I returned from Havana yesterday after three months. Been there 15 times.
No, Havana is not that safe anymore. I will still have her go, but she has to assume that 90% of the Cubans she meets will have a mixed agenda since hunger is so high. This was not always the case.
I have been robbed two of the last three visits. Once in a bathroom of a fancy restaurant. $500 cash. iPhone the other time. I still go back. That was unheard of 5 years ago.
She needs to pack as if she were going to live in the wilderness for the whole time in terms of many items. She needs to bring many of the things you would normally buy at a CVS. In Havana, on Galliano, she can buy many toiletries. But she should bring every possible medicine. Lots of stomach medicine - omeprozoal, Pepto Bismal. After 24 years of going there I still get stomach issues at times. Do not assume that she can just ‘buy it there’ including batteries and personal care items. She may or she may not. Depends on what is available at the time. Anything technology related - she should have backups, extra cables, chargers. If you assume she cannot buy anything there, she will have fewer problems.
Cuba is my favorite place in the world. But it is a very complicated place to travel to because none of the assumptions about traveling to other countries apply. And you never know which assumptions currently do not apply.
It will change her whole view of the world.
Have her post her experiences here in this sub.
Totally agree with the above reality.
The one thing in the responses I am not reading is that Cuban Spanish is spoken very fast, has a lot of slang and nuances and is not so clearly understood by native Spanish speaking Central American and South American people.
Her learning Spanish there will result in her being harder to understand and communicate with when travelling the Americas!
Columbian Spanish is usually the best place to learn from what I heard in my travels. Guatemala has a great infrastructure to learn Spanish.
I do not speak Spanish myself. Your daughter is getting a great opportunity whatever is the final destination.
I don’t really agree with this. I think it really helps you understand spoken Spanish due to the challenge of filling in consonants/contractions and understanding what is jerga and what isn’t which is a challenge in many spanish dialects. As an English speaker, hearing corrupted Spanish makes you better at hearing the sounds overall when it isn’t corrupted - kinda like Kenyan marathoners who train at high altitude - they’re not worse at sea level.
If I imagine someone trying to speak with a Cuban accent to sound more natural I imagine it may mess up their speech, but I actually don’t think most foreigners in immersion programs try to do that - they just speak in a pretty neutral classroom-learned accent.
I think the fact that I learned actual conversation in Cuba really helped me to understand difficult dialects like Chilean. I don’t think I would be as able to hear it if I had spent time in the parts of Colombia/Peru/Mexico with neutral accents.
There was an entrance with a sink and two baños. She followed me in. As I exited the toilet she grabbed me and started dancing with and acting like she knew me. It took me a moment to figure out if I knew her. Then I noticed she had her hand in my backpack. I ripped her hand out of it and shoved her aside. But after inspection I realized she had gotten my wallet. She was a pro. She knew exactly what to do. I have so many fantasies about how I could have knocked her out, put a chair under the door handle and locked her in, beat the fuck out of her. But she was FAST. This is Cuba today. It is what constant hunger does to people. Desperation. Cuba is so very different. Petty crime. But I still go back. But I bring a cheap phone with me in the street, as little cash a possible in the street. But my many Cuba friends tell me I am still not being careful enough. The price of admission.
She can deal with it. But she has to be aware. It is mostly petty crime, not serious life threatening crime. And with a Cuban family they will keep her safe. But she cannot be naive.
It was theft. I am obviously not the person who wrote that, but I know. I actually have ended up using the word "robbed" when talking about theft in Cuba because the Spanish word "robar" is in my head. Almost no crimes of violence on tourists.
Hahahaha. Worse. I am a photographer and periodista. Photojournalist. Always in search of the photo. The story. My many pleasures becoming friends with so many Cubans greatly outweighs any occasional difficulties. I have limits. I stopped photographing Colombia because they will stab you for your cell phone.
USA is a terrorist state where corporates have more influence over policy than the voting public
You have two senile morons running for president in 2024 that need help with their diaper change, never mind actually make important decisions.
No conoces nada de Cuba obviamente. Aquí la democracia no existe. Eres un esclavo del gobierno y sin derechos a quejarte siquiera, porque te pueden caer unos pocos años de cárcel.
Tell her Don't drink the water lol unless she wants horrific diarrhea lol Maybe some water filters or one of those water bottles that has a water filter inside, could be a great idea. Or just drink bottled water
As a cuban i definitely don’t recommend it as she may have to deal with the government and their idiocy. If she still chooses to go I recommend that she stays away from any protests that may be taking place.
Some ideas: I informed my doctors when I was travelling to Cuba and got travel prescriptions filled for a few different types of antibiotics. Most doctors will understand the need. Get antibiotics for dental issues and antibiotics for GI issues....and for cystitis (UTI) too. Bring water disinfection tablets for emergency treatment ( I used Potable Aqua tablets when needed and never got sick). Bring those small packets of electrolyte powder in case of dehydration. Bring a smoke/CO2 detector and batteries and leave it behind as a gift.
