Following on from Andrew’s trip to the Cayman Islands for the Conde Nast Traveller Summit 2013, he went on to spend 10 exciting days exploring Cuba. “Cuba”, he says, “was one of the most colourful and fun countries I have ever visited!”
The accommodation ranges from ok to not so great, the infrastructure is appalling but the food was much better than expected (wonderful lobster), the people delightful and the country itself, utterly stunning.
Havana is either totally run down or being frantically restored but either way, the city remains in a wonderful 1950s time warp.
Despite being very poor, the people, and even more importantly, the dogs and horses look well fed. We never got hassled, felt incredibly safe and the amazing mix of Spanish colonial, neo classical and 1950s retro architecture is endlessly fascinating. There’s great music, tons of art and very smiley people out on the streets. The health care is first rate and the kids all look immaculate. It’s very good value and even ‘tight as two coats of paint’ Loyd was dishing out the pesos with almost gay abandon!
The countryside is lush, with tobacco farms, sugar plantations and tropical forests. Some parts very flat, others hilly and there are miles of pristine beaches along the coastline. The roads are empty!
There is a caveat to all this, Fidel Castro is 87 and Raoul Castro is 82. When they go, the embargo will be lifted and once those US cruise ships start docking in Havana and the guests start waddling into town, screaming for a burger but “go easy on the mayo”, you just know it will never be the same again.
Due to being totally skint, they are already opening up the economy but Cuba still has an ‘edge’ to it, which I am sure India and other places still have but its vanished from many of our destinations.
Anyway, if you haven’t been, go soon!
You can reach Andrew Loyd on + 44 (0) 1835 824642 or andrew@ltr.co.uk. Have a look at our collection of wonderful accommodation in the UK available to hire for exclusive use.
If you fancy a luxury house rental in a large English country house tucked away up a private drive and surrounded by an old English forest and 40 acres of parkland, then this home is a real find. Beautifully positioned, this home has been built to an incredibly high standard and really does boast amazing facilities. Perfect for luxury group vacations, the attention to detail is everywhere you look. It is gorgeously comfortable, with 7 double en-suite bedrooms and a wonderful mix of formal areas for adults and lots of fun spaces for the family to enjoy themselves i.e. private cinema and bowling alley.
