-appropriate places. I don’t think they fully understand what is going on around them, but I’m sure they find it very interesting. That said, I wouldn’t want to take my own kid there. Not because I wouldn’t want them to see the things they’d see, but because I wouldn’t want to expose them to the unsanitary conditions of the desert. I guess I’m not so open-minded enough regarding these matters.

There are also many participants around ages 70-80. And some of them even volunteer to work. Burning Man is really an age-less place. The only condition is being open-minded.

Pollution

Burning Man openheartedly discusses the environmental impact of the event.

The event’s impact on the desert is minimized with the collective effort of all the participants. As I explained above, people make sure not a single thing that doesn’t belong remains there. You won’t be able to see a single piece of trash on the ground at any point of the event. If a loose feather or something from someone’s costume flies off, someone would be sure to pick it up. After the camp is taken down, all camp members line up shoulder-to-shoulder and thoroughly clean up the entire area.

After everyone leaves, Burning Man teams do the same thing; they line up shoulder-to-shoulder, clean up the entire city step by step, which takes about a month. They also restore the changes done by vehicles and bikes on the territory. During this process, they also assess and grade each camp site’s cleanliness and publish a map. Camps that appear green on the map are invited again and red ones are banned from participating.

Burning Man is not only concerned with the environmental issues on the playa. They don’t want participants to clean up the playa and pile up all their trash in the containers of a nearby town. Because that would also constitute Burning Man pollution. It is also frowned upon and people are warned about urinating in the bushes on the way. But some people still violate these rules.

Toilets

Let us first warm up to these two terms:
Grey Water – Wastewater such as water from the sink, washing machines or dishwashers. It is the participants’ duty to dispose of the grey water they produce. Black Water refers to the toilet water with urine and feces. These two terms are used to refer to the toxicity of the water.

They deal with the waste from the porta potties set up in the area. But if you are not going to use them, you need to come up with your own solution. And you are responsible for disposing of your waste in line with to the rules.

Conclusion

Looking at photos and its reflections in the press may look Burning Man as a crazy festival or party. This is true to a certain extent; Burning Man is indeed a marginal place and a great party, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. It can never be reduced to just that.

I don’t blame anyone who thinks that way. At the end of the day, Burning Man isn’t s something you can fully grasp without experiencing it for yourself. Despite having several friends who had gone to Burning Man many times, I have to admit that even we didn’t understand it fully either. But that only occured to me after having been there.

As they say, “Burning Man is what you make of it.” For some it is a therapy, a way to let some steam off. Others find a sense of belonging. It is love, folly, exhaustion, challenging the limits, emotional breakdown or resurrection all once. It is a magical place that is going to give you whatever it is that you came to with the intention to get.

It is really a place woven with love. People really approach one another with kindness, compassion, and respect. Prejudices is not allowed in there. And those who can’t handle this much freedom and open-mindedness do not come back, leading to a sort of natural selection.

The weird thing is, while you may not feel like a love bug on your first days and do certain things just to adapt and go along with everyone else, in a few days you see your heart opening up. If you don’t believe it, let’s hear it from the infamous Facebook enemies:

For those who are not familiar with the story, here is a short version of the big fight: Facebook’s founders were roommates at Harvard. Evidently, they had “stolen” the idea from ConnectU, the company of their Harvard classmates the Winklevoss twins. Not only did they not talk to each other, but they also shredded each other to pieces at court and eventually Facebook had to pay the Winklevosses $65 million. The great enemies ran into each other at Burning Man.

Moskovitz: “These guys are among the only people on earth I might describe as real antagonists in my life or even enemies, but on playa my first instinct was that I quite obviously needed to introduce myself and start with hugs [You meet and greet people by giving hugs instead of shaking hands]. They had just arrived so I wasn’t sure how they’d react, but they were very gracious at the time and I knew they’d understand more deeply by the time they left.

Almost immediately when I got back, I had a Facebook friend request from Tyler [Winklevoss] and we started a thread mutually extolling the virtues of the festival. In no uncertain terms, he described a spiritual experience. I had created all kinds of dark fantasies about how meeting them would go (Tyler assures me it would have been cordial regardless), but on playa it was laughably clear. There, we were all part of the same community. We were always part of the same community.” Source: Business Insider

I think this is the greatest success of Burning Man: Creating a new civilization that resets the mind to new beginnings. It is really magical that this experience can truly transform you so that you would hug a person whom you’d wish to strangle the day before.

Burning Man Glossary

Here are some definitions to help you through this article, so you don’t ask yourself  “What is this girl talking about?”

Black Rock City (BRC) – Where Burning Man takes place. An immense city is built in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. It lasts for around 10 days.

In addition to this, there are many other Burning Man gatherings in Africa, Israel, China, Miami and various other places.

Playa – The area where you can find the installations, the temple and the man at the BRC. If you have seen a map of BRC,  it is the open space in the inner circle.

Deep Playa – The farthest corners of the playa.

Theme Camp – They are shortly referred to as camps. The camps logde, eat and survive together at Burning Man. Also the activities and entertainment at Burning Man are organized by these theme camps. In other words, camps are the fundamental units that realize and sustain Burning Man.

They are called theme camps because they revolve around a theme of their choice. For example our camp was called Pickleback Mountain so we operated a bar where we served pickle juice and whiskey. Some of my friends were at a camp called Bee Charge. Their art car was in the shape of bees and camp decorations were black and yellow.

Art car (or Mutant Vehicle) – Functional vehicles that have been turned into works of art. Magical things! Some of them feature sound systems and lighting, starting a party wherever they go. Some are simply works of art that you can’t take your eyes off of.

Burner – Someone who has graduated from Burning Man

Man – The Man. In 1986, Burning Man founders Larry Harvey and Jerry James met up with their friends on the beach and burned a wooden man figure to let go of the burden of a relationship that was over. Over the years it became a tradition and eventually became the symbol of the event. The man is burned on the night before the last day, on Saturday. Its design changes every year.

Temple – A non-religious structure of deep spiritual meaning. It is filled with emotion. The design changes every year, giving it a different name and theme. This year (2019) it was called the Temple of Direction.

MOOP (Matter out of Place) – Things that do not belong to the desert and pollute the playa. This is a rather broad concept. You shouldn’t even spill clean water on the ground, because the water doesn’t belong there so you would harm the ecosystem.

Ranger – After years of participating in Burning Man, some people volunteer to be Rangers in service of other burners’ safety and well-being. Whenever you have a problem, you reach out to rangers. For instance, lost your passport? There is a police station inside, but going to a ranger first is a better idea. Do you need to contact your family because of an emergency? Go to a ranger. And so on and so on.

Now that you have the necessary vocabulary, we can roll on.

The post WHAT HAPPENS AT BURNING MAN appeared first on Biz Evde Yokuz.

So, it was the long pages of complaints about traveling around Cuba on the internet that really surprised me. People intentionally choose to experience Cuba for its differences, but also complain about it? Did they have a different expectation of Cuba?

It seemed to me that people didn’t have a realistic idea of what life in Cuba is like. So here, I want to address that. Like most things in life, there are two sides to a coin. Cuba has great beauty to offer, but it also has its downsides. It is neither the fairyland of happy dancing people as it is sometimes portrayed, nor is it a dark place where people are left to starve to death as others might try to frame it.

I have tried to represent the situation in Cuba as objectively as I can, based both on my observations and research. Not everything written here is the absolute truth, and there could be other, opposing observations for sure. If you have similar or differing viewpoints and information, we would love for you to contribute to this post by writing in the comments below.

Note: If you are reading this to prepare for your trip to Cuba, I would recommend two of our other blog posts just for that. Don’t plan anything without reading them, or you could wind up disappointed.

CUBA TRAVEL TIPS & BUDGET INFORMATION
THINGS TO DO IN CUBA & IDEAL ITINERARY

Let’s begin with one of the most debated questions we’ve seen.

Do Cubans today live in poverty?

The monthly wages would seem to suggest so. A translator makes $20 a month, and a doctor makes $30 a month. A 1.5-liter bottle of water costs $2, sometimes $1. It’s an inevitable fact of life in Cuba that most things are out of reach of the locals. But let’s stop here for a moment. Before we move on, we should make sure that we are on the same page in defining poverty.

What exactly does “poverty” mean? There are several definitions of poverty. UNESCO’s defines “absolute poverty” as difficulty obtaining basic needs such as fuel, medicine, clothes, water, food and rent. Cubans have houses and are given a ration every month that covers 40% of food products.

Conditions in Cuba today

Access to education and medical services is universal. Because the weather is hot, they don’t need fuel to keep themselves warm. The state also provides a subsidy for citizens to buy staples such as eggs, sugar and rice. The constitution ensures everyone has access to music and art, and going to see concerts or plays is either free or very cheap.

While Cuba doesn’t quite fit in with UNESCO’s definition of “poverty,” it doesn’t mean that the conditions of the country are ideal. Life in Cuba is expensive, and people are always looking for a way to make extra money. The houses are in a dilapidated state and the furniture inside is at least 30-40 years old.

The fact that possessions have to be shared with the state doesn’t help. For instance, you are a farmer, and you have 3-5 cows. You don’t have anything to eat, and you want to slaughter one of your livestock for food. However, according to the regime, you can’t because you would need the state’s permission as they have ownership rights over your animal.

The economy in Cuba today

Cuba today has two official currencies – CUC used by tourists and Peso used by locals. 1 CUC equals 25 Pesos. The dependency of the locals on state subsidies for their basic needs has created an alternate economy, resulting in the need to have another currency for foreigners. As an example, a tourist at a store would be charged 2 CUC for water, while a local would get it for 15 Pesos, around 0.6 CUC.

A lot of people have turned their houses into homestays because it allows them to make a Cuban doctor’s monthly wage in a single night. This has changed not only day-to-day life in Cuba, but also has caused skilled workers such as nurses, doctors and teachers to leave their professions to pick up tourism. Some work two jobs. Don’t be surprised if your taxi driver turns out to be a doctor.

Before the revolution, Cuba Ranked 5th Per Capita GDP In The Northern Hemisphere

Seeing Cuba today, it’s hard to believe that life in Cuba used to be that good, but it’s true. Before the revolution, Cuba’s economy was doing really well. When America banned alcohol in the 1920s, Cuba became the supergiant’s “sin island” and attracted hordes of tourists and investment. However, this wealth was not dispersed equally.

The American mafia and their Cuba partners began making more and more money from its various business ventures, such as casinos, nightclubs, brothels and hotels. The growing discontent with this inequality was the thing that ignited the Cuban revolution. If you’d like to learn more about the revolution and what took place, then you should check out: The Cuban Revolution – Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and Communism.

The “Special Period”

After the revolution, all American products and business were nationalized, and economic reforms ensured that revenue made by these ventures was distributed nationwide. However, the economy never recovered. Cuba’s economy survived through support from the Soviet Union.

Once the USSR fell in 1991, the support ended and Cuba’s economy went into a massive crisis. This period of time is referred to as the “Special Period.” The state was so out of money that it couldn’t even feed its people. Food rations and product distributions were cut by half. Cuba’s economy shrunk by 60% and the average Cuban lost 30% of their body weight. Even years after the special period, in 2001, desperate mothers could be seen asking for money to buy milk powder for their children.