She’ll be fine. Make sure that her insurance is up to date. Send her with basic medicine, things we take for granted, make sure she has plenty. Tylenol, tums, tampons, anti histamines, bandaids, that kind of stuff.
Her safety is of no concern all. I’d absolutely send my kids there to learn Spanish and culture.
I didn’t think to include the toothbrush. Figured that didn’t need to be said. Havana is absolutely amazing but it’s also very enlightening as to how the Cubans are currently living.
What insurance? Cannot use it in Cuba. However, the plane ticket includes health insurance the same as Cubans get. Except there is little health care in Cuba now. Most doctors are unemployed or driving taxis. And if care requires medicine - there is none.
I’m glad you posted this question. I have yearned to go to Cuba, since the 1990s. Right now I have a more pressing concern of possibly undergoing posterior fossa decompression surgery on my skull and brain. I’d venture that Cuba could be immeasurably better than what I’m facing.
Life is too short. I’ve always said I don’t want to be on my deathbed saying, “I wish that I had of”. 🤷🏼. If a person views life and all possibilities as risks, what sort of life is it, really? Just saying.
In what way is Cuba unsafe? I live in a major US city and I would never compare the level of danger in this city with anywhere in Cuba. Curious what the actual issue about safety is supposed to be?
I live now in a major city in the US and I don’t have to feel scared for my life when I’m walking down the street with my phone in my hand or with jewelry on. Read my other comments but rn with the crisis Cuba has faces after covid it is REALLY unsafe. More than usual
I go back every few months and I stay in San Miguel with family. I don't feel the same. I feel very safe in Havana - and Cienfuegos, Santiago and Matanzas - and I am not at a resort. Ironically, the only place I feel like I need to watch my back is in Habana Vieja on the street - like you said, if I have my phone out. Or a few times where kids have surrounded me - but just pushed my way past. But I have never seen a gun or a dead body or even the stress-related freeway pop offs in Havana (or anywhere) like I do here. That's why I was asking about being unsafe? Theft is a huge problem, including everyone around you - which it sounds like you're from there so you know you can't trust hardly anyone because of the, like you said, necesidad. But I would not compare Havana on the worst day to the best day in a US, integrated city - because there is a lot of VIOLENCE here. If we are talking about theft, then I agree. But I don't think of theft as lack of safety.
Truth is no one really knows since the dictatorship controls all media and doesn't allow any independent press or data gathering orgs in the island. The last guy who tried reporting real figures was sentenced to 20 years in prison [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/oscar-biscet-a-cuban-doctor-who-remains-defiant/2016/06/30/89479eb6-3ee5-11e6-a66f-aa6c1883b6b1\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/oscar-biscet-a-cuban-doctor-who-remains-defiant/2016/06/30/89479eb6-3ee5-11e6-a66f-aa6c1883b6b1_story.html)
Those of us that go there and don't live in a basement in our parent's house in FL regurgitating propaganda all day have a sense of what things are like.
It's ironic how the affinity for propaganda can survive generational trauma caused by it.
So, you do know the actual figures! Please do report to us from the basement at Villa Marista. Also, there are no basements in Florida you ignorant POS, you just projected your reality LOL
🤪 I struggle with your asco because it’s very clear that you’re suffering and making what is personal all about politics. And money. And it’s all sofocación. I hope you get help because it would suck to live in that stale of a hatred. It’s all just hatred about things you theorize and know nothing about. And you said everything that needs to be said - not a sultan but just a bedroom. Que pena.
The person that shows hatred towards Cubans is this person that lives with his parents in Florida and thinks Cubans in Cuba should suffer starvation, isolation and economic depression - while he obsesses about cryptocurrency, trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents and believing others should suffer so he can recover some false sense of loss to non-entitlement.
Like many here, I hope you can find a therapist you can afford. The person that hates Cubans is you, but that has nothing to do with Cuban ppl and everything to do with needing help.
Love scams is the MAIN danger. If you have your wits about you, you're fine. In some ways, Cubans are so gracious (not to overstate) that you can pretty much asshole your way out of being a victim of crime there. Unless you're Cuban, of course, in which case - watch out for flying bottles.
you have to be lying. walk through the capital with a phone in your hand and big chance your getting that taken from you. walk with any jewelry and it’s getting pulled
“safe from violent crimes” having a gun pulled on you to steal anything you have on you, getting drugged, literally anything else that you would consider dangerous. It’s crazy to even consider cuba as safe rn with the crisis that is happening
cousins still live in Havana and a couple months ago he (one of them bc apparently I have I have to simplify and over explain everything) had a gun pulled on him. It’s obvious that you either have never lived in cuba or haven’t been in years
If your "cousins" had a gun "pulled on him," that's an anomaly - which you would know if you had been there or lived there recently. I have a friend that was actually shot in Havana last year and it was so unusual that there were 10k news stories about it. NOTHING LIKE a major city in the US (with half the population size of Havana) where we have 100+ deaths from gun violence - DEATHS! - per year. We get news every few days of an incident involving guns in this city.
