Havana, Cuba. January 16 – 22, 2018

During January 16 – 22, 2018 we invite you to Havana, Cuba A Content Creators Paradise (space very limited)! I Love Being Black & Traveling.black have teamed up to curate this global experience centered around journalism and content creation. Let’s face it, the US government is slowly closing the door on legal travel to Cuba so let’s slide on in while this amazing opportunity still exists to go there legally (and bring back rum/cigars/etc)! For 7 days we will take you through various parts of Havana starting off with the world famous International Havana Jazz Festival; this is where class and authenticity intersect.

After you submit your deposit we will assist you in booking the best flight from your home city. All of our tours have a focus on diasporic Black experiences, Black businesses and Black guides whenever possible. As you visit Havana, whether it’s your first time or your tenth, you can look forward to the following itinerary on the trip of a lifetime:

First day in an exciting new part of the world. After you land at the airport we will greet you and the rest of the group then jump in a taxi and head to Havana Vieja. This is the Cuba you usually see photos of with rustic vintage looking scenery, abundance of old classic cars and cobblestone streets. We will be staying together in 1-2 condos, so we’ll check in, have a meet and greet and charge our gadgets. The condos will each have 3-4 rooms for participants to stay in. We’ll then eat locally in Havana Vieja and check out some of the surrounding shops, and picturesque plazas. After dinner we will go to 2 locations that are amazing for night photos. Click here for 8 reasons to visit Cuba.

After breakfast we will head straight to an AfroCuban museum that will give you the history of Black people in Cuba including existing religions and other parts of their culture that survived slavery. Next we will eat lunch at a favorite people watching spot that often has a live rumba band playing music while you eat. After lunch we will do the Havana Club Rum Tasting at the distillery where we will be able to interview the rumologists about the process. After this you will have several options for how you spend the rest of your day: taking photos, interview people, editing photos, organizing photo shoots, etc.

We will be taking the bus like the locals do, heading out to one of Cuba’s most beautiful beaches. It’s best to go to this beach on a weekday because on the weekend it’s crowded and noisy and tough to get good photos (but you will have time to return during the weekend if that is what you’re into). White sand, warm water with a crystal blue-green hue and palm trees galore. In 1958, 1 year before the infamous Cuba embargo, Gordon Parks took photographs on some of these same beaches. After the beach we will freshen up, then stop at the Revolution Museum to learn a bit of history to make your stories factual. Next we’ll enjoy the sunset at the castle that used to guard the entrance to Havana by sea, bring those neutral density filters!

Let’s pack up our things and check into our high rise condo(s) in the more modern area of Havana called Vedado. In Vedado you will find stunning rooftop views, buzzing nightlife and stray notes from jazz clubs floating on the breeze. We will take a short walk to a famous ice creamery for a midday snack where you can get scoops of ice cream for just 4¢ each. Next we will take you to the viewing deck of a nearby hotel where you can see all of Havana in a panoramic view. At night there will be Jazz Fest events happening; last year we were able to see 5-time grammy award winner Chucho Valdés open up the festival with his pianist mastery. Hopefully there will be a media junket there we can get into.

For those that have ideas for a photo shoot with Cuban models we will be heading back into Havana Vieja to work with a (mostly) Afro-Cuban model troop there. There are lots of places like plazas, the waterfront and the malecon (seawall) to take beautiful photos. There are other options such as bike tours, salsa classes, etc that you may want to document (these are not included). At night we will visit Havana’s most famous Jazz Club and hopefully share some rum and an informal interview with a legend or two.

Sunday rumbas are something to savor. A rumba is loosely translated as a party, in this case a dayparty. There will be a lot of dancing but don’t forget your cameras and notepads because this specific area of Havana has some amazing street art to see. Also, this is great place to spark up one of those cigars so look for that too. In the evening we will catch a jazz show and do a meet and greet with the artists afterward so that interviews may be captured (pending).

We will take you back to the airport 3-4 hours before your departure. Havana airport is notoriously slow with their check-in processes, you don’t want to get stuck in Cuba… well, after this trip, you just might.

• Book your flights to land in Havana (HAV airport) as early as possible on Jan. 16th. Folks leaving from the west coast may leave at night on Jan. 15th. We will meet you at the airport then shuttle you to the condo.
• After you submit your deposit we will schedule a time to call you within 48hrs to answer any remaining questions and to assist you in finding a good flight
• Visas are $50 and are usually collected at the airport of your final leg before Havana.
• Traveling to Cuba for tourism is illegal but you may travel to Cuba under 1 of 12 pre-designated areas in a group. The designated area we are all traveling under is “journalistic activity“. This tour is ONLY for journalists/photographers/content creators.