Today, there are still many things that the Cubans need, however, the economy is doing significantly better. Former Venezuelan president Chavez played an important role in helping recover the economy. Fidel and Chavez are known to have been good friends. They made a deal for Cuba to train Venezuelan doctors in exchange for cheap oil and financial support. Even though both Chavez and Fidel have passed away, economic and political relations between the two countries remains strong.

Are Cubans happy?

While reading articles on the internet about life in Cuba, you’ll probably find that a lot of them focus on how poor and unhappy the locals are. From where we stand, being satisfied and being happy are two different things. Yes, it’s true that opportunities in Cuba today are rather slim under the regime. Cubans are definitely not satisfied with their standard of living, but we couldn’t say that they are not happy.

We interpreted young people dressing up to gather in a square and loud music blaring out of houses as its own joi de vivre. Opportunities are rare; life in Cuba is hard. However, income is only one of the many indicators on the happiness index.

Interpretation is personal, but numbers will be a better judge. According to the World Health Organization, Cuba ranks 84 out 183 countries in the suicide index. During the “Special Period,” Cuba was ranked 28, which goes to show you how bleak of a period it was for Cuba.

“La Vida Gorda:” Fat Life

“La Vida Gorda” is a prevalent saying in Cuba today. As opportunities are few and far between, people have learned to rely on each other. For instance, one house in the neighborhood has a radio, the other a scooter, another a sewing machine, and they survive by borrowing from each other. This also means that people are forced to tolerate one another because everyone understands that they might have to cross that bridge again.

Scrambling for a piece of the Cuban pie

Life in Cuba is rapidly changing. In 2006, Raul Castro took charge and two years later, in 2008, Cubans were allowed to own cell phones and DVDs. This was the first thing that Raul Castro did to signal that he was more moderate than Fidel. In 2010, local farmers were given the right to own land, opening the door to foreign investment.

Foreign tourism investors are seizing every opportunity to open hotels. Every year, 3.5 million tourists come to Cuba, and, according to the World Bank, this could skyrocket to almost 10 million. Spanish, French, Canadian and UK firms have already purchased land. While roaming around Havana, you’ll see signs like, “We’re opening in 2019 – Kempinski” on every street.

American influence in Cuba today

American chains such as Hilton and Marriott are likely ready to pounce on Cuba as an investment destination; however, the US and Cuba have yet to fully patch up their relationship. American firms are still not allowed to enter Cuba. This gives companies in other countries a chance to enter the Cuban market, which is why the US is working quickly on resolving their issues with Cuba.

Has Cuba Changed Since Fidel’s Death?

Mont Blanc pens in new Havana stores have already been put up for sale for $2,000. Massive cruises are routing through Havana. The port’s potential is expected to grow as the state has begun a $900 million project. The Tallapiedra Electric plant is being renovated and will have a gallery similar to the Tate Modern in London, and the Nico Lopez Refinery is slated to be made into a science center.

Foreign companies are competing for a share of the Cuban market. Cubans living abroad who want to invest in the country are sending money to their families in Cuba to make investments and purchase property. The locals who are already involved in the tourism sector are aware of future opportunities. The money has started flowing to both the government and the people. Change is inevitable.

The Ban On Locals Going Overseas

After 50 years of not being able to leave the country (with a few exceptions, such as academics and artists), the government lifted the ban in 2012.

LGBTQ+

One of the best films dealing with this is Fresa y Chocolate, which was up for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. The film depicts a period in Cuba’s history where being openly gay was punishable with jail time and delves into how the gay community socialized under the pressure. The flavors in the movie stood for different sexual preferences: for example, someone who bought only strawberry ice cream was signaling that they wanted to meet only gay men.

After a repressive regime, when Mariela, Raul Castro’s daughter, came out in support of LGBT rights it was a pleasant surprise. With her support, Adela Hernández, who was imprisoned in the 1980s for being gay, became the first transsexual member of the Cuban parliament. In his later years, also Fidel began to soften his tone. So Cuba today is more tolerant than it was in the past.

Long Live Freedom?

Internet – Access to the internet continues to be extremely limited in Cuba today. There is no internet in houses; it is only available in some public squares. Even in the sprawling metropolis that is Havana, there are only 5 parks where you can purchase internet access. Moreover, internet costs are high; it costs 1.5 euro per hour, which makes it out of reach on a Cuban salary.

Even when you can find internet and pay for it, your exposure is limited because it is too slow to watch something or to make a call on WhatsApp. Your GSM mobile operator will provide internet services to you as a foreigner, but not to Cubans.

Locals not allowed to see what’s available to tourists – There are a number of luxury businesses that are off-limits to Cubans.

Comités de Defensa de la Revolución (CDR) – Committee for the Defense of the Revolution is one aspect that affects all aspects of life in Cuba. There are a couple reasons for having a Revolution Committee in every neighborhood in Cuba today: To provide support for the elderly, to put together entertainment activities and street parties, to assist with anything related to security and to monitor any activity against the revolution.

Where Does That Leave Cubans With Regard To The Communist Regime, Revolution, Fidel and Che?

In 1980, 21 years after the revolution, an unexpected diplomatic crisis fell in Castro’s lap. Six citizens who wanted to flee Cuba drove a car through the gates of the embassy of Peru, killing a Cuban guard in the process. After hearing that Peru refused to give up these 6 asylum seekers, Fidel removed the Cuban police from the Peru Embassy and announced that Cuba will be withdrawing its security forces from embassies and consulates refusing to cooperate with Cuba.

It was a strategic mistake. Now that there were no gatekeepers, thousands of Cubans who wanted to apply for asylum fled to the Peruvian embassy in a matter of a couple of days.

Cuban brain drain

Upon hearing the news that so many people wanted to leave the country,  Castro announced that anyone who wanted to leave through the Mariel port was free to do so. The US announced it would be welcoming Cuban refugees.

Hundreds of thousands of Cubans showed up to flee the country. The crisis was getting bigger and bigger. Each departure encouraged others to leave too. The US took in 125,000 Cuban political refugees during this time.

Fidel had a plan in mind to make the US stop taking Cubans. He began sending criminals and people with mental health problems from prisons, and the US had no other choice but to close its borders.

On the other hand, Cubans overall feel a great amount of admiration for figures such as Fidel Castro – as well as his comrades Raul Castro, Che Guevara, and Camillo Cienfuegos – and regard them as founding fathers of the country. Even though part of the Cubans who might not be pleased with the current administration, they have great respect for those who fought for Cuba’s freedom.

When Fidel passed away in 2016, the entire country went into a state of mourning. Fidel continued to be president until 2008, 49 years of popular rule.

Cuba’s Education System

Here we’ll talk about one of the two most acclaimed achievements in Cuba today: education (the other is health care). It is one thing that has really affected life in Cuba overall. Cuba allocates 10% of its budget to education. Here is a summary of some of the advancements Cuba has made in education:

1. Before the revolution, Cuba’s literacy rate hovered somewhere between 36%-42%. It’s 99.8% in Cuba today, which is higher than Spain’s at 98.1%.
2. We are not talking about only literacy rates either. In a 1998 report by UNESCO, Cuban students scored an average of 350 points on a performance test, 100 points higher than the average score in all of Latin America. And this test was done during a time that corresponded with a bleak economic outlook in Cuba.
3. Students in Cuba today not only learn how to read and write, but also take creative classes in primary schools, such as theater and salsa.
4. There is one teacher for every 12 students.
5. Education is free. The government helps students by paying for their uniforms, but the students have to buy their own books.
6. The government has made sure an equal ratio of boys and girls attend school and ensured children in rural areas are also included.
7. Education is mandatory for children ages 6-16.

Medicine in Cuba

Like education, health care is also free of charge. It’s hard to understand whether or not the health care system is good or not as there are diametrically opposed comments on this topic. Some say that Cuba’s health care system is more advanced than other countries, while others say the state of the hospitals in the country is poor.

Cuba is able to train doctors really well. In Cuba today, there are 627 doctors and 94 dentists per 100,000 people. Compare this to America, which has 225 doctors and 54 dentists per 100,000 people. However, another problem is the lack of infrastructure and medicine, which is largely due to the American embargo.

Cuban hospitals now have treatments for some specific illness like lung cancer. A lot of people from all around the world come to Cuba for treatment.

Family and Homes in Cuba Today

Because of the shortages of houses, usually three generations of a family share one house. Some houses are huge, and some are like tiny boxes. It makes one wonder how the government decides to distribute houses to families.

Food Rations

The state provides monthly assistance to Cubans for basic foodstuffs like rice, milk and meat. The state created diet templates based on age and condition of health, and hands out rations according to nutritional needs. There are stores like the one in the picture, but they only have a maximum of 10-15 types of product.

None of the products are packaged, they come in bulk. Shopkeepers will weigh before selling it to you. The prices are subsidied by the government to make them affordable to its citizens.

Religion in Cuba

When the Spanish brought over Africans for enslavement in Cuba, they had tried to convert them all to Catholicism. As a result of their efforts, Cuba is now 60% Catholic, 5% Protestant and 24% atheist.

The remaining follow a religion called “Santeria,” which is a combination of a tribalistic religion and Christianity. When Nigerians were brought to Cuba, they also brought with them their Yoruba faith which has multiple gods. The Spanish forced slaves to become baptized and converted them to Christians, banning Yoruba in the process.

Many of the slaves wanted to make it seem like they were following Spanish orders, and so they combined Christian saints and icons with Yoruba gods, and began praying to them. As an example, they would make it seem as if they were praying to John the Baptist, but they would really be talking to Yoruba god of wind.

Hundreds of years later, these two beliefs melded into one and became Santeria. Santeria combines ritual dancing with Christian iconography under one roof. You can representations of this in people’s houses, as seen in the picture.

Made-up Prices

Until recently, private companies weren’t allowed in Cuba. All real estate belonged to the government. The government provided all sorts of services for free. When it comes to putting a price tag on different products and services, Cubans are a little inconsistent. For us, the price of renting a bike for the day was 5 euro, while renting a snorkel was 15 euro.

We couldn’t figure out how to square this in our minds – is this people reacting to the newly liberated economy or are they just looking to take advantage of tourists?

Interestingly, this is also the case in the property market. No one really knows how much anything costs, so they just name a price and see if it sticks.

“This is Cuba”

In Cuba today, companies operate with a laid-back mentality that might not always be ideal for some fellow travelers. But such is life in Cuba. The transportation system and companies that rent vehicles are largely monopolized by the state. Officials at these businesses have an interesting attitude when it comes to working.

Renters and bus riders, beware!

There was no one to be found from 12 pm to 4 pm when we attempted to rent a motorcycle from the rental place, even though the sign on the door said it was open until 5.

Our bus was at 3. We had to give the scooter back, and we didn’t know what to do. Should we miss the bus or get on the bus without getting our deposit back? Where should we leave the keys?

Sometimes the buses come to the bus stop an hour early and leave without waiting for passengers who have tickets. So, if you’re taking the bus, you’ll need to get to the bus stop one hour early and wait for a while. And most places only have one bus in the morning and one bus in the afternoon. That’s all. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

If you try to question the system, you’ll be met with the same answer over and over again: “This is Cuba.”

 Relations with America  ?

The US and Cuba haven’t always been on the best of terms. Unfortunately, this also negatively affected the quality of life in Cuba. The CIA has tried and failed to assassinate Fidel on 600 different occasions, and staged an invasion. The American government has also implemented a 57-year embargo on Cuba.