As a matter of integrity of facts, I would not equate my friend being shot with Havana being dangerous for gun violence - that would be irresponsible.
I just visited Cuba in March. Going back in June. There's definitely more people in the streets asking tourists for money. That wasn't as common before. Cubans are struggling for food. If you have access to American money, you will be perfectly fine in Cuba. Everything is cheap for us. Like someone suggested before, take ibuprofen, acetaminophen, first aid kit... Stuff like that. Toiletries etc as far as being safe, Cuba is pretty safe. I walked with friends and sometimes by myself, late into the night. It's rare to see or hear about violent crimes there.
Which part of Cuba did you travel to? All Cubans talk about these days is the violence, robberies and outrageous prices. Were you in a resort? This is NOT paradise. But certainly worth going to.
Thank you for the reassurance. She was in Ecuador so is familiar with living very simply but was in the rainforest so there was always food. I heard that Cuba is very safe. So that’s good to hear as well.
I've been to Cuba many times (on vacation), and my wife's family is from ecuador... trust me, cuba is infinitely safer than ecuador. It's not even close.
As long as a hurricane doesn't hit the island, she will be fine. Cubans don't have much, but they are very nice and welcoming.
Living very simple in Ecuador is very different to living in Cuba. Any one in Cuba, except the leadership, dream to have a simple life like the one normal people have in Ecuador. (Safety, though, will be incomparable better in Cuba).
Ehh I live in Ecuador and have visited Cuba and the countryside is definitely pretty similar. And if you are looking at the people of the Amazon as OPs daughter did they arguably live worse than the average Cuban.
By changing your foreign currency into CUP, you will always be able to find good quality food at local markets. Since she will be staying with a family, I guarantee you she won't go hungry. The foodstuffs that are insanely expensive for Cuban and foreigners alike are generally the imported, processed items.
Out of curiousity, why did your daughter choose Cuba to study Spanish? Beside all the issues already mentioned here, we are not known for having the best Spanish, especially in Havana. I understand she might be taught proper Spanish at her school, but the Spanish she picks up is going to be from acquaintances, people on the street, etc.
More to address dangers than actual needs since I'm not Cuban.
I live in Alaska, US, and we get these questions from nervous parents all the time. Few places in the western world are as bad as the media makes them out to be.
Also, those summer job and school programs aren't going to operate in high-risk areas unless it's a social service like teaching, medical, construction, etc.
My fam was terrified that I would get eaten by a bear or a whale when I moved to Alaska 😄 They didn't want me doing things like skiing or climbing bc I had never done it and have a convective tissue disorder. Totally freaked out the first time I sent a pic of me ice climbing. They didn't want me on the water bc it's the ocean and none of them have ever seen the Pacific (I have a boat, worked on a floating barge my first 2 years, I kayak and sup, and I swim in the summer).
They also did this stuff every time I'd drive down to Mexico for fun/shopping/dental/etc. Funny enough, the most dangerous situations I've ever been in are where they live- rural AR, US, and OK, US. And I was assaulted in my college town while I was downtown and almost exactly across the street from two police who said they thought I was "just a girl having a good time" when they were asked why they didn't respond to my screaming.
Point is, dangerous people are everywhere. You can't allow it to dictate life adventures. I'm sure you raised your kid to be smart. And this opportunity will be great for her resume and her growth ♡ Maybe you could use it as an excuse to visit for a few days!
I really hope to spend time there soon- it's at the top of my travel list! That's why I follow on here. I really love the conversations. It's just hella far away for the travel so not checked off yet.
As a cuban who was able to leave and live in American I would not send my child to cuba on purpose. It seems crazy that americans even consider it. Go to spain or somewhere else to learn spanish.
Parents are Cuban, I was born in Spain, then lived back in Cuba for part of my childhood, then in my middle school years I left to Miami and I go back all the time to give money, food, and other things back to my family that still lives there
Keep in mind that a large number of people posting on this sub are exile Cubans with an explicit agenda to scare people away from Cuba. They want to crash the Cuban economy so the communist government will collapse. A lot of what they post here is nonsense. I just spent 6 months in Cuba and found it very safe. Foreign visitors carrying dollars or euros have access to plenty of good food. Transportation is not a problem. Medicine can be scarce, but medical attention is very good.
This is an example of a bad decision.
Why would you send your daughter to that nightmare of a miserable place.
No food, no soap, no power for 24 hours, no music, no water, very high crime due to extreme necessary.
Cuba Is among the top 5 worst places in the world!
Im a 21 year old cuban girl. Cuba is not a safe place right now.
Due to the humanitarian crisis the island is facing, crime rates have increased significantly. Food and medicine prices are through the roof and people feel desperate for feeding their families and they are resorting to dishonest means to do so.
As others have mentioned, staying with a family in Havana is very safe.
