a travel blog by renata green
If I can, you can do it, too
After another stopover in Bangkok on the way back from my travels through Cambodia, I’m now ready to share my best tips in this brand-new 24 hours post.
As usual, it’s meant for just a layover or a very short break on a trip through Thailand.
Of course, in 24 hours you’ll see just a fraction of all the attractions this bustling mega-city has to offer. So if you’re staying longer or want to try out more, check out the Bangkok section in my Thailand post.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Twice a week, I’m participating in an Italian online course at the Scuola Leonardo da Vinci via Zoom – and welcoming classmates from all over the world to my humble living room.
Obviously, I know it must sound totally out of line to put together an itinerary for only 24 hours for a city as big’n’busy as Miami.
The fact is that Miami is a pivot point when it comes to travelling to Central and South America as well as the Caribbean Islands. Therefore, chances are that you have to spend a couple of hours or even one night here.
This is where my guide – for a sunny and for a rainy day – comes into the picture.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Let me guide you through Havana, Cuba’s capital that took many people by storm. It’s basically a hurricane of fun, sun, and salsa.
Well, I’m not dancing salsa. And I’m certainly not dancing salsa in Cuba where even a one-legged veteran sways way better than me.
So I’m focussing rather on the city by day.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Vinales, a couple of hours west of Havana, is Cuba ‘s rural paradise: Still dreamy, but not sleepy anymore. Since from Havana, most travellers pay also Viñales a visit.
And most travellers are right to do so because it’s truly beautiful. Coffee and tobacco, mysterious caves, endless fields, and mist-covered mogotes. Vamonos, hop on your bike and let’s explore pastoral Vinales!
This Way to the Whole Story ->Let me guide you to Cienfuegos, a surprisingly French city right in the heart of Cuba. There is good infrastructure, charming places, strong drinks, and cool waters. Basically the fancy side of Cuba.
Also, it’s a great gateway for many day trips to the beautiful surroundings.
This Way to the Whole Story ->In the city of Trinidad, Cuba’s colonial fantasy comes alive. Walking the cobblestones of this architectural jewel will wrap you in a tropical reverie.
However, besides Havana, Trinidad is synonymous with a Cuban vacation and therefore its own cliché. The traveller will find in an almost caricaturish way exactly what he expects. Consequently, Trinidad is a touristy epicenter and deems a bit void’n’shallow.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Santa Clara – a place where to this date you can relive the history of Cuba ‘s revolution.
With the historic Hotel Santa Clara Libre at the Parque Vidal, the Mausoleo Che Guevara, the revolutionary’s last resting place, and the Toma del Tren Blindado site, Santa Clara is still breathing revolution.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Spending a couple of days on secluded Playa Santa Lucia peninsula and paradisiac beaches such as Coco Beach on Cuba’s northern coast is the perfect relaxing break between visits to all the interesting and vibrant cities on the island.
Although to foreigners, the peninsula Plays Santa Lucia seems very much off the beaten tracks, you can get there by public bus in about two hours.
I bet you didn’t know that paradise was that close by.
This Way to the Whole Story ->