Despite this, Cubans don’t seem having any issues with America. There are locals who stroll around wearing American t-shirts. If you’re thinking whether or not they’re doing this to signal their discontent with the regime, they’re not. While talking to them, you’ll hear them say “Viva Che, Viva Fidel Castro,” and they mean it.

Maybe this positive attitude towards America could be explained by the fact that nearly 2.2 million Cubans (out of a total population of 11.3 million, you do the math) live in the US.

The American Embargo against Cuba

Obama loosened the reins on Cuba’s embargo in 2014. Despite this, the two still haven’t completely made up, and US President Trump has attempted to roll back some of the ties forged. American companies still aren’t allowed to make investments or operate in Cuba today, and the US government still hasn’t lifted the ban for its citizens to go to Cuba as tourists on paper.

However, the American government’s stance is vague about who is allowed to go in. While entering Cuba for tourism purposes is prohibited, Americans are allowed to go on “people-to-people” trips or to “support Cubans.” This is a formality. American tourism firms have already launched its “people-to-people” cruises for passengers.

While Obama was winning admiration for his moderate approach, there were detractors who second-guessed the intentions of America’s warming to Cuba. Some critics say that America’s approach is not for diplomatic or humanist reasons, but instead simply to promote the US’ interests. The essentials are this:

1⃣The export potential America has been missing out on.
2⃣As companies from other countries such as France, Canada and Spain are clinching shares in Cuba’s market, American firms have had their mouths water, but they are not allowed a bite.

One of the more interesting points in this whole discussion is that there are some Cubans living in America who are opposed to easing sanctions. They think that the embargo has not reached its goals and should continue. We shall see how relations between Cuba and America are being molded now that Fidel is out of the picture.

Cuban Cuisine

You can find out more from our Food in Cuba piece!

Planning a Trip to Cuba?

Check out our travel guides: Cuba Travel Guide

And to have the last word…

It is very unlikely that you will see the real Cuba if you stay in hotel. Everything from the touristic bus stops to the hotels seems staged. Our suggestion is to stay in local homestays, known as Casa Particulars.

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Food rations, economic restrictions limited the scope of chefs’ innovations. Because of this, we often found that the ambiance of Havana’s restaurants to be much more impressive than the skills of the chef in the kitchen.

On the other hand, as we explain in our  Cuban Food & Where To Eat In Cuba article;

The country is becoming more and more economically liberated, something that has trickled down to the plate. Though “fine dining” will be hard to find – please don’t come to Cuba and expect to find steak tartare smothered in quail eggs – there are a couple of trendy restaurants that have recently opened, elevating the food scene in the country.

Here you will find the best restaurants in Havana. They surpass any other Havana restaurant in every aspect but remember that Cuban chefs still don’t have access to some of the ingredients & tools that even you can easily find in your neighborhood’s supermarket.

♡ = Our Top Choice

Before you move ahead with your plans

We also recommend you take a look at
Top Things To Do In Havana
1 Week Cuba Itinerary
Cuba Travel Tips & Costs

Where to Eat in Havana: Best Restaurants

Atelier ♡

If you want to have a good meal before leaving Cuba, do it here. Don’t go anywhere else! This restaurant gets really creative with its dishes, mixing American and Caribbean flavors. Atelier constantly changes up its menu, as well as its decoration. It’s possible for you to visit the restaurant and see a new painting on display that wasn’t there before. Depending on how many people are in a group, Atelier will change the entire interior decor to accommodate.

For starters, try the fried taro root. Get the duck or the rabbit as a main. Price for two people will be about 30 Euros. You have to make a reservation before going. Address: Calle 5 #511, Paseo ve Calle 2 arasında, Vedado Telephone: 005378362025. Click here for the location.

Paladar La Guarida

If Atelier is full, then this is a good second choice. Though dining here is expensive compared to the rest of Cuba, the dishes are worth every penny. The dilapidated building creates a nostalgic, moody atmosphere. Because it’s gotten quite popular recently, you’ll have to make a reservation – even with one, you might still have to wait a while.

You can book your reservation on their website. The restaurant is closed on Sundays and is open 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm – 11:45 pm. Address: Concordia No.418 /Gervasio y Escobar, Centro Habana. Telephone: +53 78 66 90 47 Website: www.laguarida.com/en/ Click here for the location.

Paladar San Cristóbal

The food is quite tasty, though expensive for Cuban standards; be prepared to spend around 30 Euros for two people. There is a menu that features a fusion of Cuba cuisine with food from around the world. A special treat on the menu is pork with mustard sauce. Address: Between Calle San Rafael #469, Campanario and Lealtad, Centro Habana Telephone: 005378601705 Click here for the location.

Where to Eat in Havana: Cheap Restaurants

Dona Eutimia ♡

This is without a doubt the best place to eat traditional Cuban food, and puts it high up on our list of things to do in Havana. The places listed above are mainly for dinner, but this is an ideal lunch spot. Their signature dish is Ropa Vieja (beef tandoori in tomato sauce), which is Cuba’s most popular dish.

What really knocked our socks off, however, was the garlic shrimp starter. Even though we were able to sweet talk our way in, they usually only take reservations. You can expect to pay about 15 Euros for two people. The restaurant is very close to the Cathedral Square. Open between 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Address: Callejón del Chorro #60c, Plaza de la Catedral, Old Havana Telephone: +53 7 8611332. Click here for the location.

VanVan

With live music after 5:00 pm, this food stop has a killer decor, food and cocktails. On Thursdays, VanVan is open 12:00 pm-midnight and 12:00 pm – 11:45 pm every other day. Be sure to check out the bathroom! Address: San Juan De Dios 58, E/ Habana y Compostela, Old Havana Telephone: 537-860-2490. Please click here for the location.

Hanoi

We recommend the crawfish and shrimp. You can find traditional Cuban food and great mojitos here, and the prices are also reasonable. La Floridita is close to Hanoi in case you’re looking for places to go after. Address: Teniente Rey #507, Esquina Bernaza, Old Havana Telephone: +53 7 8671029. Click here for the location.

El Chanchullero

A cheeky response to all the other venues that use Hemingway to attract tourists, El Chanchullero has a sign on their front door reading, “Hemingway never came here.” With such an introduction, you won’t be surprised to see funky graffiti lining the wall as you enter the establishment. El Chanchullero is closed on Sundays, but open other days 1:00 pm-midnight. Address: Bernaza y El Cristo, 457 A bajos Teniente Rey, La Habana Telephone: +53 5 2760938. Website: www.el-chanchullero.com. Click here for the location.

The post WHERE TO EAT IN HAVANA – PIONEERING HAVANA RESTAURANTS appeared first on Biz Evde Yokuz.

This slightly more charming, sweet and a welcoming little sister to older sibling Havana, Trinidad helped us get over some of our disappointments in Cuba’s capital. This is one city that is coming into its own after falling from its former glory in the 1800s.

We’ve prepared this article on just what Trinidad has to offer, and broken it up for y’all as follows:

OUR TOP PICKS IN TRINIDAD

1. Roam The Streets (Which Resemble A Film Set More Than A City)

We think one of the best things to do in Trinidad is to take your time wandering the city and absorbing its atmosphere. You could easily walk Trinidad from top to bottom in two hours, but you’ll probably find yourself stopping to take photos of every inch of the colonial square – in other words, it’ll take you much longer than two hours to explore.

Trinidad is a wonderfully romantic city with colonial houses out of a box of Smarties, painted every color of the rainbow. While there are plenty of things to whine on about about traveling through Cuba (or any other country, for that matter), we have to admit that one of the government’s biggest successes is preserving the country’s cultural heritage.

The government has paid so much attention to the historical fabric of the city and preserving its aesthetics that they choose which houses will be painted what color. Of course, as with every other place in the country, the state budget is tight, and government services only come every 5-10 years – but that’s a different topic. Since making UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1988, Trinidad has truly begun to shine.

A history told through the streets

Trinidad’s streets are a particular treat for history buffs. Trinidad was established in the 1500s, making it the oldest settlement in Cuba and all of Latin America. There was no real settlement here until slaves from Haiti working on sugarcane plantations escaped in a significant slave revolt and settled in Trinidad.

Trinidad went through its golden age in the 1800s due to the sugar mills in the area, making up 2/3 of all sugar production on the island. Of course, at the time, only aristocrats were able to afford sugar at their table. Owners of plantations were able to construct mini-palaces with marble from Italy, tiles from France and flooring from Germany.

2. Watch the sunset from a balcony overlooking the city

If in Trinidad around dusk, take a moment to notice that certain streets have gone empty, then look up. Many have gone to watch the sunset from their balconies. Trinidad is built on a hill, forcing the sun to set over the red tiles on every roof. If you ask us, one of the best things to do in Trinidad is to watch the sunset with a mojito in hand – this is a major hallmark of the city.

As there aren’t many, here are the most popular terrace bars:

– El Rintintin: This is a small terrace bar, meaning that you might have difficulty finding a place to sit. The bar also serves as a casa particular and has two rooms.(The food here is tempting, but don’t cave in as we have other plans for you!) Click here for the location.
– El Criollo: If there is no seating at El Rintintin, then you can go next door to El Criollo, where there’s live music. Click here for the location.

3. A Dinner must: Dining at Quince Catorce Museum/Restaurant ♡

Fancy dining out like a sugar baron living in Cuba during the 1700s? Well, then this ranks as one of the best things to do in Trinidad.

Quice Catorce is both a museum and restaurant that conjures up a sense of nostalgia in every corner. Take your #tbt to a new level here: the place is covered in antiques from floor to the ceiling – even the waiters wear clothes from the 18th century. Nothing has been overlooked, down to the embroidered tablecloth and tea sets from a bygone era.

This was the most romantic place we went to in all of Cuba and, to exaggerate just a tad more, the most nostalgic meal that we’ve ever experienced. As we mentioned in Food in Cuba – Where and What to Eat, the local fare hasn’t yet caught up to the stellar ambiance of most restaurants. So, while the food at Quice Catorce is lovely, it won’t sweep you off your feet like the decor.

Address: Simon Bolivar Sokak, No. 515, Trinidad 62600 Telephone: +53 41 994255. Click here for the location.

4. Other Amazing Restaurants In Trinidad

Sol Ananda

Another restaurant in Trinidad that resembles a museum, Sol Ananda is in a house dating back to the 18th century. They serve a Cuban lamb dish as well as fish patties and South Asian samosas. There are also quite a few vegetarian options. You can come here for dinner without making a reservation, but you might have to wait a bit.

Address: 62600, 45 Calle Real del Jigüe, Trinidad 62600 Click here for the location.

Taberna La Botija

With an eternal line out front, Taberna La Botija serves beer in old-fashioned ceramic wares. There is live jazz/soul music and passably acceptable bar snacks.

Address: 71B Calle Amargura Telephone: +53 5 2830147. Web Site: labotija.trinidadhostales.com Click here for the location.

5. Nightlife in Trinidad

Casa de la Musica

Located in Plaza Mayor, entertainment at Casa de la Musica starts early and ends early, around 1am. The venue is split into three different rooms. When we went, in one room there was live local music and dancing, another that featured reggaeton – a type of music originally from Puerto Rico – and a third room with more relaxed music.

Entrance was 2 CUC at the time of writing. Address: Calle Cristo, Trinidad 62600 Telephone: +53 41 93414. Please click here for the location.

THINGS TO DO IN TRINIDAD

To view the map, click on GoogleMaps.