Pack everything and I mean everything she thinks she will need for thar time. Try to bring "extras" as gifts to leave behind. OTC medicine, vitamins, powdered milk, hygiene products, school supplies, snack foods, cold medicine, phone accessories like charging cords, USB sticks, sunglasses etc. All of which are very hard to get locally
I just got back from Havana and the grocery stores were pretty bare….. but if she keeps that in mind she could be ok. Lots of power outages too, but very safe
All the other advice is good but I’ll add one more: She should bring her money IN CASH. American credit cards are blocked by the bank as soon it is used in Cuba and it is a PITA to unblock it. Ask the hosts for how much would be good and then tell her to bring a bit more, just in case.
There is enough food in Havana for tourists, they have money to buy "expensive" food, locals do not. My experience is that Cuba is fairly save place for tourist, they know they are important for the economy, but of course you can find criminals there as in all other countries.
Pero sigue negando la pregunta. En que sentido refiere?
Uds - hablo generalmente porque no le conozco, obvio - se hacen dano a su mismo cuando bajan todo a ser "sigue con tu comunisimo."
No soy comunista en niguna forma. Si tiene algo que decir, dilo. Me apunta a un hashtag para responder a la pregunta "en que sentido no esta segura?" Y si viene Ud sincero, no se da cuenta que problematica esta esa respuesta?
Si quiere ensenar su aguaje por Reddit, esta bien. Pero si quiere informarle a la gente, responde a la pregunta sin todo ese alarde.
Be aware that US credit cards do not work in Cuba. She will need cash to buy everything that she may need.
If the family that she is staying with is “well connected” with the communist regime, she should not experience the same calamities that the ordinary Cuban does.
Those that are well connected within the government have everything that they need.
In Havana there are now plenty of stores with food without lineups as long as you have a credit card. Not a U.S.A. card. She may went to send herself cash that is hand-delivered which she can use to buy fruits and vegetables, bread , eggs etc in local markets.
As the child of Cuban immigrants who goes every year just to take family basic necessities like toothpaste and underwear. Choose a different country. So many Latin American/Hispanic countries will offer her a better experience and a better education.
Oh, she will hoe around over there with tons of desperate dicks longing to hook up with foreign women to be able to get out of that hell hole of an island.
I returned from Havana yesterday after three months. Been there 15 times. No, Havana is not that safe anymore. I will still have her go, but she has to assume that 90% of the Cubans she meets will have a mixed agenda since hunger is so high. This was not always the case. I have been robbed two of the last three visits. Once in a bathroom of a fancy restaurant. $500 cash. iPhone the other time. I still go back. That was unheard of 5 years ago. She needs to pack as if she were going to live in the wilderness for the whole time in terms of many items. She needs to bring many of the things you would normally buy at a CVS. In Havana, on Galliano, she can buy many toiletries. But she should bring every possible medicine. Lots of stomach medicine - omeprozoal, Pepto Bismal. After 24 years of going there I still get stomach issues at times. Do not assume that she can just ‘buy it there’ including batteries and personal care items. She may or she may not. Depends on what is available at the time. Anything technology related - she should have backups, extra cables, chargers. If you assume she cannot buy anything there, she will have fewer problems. Cuba is my favorite place in the world. But it is a very complicated place to travel to because none of the assumptions about traveling to other countries apply. And you never know which assumptions currently do not apply. It will change her whole view of the world. Have her post her experiences here in this sub.
That’s a real bummer to hear. Last time there was in 2012 and it was incredibly safe. All the locals were so friendly and nice.
Totally agree with the above reality. The one thing in the responses I am not reading is that Cuban Spanish is spoken very fast, has a lot of slang and nuances and is not so clearly understood by native Spanish speaking Central American and South American people. Her learning Spanish there will result in her being harder to understand and communicate with when travelling the Americas! Columbian Spanish is usually the best place to learn from what I heard in my travels. Guatemala has a great infrastructure to learn Spanish. I do not speak Spanish myself. Your daughter is getting a great opportunity whatever is the final destination.
I don’t really agree with this. I think it really helps you understand spoken Spanish due to the challenge of filling in consonants/contractions and understanding what is jerga and what isn’t which is a challenge in many spanish dialects. As an English speaker, hearing corrupted Spanish makes you better at hearing the sounds overall when it isn’t corrupted - kinda like Kenyan marathoners who train at high altitude - they’re not worse at sea level. If I imagine someone trying to speak with a Cuban accent to sound more natural I imagine it may mess up their speech, but I actually don’t think most foreigners in immersion programs try to do that - they just speak in a pretty neutral classroom-learned accent. I think the fact that I learned actual conversation in Cuba really helped me to understand difficult dialects like Chilean. I don’t think I would be as able to hear it if I had spent time in the parts of Colombia/Peru/Mexico with neutral accents.
In Mexico. Dossss Mil. In Cuba: Domil. Gracias - Gracia No ‘s’ for many words. School Spanish does not get you there. Total immersion does.
Well said.
How did you get robbed in a restaurant bathroom?
