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Cuba had been on my bucket list for a very long time so when I got the chance to visit, I was beyond ecstatic! We stayed in Centro Habana close to everything and within walking distance of most restaurants and shopping centers. We decided to explore the nightlife on our first night there since we didn’t have much time in Cuba. At around 11.00 pm on our first night, we walked over to the Casa de la Musica de Centro Habana. We paid a cover charge of 10 CUC then got ourselves and table and got to enjoy a wonderful band playing live salsa music. The energy was good and the place was not too packed on that particular night. There were lots of tables where people could sit, drink and watch the live show as well as 2 bars, and a dance-floor. The party really kicks in at around 1 am but we left shortly before then. Overall, the vibe was pretty good and the music was amazing. On our second day, we got up bright and early since we would be going on a tour to Vedado and along the way we would stop in Matanzas. This was the highlight of my trip since I had always wanted to learn more about the history of the religion especially of the Afro Cubans. We were able to find a wonderful tour group whose mission was strongly aligned with what we were looking for. On arrival to Matanzas, we visited the Abakua house to learn about the Afro Cuban all male secret fraternity that descended from the Cabarali people. We got to see some Cajon demonstrations as well as discuss the similarities and differences between the Yoruba, Abakua and the Palo religions. This was very mind opening and absolutely informational since I had no idea how important religion is to the Cubans. We then headed to Vedado for a day on the beach where we spent the rest of the day hanging out and relaxing. The beach there was absolutely pristine and I would not mind going back. For nightlife on Saturday night, we decided to check out Fabrica de arte Cubano which is a former factory converted into a gallery, theater and nightclub all in one. It is the brainchild of famous Cuban musician X Alfonso who was inspired to create a space where the old and young could be exposed to the variety of the cultural world under one roof. Fabrica de arte was very busy on that night and the ambience was Art Basel Miami meets SoHo vibe. The drinks were flowing, everyone looked great and the night was hoping to say the least. The fact that 3 of my favorite things; art, music, and people were all under one roof made for a great night. Just a word of caution; get there early if you don’t want to wait in line until 3 AM! We left at around 3 am and there were still people waiting in line to get in. On our last day, we decided to explore the city of Havana as well as Habana Vieja (Old Havana). We visited different places like; Plaza de Armas, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza del Cristo and Plaza de la Catedral. Around these plazas were many outstanding buildings, including the Iglesia Catedral de La Habana, Antiguo Convento de San Francisco de Asís, Palacio Del Segundo Cabo and Palacio de los Capitanes Generales. We also got to visit the Ambos Mundos hotel which was Ernest Hemmingway’s former stomping grounds. After walking around and taking in the sights, we then proceeded to the Plaza de la Revolucionale, checked out Hotel de Nacional de Cuba which made for some awesome photo ops then headed to the Malecon (a sea boulevard that stretches for about 5 miles) where we spent the rest of our evening hanging out before walking back to our casa. Overall, Cuba was a wonderful time; the rich culture, history and charm of the people was unlike any other place I’ve been to. I would recommend getting visiting since Cuba is beyond magical! It was everything I expected it to be and more.