Streets Wandering

You don’t have to be a professional photographer to be able to capture the beauty of the mansions and smaller, colorful homes that line the city’s cobblestoned streets. You’d be hard-pressed to find another city as photogenic as Trinidad. Not to hit this one over your head too hard, but meandering down Trinidad’s streets is a must as far as things to do in Trinidad.

Plaza Mayor

Discovering Plaza Mayor tops many a list of things to do in Trinidad for its houses that belonged to sugar barons and slave traders in the 18th century. After the revolution, Fidel nationalized these houses and turned them into museums. The most popular restaurants (paladar) and bars are also here. Click here for the location.

Historical places in Plaza Mayor and surrounding areas:

Romantic Museum / Museo Romantico (Palacio Brunet): The house was constructed in 1740 and belonged to Nicolás de la Cruz Brunet, who was a wealthy Spanish earl. The house was turned into a museum in 1974 and has antique furniture from the 19th century. Entrance: 2 CUC. Open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Tuesday – Sunday.

Archeology Museum / Museo de Arqueología Guamuhaya: Has unearthed artifacts like bones as well as animal hides that have been preserved and stuffed on display. Entrance: 1 CUC. Open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Tuesday – Sunday.

Colonial Architecture Museum / Museo de Arquitectura Colonial (Casa de Los Sánchez Iznaga):
Was a building constructed in the 18th century for the sugar baron Iznaga. Entrance: 1 CUC. Open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Tuesday – Sunday.

Teslis Church / Iglesia Parroquial de la Santísima Trinidad: The main church in the square, it was rebuilt in 1892 in the neoclassical style after the original 17th-century construction was destroyed in a storm. There is a wooden statue of Jesus inside the church dating back to the 18th century. Open 11.00 am – 12.30 pm, Monday – Saturday.

Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco: This church dates back to 1813 and is probably the most recognizable building in Trinidad with its pastel yellow tower. There is a spectacular view from the tower, which visitors can go up. The church was made into a museum in 1986, and displays weapons, photos and maps from the revolutionary period. Entrance: 1 CUC, Open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, Tuesday – Sunday.

Art Gallery / Galeria de Arte (Palacio Ortiz): An art gallery with 19th century objects on display, this used to be the home of the Ortiz family. Entrance is free. Open 9:00 am – 4:30pm, Monday – Saturday.

Museo Historico Municipal

For history buffs, exploring Museo Historico Municipal could be one of the best things to do in Trinidad. The top floor of the neoclassical house boasts a beautiful view of Trinidad. The building used to be a mansion in the 1800s before it was passed on to a German sugar manufacturer.

Locals named this place Cantero, after Dr. Justo Cantero, who, according to local legend, scammed a bunch of wealthy folk. It’s said he murdered an old and wealthy merchant and married his widow, inheriting the family’s assets in the process.

Address: 423 Calle Desengaño, Trinidad 62600 Telephone: +53 41 994460 Hours of Operation: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Open every day except for Monday. Admission fee is around 2 USD.

Plaza Carillo

Plaza Carillo has fewer tourists than Plaza Mayor, but it’s much livelier. There is WiFi in the square and an ETECSA building close by where you can buy internet cards. At one corner of the square, you can also buy cigars and rum from state-owned stores.

Cuban Cigar tip – If you are planning to purchase cigars, don’t get them from the sellers off the street. Either buy them from here or get them from tobacco farmers in Vinales. Click here for the location.

Casa Templo de Santeria Yemaya

If you’re interested in discovering Cuba’s rich religious history, then stopping by the Casa Templo de Santeria Yemaya could be a great addition to your list of things to do in Trinidad. African slaves brought with them their own polytheistic religion, called Yoruba. Faced with mounting pressure from the Spanish to convert to Christianity, Yoruba mixed with Catholicism to form Santeria.

About 15% of Cuba’s population believes in Yoruba. Casa Templo de Santeria Yemaya is a house of worship for those who practice Santeria. You’ll be able to find information about Santeria, as well as watch a religious ceremony that brings together different customs, like dancing. On March 19, there is a ceremony that lasts all day in honor of Yemaya, goddess of the ocean. Click here for the location.

Trinidad Guided Tours

If you opt out of following our list of things to do in Trinidad, taking a guided tour is always a safe bet. Though, perhaps too safe, since we can’t ensure that the tour will be a particularly illuminating one.

– Infotur: This is one of the government-operated tour companies, and they can organize activities and trips in and around the city. A tour of Trinidad lasting a couple of hours costs around 12 CUC per person. (Open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm)
– Cubatur: You’ll find this tour agency operating throughout the country no matter where you go. They provide services such as booking hotel rooms. (Open 09:00 am – 8:00 pm)
– Maqueta De Trinidad: While this is a museum that shows Trinidad’s history, you can also arrange for a city tour here that lasts 1-2 hours. For the both of us, we only paid 5 CUC. You’ll need to ask as they don’t always have guides that speak English. (Open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm)

WHERE TO STAY IN TRINIDAD

Hostal El Mirador

This owners of this hostel have made an effort to place colonial style furniture in a living room that will take you back in time. Though decorated in antiques, the rooms are renovated and have a/c units. This had to be the most presentable place we stayed in all of Cuba.

The hostel is located 20 steps from the Viazul bus station in the heart of the old city, and one street down from the Saturday bazaar where you can buy souvenirs.  Since we don’t know if all the rooms were created equal: We stayed in room number 5, which had two double beds. (As you’re coming up the stairs to the first floor, the room will be behind you.

There is an excellent balcony where you can watch the sunset, the downside being that breakfast is served on the terrace – and it can get quite hot. A night’s stay is 35 CUC, and breakfast is an extra 5 CUC per person. Click here for more details.

HOW MANY DAYS TO SET ASIDE FOR TRINIDAD

As the city is quite small, you can check off all the things to do in Trinidad in one day. But if you are staying in Cuba for awhile, then there are activities you can do nearby. There’s no need to stay in Trinidad for longer than three days. Spend days two and three exploring the sugar mills and/or the beach.

If Staying for 1 Day: See the City

Our list of things to do in Trinidad above will help fill up an entire day in the city.

If Staying 2 Days: Go Trekking or Head to Valle de Los Ingenios by Tour or Train

Instead of spending your second day in the city, our suggestion is to go on a day trip to Valle de Los Ingenios to see the mansions and sugar mills that used to belong to big-time sugar producers. This is amongst the best things to do in Trinidad for colonial history buffs.

Day 2: By tour

The guided tours organized by Cubatur last for 4 hours. During this trip, you’ll ride in a minibus to visit the Guaímaro and San Isidro farms, as well as the home that belonged to the Iznaga family, the wealthiest family of that period. After that, you’ll eat lunch at the Manaca Iznaga farm and see the Alfarero Mansion before heading back to Trinidad.

Day 2: By train

With a little luck on your side, you can go to Valle de los Ingenios another way: a steam train from 1906. You’ll cross through picturesque greenery, tunnels and bridges into Cuba’s sordid past of slave trade and sugar plantations. The trip to get to the sugar factory and the famous Iznaga Mansion stops twice and lasts a total of 2.5 hours.

The train leaves Trinidad at 9:30 am and returns to Trinidad at 2:30 pm. You should be at the station at 8:50 am at the latest to find a ticket and to be able to get a seat on the train. Tickets are 15 USD. Address: Calle Antonio Guiteras Telephone: 419-3348

Day 2: Trekking

Cubatur also offers a tour for the national park Topes de Collantes, where you can swim in El Nicho, a natural spring and waterfall that originates from the Hanabanilla River. An ecotourism guide conducts the 1-km trip. After lunch, the guided tour leads back to the city.

For those who are looking to incorporate a bit more walking and adventure into their trip, there are 8-hour trekking tours that leave from Trinidad, going to different destinations. A guide can take you to the Topes de Collantes National Park on a 3-kilometer walk through the tropical forests and the coffee plantations in the region.

For more information on all the tours, and to learn more about pricing, you can call (537) 838-4597 or email comercial@opcional.cbt.tur.cu.

If Staying for 3 Days: Go Diving or Merely Enjoy the Caribbean Waters

Playa Ancon

You can quickly reach Playa Ancon by taxi in 15 minutes. Ignore the all-inclusive resorts on Playa Ancon and head for the beautiful corners of the peninsula for swimming. The outskirts of the peninsula are home to a range of coral reef, making it an ideal place to also go snorkeling or diving.

Cayo Blanco

Located 25 kilometers from the beach is Cayo Blanco, an island that offers eight different scuba diving locations to show off its coral reef. Marina Trinidad in the diving square offers diving tours that cost around 30 USD. The hotel that offers the most comprehensive tours on the peninsula for diving, fishing and cycling is Hotel Ancon. They have their own boat, but all their trips are full a month in advance.

For those of you interested in deep-sea fishing in the open sea, they catch large bluefin tunas. The tours can be quite pricey at 600 USD for one day. You’ll have to arrange the trip 1-2 months in advance from Cubatur or Infotur.

Note: There are sand fleas on the beach, and they get worse when the sun sets.

GETTING TO TRINIDAD

Trinidad by car

From Havana to Trinidad, it’s about 315 kilometers or 4 hours.
From Viñales to Trinidad, it’s about 419 kilometers or 6 hours.
From Cienfuegos to Trinidad, it’s 82 kilometers or 1.5 hours.

If you want to go between cities with a collectivo (shared taxis), you must negotiate that with the driver yourself. An alternative to this is a private service to transfer between cities. There is a price chart on their website, but these prices are much higher than using a collectivo.

Trinidad by bus

There are buses from Havana and Viñales to Trinidad. The only bus company that provides inter-city services is state-owned Viazul. You can buy tickets online. Note: Buses in Cuba can leave around an hour earlier than their designated times. To guarantee that you’ll actually get on the bus, you should be at the station at least an hour early.

There are two buses from Havana to Trinidad. One is early in the morning at 7:00 am, and the other is at 10:45 am. The trip lasts around 7 hours. Price for the ticket is 25 USD. There is only one bus daily that goes from Viñales to Trinidad, and it leaves at 6:45 am. The trip lasts around 10 hours and costs 37 USD per ticket.

The post ULTIMATE THINGS TO DO IN TRINIDAD, CUBA appeared first on Biz Evde Yokuz.

Tourist cards or visas won’t take up a page in your passport; instead, they are simply a signed piece of paper that allows you to enter the country. There are three main ways to apply for a Cuban visa or tourist card:

1. From the Cuban embassy where you reside.
2. From authorized travel agencies or websites.
3. Through an airline, if you are flying directly from the US.

What is a Cuba Tourist Card?

Tourist cards allow people to enter Cuba only for touristic purposes and grant cardholders a maximum of 30 days stay (90 days if you’re a Canadian citizen). If you wish to stay longer than the initial 30-day period, you have the right to extend the card once.

Should I get a Cuban Visa or Tourist Card?

Nationals from the following countries don’t need to have either a tourist visa or card: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belarus, Benin, Bosnia, China, Dominica, Grenada, Macedonia, Malaysia, Montenegro, Mongolia, Namibia, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Serbia, Singapore and Vietnam.

People from the following countries will need visas: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka. Citizens of countries not listed above will need to get a tourist card.

How much does a Cuban Visa cost?