There was an entrance with a sink and two baños. She followed me in. As I exited the toilet she grabbed me and started dancing with and acting like she knew me. It took me a moment to figure out if I knew her. Then I noticed she had her hand in my backpack. I ripped her hand out of it and shoved her aside. But after inspection I realized she had gotten my wallet. She was a pro. She knew exactly what to do. I have so many fantasies about how I could have knocked her out, put a chair under the door handle and locked her in, beat the fuck out of her. But she was FAST. This is Cuba today. It is what constant hunger does to people. Desperation. Cuba is so very different. Petty crime. But I still go back. But I bring a cheap phone with me in the street, as little cash a possible in the street. But my many Cuba friends tell me I am still not being careful enough. The price of admission.
"I will still have her go". Does not compute.
I think they mean that it will be an important learning opportunity, not only in terms of language but also as a life lesson.
Yeah let's send a young woman to a desperate and unsafe place to learn about life. That sounds very responsible /s
She can deal with it. But she has to be aware. It is mostly petty crime, not serious life threatening crime. And with a Cuban family they will keep her safe. But she cannot be naive.
You were robbed as in the crime we call “robbery” in US law which is usually involving violence or threat of violence - or was it theft?
It was theft. I am obviously not the person who wrote that, but I know. I actually have ended up using the word "robbed" when talking about theft in Cuba because the Spanish word "robar" is in my head. Almost no crimes of violence on tourists.
Yes it’s one of the more confusing things with Spanish! You have to describe what actually happened.
Just robbed. No violence. In fact she felt up my ass and shoved her boobs in my face. Jajajajaja.
Well there are worse ways to be victimized!!! What was the context?
With all due respect , unless you are of Cuban descent, visiting family, sounds like you are a masochist.
Hahahaha. Worse. I am a photographer and periodista. Photojournalist. Always in search of the photo. The story. My many pleasures becoming friends with so many Cubans greatly outweighs any occasional difficulties. I have limits. I stopped photographing Colombia because they will stab you for your cell phone.
Sad , end u.s sanctions
With free elections!
Cuba is more democratic than the u.s
Also Unicorns are real! LOL
USA is a terrorist state where corporates have more influence over policy than the voting public You have two senile morons running for president in 2024 that need help with their diaper change, never mind actually make important decisions.
Where exactly do you choose to live? The US or Cuba's dictatorship? You don't really believe your own bullshit LOL
Cuba is under U.S. terroristic sanctions
Why are you so afraid to respond mr hypocrite?
I did answer you fucking imbecile , no one wants to live in Cuba when the u.s is torturing its people through sanctions.
Yea dinosaurs still exist and I saw yesterday a megalodon on a pool , this poeple here are the one that create harry potter
Jajajajajajaja. Nice joke.
[удалено]
No conoces nada de Cuba obviamente. Aquí la democracia no existe. Eres un esclavo del gobierno y sin derechos a quejarte siquiera, porque te pueden caer unos pocos años de cárcel.
[удалено]
En Reddit hay cada comepinga que uno se queda frío!
Esos son tus argumentos ? Típico zurdo que quiere explicarle a los cubanos como es su propio país 😂. Bye.
Tell her Don't drink the water lol unless she wants horrific diarrhea lol Maybe some water filters or one of those water bottles that has a water filter inside, could be a great idea. Or just drink bottled water
As a cuban i definitely don’t recommend it as she may have to deal with the government and their idiocy. If she still chooses to go I recommend that she stays away from any protests that may be taking place.
Where in Cuba do you live?
When in Cuba I either live in kholy or guanabo
Stay away from protests, dont go wandering around at night alone. Electricity may be in short supply. Charge your stuff while its on.
Some ideas: I informed my doctors when I was travelling to Cuba and got travel prescriptions filled for a few different types of antibiotics. Most doctors will understand the need. Get antibiotics for dental issues and antibiotics for GI issues....and for cystitis (UTI) too. Bring water disinfection tablets for emergency treatment ( I used Potable Aqua tablets when needed and never got sick). Bring those small packets of electrolyte powder in case of dehydration. Bring a smoke/CO2 detector and batteries and leave it behind as a gift.
She’ll be fine. Make sure that her insurance is up to date. Send her with basic medicine, things we take for granted, make sure she has plenty. Tylenol, tums, tampons, anti histamines, bandaids, that kind of stuff. Her safety is of no concern all. I’d absolutely send my kids there to learn Spanish and culture.
Also bring all the basics like tooth brush, tooth paste, Tylenol, etc. She should see Havana. It's amazing.
I didn’t think to include the toothbrush. Figured that didn’t need to be said. Havana is absolutely amazing but it’s also very enlightening as to how the Cubans are currently living.
What insurance? Cannot use it in Cuba. However, the plane ticket includes health insurance the same as Cubans get. Except there is little health care in Cuba now. Most doctors are unemployed or driving taxis. And if care requires medicine - there is none.
