My first piece of advice would be to go to Cuba, and get going as soon as possible.

Out of all the places I’ve had the privilege of traveling to, by far Cuba is the most interesting, beautiful, alive, and amazing place I’ve ever experienced. The country was essentially cut off from the corruptness of capitalism, locked in time, and offers a traveling experience unparalleled to anywhere else in the world, or at least in my opinion.

After spending a week in Cuba and splitting our time between Havana and the cigar capital of Viñales, here are a few things I think you should know and a handful of recommendations before visiting:

#1 Go as soon as possible! Traditional American corporations such as McDonalds, Starbucks, Walmart, 7-11, etc. don’t exist here. If fact, the only recognizable branded store I encountered was a small Adidas shop. Everything else was a one of a kind restaurant or bar, “mom & pop” shop, flea market, and living rooms converted into a cafe.

#2 You don’t need to bring Euro’s or Canadian dollars and don’t convert any money at the airport other than a few dollars to get you to your first Casa Particular (rented room / AirBnB). Quite a few people and other resources will tell you NOT to bring US currency because of the Cuban tax, but I found out from locals that they will give you $92-$95 CUC per $100 American, the best deal in town.

#3 Cuba isn’t as cheap as you think.  I’d budget around $100 CUC a day and make sure to bring a little extra because US issued credit cards don’t work in Cuba. Also, make sure to save a few extra CUC for the airport upon exiting the country. You’ll have to pay $1 CUC as an exit tax per visible souvenir.

#4 Stay at a casa particular, and stay at a few different ones. We stayed in 3 different casas while in Cuba and each was quite a different experience than the other.

#5 Viñales is a must visit. Less than three hours west of Havana, this is where a majority of the country’s tobacco is grown and a great place to get your hands on the some of the finest cigars in the world. Join a ride share, hop on the local bus, or rent an entire taxi, but just make sure to go for at least 2-3 days.

#6 Ride a horse through the Viñales valley and stop by the tobacco plantations for local cigars. This was my favorite part of the entire trip.

#7 When you go to Viñales, do yourself a favor and make sure to day trip to Caye Jutias. This is a surreal beach experience that you wont be able to find many other places. Also, make sure to either bring a bottle of rum or buy one from the bar. Havana Club 7 year is quite tasty and mixes very well with fresh coconut juice.

#8 Converse with the locals as much as possible. Cubans are great people and love to chat.

#9 Prepare to be underwhelmed with Cuban cuisine. In my experience, the food was extremely bland and be careful of what you eat, especially if you have a sensitive digestive system. I’m not sure if we just happened to eat at all the wrong places, but I’ll leave this up to you to do more research on and prove me otherwise.

#10 Watch out for the Cuban women. Enough said.

#11 When buying things such as souvenirs and cigars, make sure to negotiate and negotiate some more. Cubans love to make deals so start low and come up, never buy at the original price.

#12 Know what International Terminal you are flying in and out of in Havana. This will be extremely helpful if you are meeting friends and the day you leave Cuba.

#13 Expect to pay anywhere from $2-$5 an hour for internet. Don’t worry, you’ll survive.

#14 Be careful of where you buy your cigars. You can find good deals in the streets and they will obviously be cheaper than the stores, but watch out because there are a ton of fakes and lower quality cigars floating around.

#15 ¡Vamos a Cuba!