Because there are so many different ways of going about getting a Cuban visa, the costs vary. Should you apply at an embassy or a consulate, expect fees anywhere in the range of $20-75 depending on your location. If you want to skip going to a consulate or embassy, then online travel agencies also provide Cuban visas or tourist cards. Often times, they will sell you a package and include the cost of the card. Keep in mind, the embassy charges third parties an extra processing fee, so going through a travel agency might be more expensive.

If you buy a Tourist Card from one of the airlines when flying direct from the US to Cuba, prices will range from $50-110 depending on the airline. The reason why this fluctuates is that some airlines choose to charge a processing fee, adding to the price. The only exception is if you are flying directly from Canada, in which case the cost of your card is bundled into the cost of your plane ticket.

How to apply for a Cuban Visa or Tourist Card

As mentioned earlier, there are three main ways you can apply for a Cuban visa or tourist card.

Applying at a Consulate or Embassy (or by mail)

You should gather the required documents and either head to your embassy or consulate or send your application in the mail. If you decide to send it in the mail, make sure that you include a self-addressed return envelope, so the embassy or consulate can mail your card back to you.

Applying through Travel Agencies or Online

Most tourism agents are accredited by the Cuban embassy and are able to hand out tourist cards and Cuban visas. You can go to any tourism agency with a passport, passport photos and the fee for the card to apply.

You can also apply online at businesses such as Cuba Visas, which focuses solely on obtaining visas. You’ll need to scan your passport, passport photos and a receipt showing payment of fees for the tourist card.

Applying through Airlines

If you are traveling directly to Cuba from the US, then you can get your card directly at the airport. You’ll be able to obtain it at the ticket counter, and the processing fees differ from airline to airline.

Everything You Need to Know Before Applying for a Tourist Card or Cuban Visa

Applying for a tourist card or a Cuban Visa is much easier than applying for something like a Schengen Visa. Whether you’re applying to a consulate where you reside, through a travel agency or through the internet, the process will be as follows:

1. You should prepare certain documents, including a copy of your passport along with the actual one (which should be valid for at least the following six months when applying), plane and hotel reservations, travel insurance for your entire trip and two passport photos (some agencies will allow you to scan the photos).
2. If you are going to a consulate or embassy, you’ll need to fill out a form (a tourism agency will do this on your behalf).
3. You’ll have to pay the required processing fee at the embassy or consulate (the fee varies from agency to agency).
4. You should be able to receive your tourist card within a day or a couple hours of applying at an embassy. However, this could change depending on location. If applying through a company such as Cuba Visa, then you should give this more time, such as a few weeks, as processing might take longer.

Other types of Cuban Visas

There are different visas depending on your stated aim of going to Cuba.

A-2/Family Visa

This type of visa is given to legitimate children and spouses of Cuban citizens, but who have not obtained citizenship themselves. Non-citizens who would like to visit or to enter Cuba to later apply for a residency permit should obtain this type of visa.

D-6/Press Visa

Members of the press who are not Cuban citizens should apply for this type of visa. Anyone who wishes to apply needs to do so through the press department of the Cuban Embassy; after approval from the press office, then the visa application process will move forward through the consulate.

Work Visa

This type of visa is for non-citizens who are in Cuba for business purposes. The application must be made to the appropriate office at the Cuban Embassy before being forwarded on to the consulate.

Required Documents for Obtaining a Cuban Visa

Obtaining the required documents for a Cuban visa is quite easy and practical.
1. A copy of your passport, which can’t be more than 10 years old, damaged or expiring within 6 months of the application date.
2. Some consulates or embassies only accept payment through a bank transfer. If so, you’ll need a receipt of payment (travel agencies take cash and checks).
3. Documents showing hotel reservations and roundtrip plane tickets.
4. Travel insurance covering your entire trip.
5. Two passport photos measuring 45 mm by 60 mm that have been taken within the past 6 months.
7. A self-addressed envelope if you are sending your application to the embassy through mail,
8. Completed application form from the embassy or consulate (the travel agency will do this on your behalf).

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I have a problem entering Cuba if I’ve been to the US, even if I have a visa?

No. Entering Cuba will not be a problem if you have already entered the US.

Does the Cuban Visa/Card allow multiple entries into the country?

No. One visa or card only allows you to enter the country once. If you want to leave and come back multiple times, then you’ll need to reapply for a tourist visa/card.

What should I do if I’ve lost my Cuban Visa/Card?

Contact the Cuban Embassy immediately if this happens.

How can I get from the US to Cuba?

Passengers going to Cuba can fly directly from the US. You can either get your card or visa from the airport or by applying to a travel agency in the US.

Cuban Holidays

Before applying, keep in mind national holidays in Cuba when the embassies or consulates are closed. These holidays are:

January 1 – Liberation Day
January 2 – New Year’s Day
April 14 – Good Friday
May 1 – Labor Day/ May
July 25 – 27 – Revolution Celebrations
October 10 – Beginning of the War of Independence
December 25 – Christmas
December 31 – New Year’s Eve

The post HOW TO GET A CUBAN VISA & COSTS appeared first on Biz Evde Yokuz.

Cuba is the type of place that has you running for the door one second and feeling like you never want to leave the next. It’s true, Cuba’s laid-back culture and nostalgic beauty,  the charming colonial-era buildings, the vintage cars – make it a waking dream. But it can also be an incredibly restless one for the well-intentioned traveler. For this reason, setting the right budget and knowing the best Cuba travel tips are important for ensuring a smooth trip!

Let’s just clarify one thing before we continue: This article is intended to prepare you for the hustle of traveling to Cuba so we focused more on the negatives and that positives. But otherwise, Cuba is legendary. Its 60 years of revolutionary history living under the watchful gaze of the US has made it one badass little island nation.

Other Articles To Get You Ready For Cuba

We have a series of articles full of Cuba travel tips:
Things To Do In Cuba & Cuba Itinerary
Cuba Travel Guide

WHY CUBA IS DIFFICULT TO TRAVEL TO

Socialist Cuba

As you know that Cuba is a communist country and it has been Cuba’s blessing & curse. The Revolution, Che, Fidel, and communism are often the main reasons tourists want to take a trip to Cuba. A major selling point for tourists is the way that a small island has stood up to a superpower like the US.

Tourists are also attracted to the nostalgic feel of the country, which was frozen in time after it was economically isolated from the rest of the world in the 1960s. Everything in Cuba is from a bygone era: home furnishings and decorations, the vintage cars that patrol the streets, even the pace of life. Cuba opening up to change led tourism to skyrocket 15% in one year. So communism blessed Cuba with booming tourism but it also cursed the country with a bad economy.

Living in Cuba on $25 a Month

Once Cuba became a communist country, the US implemented a severe and heavy-handed embargo, which led to many economic hardships. Yes, communism ensures that everyone has a place in society, free education, and healthcare, with staples such as milk, rice, beans and meat.

However, in reality, present-day government assistance only accounts for 40% of the basic requirements needed for one family. Furthermore, people in full-time positions are expected to work five days one week and six days the next.

Like anywhere else in the world, doctors make the highest salaries – but unlike in many other places, this only comes out to $25-$30 a month. People are forced to find alternatives to make ends meet. No matter how much the Cuban government subsidizes products, life in Cuba can be just as expensive as life in European countries.

How much do everyday items cost in Cuba?

Everything, down to cookies, has to be imported, as Cuba has yet to undergo industrialization. Under these circumstances, you can expect to find deodorant for 2-3 euro, baby food for 2.5 euro, and 1 liter of fuel at around 1 euro. With these prices, it’s impossible to live off of $25 per month.

Locals have turned to tourists, who they view as walking ATMs – especially when they see that a foreigner can easily afford a 7 euro meal in a restaurant.

Raul Castro Brings Cuba into a New Era after Fidel’s Death

In 2011, Raul replaced his brother Fidel Castro and became known for his more moderate communist leanings – which, to be fair, wasn’t super hard post-Fidel. Raul brought about more economic freedom, something that had a significant impact on the quality of life among ordinary citizens. Under these newfound freedoms, people are now allowed to rent their houses as homestays, use their homes as restaurants and run private businesses.

This type of homestay in Cuba is called a “casa particular” and costs between 25-45 euro a night. Here’s another of our Cuba travel tips: Breakfast is the same everywhere, and homestay owners usually charge 5 euro per person. No need to seek out trendy brunch spots here.

Why are Cubans turning their homes into Casa Particulars?

Because locals realized they could make one month’s salary from renting a room in their home for one night – surprise, surprise – almost every house on every street has turned into a casa particular. But this economic opening led the teachers, doctors, and engineers to leave their jobs and pick up tourism.

So it’s very possible your taxi driver could be a cardiologist. During your trip to Cuba, people will constantly try to sell you services like a room in their house, a ride in a taxi or a massage, or anything they can make a commission from. This is especially true in Havana. Just see what happens when you make eye contact with a person.

Tourists = Walking ATM

Though not only specific to Cuba, it can be quite tiring ambling down the street knowing that you are being viewed as a walking banknote. This can be particularly hard as people sometimes ask you where you’re from, as if to make conversation, all the while leading you to a “nice bar.”

You will casually be invited for a beer, and though you might feel happy to have made a local friend after you finish your drink you’ll see the bill. It’s then you’ll realize that each drink is ridiculously overpriced, and your new friend was just trying to get you to pay up at the bar, where he’s sure to get a nice commission.

Understandably, these types of hijinks can make people defensive. You might be sad that someone needs to go to such lengths to make a bit of extra money, but you’ll also be upset that you’re nothing more to them than an ATM with legs and feet. The best way to deal with this is to keep walking without making eye contact and say “No, gracias.”

SHOULD I BOOK MY TRIP TO CUBA THROUGH A TOURISM AGENCY?

Benefits of Going on a Guided Trip to Cuba

Language barriers

If you are curious about Cuba’s revolutionary history, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise. Dear amateur history buffs, consider this one of our most valuable Cuba travel tips: Learn the Cuban Revolution before you land in Cuba.

You won’t learn anything in the museums if you don’t speak the language. Almost everything is in Spanish and whatever is translated to English doesn’t explain much. For example, you’ll see placards saying: “This is Celia Sanchez’s apron.” You won’t find any other information about Celia, who she was or what she did in the revolution that made her important. Nor will you find a guided tour, nor an audio guide or written explanations in Museum of the Revolution in Havana or in the mausoleums that contain the graves of Che and his comrades.

Unless you go with a tour guide who can explain everything you’re seeing, you’ll wind up disappointed. Because tour operators pair up with tour guides who have expertise, they can explain everything to you.

All-inclusive planning

Arguably the biggest advantage of going on a guided tour is that the company arranges everything, such as transportation, accommodation and on your behalf. This becomes especially important in Cuba because it is extra hard to arrange these things due to lack of infrastructure & order.  There is no widespread internet access so you can’t arrange things from afar.

Avoiding transportation hassles

On the topic of transportation, let’s touch on the sporadic bus schedule. One of our general Cuba travel tips – inter-city buses only run twice daily: in the morning around 7 or 8, and in the afternoon around 2 or 3. Because there are no buses at night, that means that you can only commute from one place to the other during the day.

If you have arranged a private tour, then the company’s cars can take you to another city overnight, and you’ll be to make better use of your time during the day by sightseeing or doing other things. Of course, you are not only limited to traveling between cities by bus or by a tour company. If you choose, you can always get a taxi to take you to another city at any time.