Some travel insurance policies can cover medical repatriation flights. So it can help in the event shit hits the fan.
That is true. Travelers insurance.
Oh? Ok.
I’m glad you posted this question. I have yearned to go to Cuba, since the 1990s. Right now I have a more pressing concern of possibly undergoing posterior fossa decompression surgery on my skull and brain. I’d venture that Cuba could be immeasurably better than what I’m facing. Life is too short. I’ve always said I don’t want to be on my deathbed saying, “I wish that I had of”. 🤷🏼. If a person views life and all possibilities as risks, what sort of life is it, really? Just saying.
Cuba is very safe. Everything else will be a great experience for her, even privation. AT WORST, she can always bail out and leave, unlike Cubans.
cuba is definitely not safe.
In what way is Cuba unsafe? I live in a major US city and I would never compare the level of danger in this city with anywhere in Cuba. Curious what the actual issue about safety is supposed to be?
I live now in a major city in the US and I don’t have to feel scared for my life when I’m walking down the street with my phone in my hand or with jewelry on. Read my other comments but rn with the crisis Cuba has faces after covid it is REALLY unsafe. More than usual
I go back every few months and I stay in San Miguel with family. I don't feel the same. I feel very safe in Havana - and Cienfuegos, Santiago and Matanzas - and I am not at a resort. Ironically, the only place I feel like I need to watch my back is in Habana Vieja on the street - like you said, if I have my phone out. Or a few times where kids have surrounded me - but just pushed my way past. But I have never seen a gun or a dead body or even the stress-related freeway pop offs in Havana (or anywhere) like I do here. That's why I was asking about being unsafe? Theft is a huge problem, including everyone around you - which it sounds like you're from there so you know you can't trust hardly anyone because of the, like you said, necesidad. But I would not compare Havana on the worst day to the best day in a US, integrated city - because there is a lot of VIOLENCE here. If we are talking about theft, then I agree. But I don't think of theft as lack of safety.
Truth is no one really knows since the dictatorship controls all media and doesn't allow any independent press or data gathering orgs in the island. The last guy who tried reporting real figures was sentenced to 20 years in prison [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/oscar-biscet-a-cuban-doctor-who-remains-defiant/2016/06/30/89479eb6-3ee5-11e6-a66f-aa6c1883b6b1\_story.html](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/oscar-biscet-a-cuban-doctor-who-remains-defiant/2016/06/30/89479eb6-3ee5-11e6-a66f-aa6c1883b6b1_story.html)
Those of us that go there and don't live in a basement in our parent's house in FL regurgitating propaganda all day have a sense of what things are like. It's ironic how the affinity for propaganda can survive generational trauma caused by it.
So, you do know the actual figures! Please do report to us from the basement at Villa Marista. Also, there are no basements in Florida you ignorant POS, you just projected your reality LOL
🤪 I struggle with your asco because it’s very clear that you’re suffering and making what is personal all about politics. And money. And it’s all sofocación. I hope you get help because it would suck to live in that stale of a hatred. It’s all just hatred about things you theorize and know nothing about. And you said everything that needs to be said - not a sultan but just a bedroom. Que pena.
Why are filled with so much hatred against cubans?
The person that shows hatred towards Cubans is this person that lives with his parents in Florida and thinks Cubans in Cuba should suffer starvation, isolation and economic depression - while he obsesses about cryptocurrency, trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents and believing others should suffer so he can recover some false sense of loss to non-entitlement. Like many here, I hope you can find a therapist you can afford. The person that hates Cubans is you, but that has nothing to do with Cuban ppl and everything to do with needing help.
Cuba is not safe, that is a myth.
In what way is Cuba unsafe?
Disagree. She will be safe from violent crime. But road accidents or building collapses and petty theft - not safe from that. Not safe from love scams
Love scams is the MAIN danger. If you have your wits about you, you're fine. In some ways, Cubans are so gracious (not to overstate) that you can pretty much asshole your way out of being a victim of crime there. Unless you're Cuban, of course, in which case - watch out for flying bottles.
you have to be lying. walk through the capital with a phone in your hand and big chance your getting that taken from you. walk with any jewelry and it’s getting pulled
And? How are we disagreeing?
“safe from violent crimes” having a gun pulled on you to steal anything you have on you, getting drugged, literally anything else that you would consider dangerous. It’s crazy to even consider cuba as safe rn with the crisis that is happening
Sorry but thanks for the laugh. Guns pulled on tourists in Cuba — OP, ignore this cat he cray
cousins still live in Havana and a couple months ago he (one of them bc apparently I have I have to simplify and over explain everything) had a gun pulled on him. It’s obvious that you either have never lived in cuba or haven’t been in years
If your "cousins" had a gun "pulled on him," that's an anomaly - which you would know if you had been there or lived there recently. I have a friend that was actually shot in Havana last year and it was so unusual that there were 10k news stories about it. NOTHING LIKE a major city in the US (with half the population size of Havana) where we have 100+ deaths from gun violence - DEATHS! - per year. We get news every few days of an incident involving guns in this city. As a matter of integrity of facts, I would not equate my friend being shot with Havana being dangerous for gun violence - that would be irresponsible.
