Cuba

Sun-drenched beaches, legendary music and world-class cigars - Cuba is an island paradise unlike any other.

Cuba is the Caribbean's largest and least commercialised island and its relative political isolation has prevented it from being overrun by tourists. Cuba is pretty relaxed, even in the larger towns with the most frenetic it gets being in the middle of an enthusiastic chachachá and locals are sincerely friendly to those who venture here.

Havana is the centre of all things Cuban. There's an air of faded glory about the city; lined with glorious Spanish colonial architecture, much of which is under restoration and with streamlined 50s and 60s American cars cruising the streets. The city however has less traffic and commercialisation than your average Latin American city and the exuberant friendliness of Havana's inhabitants is what shines through.

Colonial Havana is chock-a-block with museums, memorials, art galleries, churches and other historical monuments. Places and palaces are constantly being restored, so a steady stream of new and interesting sites is being opened to the public. There are a surprising number of open-air markets, arts and crafts markets, old-fashioned covered shopping arcades, peso bazaars and shopping malls as well.

Havana also boasts a swinging nightlife with the Old Town and Vedado awash with bars and nightclubs.