Freedom from cash

Credit cards are not accepted everywhere in Cuba. You’ll have to bring cash wherever you go. If you are on a guided tour, then you’ll only carry what you’re going to spend. But don’t worry, we’ll provide you with information here about budget and costs, so you’ll get a good idea of how much you’ll need to bring.

Disadvantages of Going on a Guided Tour

○ If it’s not a private tour, then you have no say in the schedule (or your travel companions…)
○ On trips that offer nights out for entertainment, guides will take you to more touristy places. On “Havana Nights” outings offered by tour operators, you’ll drink champagne at cabarets and watch dancers decked out in peacock feathers. Some of these nights are held in normal venues and some are held on exclusive islands where everything is included – except for the Cubans.

Unfortunately, locals are not able to enter these types of businesses. In other words, these places are “sterilized” and far removed from the more authentic version of Cuba. We think that by going on that kind of guided tours it’s impossible for you to be able to understand Cuba and to interact with the locals. On the other hand, if you decide to brave Cuba by yourself, you might be forced to constantly follow local expectations.

CUBA TRAVEL TIPS

As with any new culture, there are upsides and downsides to experiencing Cuba, as the people can be both charming and tiring. To prevent you from leaving Cuba disappointed, we decided to write about who Cuba is for and what to expect from your trip.

A Tropical Fantasy?

Cuba has amazing beaches. But one of the most earnest Cuba travel tips that we can give you is that you should go elsewhere if you’re wanting to live out a tropical fantasy. Other countries have better developed infrastructure and facilities that are cheaper.

However, there are certainly fabulous beach destinations in Cuba, and one we recommend is Varadero – even though it doesn’t quite provide an authentic experience. If you can fall in love with a place just from looking at a map, Varadero’s 20 kilometers of beach will have you entranced – and the sand, sea and beach will do your passions justice. There are resorts along the coast (yes, unfortunately, there are resorts even in Cuba), but you’ll find plenty of quieter places along the 20-kilometer strip.

On the plus side, there are tons of different activities like kite surfing and fly fishing, since Varadero is a top tourist attraction. Likewise, you’ll have a wide selection of food and entertainment at night. The other upside is that Varadero is located close to Havana and other places to see in Cuba.

You’ll probably find that other articles spouting Cuba travel tips say that there are stunning beaches all around the country. Well, they are right! If you want to head out to a beach with nothing but yourself and a book, then you can check out our Ultimate Things to Do in Vinales and Ultimate Things to do in Trinidad posts.

Another good contender amongst our Cuba travel tips: The water becomes choppy around 4 pm.

Budget & Costs: Performance for Price

There are resorts and luxury restaurants that are off-limits to Cubans. So it’s no wonder that at these fancy establishments, where everything is so synthetic, you’ll have a hard time distinguishing if you’re in Cuba or any other tropical locale. It’s an expensive bell jar, and chances are you can find a more enjoyable experience in another country for far better bang for your buck.

If you’re cut off from the rest of the world, then you’ll be caught off guard when you venture out into the real Cuba. While there are beautiful houses, most are shabby. Things that we take for granted, such as soap and toilet paper, are considered luxury goods in Cuba, and you’ll have to go without in some places.

You would probably be shocked to see the standard of living that Cubans have gotten used to. You might also be caught off guard by the number of times you will be asked for money on the street or the constant negotiating for every. single. thing.

There is not much in the way of accommodation such as boutique businesses – only resorts/hotels and casa particulars, the latter of which will be lighter on your pocketbook. The stark difference between the two worlds can leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

Honeymoon in Cuba?

We loved our trip to Cuba, but we would not have gone there for our honeymoon. Even though Cuba might possess a romantic atmosphere, doing day-to-day things is a bit of a hassle. Also, scrambling to make your way down the street without being harassed is kind of a mood killer. But don’t worry if you have already bought your tickets to Cuba for your honeymoon! We’ve got travel tips to help keep every step of the way smooth.

If we unwittingly scared you away and you’re thinking, “I changed my mind, where do you recommend instead of Cuba?,” then head on over to our Suggestions For Honeymoon Getaways.

Photography

If photography is one of your hobbies, then Cuba’s backdrop is the perfect place for you. There are so many stunning things about the country that will allow for great photos: colonial architecture, houses in various states of disrepair, colorful streets and, for some reason we have yet to figure out, the amazing natural light. Prepare to live the #chasinglight dream. To top it off, locals are far from camera shy.

This is one of our Cuba travel tips that pains me to write: The best way to learn about the Cuban Revolution is at home. You’ll learn way more by watching documentaries on YouTube than by visiting any of the museums in the country.

Unfortunately, there is not much information at the two most important places that are supposed to preserve the country’s revolutionary history: the Museum of the Revolution in Havana and Che Guevara’s mausoleum in Santa Clara.

Scuba Diving

To make the most out of your trip to Cuba, you’ll want to plan your days carefully, particularly if you’re planning to go diving. Locals claim that the best diving spot in the Caribbean is in Cuba. But before you get excited, you’ll need to set aside at least one day, as the places where you’ll be able to do serious diving are located far out of the cities.

If you’ve traveled to Cuba just for the diving experience, then you can go around the islands and islets that make up Jardin De La Reina. This is undoubtedly the best place for diving. You even have the option of going aboard diving ships for a 5-10 day tour. These cost about $2,000-3,000 per week.

Professional underwater photographers agreed that it was expensive, but told us it was very much worth the money. We’ve also heard that shark diving is a dream come true.
The second-best place for diving is a small town located near the forest, called Maria La Gorda. Finding transportation and accommodation is a bit rough, but it’s cheaper than Jardin De La Reina. Aside from this, Playa Santa, which is connected to Camaguey, also offers shark diving trips.

IDEAL CUBA ITINERARY – 7 TO 10 DAYS

For even more Cuba travel tips, such as where you should go and where you should stay, check out our Things to do in Cuba & Ideal Itinerary article.

ACCOMMODATION IN CUBA

Casa Particular (Homestay)

If you don’t think that your trip to Cuba will be more of a resort-like vacation, then you should consider booking your accommodation in houses while seeing the country. It is one of our most cost-effective Cuba travel tips. Staying in locals’ houses allows you to have a sneak peek into the life of ordinary citizens, as well as the state of things in the country.

You’ll be able to gain a different perspective in understanding the dynamics that run your own life. Though it might go without saying, Cuba is a communist country, and that fact shouldn’t be forgotten if you’re looking for a luxurious tropical vacation.

More bang for your buck

Casa particulars, which are also known as homestays, are the best and most economical way to get to know Cuba. One of our major Cuba travel tips in terms of accommodation is that you make reservations to stay at a casa particular, unless you’d like to end up like us: wandering around in the heat for 1.5 hours, lugging our bags door to door inquiring about accommodation.

So, let our mistake be a learning experience for you. There are a lot of tourists, and places get booked up beforehand. The casa particulars that are left over are, well, let’s just say they are probably not the type of place you’d like to stay if you’re the kind of person who usually books ahead. This is especially true for busier times of the year, such as New Year’s and Easter. You’ll probably have the most difficulty in Havana and Varadero.

You can read everything you need to know regarding casa particulars for your trip to Cuba, such as what you should expect and how you can go about arranging your stay, in our Casa Particular – Where to Stay in Cuba article.

You can find our favorite casa particulars here: Things to Do in Cuba & Ideal Itinerary

Resorts & Hotels

• Rooms at hotels will be reserved more quickly than rooms at casa particulars. People who don’t make reservations beforehand might be left on the streets.
• Before, tourism was monopolized by the government, but now there is foreign investment in the sector. The resorts on the coast are Canadian businesses, and the French and Spanish dominate the hotel sector.
• We’ll let you in on another of our Cuba travel tips: There is a difference in quality between staying at a 200 euro per night hotel in Asia and Europe versus one in Cuba. Trust us, your money does not go as far as you’d think here.

TRANSPORTATION

While horses are still a common way of getting around, our Cuba travel tips focus more on transportation with engines   There are some horse and buggies for tourists, but they are a main form of transport in more rural places like Santa Clara.

Inter-city Buses

• State-owned Viazul is the only bus company that offers transportation services between cities. Just be forewarned that the buses leave whenever they want. You’ll need to arrive at the bus station one hour before the scheduled time. Unfortunately, we know this from personal, painful experience.
• You can buy Viazul tickets online.

Collectivo (Shared Taxis)

• Most of the time, you’ll be able to arrange collectivos, or shared taxis, and pay an extra 3-5 euro for the service during your trip. You’ll be able to find collectivos in whichever city you’re in. You can ask one of the many people who will approach you on the street asking if you need a taxi. Just ask, “Collectivo?” and more likely than not, they will say “Si.”
  It’s unlikely that anyone will turn you down, since they all know collectivos and will receive a commission for bringing you to them. You can ask “Cuánto cuesta de La Habana a Viñales?” which means “How much is it from Havana to Vinales?”
• Collectivos won’t have signs on their cars. There are some that do, but there are a lot of illegal ones, as people use their private vehicles as collectivos. Owners of collectivos are required to give money to the state.
• The vintage cars also operate as collectivos, but they might be more expensive. They’ll probably send a car that is between 10 to 30 years old to come get you. Just don’t expect air conditioning.
• You can arrange for a private transfer before coming to Cuba. Pro Cuba travel tips: Check out the company’s website to get a sense of their rates, but know they are at least twice as expensive as collectivos.

WHAT TO EAT IN CUBA

We won’t try to squeeze in here which local spots we’ve found for you to feast on during your trip to Cuba. Click here to read: FOOD IN CUBA – WHERE AND WHAT TO EAT

CUBA TRAVEL TIPS, BEFORE YOU GO

Cuban Tourist Visa/Card

Before the rapprochement with the US, tourists would simply ask customs officers at the border not to stamp their passports. Though travel restrictions have eased, tensions are constantly waxing and waning and the USA’s Cuban ban still exists on paper. We didn’t get our passport stamped. Just in case.

You can read all about the visa requirements in our Cuban Visa post. 

Money

• Some more Cuba travel tips: Be aware that there are two different currencies. One is the CUC used by tourists, and the other is the peso. The reason for this is the government subsidizes so many products, which has created two different economies. As tourists, we can’t benefit from government subsidies (you probably won’t see these items for sale or you probably won’t use pesos anyway). 1 CUC = about 24 peso.
• Make sure to carefully plan your costs and budget and bring enough money in cash to cover your entire vacation, unless you are willing to pay ATM fees. However, nothing is reliable in Cuba, and the ATMs might not accept your cards. Cash is best.
• You should bring euro instead of US dollars, as they’re more widely accepted and the commission is lower.
• Nicer hotels and restaurants will take credit cards. However, the commission is also pretty steep.

Learn About the Revolution Before Going

If you leave it up to museums to provide you with information on the revolution, you’ll wind up pretty dissatisfied. (If you go with a guide, you’ll have no problem.) You can start with our guide on the Cuban Revolution – Fidel Castro & Che Guevara & Communism!

Work on Your Spanish

Another of our Cuba travel tips: You’ll need to know a little Spanish. Write down a few clutch phrases like “I (don’t) want …” or “Do you have a room?” or “Can I get another mojito?” before you go.

Be Prepared for Jet Lag

The toll that changing time zones and jet lag takes can turn you into a zombie once you get to Havana. To go from Walking Dead to Walking ATM, give yourself at least two days to recover. If you are coming from a radically different time zone, we recommend that you sleep on the plane.

