Since Raul Castro took the reins from his brother Fidel two years ago, Cuba has been in an upward swing in terms of infrastructure with resorts, cell towers, Internet, etcâ?¦ Coincidentally, tourism has picked up as well, and weâ??re not talking worldwide either.  The United States, which has been in a 54 year old embargo with Cuba has opened the gates for Americans to visit; however, there are some legalities involved. There are three (3) legal ways to obtain an independent license for travel to Cuba, the first of which is being a journalist; second: research, and third: government official. However, thanks to President Barack Obamaâ??s efforts in creating a more suitable option for those of us who donâ??t meet the above criteria, enter the â??People to Peopleâ? program, which allows us to travel on an educational capacity; however, tour operators such as Abercrombie & Kent, General Tours, and Tauck are the only entities that can hold the license, add the passengers to that license, and responsible for leading a tour that meets the â??People to Peopleâ? itinerary.

Flights are normally direct from the United States from either Fort Lauderdale & Miami into Cien Fuegos, Havana, or Santa Clara. Being that Cuba is only 90-miles from South Florida; the flight takes less than 1-hour.

Traveling to Cuba is like traveling back to the 1950s where the cars as classic as they are vibrant; in fact a trip to Cuba wouldnâ??t be complete without a ride in one! Cigars are just the beginning of what is to be the best relaxed time of your life. The Mojito is the drink du jour, which includes sugar, mint, lime, club soda, and rum. Another drink that is popular is the Cuba Libre, which was named not by Cubans who wish to be free, but by the American soldiers who were stationed in Guantanamo mixing Cuban Rum with Coca Cola. Cuba Libres today are prepared with Rum & Tu Kola, which is similar in taste to Coca Cola, but a bit sweeter. The cuisine on the other hand is to die for! Being that my family and I are Cuban, you can say are palate for Cuban cuisine demands the flavors weâ??re accustomed to, which is why it is so difficult to find a good Cuban restaurant in the states. In Cuba thereâ??s a concoction made up of lime, salt, garlic, and other ingredients we call Mojo, which is used on several dishes including pork. Letâ??s just say itâ??s Cubaâ??s very own secret sauce or salsa, which brings us to the music... If there is one thing Cuba is not in any way, shape, or form in short supply of, its musicians & dancers! Some of the best musicians hail from our little island: Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval, Willy Chirino, and the biggest one of them all Benny Moré. One of the worldâ??s best bars can be found a few meters from the famous Hotel Nacional in Havana, and itâ??s El Gato Tuerto, roughly translated â??The One-Eyed Catâ?; I know, but if anything else it should be an indication of how much fun is to be had in a place thatâ??s been regarded as one of the best nightlife spots in the world and yet doesnâ??t take itself seriously, which is what makes Cuba what it is, a jovial place where the main motivation, despite its political climate is to relax and not take things so seriously. Thereâ??s a lot we can all learn from that.

Now is the time to visit Cuba before it opens up to everyone and becomes like every other place.