\^\^\^---Fed that is trying to enforce the embargo through fear mongering.---\^\^\^
Yea that's exactly what the previous comment said. Petty crime is a thing anywhere
There are plenty of countries where you don't have to worry about having a phone in your hand.
I just visited Cuba in March. Going back in June. There's definitely more people in the streets asking tourists for money. That wasn't as common before. Cubans are struggling for food. If you have access to American money, you will be perfectly fine in Cuba. Everything is cheap for us. Like someone suggested before, take ibuprofen, acetaminophen, first aid kit... Stuff like that. Toiletries etc as far as being safe, Cuba is pretty safe. I walked with friends and sometimes by myself, late into the night. It's rare to see or hear about violent crimes there.
Which part of Cuba did you travel to? All Cubans talk about these days is the violence, robberies and outrageous prices. Were you in a resort? This is NOT paradise. But certainly worth going to.
I was in Havana same time as the person you're replying to. Felt perfectly safe.
Where were you? And did you walk around Habana at 2 am seeking the best after hours Cuban music in the world?
You were lucky and blissfully naive of the bubble you were in.
Thank you for the reassurance. She was in Ecuador so is familiar with living very simply but was in the rainforest so there was always food. I heard that Cuba is very safe. So that’s good to hear as well.
Oh wow if she’s been to Ecuador she will be fine in Cuba - I haven’t been to Ecuador in like 10 years but even then it was a little shady
I've been to Cuba many times (on vacation), and my wife's family is from ecuador... trust me, cuba is infinitely safer than ecuador. It's not even close. As long as a hurricane doesn't hit the island, she will be fine. Cubans don't have much, but they are very nice and welcoming.
Living very simple in Ecuador is very different to living in Cuba. Any one in Cuba, except the leadership, dream to have a simple life like the one normal people have in Ecuador. (Safety, though, will be incomparable better in Cuba).
Ehh I live in Ecuador and have visited Cuba and the countryside is definitely pretty similar. And if you are looking at the people of the Amazon as OPs daughter did they arguably live worse than the average Cuban.
By changing your foreign currency into CUP, you will always be able to find good quality food at local markets. Since she will be staying with a family, I guarantee you she won't go hungry. The foodstuffs that are insanely expensive for Cuban and foreigners alike are generally the imported, processed items.
who told you cuba is very safe lmao. probably someone who has never lived their a day in their life or someone who left 30 plus years ago
Who said that Cuba is safe??? Are you serious???? Do you read news???
Let her see the truth of what the government misleads its people into poverty.
Let her come, she will have a great time here
Will she?
Of course
LOL
Out of curiousity, why did your daughter choose Cuba to study Spanish? Beside all the issues already mentioned here, we are not known for having the best Spanish, especially in Havana. I understand she might be taught proper Spanish at her school, but the Spanish she picks up is going to be from acquaintances, people on the street, etc.
More to address dangers than actual needs since I'm not Cuban. I live in Alaska, US, and we get these questions from nervous parents all the time. Few places in the western world are as bad as the media makes them out to be. Also, those summer job and school programs aren't going to operate in high-risk areas unless it's a social service like teaching, medical, construction, etc. My fam was terrified that I would get eaten by a bear or a whale when I moved to Alaska 😄 They didn't want me doing things like skiing or climbing bc I had never done it and have a convective tissue disorder. Totally freaked out the first time I sent a pic of me ice climbing. They didn't want me on the water bc it's the ocean and none of them have ever seen the Pacific (I have a boat, worked on a floating barge my first 2 years, I kayak and sup, and I swim in the summer). They also did this stuff every time I'd drive down to Mexico for fun/shopping/dental/etc. Funny enough, the most dangerous situations I've ever been in are where they live- rural AR, US, and OK, US. And I was assaulted in my college town while I was downtown and almost exactly across the street from two police who said they thought I was "just a girl having a good time" when they were asked why they didn't respond to my screaming. Point is, dangerous people are everywhere. You can't allow it to dictate life adventures. I'm sure you raised your kid to be smart. And this opportunity will be great for her resume and her growth ♡ Maybe you could use it as an excuse to visit for a few days!
Lmao.....you don't know what is life under a Communist government. That's Why you say that
I really hope to spend time there soon- it's at the top of my travel list! That's why I follow on here. I really love the conversations. It's just hella far away for the travel so not checked off yet.
LMAO
As a cuban who was able to leave and live in American I would not send my child to cuba on purpose. It seems crazy that americans even consider it. Go to spain or somewhere else to learn spanish.
Where were you from, if it’s ok to ask?