GSM

Some mobile operators might work in Cuba, but you should make sure that your phone’s settings have enabled roaming.

Internet in Cuba

This is probably the most valuable of our Cuba travel tips we can give you, as having an internet card might be the only way you can reach the outside world, much less update your Instagram followers. You can buy a card that allows you to access the internet for five hours, but be warned! Wifi is only available in specific hotels and parks. Don’t worry about tracking them down though, just look for the hoards of people sitting on the curb on their phones, getting their social media fix.

Beyond those bright, shining moments on the curb, get ready for a life without internet. If you have anything you need to do for work or anything else that relies on a reliable internet connection, we recommend that you take care of everything before going to Cuba.

You can purchase these cards from hotel reception or in one of the branches of Etecsa, which is Cuba’s telecommunications company. The prices vary. At Etecsa, you can find a one-hour internet card for 1.5 CUC, but the hotels sell them for 4.5 CUC. In Cuban fashion, you’ll likely have to wait at the Etecsa office, so you’re best bet is to buy 4 or 5 cards in one go. You can use the same card in any of the Wifi spots around the country, including the airport. If you haven’t used the entire allotment of your card in one sitting, that’s ok, it’ll keep track of your remaining credit.

Is it safe?

We didn’t encounter any security problems, and we didn’t hear about anyone who did. Compared to Europe, the crime rate is quite low. No one will steal your phone using petty lures like in Italy; however, if you leave it on the table, someone just might “nationalize” it for everyone to have.

Is it safe for women?

Women can travel alone, much like any other place, men will bother them. If you go without a male in the group, you’ll probably hear catcalls and comments, but they won’t make you feel threatened.

Click here for City Tour Guides

Havana– Places to See in Havana, What to Eat in Havana, Accommodation
Trinidad – Places to See in Trinidad, What to Eat, Accommodation
Vinales – Places to See in Vinales, What to Eat, Accommodation

Tour Operators for City and Activity Trips in Cuba

Two state-owned tour agencies can organize your trip to Cuba.
Infotur – For city trips and activities in the nearby areas (for example: guided city tour or deep-sea fishing).
Cubatur – Tour agency for services such as finding transportation and booking hotel rooms. Should you choose to stay at a state-run hotel, then you can get a discount by booking through Cubatur.

BUDGET

An article on Cuba travel tips is useless without the scoop on how much you’re likely spend. Well, the bad news is that Cuba is not a cheap place, despite how modest its buildings and infrastructure might seem. So, you might want to adjust your budget and costs accordingly. In fact, taking a vacation in Spain costs roughly the same price.

You can expect to spend about 150 euro for two people per day for food and accomodation at decent places during your trip. These costs take into account souvenirs, transportation within and between cities, tours, museum admission fees and diving.

If you decide to stay and eat at cheaper places, it’s possible that you can go under this limit. However, the standards fall steeply as the prices drop, and you might find yourself staying somewhere you don’t like.

For your reference, 1 CUC is about 1 euro.

Accommodation Prices

Just about the cheapest thing in Cuba is accommodation, but that’s only if you stay at casa particulars. The best casa particulars are around 45 CUC per night. This price decreases as you get further out into the countryside, but it’ll still be around 30 CUC per night. Breakfast is 5 CUC extra per person.

Prices of rooms in resorts and hotels change according to their ratings. Generally, the prices of rooms hover at 80 Euro per night. If you are looking to pay any less than this, just stay at a casa particular and you’ll be glad that you did.

Prices for Food and Drinks

A meal at a cheap restaurant is 5 CUC and  7-8 CUC at a standard place. A nice place that isn’t too fancy is around 10-12 euro. A big bottle of water is 1.5 euro, and mojitos are 2 euro.

Prices for Renting Vehicles

The only company that rents out vehicles is state-owned Cubacar, but one of our Cuba travel tips for renting, it’s both expensive and service is poor. In our case, no one was at the office between 12-3 pm, when it was supposed to be open until 4 pm!

Apparently, the guys working there decided to go home and take a siesta – no matter that we needed to return our motorbike, pick up our deposit and catch a 2pm bus. Sadly, that bus only runs twice per day and we had to decide between catching it and getting back our deposit. On top of that, maintenance was pretty shoddy. Our motorbike broke down twice in one day.

Renting Cars – The cheapest rate to rent a car is 60 CUC per day, but any added expenses can easily push this price up to 75 CUC.

Renting Motorbikes – Prices for places that are less frequented by tourists are around 25 CUC. Expect to pay 35 CUC in more popular places, such as Varadero and Havana.

Trip in a Vintage Car

We are of the opinion that taking a trip in a vintage car is the third-best thing you can in Cuba. To plan for your budget, a one-hour tour around Havana in a vintage car is 35 CUC.

Cost of Transportation

The most expensive thing about Cuba is transportation.
A taxi from the airport for Havana costs 25 CUC.
An inter-city busy generally costs between 15-25 CUC.

WHAT TO PACK

Summer Outfits

No matter what you pack for your trip to Cuba,  summer outfits are necessary. You’ll also want to bring something with long sleeves as nights tend to get chilly. Bring some comfortable walking shoes as you’ll walk around Havana quite a bit. You’ll also need a good pair of tennis shoes for activities like horse riding or trekking.

If you plan to eat a nice meal in a fancy restaurant, make sure to bring trousers and a jacket (for men). Bear in mind that there are a couple of nice places that don’t let men in without trousers and jacket. If possible, try to bring makeup and accessories you wouldn’t mind parting with – the locals will ask for your things as a gift, and it’s a nice gesture.

Other Items to Pack

• Plastic Bags – This is one of our Cuba travel tips that you’ll thank us for. Cubans barely use any plastic bags, so make sure you bring some if you use them to hold laundry and shoes or for quick shopping trips.
• Snacks – Because Cuba manufactures very few products, common snacks like cookies are imported, and it’s hard to find much else. Mexican and Spanish cookies cost 3.5 CUC, and they are only sold in bigger markets. Bring something along to nibble on while you are traveling between cities, trekking or at the beach.
• Insecticide – Having some mosquito spray or pluggable insecticide will come in handy so you won’t be eaten alive.
• Adapter – Most places have American sockets. However, some of the new houses being renovated are compatible with European wall sockets. Be prepared for both.
• Medicine – Whatever you usually pack in your standard traveling medical kit, bring it. Medicine in Cuba is expensive.
• Batteries – If you need to use batteries during your trip to Cuba, you should bring along however many you may need to use. It’s not impossible to find batteries in Cuba, but you might have a hard time doing so.

SEASONAL CUBA TRAVEL TIPS – BEST TIME TO GO

Best time: April and October. It’s not as hot or as crowded, and the prices and costs are lower. Try to avoid Easter in April if you can!

Worst time: May, June, September. Cuba is hot and humid during these months. Also, take note that hurricane season runs from June to October, and there’s a greater chance of rain during this time. Some tourist areas completely shut down during this time.

Peak season: October – March. The weather is cooler and less humid. Europeans seem to come en mass for their annual leave in July and August. Likewise, there are lots of tourists for Easter and New Years. Prices in Cuba go up 30% during this period.

WHAT TO GET FROM YOUR TRIP TO CUBA

As you may have guessed by now, Havana isn’t exactly the place to go shopping. But here are a few helpful Cuba travel tips on what you can purchase on your trip to Cuba, any any travel restrictions they may have:

• Rum – You are allowed to buy up to five bottles of rum per person at the airport’s Duty-Free.
• Cigars – You are allowed to take 25 cigars that are packaged and marked per person out of the country. There’s no limit to the unmarked cigars that you can find rolled at the tobacco farms. The most famous brand is Cohiba.
• Colonial style tablecloth – This is the classic tablecloth in the picture. For one that can fit on a table made for six people, it costs 35-40 CUC.
• Alicia Cream – This is a face cream made with placenta and aloe. Also, Jardin De Aromos is available for 12 CUC at the bazaar under the Sevilla hotel.

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– Here, we talk about the highlights of each city, the order in which you should visit them and how much time you need to spare.

– We’ve also written separate posts as a guide for each city, where you will find more detailed information such as where to stay, things to do and where to eat, places to see and so on.  You will find their links below.

– Santa Clara, Playa Giron/Bay of Pigs and Cienfuegos are such small places, we decided not to make separate city guides for them. So we included our tips here.

– We know that you’re excited to see Cuba, but if you’re planning your trip, please read our Cuba Travel Guide article before reading this one!

CUBA ITINERARY

1 week Cuba itinerary – For those of you who only have a week, our suggested Cuba itinerary is to stay in Varadero for 2 days, Havana for 3, Vinales for 1 and Trinidad for 2. If you need to cut your trip short, then you can remove a day from Havana or Varadero.

Do I need to include Santiago de Cuba in my Cuba itinerary? Traveling all the way to the southern portion of the island to see Santiago de Cuba takes a bit of time, but what it has to offer doesn’t differ that much from the rest of the country. If you aren’t able to make it to Santiago de Cuba, then you can rest easy.

VARADERO – A Turquoise Paradise (1 day is enough, maximum 2)

Get Ahead Of Jetlag

You’re probably impatient to see Havana, but we think it makes more sense start your Cuba itinerary form sandy white beaches at Varadero before heading into the capital city. This will give those of you traveling from far a chance to recover from the long plane ride and accompanying jet lag before going to Havana, where you’ll be walking around under the hot sun. Varadero isn’t the most exciting of places in Cuba, but it serves as an excellent way to slowly ease yourself into the country.

The 22 kilometers of Varadero’s coastline used to be the summer spot for wealthy folks living in Havana before the regime change in the 1960s. Today, it’s by far the best kept and richest place in all of Cuba. There are tons of foreign and domestic resorts in Varadero that offer unlimited buffets. These are filled with Canadian and European tourists looking to lounge around and sunbathe.

Don’t believe everything you’ve read about Varadero; the place is a romantic spot for Cuba’s youth to live out their relationships and eat fast food. This isn’t a place where you should expect to have an authentic Cuban cultural experience. Instead, go to Varadero with the expectation that you’ll be enjoying yourself in an idyllic beach setting.

How Much Time Should I Set Aside?

To get over jet lag and convalesce from a long journey, you’ll need two days. If sitting out on the beach isn’t your jam, then there are tons of other activities you can do during your two days there. Bear in mind that you will definitely need to make reservations one to two months beforehand. If your time is limited, then plan to spend only one day in Varadero, which is enough.

HAVANA – Heart and Soul of Cuba (Minimum of 2 days)

2 days min/ 4 days max in Havana

For most people, Havana is on the top of their Cuba itinerary. (For us, it was Trinidad, but we’ll get to that later.) As you probably know, Cuba is undergoing rapid change. This is most obvious in Havana. You’re going to want to spend at least two days, but no more than four, in Havana among the colorful but dilapidated buildings. We stayed in Havana for five days, which is why we can say without a doubt that it was more than enough time.

We suggest spending two days on tourist attractions and using the rest to roam around. The Museum of the Revolution is one major attraction; however, it’s as impressive as its name is creative.

Getting around

Definitely use a collectivo, or shared taxi, when leaving Havana for Vinales instead of the bus. Just getting to the bus station, which is out of city limits, costs 15 CUC if you’re taking a taxi. On top of this, you’ll have to pay 12 CUC for a bus ticket. We also explained in our Cuba Travel Guide about how Cuba’s bus transit system is less than reliable. Don’t waste your time trying to catch inter-city buses. It makes much more sense for you to take a shared taxi from where you are staying in Havana to where you are staying in Vinales.

