Outside Cuba’s capital, the nightlife is straightforward – you can more or less just take to the streets to find out what is happening. In Havana – and to a certain extent, Santiago, too – things are trickier. Navigating Havana’s vibrant bar and club scene can be really difficult because there’s no Time Out, and everything is scattered, plus hitting the right club at the right time with the right time band is a lottery. Sometimes the best bands are playing at 7 pm in a ‘matinee’.
The best thing to do is let Cuba Private Travel book an evening with a vintage car, driver, and concierge and we’ll pick you a host and a list of bars. There are really good restaurants in Cuba now but you need to navigate them with the help of a good concierge.
Also, why not sign up for an evening of great food and entertainment chez toi? We can arrange a Michelin-starred chef or a less starry but beautifully competent Cuban caterer. The finest organic food is possible, whatever – roast pork from Viñales, lamb from the Escambray Mountains, and the freshest lobster ceviche. Then music – perhaps the best jazz from the amazing trumpeter Yasek Manzano, or Dayme Arrozarena, the Erykah Badu of Cuba, or a great local traditional son singer, or some of the dancers from Havana Rakatan. We can even bring in a group of 40 Cubans into a tiny club to liven things up – a curated party of sorts. It’s a new twist on meeting the locals.
The Cuba Private Travel team has access to the very best in Cuban art, music, literature, dance, environment, history and architecture as well as Cuba’s most outstanding beaches and accommodation. By listening to you, the independent traveller, we are able to create tailor-made travel itineraries for your vacation that take you to the heart of Cuba’s culture, landscape and people. Cuba Private Travel’s bespoke itineraries are fully U.S. Treasury Department compliant and include access to personal guides, experts, interpreters and, of course, a 24-hour concierge.
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