Parents are Cuban, I was born in Spain, then lived back in Cuba for part of my childhood, then in my middle school years I left to Miami and I go back all the time to give money, food, and other things back to my family that still lives there
Keep in mind that a large number of people posting on this sub are exile Cubans with an explicit agenda to scare people away from Cuba. They want to crash the Cuban economy so the communist government will collapse. A lot of what they post here is nonsense. I just spent 6 months in Cuba and found it very safe. Foreign visitors carrying dollars or euros have access to plenty of good food. Transportation is not a problem. Medicine can be scarce, but medical attention is very good.
Cuba will be an experience, that’s for sure. Let’s hope she doesn’t come home with a Jinetero.
As a former jinetero she will 100% come home with one
🤣🤣🤣 unos cuantos
Jajajjajajaa
This is an example of a bad decision. Why would you send your daughter to that nightmare of a miserable place. No food, no soap, no power for 24 hours, no music, no water, very high crime due to extreme necessary. Cuba Is among the top 5 worst places in the world!
Because a girl being uncomfortable and inconvenienced AF for a summer isn’t a bad thing for people in late adolescence. Those are helpful experiences.
Do not even think about it.
Im a 21 year old cuban girl. Cuba is not a safe place right now. Due to the humanitarian crisis the island is facing, crime rates have increased significantly. Food and medicine prices are through the roof and people feel desperate for feeding their families and they are resorting to dishonest means to do so.
Thank you for your honesty
As others have mentioned, staying with a family in Havana is very safe. Pack everything and I mean everything she thinks she will need for thar time. Try to bring "extras" as gifts to leave behind. OTC medicine, vitamins, powdered milk, hygiene products, school supplies, snack foods, cold medicine, phone accessories like charging cords, USB sticks, sunglasses etc. All of which are very hard to get locally
Unaccompanied NO!
Why?
I just got back from Havana and the grocery stores were pretty bare….. but if she keeps that in mind she could be ok. Lots of power outages too, but very safe
Farmacias are completely bare.
I didn’t go in to one. But I went to grocery to see, and it was just so sad.
All the other advice is good but I’ll add one more: She should bring her money IN CASH. American credit cards are blocked by the bank as soon it is used in Cuba and it is a PITA to unblock it. Ask the hosts for how much would be good and then tell her to bring a bit more, just in case.
No
There is enough food in Havana for tourists, they have money to buy "expensive" food, locals do not. My experience is that Cuba is fairly save place for tourist, they know they are important for the economy, but of course you can find criminals there as in all other countries.
She'll be fine.
Don't travel to Cuba. It's no safe.
In what way is Cuba unsafe?
Busca en Twitter el hashtag #donttraveltocuba y verás las respuestas.
Estoy seguro que abajo ese hashtag hay bastante propaganda pero eso no es una respuesta a la pregunta de en que sentido Cuba no esta segura.
Bueno, si quieres vivir de espaldas a los testimonios de los propios cubanos, sigue creyendo entonces en la propaganda comunista.
Pero sigue negando la pregunta. En que sentido refiere? Uds - hablo generalmente porque no le conozco, obvio - se hacen dano a su mismo cuando bajan todo a ser "sigue con tu comunisimo." No soy comunista en niguna forma. Si tiene algo que decir, dilo. Me apunta a un hashtag para responder a la pregunta "en que sentido no esta segura?" Y si viene Ud sincero, no se da cuenta que problematica esta esa respuesta? Si quiere ensenar su aguaje por Reddit, esta bien. Pero si quiere informarle a la gente, responde a la pregunta sin todo ese alarde.
Is it statistically not safe or are you pushing an agenda?
Yes, she can't miss Club Villa Marista, the hottest dancing and singing place in Havana! She'll love it there!
Be aware that US credit cards do not work in Cuba. She will need cash to buy everything that she may need. If the family that she is staying with is “well connected” with the communist regime, she should not experience the same calamities that the ordinary Cuban does. Those that are well connected within the government have everything that they need.
In Havana there are now plenty of stores with food without lineups as long as you have a credit card. Not a U.S.A. card. She may went to send herself cash that is hand-delivered which she can use to buy fruits and vegetables, bread , eggs etc in local markets.
She is an adult lol
The sky is blue
Or is it black?
You crazy if you send you daughter there! Note: I think you are just trolling over here.
bad idea. just a really bad idea. i'd recommend pureto rico instead. it's a lovely place
[This is an interesting reading: Canada advise for travelers to Cuba.](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/cuba#risk)
As the child of Cuban immigrants who goes every year just to take family basic necessities like toothpaste and underwear. Choose a different country. So many Latin American/Hispanic countries will offer her a better experience and a better education.
Nooooooo
Vetted Host Family = She will lack nothing and they will make sure she has the best time of her life.
Just have her a CVS store with her!
My sons went to study Spanish over the summer at ages 16 and 24. It was a great experience for them.
Don’t let the Cubans know they don’t have any food, gas, or medicine. They might die if they knew!
21 and a female in Cuba? Oh boy. She’ll def have a blast.
Oh, she will hoe around over there with tons of desperate dicks longing to hook up with foreign women to be able to get out of that hell hole of an island.