Start Planning Your Trip To Havana

Best Things To Do In Havana

VINALES – Village Life & Cigars in Cuba (1 or 2 days)

Why Vinales?

Wandering around Vinales National Park is one of the best of ways to explore the island’s natural sites, and should without a doubt be on your Cuba itinerary. It’s home to a spectacular range of biodiversity, making it a protected site by UNESCO. It also boasts the world’s best cigars. This is also at the top of the list of places to see while in Cuba. Tourists frequent Vinales to take part in outdoor activities such as cycling, horse riding and trekking among the tobacco fields and to see rural life in Cuba. You don’t necessarily have to be in shape to participate either, as the tours are for everyone.

Cuban Cigars

There are trips for each different type of activity, and every trip goes to more or less the same places, so you’ll definitely be able to see how tobacco is made. One of the best parts about these tours is that you’ll learn about the relationship between the government and farmers, as well as how tobacco is made, how it’s dried and then how it becomes a cigar. You can stay at Vinales for two days and do a different activity on the second day, but because the content of the tours doesn’t change much, we think that it’s enough to set aside one day.

Day Trips

For those of you with more time, we suggest that you go on a day trip from Vinales Square to Cay Levico, which is another great place to see in Cuba. Cayo Levisa is a bay that has a beautiful coast on an island north of Cuba. Scuba diving is a popular activity, and it costs 40 CUC. Another popular activity is going to the Alejandro Robaina Tobacco Farm, which features the most famous tobacco growing family in Cuba. However, going there is not so different from the excursions in Vinales.

For diving enthusiasts: Maria La Gorda

For those of you who are into diving, Maria La Gorda is a great thing to do in Cuba. Getting to Maria La Gorda takes about 2.5 hours from Vinales. You won’t be able to go with public transportation as it’s located in a remote part of Cuba. You’ll need to arrange a collectivo from Vinales to take you there. If you only plan to dive for a couple of hours, then you can also negotiate with the driver to wait and take you back to Vinales. The drivers will ask 90 CUC total to take you there and 100 CUC total if you find four people for a collectivo. You can read about how to find a collectivo in the transportation section.

There are only a couple of all-inclusive hotels in Maria La Gorda, no casa particulars. The price for a room in one of these hotels is around 55 euro per person. You can say at a casa particular at La Bajada, which is located 5 kilometers away.

Start Planning Your Trip To Vinales

Ultimate Things To Do In Vinales Valley

BAHIA DE COCHINOS

This is one of the places that we were both really disappointed in. So we can’t say that Bahia de Cochinos should definitely be on your Cuba itinerary. If your time is limited, skip it entirely, make space for other places in your Cuba itinerary. Because it came up in our research, and it will certainly come up in yours, we decided to add some info in case you are interested in visiting while in Cuba.

Getting there

If you are coming from Vinales, then it makes sense to go to Bahia de Cochionos and then to Cienfuegos. If you decide to go, then set it up with a collectivo, and don’t waste your time dealing with the bus. The bus does an unnecessary detour, wasting time in the process, and going by collectivo is around the same price.

If you are taking the bus, you’ll first go to Cienfuegos and get on another bus to Playa Giron, going down a part of the road you’ve already been. There is only one bus per day that leaves from Vinales to Cienfuegos, and it departs at 6:45 am. Most of the time it’s full and costs 32 CUC per person. On top of that, you’ll pay 7 CUC for the bus from Cienfuegos to Playa Giron, making the total cost 39 CUC. If you find a private taxi, it’s 150 CUC, and if you find 4 people for a collectivo, the price is 45-50 CUC per person.

Bahia de Cochinos / Playa Giron For Divers

There is not much to do aside from diving in Playa Giron, which is a small, lesser-known town located on the sea. This place is typically recommended because of the quality of diving and the ease in reaching the location; however, we don’t think it’s worth it if you’ve been diving in Varadero, as you probably won’t see anything different. We are not saying that this is not a good spot to go diving; instead, we recommend nixing it in the interest of time.

If you do two dives during the day, then you’ll be finished around 2 pm. Price per dive per person is 25 CUC. If you’d like to do something else in the afternoon, then you can go to the museum explaining the guerrilla attack that was organized by the CIA. However, this will only take about 10 minutes.

Costs

You can rent a motorcycle (25 CUC for the day) or a car (70-80 CUC ) to go to neighboring areas. If you go on the road that heads to Cienfuegos, then you’ll come to a beach club called the Caleta Buena. It costs 15 CUC to enter, but you can eat and drink as much as you want from the buffet and bar. The club closes at 5:00 pm. If you head towards Playa Larga, you’ll see an alligator farm after a small village. It closes at 5:00 pm, but you can try alligator meat at the farm’s restaurant until 3:00 pm.

Playa Giron, Cuba Itinerary Notes:

1. At the beginning of March, hundreds of thousands of crabs head to the shore to breed. You’ll be seeing red as they climb up the trees and over the asphalt.
2. Hotel Playa Giron is the only spot where you’ll be able to find a computer connected to wifi in a 30-kilometer radius. If you don’t have an internet card, then you can buy one at reception. They will sell you one for 3 CUC, even though the market price is 1.5 CUC. Everyone in town knows where the hotel is. If you are coming by bus, then the driver will drop you off in front of the hotel.
3. The place to rent cars and bikes is located in the same square as the hotel and bus stop.

Where To Eat and Drink

1. Ana Carlos

There aren’t that many restaurants as it’s a small place, but Ana Carlos is definitely a place worth checking out. They serve soup and a heaping plate of rice and beans before each meal. Their specialty is the seafood platter, which comes with lobster, shrimp and fish. The platter is 12 CUC, and more than enough to feed two people. If you ask anyone around, they’ll be able to tell you exactly where it is.

2. Hostal Luis

Though eating quality seafood doesn’t even need to be added to your Cuba itinerary because it’s in such abundance, we suggest that a visit to Hostal Luis. Yes, it is a hotel, but you have just got taste their excellent seafood dinners – whipped up by the chef, who also owns the hotel. Hostal Luis is also close to Casa Yadira & Yurien, which we recommend below.

Accommodation

1. Casa Yadira & Yurien

Located in the garden, the guest house has two rooms, which are both new, clean and airy. We were pleased that we decided to stay there. The best breakfast we had in Cuba was here and costs 5 CUC. We paid 20 CUC for the night. The owners can arrange a scuba diving trip for you on your behalf, and the bus will come to pick you up in front of the house. They can also help if you want to rent a bike.
Playa Giron, Cienaga de Zapata
(53) 52 75 95 83

2. Casa Julio y Lidia

The location of this house is close to the center of the city – but there’s not much to do in the city center, so not sure how much this really matters! The owner of the house is an experienced diving instructor, so if you want to go, make sure to go with his team. By the way, it doesn’t particularly matter where you reserve your diving trips as there is only one firm and diving school. Rooms for the night cost 25 CUC and breakfast is 5 CUC per person.
(53) 45 98 4135

CIENFUEGOS

Founded by the French, the city offers a different type of architecture than you’ll find in the rest of Cuba, but you can breeze through the city in 3-4 hours, or leave it of you Cuba itinerary altogether.

If you are traveling with a collectivo, then negotiate with the driver to get him to wait 1-2 hours while you see the city. This city is often mentioned in articles and blogs that talk about must-see places in Cuba. However, if you’re short on time, we think you can just skip it entirely.

TRINIDAD – Our Top Pick (2 or 3 days)

Our Favorite Cuban City

The city that took the top spot on our Cuba itinerary is Trinidad by far. But, whatever you do, don’t start your Cuba trip in Trinidad. The place is so lovely that everything will be a letdown afterward. Established in the 1500s, Trinidad is Cuba’s oldest settlement.

The city is the best preserved colonial city in Cuba. In the 1700s, some of the Spanish owners of sugar plantations in Trinidad began to build themselves mini-palaces similar to European aristocracy, giving the city an entirely different vibe.

Most of these houses have been turned into museums. With its warmness, Trinidad has an entirely different feel to it than Havana. We found that the best casa particulars and restaurants in Cuba were also in Trinidad.

How long in Trinidad?

You can easily spend three days in Trinidad without getting bored:
1. You can spend one day aimlessly wandering the streets and take wonderful photos, which we think is one of the best things to do in Cuba.
2. You can spend another day going trekking, seeing the waterfall, or traveling to sugar plantations outside the city.
3. You can spend another going to the beach, but be forewarned that it’ll take 45 minutes – 1 hour by taxi.

Start Planning Your Trip To Trinidad

Things To Do In Trinidad 

SANTA CLARA – Che Guevara’s City (Maximum of 1 day)

Santa Clara is known as Che Guevara’s city. If you’re into Cuban history and already know a lot about it, then this might be an important addition to your Cuba itinerary, even though it might be a little disappointing. It’s not really a place that offers impressive views or architecture. In 1958, Che Guevara led a 340-person guerrilla army to defeat the military force 3,900-strong. This led to American-backed President Batista fleeing the country.

Under the command of Che Guevara, his rebel army was able to derail a train that was carrying some of the regime’s officials and ammunition, a significant factor in Guevara’s victory. One of the two things to see in Santa Clara is this train on display in an open-air museum, and the other is Guevara’s mausoleum, brought to Cuba in 1997. Guevara and his comrades were killed in 1967 in Bolivia after he went to spread the revolution to South America.

Sorry to Say…

It saddens me to say this, but don’t speak Spanish, you will be disappointed all over again (the first being at Havana’s Museum of the Revolution). “Is that it?!”

How something that carries so much historical and cultural importance can be overlooked regarding its presentation to the world was shocking to me. Any other country would glorify it out of proportion and turn it into a fan fair. But in Cuban museums, there’s no adequate English translation to learn anything of substance. So make sure to read Cuban Revolution – Fidel Castro, Che Guevara & Communism BEFORE going so you understand what you are looking at.

That said, you’ll only need to spend 2-3 hours seeing both landmarks in Santa Clara. If you don’t have enough time, skip Santa Clara and watch a documentary, which will equip you with more information than what you will see here.

Santa Clara: The Best Place in Cuba For Night Life

One big “however,” though, is that partying in Santa Clara might rank among the best nights out if you’re looking for a good time. Since it’s a college town, Santa Clara offers the best nightlife around. If you happen to be in Santa Clara on a Saturday night, then you can cut loose at Club Mejunje, which is an LGBT club and a really unique venue in Cuba.

In Short:

If you are short on time, then Santa Clara is the first place to drop from your Cuba itinerary. But if you are in Trinidad on your way back to Havana, Santa Clara is on the way. In that case, we’d suggest that you bargain with your driver to set aside two hours for Santa Clara.

It doesn’t hurt to see it with your own eyes, good or bad. And then again, in terms of history, it’s an important place to see in Cuba. If you find yourself there on a Saturday night, it’s definitely worth going out and partying with the locals at Club Mejunje. Note: The music at Club Mejunje is usually electronica and there is an entrance fee. Nightlife in Cuba typically starts around 9:00 pm and ends around 1:00 am.

If You’re Into Bar Hopping

Club Mejunje – Marta Abreu, No 107
La Marquesina – On Parque Vidal Cades between Maximo Gomez and Lorda streets

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